Here at ITTT, we'll do all we can to ensure your entire TEFL training experience is as straightforward and rewarding as possible. If you have any questions regarding our courses, please see our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section below.

Our FAQ section should clear up most of your questions but if you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to contact ITTT by submitting your questions in the form provided at the bottom of this page.

Your TEFL questions answered

ITTT is dedicated to assisting you throughout your TEFL studentship and to providing you with a means of support during your ensuing teaching career. Our TEFL FAQs are designed to help you make the best decisions when it comes to selecting from our wide range of TEFL courses. What's more, we have received a large amount of positive feedback on teflcourse.net, and are confident that our FAQs will succeed in clearing up most of your uncertainties. Deciding to train for a TEFL qualification and choosing your course location are not necessarily easy to do; in fact, many of our applicants have similar doubts. This is why our FAQs are so helpful for people who are considering taking a TEFL course to teach English overseas. Visit our FAQ section to calm your uncertainties - and to help you proceed to the application process.

• What is the difference between TESOL and TEFL?

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  For all intent and purpose the terms are synonymous. There is a slight technical difference since TESOL refers to all learners whose first language is not English, including ethnic minorities living in English speaking countries whereas TEFL refers only to "foreign" students.

• There are so many teacher-training courses advertised. How do I know which to apply for?

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  There are dozens of good schools around the world. Many are professionally managed and have qualified, competent teachers. Many course providers offer one or two-week introductory courses, perhaps with the offer of job placements afterwards. These certainly give you a taste of TESOL/TEFL and some of these are very professionally conducted courses.

  But, if you seriously want to become an EFL/ESL teacher and find great job opportunities, you are going to need recognized certification validated by an external examination board.

  ITTT online courses are accredited with the Online TESOL and TEFL Standards Agency (OTTSA) and our onsite courses, in conjunction with TEFL International, are externally validated and moderated by a Board of Academic Advisors. The board includes several internationally recognized experts in the field of English teaching as well as dozens of local English language school managers around the world. ITTT also voluntarily complies with the standards of the British Association of TESOL Qualifying Institutions (BATQI).

• I've heard that these courses are very difficult. Is that true?

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  There is no way around it--our courses contain a great deal of content that need to be covered in a relatively short time. Yet the educational philosophy of those providing the course can make a huge difference. We believe in a mentoring, nurturing environment and we do everything we can to help our trainee teachers pass the course.

  ITTT encourages all native-English speakers and those fluent in English to attend.

• What is the difference between the TEFL International TESOL Certificate, the Trinity TESOL certificate and the Cambridge/RSA Certificate (CELTA)?

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  TEFL International began as a Trinity course, and was one of the largest and most popular Trinity courses until December of 1999. As a result, the content of both the Trinity and TEFL International courses differ in only a few miniscule ways.

  Most importantly, all three courses are monitored by external examiners that visit each course at least once during each course. These external moderators set these three certificate courses apart from all others.

  However, there are a few areas in which we feel the TEFL International certificate and the Trinity College London certificate course hold an advantage. The CELTA is specifically designed for teaching groups of adults (hence the "A" at the end of "CELTA"). On the other hand, the TEFL International and the Trinity College Certificate provide for the teaching of younger learners as well as adults; one-to-one students as well as groups/classes of students.

  TEFL International course gives you the following benefits: a varying number of class size, from one-to-one to larger class sizes; experience being a learner of an unfamiliar language in order to help you identify with students who are in the position of learning a new language; the opportunity to create your own teaching material as a form of practical project which you can take away and use in your future teaching career; experience with younger learners as well as with adults.

• Why should I take a TEFL International course?

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  There are several reasons why you should take the TEFL International TESOL certificate course:

  Our trainers take every effort to help you succeed throughout the TESOL certificate course. The TEFL International certificate is an internationally recognized certificate and accepted worldwide. We include course fees and accommodations into very affordable packages. In taking the course in an international location, you will have a great advantage in finding jobs in those same countries. We are much more involved in your job search than other course providers. Our alumni job page gives you direct access to hundreds of course alumni-teachers currently teaching in schools from Thailand to Brazil! Each center is an area expert, with extensive contacts within the country.

• What are the requirements for getting on to the course? How do I know if I am a suitable candidate? What kind of people will be on the course? Are there any age limits?

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  First and foremost, our only two requirements for the course are that you be 18 years of age or older. In addition to that, of course you need to be a native or fluent speaker of English. If you meet these requirements and want to teach English while living an exotic and meaningful lifestyle, you’re a suitable candidate.

  We have trainees of all ages and backgrounds attending the course for any number of reasons. You don’t need to have classroom experience before taking the course but we’ve also had thousands of teachers on our courses in the past.

  You needn’t have extensive knowledge of grammar nor the country in which you’re training--just a good attitude and a willingness to explore both yourself and the world.

• Do I need knowledge of other languages?

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  In a word: no. We here at TEFL International use the International Standard Communicative Approach to teaching. This means English is the only language needed to effectively teach in the classroom. While knowing a bit of local language will help to connect you with your students and co-workers outside class, it’s not necessary for our methodology!

• Is there an age limit?

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  There is no upper age limit but you must be at least 18 years of age for your application to be considered for Onsite and Combined courses. If you’re 16-17, you may apply for our online courses but only with your parents’ consent and employment possibilities will be extremely limited until you reach the age of majority. Additionally, we have successfully trained (and found employment for) graduates of all ages—you’re never too old to teach!

• When is the best time to do a course?

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  There really is no “best” time to do a course. Some months might be slightly better than others but this depends on where you’d like to work. Jobs are available year round with academic terms varying from continent to continent.

• What are the chances of finding a job after the course? Does TEFL International help with this?

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  The chances of finding a job after the course range from very good to excellent. Many of our trainees receive multiple offers before they graduate from the course. ITTT and TEFL International will assist at all stages of the job search from putting a CV/resume together to interview techniques to arranging interviews.

Your TEFL questions answered

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