Are All Tefl Certification The Same

In order to allow potential trainees to compare different courses, many countries, organizations and TEFL course providers have developed their own course-level framework. At ITTT our framework currently runs from level 3 to level 7, covering our full selection of TEFL certification courses. On this scale it is generally agreed that a level 4 course is the minimum level expected by employers who are trying to fill vacancies for mainstream entry-level EFL teaching jobs. However, many trainees choose to start their teaching career with a higher level of training. A level 5 TEFL course will give you a genuine headstart on most other first-time teachers and allow you to apply for a wider range of jobs. A level 5 TEFL course on the ITTT scale is the equivalent of a standard CELTA certification...  [Read more]

Put simply, language is a verbal expression of culture which means that culture clearly has to be seen as an important part of language learning. Although it is important to learn the vocabulary and grammar of English during lessons, to truly grasp what the language means to native speakers it is vital that EFL students learn as much as possible about the culture of English speaking nations. The good news is that students generally love learning about cultural issues, whether it is music, films, books, and TV, or other things such as food or fashion. So, how can we incorporate culture into our EFL lessons to make them interesting and productive? Authentic materials can be anything that native English speakers might use that can be adapted for use in an EFL classroom. This type of material...  [Read more]

There are a number of EFL teaching scenarios that involve tutoring. The most obvious is that of one-to-one teaching. This can take place in a school, a language center, at a business or privately. Regardless of the teaching scenario, the route to becoming a TEFL tutor is basically the same as becoming a TEFL teacher. In general there are three ways to gain the certification required to become a TEFL tutor. They all involve a course with a minimum of 120 hours of training. This can be done from anywhere in the world with a computer and an internet connection. Typical 120-hour courses give you up to six months to complete the course, working at your own pace. These courses will cover the main aspects of EFL teaching, those being, learning about teaching methodology and learning how to teach...  [Read more]

In recent years, Jordan has definitely joined the list of countries that are good places for teaching in the Middle East. It has one of the most progressive school systems in the region and is on target to become a fully bilingual country in the not so distant future. As almost one third of the population is under 15, there is a particularly strong demand for teachers who are qualified and experienced in teaching young learners. As well as plenty of jobs, Jordan offers stunning landscapes, vibrant cities, and a warm welcome from the local population. Although it is not yet competing with top destinations in the region such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia in terms of salaries, Jordan’s lower cost of living means that your pay will stretch much further. Monthly salaries in a standard tutoring...  [Read more]

  Dahlia is a graduate of ITTT's 120-hour online TESOL course. In this TESOL review, she recommends the course for anyone thinking of earning a TESOL or TEFL certificate especially those with backgrounds in teaching and education. ITTT's courses assume no prior teaching knowledge so are suitable for complete beginners to English language teaching or those looking to refresh their skills. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with each section before moving onto the next. This unit was talking...  [Read more]

TEFL (Teach English as a Foreign Language) and CELTA (Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults) are both certifications that qualify individuals to teach English as a foreign language. However, there are some key differences between the two that potential teachers should be aware of before choosing which certification to pursue. One of the main differences between TEFL and CELTA is the level of recognition and prestige associated with each certification. CELTA is widely considered to be the gold standard in TEFL certifications and is highly regarded by employers around the world. On the other hand, TEFL certifications can vary widely in quality and may not always be recognized by employers to the same extent as CELTA. Another important difference between TEFL and CELTA is the...  [Read more]

Teaching EFL online involves all the same skills and knowledge as teaching face to face, with the added requirement of being confident with technology. Many online teaching companies have their own platforms on which you teach your students or they may require you to use proprietary software such as Google Classroom or Zoom. There are a number of different teaching scenarios that you may be involved with which include teaching Kindergarten all the way up to adults. You may teach one to one or groups and it is also possible to teach specialized courses such as business English. As you do all the same things as face to face teachers, the qualifications required are basically the same. It is true to say, however, due to the large numbers of private online EFL companies that the qualification...  [Read more]

  Both the 120 hour TEFL/TESOL online course and the four week TEFL/TESOL in-class course cover the same academic content, i.e. grammar, phonology, teaching theories and methodologies. The difference between the two courses is the actual teaching practice component in the in- class course. During the in-class course trainees are given the opportunity to complete a number of observed teaching practice sessions. By having this practical teaching experience you are improving your job prospects. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our Online Courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that you...  [Read more]

