United Kingdom (UK)
United States (US)
Canada
South Africa
India
Australia
New Zealand
China
Russia
Germany
France
Spain
Netherlands
Vietnam
United Arab Emirates
Italy
Poland
Thailand
Turkey
Algeria
TEFL is an acronym for teaching English as a foreign language. Simply put, TEFL teachers teach non-native English speakers to be fluent in English through TEFL methodologies. It covers a wide variety of methods depending on the age range of your students, the class size, the English level, and the students’ country’s standard methods of teaching. A TEFL course will teach you how to teach English to non-native speakers and help you gain the certification to become a TEFL teacher.
10 Hour Virtual TEFL Course Reviewed By Fiona
One of our students has shared her experience with us in taking part in the 10-hour virtual TEFL course. Due to Covid-19, Fiona was unable to attend the in-class day course and took part online instead. Below she outlines her experience, what she learned and gives advice to future students looking to gain this online TEFL Certificate.
This is a 10-hour Virtual TEFL Course REview From Fiona
Q: What was your experience with the online TEFL Certificate? Any favourite parts?
I really enjoyed my training in completing the virtual day course. The tutor Michelle was very friendly and full of practical advice. The class size was small, which meant everyone got a chance to talk and practice the different exercises. Out of the whole experience, my favourite part was the teaching practice component. This really gave me an idea of what it would be like to put a lesson plan together and teach a class. It was also really interesting to see everyone else’s ideas and concepts too.
Q: Did completing this online TEFL Certificate help you gain more confidence?
Yes, it did. I had no previous teaching experience and I felt that the course provided me with a great opportunity to learn some teaching techniques. For example, I learned how to use games in the classroom. Learning how to use these teaching techniques from a tutor who actually uses them regularly was a great benefit. By the time we had completed the course, we left with plenty of useful resources for going forward with our teaching careers such as lesson planning guides, worksheets, and lesson planning templates.
Q: What did you think of the TEFL tutor Michelle?
I found Michelle to be a great tutor for the course, you could see she has a lot of experience and she was excited to share her knowledge with the class. Michelle provided us with lots of teaching tips and ideas. She was also open to listening to the class’s suggestions and giving everyone a chance to share their thoughts. Michelle made everyone feel relaxed in the class and answered all our questions. For many activities, she taught us as though we were students in her English class. I found it very useful as it showed us what it would be like for our students in the classroom.
Q: Due to Covid-19, you were unable to attend the in-class day course. Do you feel the online TEFL Certificate was satisfactory?
I was a bit uncertain at first about the course being done over zoom. But, in the end, I felt my experience was just as good as what I would have had in an in-class day course. Eight people attended the virtual TEFL course, which I felt was a good number. Everyone got their chance to talk, share their ideas and ask questions. We also used the breakout room function, which allowed us to split into smaller groups for exercises. Michelle was able to go between the virtual rooms, so it almost felt like we were in a classroom.
Q: Did you get a chance to practice your teaching?
Yes. During the second part of the course, we were split into pairs and given an assignment of coming up with a 10-minute class to teach to the others in our class. We picked our own topic and were given a sample lesson plan to follow. We started with an icebreaker game. Then we presented our topic to the others as though they were our class and then we got them to practice the concept we were teaching in pairs. Finally, we came up with a group activity for the whole class to practice our concept. At the end of our teaching practice class, Michelle gave us feedback which I found very useful. It showed you where to improve and what you could change going into an actual classroom. Michelle also gave us positive feedback, which I felt was great for your confidence!
Q: What advice would you give to other students who are thinking of taking part in this course?
I would 100% recommend this course to other students. A lot of employers online are looking for some previous teaching experience as the online market is getting very competitive. It can be difficult to get practical teaching experience during the current pandemic so this practical TEFL course done via Zoom is the perfect chance to gain some teaching experience without leaving your house! At the end of the course, I also received a certificate of completion and feedback from the tutor Michelle. I left the course feeling so much more confident in my ability to enter any classroom and teach.
Our 10 Hour Virtual TEFL Course is ideal for gaining teaching methods and practice. It looks great on your CV too! Find out more and enrol today.
This depends on the type of learner you are. People who find the TEFL course easier are those who have a BEd, have recently studied in another sector and are in the zone, or are self-motivated to complete an online course. Unlike other courses, TEFL courses can be quite lenient in terms of repeating the tests, so it can be a little bit of a trial and error scenario. This takes the pressure off a bit and makes it a little easier. The level 5 TEFL course is significantly harder than the 120-hour TEFL course as it’s government-regulated and needs to meet certain standards from the students’ answers.
TEFL is an amazing career and opens a lot of doors for you! Because the industry is so varied, any type of person can be a TEFL teacher. Prefer to work online than abroad or in a classroom? No problem! Want to work part-time while raising a family? Absolutely! Want to travel the world with friends in your 20s while earning money? Why not! TEFL teachers around the globe are normally on western wages, meaning that between currency exchange and cost of living, you’ll be on a premium wage.
Each TEFL course is different with its own agenda on what to teach you. Both the level 5 course and the 120-hour course are your main TEFL qualification that teaches you from basics of methodologies, lesson planning, and classroom management, as well as grammar and pronunciation. These two courses will give you the qualification to be able to teach English as a foreign language. They touch on a range of topics for every scenario. There are also specialist courses that have niche subjects to help you to specialize in certain areas, such as Business English and Exam preparations. Most importantly, TEFL courses give you the opportunity to travel and work abroad or online. They give you freedom and a handy paycheck!
The 120-hour TEFL Courses are equivalent to a UK level 3 qualification. The Level 5 TEFL Course is a UK Level 5 TEFL Course. Check out this comparison chart if you’re not quite sure. Other Level 5 ESL Qualifications include CELTA and TrinityTESOL.
The minimum requirement to become a fully qualified TEFL teacher is the 120-hour TEFL Course. This course starts at entry level so you won’t need any prior training when starting the course. It’s an all-rounder and teaches you the skills you need in virtually every scenario of TEFL teaching. Of course, you can aim higher by enrolling in the Level 5 TEFL course, and there are lots of specialist courses to choose from if you’d like to go into the more lucrative, higher-paid TEFL jobs. If you have no experience in teaching, you might want to consider the 10-hour virtual course which includes teaching practice and will say so on your certificate. This will give you the upper hand against other newly qualified teachers.
