TESOL/TEFL Training Courses

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When choosing a TESOL Course, you must also consider several additional factors that can affect the quality of the program. These other factors include:

Employment Assistance Services:
Many schools assist their graduates in finding a job. This can be a very valuable service, especially in tighter job markets. The exact nature of this service varies by school, but it is usually free and provides you with information that details the region where you want to work, its job market, lists of potential employers, visa and work permit requirements, housing options, etc.
“ Lifetime” job assistance, is offered by some schools and could prove to be quite useful if you decide to switch countries or take a break between teaching jobs. If a school you are considering does not offer lifetime job guidance, then be sure to find out exactly how long you are eligible to receive employment assistance.

Finally, some TESOL Courses even “guarantee” jobs for all of their graduates. Some schools are able to do so because they run their own language schools and can hire their TEFL course graduates on the spot. In general, however, you should take this guarantee with a grain of salt. It is more of a marketing ploy than a contractually binding agreement. Furthermore, the most important variable when finding a job is YOU, the applicant. If you are hard working, dedicated, and TESOL certified, you should be able to find a job teaching English virtually anywhere you want.

Trainer Experience:
Your course instructors will have the single biggest impact on your course. As such, it is important that they have the proper experience and training to prepare you for your teaching career. At a minimum, instructors should have several years of experience working as an English teachers themselves. Better yet, they will have advanced degrees (e.g. Diploma Certificate or Masters Degree) in TESOL/TEFL.

Opportunity to teach actual students:
Probably the most valuable aspect of any TESOL Course is the opportunity to practice teaching actual classes while being observed by your instructors, who can then offer detailed feedback and advice. As mentioned previously, this is a minimum requirement for any reputable TESOL Course. However, some courses only allow you to give lessons to other trainees, and not to actual “English as a Foreign Language” students. The drawbacks of this setup are obvious, and should be avoided if possible. Before enrolling in a course, make sure to find out whom your practice students will be. Such an arrangement is obviously more common for TEFL Courses that are conducted in an English speaking country, where non-English speakers may be hard to find.

Opportunity to observe experienced teachers:
Another valuable service some TESOL courses provide is the opportunity to observe experienced TESOL teachers in action. Seeing how experts manage a class or teach a specific grammar point is a unique window onto the profession, which you can then use as a model for your own teaching.