World Class TEFL/TESOL Courses In Istanbul, Turkey

TEFL courses in Istanbul in classrooms are not as prevalent as they could be, which means that your opportunities to learn could be very limited. However, online learning is designed to accommodate people living all over the world with the study platform available 24 seven. This means that you have a lot of flexibility and can study in your local time while gaining an internationally recognised and accredited qualification that will enable you to apply for jobs as an English teacher in any country around the world.

There are a lot of courses on offer, but we do recommend that if you are hoping to build a career teaching English as a foreign language, whether you plan to travel the world or teach online, you begin with the 120 hour accredited TEFL course.

Generally, employers are looking for 120 hours as a bare minimum, and you can study more, but often it is not necessary in order to begin working. Our course will prepare you for teaching English as a foreign language in as little as four weeks, but you have the luxury of being able to study at your own pace, so if it takes you longer, this is also not a problem.

Our TEFL courses are varied and interesting, using a mixture of teaching tools from video games as well as more structured assessments and assignments. Not only does this help you learn, but you can see how we teach our students and therefore gain insight and ideas into teaching in your own classroom. We do require candidates to have a proficient level of English the minimum level being C1. You will need a device that is capable of accessing our online platform.

If you are looking for training from a different location, we offer online TEFL courses in Izmir, TEFL courses in Ankara, TEFL courses in Bursa, and TEFL courses in Gaziantep. View all TEFL courses here.

Our award-winning Level 5 TEFL Diploma has ten modules again. These will be presented as text, video and audio to ensure that your learning style is taken into consideration. We not only teach the basics of teaching others, but we ensure that you are an expert in the structure of grammar and are capable of producing practical lessons, plans and guiding conversations so that it is engaging and create an effective learning arena. At the end of the course, you will have all the skills needed to be an amazing English teacher. Whether you are teaching one-to-one or have a classroom of students, you will be prepared for every scenario.

This online Level 5 TEFL Diploma can be completed within 6-8 weeks, but we do allow all students up to 6 months from the registration date to complete their studies. This means that if you are busy and trying to get a new qualification to change your career or improve your prospects, you have plenty of time to do so.

Once you have obtained your level 5 TEFL certificate, you are in a great position to find a job teaching either in Istanbul, Turkey, or anywhere else in the world. If you are a local, you could boost your confidence by offering your services to local language schools to gain some valuable experience before heading out into the world. There are four different options available for finding work as an English teacher in Istanbul, Turkey, so let’s take a close look.

Public Schools

Istanbul has a range of primary and secondary schools that are funded by the government in much the same way as most countries. Classes are primarily taught in Turkish, but they do have English on the curriculum. It’s entirely up to the school whether they hire someone who has English as a first language or whether they prefer someone local. Some schools do not have the funding to hire outside of their local teaching base. However, it’s worth checking out any opportunities available in primary and secondary schools.

International Schools

International schools are designed to educate the children of any other expats who have made Istanbul in Turkey their home. Children are often free to attend public schools, but these would be taught in Turkish and not their native language. International schools are feepaying and often taught in English. While they do use TEFL teachers to help with education, they are at a higher level and would expect you to have a degree, although this does not have to be in English, and potentially some experience. In return, you get a much higher salary than other teaching opportunities for TEFL teachers, and sometimes other perks, such as paid flights to get to the school from your home country or subsidised accommodation.

Language Schools

Language schools are often the perfect starting point for newly qualified TEFL teachers. The majority of your students will be adult learners, and lessons take place in the evenings or at the weekend because, during the week, these people are working. They have various reasons for wanting to enhance their English language skills, which means you may stand out from other applicants if you have undertaken extra business English courses. One of the great things about language school schedules is that you get the daytime free. So, if you’re moving to a new country, it gives you an opportunity to explore in the daylight and then work in the evenings or at the weekend. Language school contracts tend to be part-time, potentially around 25 hours a week, and some people generate the level of income they need by working in more than one setting.

Tutoring

If you haven’t got enough hours in your paid contract, tutoring from home is also an option. However, you do need to be careful that this does not create a conflict of interest between yourself and any employer. You would need to disclose to them that you plan to do this and, in effect, get their permission. Any money that you earned tutoring would be classed as self-employed income.

If you are looking to teach English in a foreign country, you will obviously need a Visa. In order to apply for a Visa in Turkey, you will need the 120-hour TEFL qualification if this is your reason for applying. Turkey Visa rules also dictate that you will need a degree. The positions themselves vary in terms of whether they need a degree in English, just a bachelor’s degree or an MA. Applying for visas can be a paperwork-heavy process that takes a lot of time. So, make sure you do your research and apply in a timely manner. Everyone has to start somewhere, so many positions, for example, language, schools often do not require any experience. However, you should take into account your job history when creating a CV specifically for TEFL vacancies. You would be surprised how many skills are transferable, and by taking the time to highlight them in your new CV, you can increase your chances of standing out from other applicants.

Istanbul

The largest city in the country is Istanbul, and it is a very vibrant city. The people in Istanbul are culturally diverse, and you will find plenty of opportunities for jobs in all kinds of institutions.

Ankara

Although Istanbul is the largest city, the capital is Ankara. It’s another good-sized city with plenty of job opportunities and bizarrely comes with a lower cost of living than you would find in Istanbul.

Izmir, Bursa and Adana

Jobs can be found in both towns and cities, but these three cities also bring about good prospects for someone wanting to teach English as a foreign language. These tend to be where the language schools are located, and therefore, you need to have the qualifications to meet the job description.

Earnings vary depending on the type of position and the institution at which you are employed. The local currency is the Turkish lira, and generally, you can expect a basic salary to be in the region of 1500 to 5000 lira, which is equal to around £170-£575 per month.

Freelancers can earn anything from four pounds to twenty pounds an hour. Sadly, this tends to often be at the lower end, so it’s always better to be employed if you can. Each institution will offer different rates of pay, and as previously mentioned, international schools are always the best paying, no matter where you go in the world. This is because the parents are pay fees for their children to attend and therefore expect the best education money can buy.

The cost of living in Istanbul is similar to the rest of Turkey. The usual rules apply: the closer you are to city centres, the more you are going to pay to live. However, the good news is that many TEFL jobs do come with accommodation or at least an allowance, which makes it really affordable to live there. The rest is down to you; utilities are not particularly expensive, so your lifestyle will dictate how much cash you have left over. Generally, the advice is to eat like a local and avoid supermarkets where imported food is going to be expensive. Market and local independent shops are your best bet for finding food. Turkish food is absolutely delicious, so you can have fun experimenting.

• Accommodation: £268 – £395 / $335 – $494
• Utilities: £60 / $75
• Health insurance: Cost of a typical visit to a GP: £24 / $30
• Monthly transport pass: £22 / $28
• Basic dinner out for two: £12 / $15
• Cappuccino in expat area: £1.65 / $2.06
• A beer in a pub: £2.53 / $3.16
• 1 litre of milk: £0.57 / $0.71
• 2 litres of Coca-Cola: £0.63 / $0.79

To find the cost of living figures, we use Numbeo.com, the world’s largest cost of living comparison website.