  In this TEFL review video Danny gives us a brief tour of Hong Kong where he is teaching English. Danny also outlines his three reasons for choosing to earn his TEFL certificate with ITTT. The first is the great flexibility ITTT's courses provide, with six months to complete the course students are able to work in their own time and fit their studying around any other commitments they may have. The second is the reviews he read about the course online. The third is the affordability of ITTT's courses allowing you to earn a teaching certificate without stretching your budget. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of...  [Read more]

  Tim is from Hong Kong and he completed his 120-hour online TEFL course with ITTT. He enjoyed working independently on the course and enjoyed its flexibility. Now that he is qualified he is able to teach in schools in Hong Kong and had a great time working on the course. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with each section before moving onto the next. In this unit I got an in depth look at all of the tools and aids which can be utilized for assisting with teaching. I learned about developing...  [Read more]

  This video is a sample EFL lesson in a real-life classroom setting abroad. After eliciting key vocabulary from the students, the teacher starts with the study phase of the lesson, which focuses on modal verbs. The teacher is using the modal verbs ?have to? and "can" when teaching the students how to form questions with modals. Note how the teacher also writes all the information clearly on the board so that the students can copy it down. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with each section before moving...  [Read more]

  The fact that our online TEFL courses are accredited by a leading educational institution such as the Paris University of International Education (PUIE) is a major benefit to many trainees as you are able to claim credits towards your bachelor’s or master’s degree through the PUIE. For example, if you choose to take our 120-hour TEFL certification course (generally seen as our standard online course option) you can claim three bachelor’s credits or one master’s credit on completion. If you take our 550-hour Expert Package you can claim nine bachelor’s credits or six master’s credits. At ITTT we offer the chance to gain a teaching qualification that is recognized and welcomed by all the best employers across the TEFL world, while also adding to your higher education...  [Read more]

  Once we're satisfied that all the students have been engaged and that they've been given the opportunity to say something, we can move on to our study phase. Here, it may be necessary or useful to actually pre-teach some gaps in knowledge that have been shown from the engage phase and those gaps in knowledge may include actual grammar structures or indeed useful vocabulary and it's very important that, before we move on to doing any forms of activity, we check their understanding of this material. So, we need to do some study exercises. It's also very useful if you leave this information up on the board through all that study period. Those study activities can just be the normal types of gap fills or matching activities and, as always, we need to demonstrate those activities,...  [Read more]

  Chantelle details her experience of studying the fifth unit of her online TEFL course with ITTT. In this unit she learnt about classroom management and the different ways you can arrange your classroom and group students according to the needs of the lesson you are going to teach and of the students themselves. The unit also deals with reasons for problem behavior within a lesson and the ways a teacher?s body language can be used to communicate ideas about language as well as to reinforce instructions and requirements of the teacher. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This...  [Read more]

  This video focuses on the modal auxiliary verb "can". In the classroom, you probably initially introduce the word "can" in the context of ability. However, there are more usages, such as possibility, permission, request and advice. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with each section before moving onto the next. This unit was interesting, and I felt really challenged by the EP method of teaching, as I've only been exposed to the ESA method of teaching. I also feel like I better understand...  [Read more]

  Hannah took ITTT'€™s 120-hour online TEFL course without tutor support. In her TEFL review video she gives a brief overview of her experience on the course. During the course she studied classroom management, grammar, lesson planning among other topics. Although she struggled with the final project the feedback she received was good and Hannah highly recommends the course. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with each section before moving onto the next. There are 4 basic skills in...  [Read more]

  Fernando is originally from Buenos Aires but spent the past 12 years working in the United States. As he has now returned to Argentina, he wants to become an English teacher. In his TESOL review he shares his thoughts on the center in Buenos Aires. He learned a lot regarding teaching techniques and lesson planning. He is confident that he can now lead his own classroom and is excited to start working as an English Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with each section before moving onto the next. ...  [Read more]

  In this episode, we cover the pronunciation of the word pundit. This word is a noun and refers to an expert in a particular field who is often consulted by others. Suitable synonyms for pundit include expert or specialist. The word has found itself into the English language from the Sanskrit word 'pa??ita' meaning ?learned man'. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with each section before moving onto the next. This unit compares reading and listening skills and discusses the difference...  [Read more]

  Once you have paid for the TEFL/TESOL online course you will receive the course log in details. Once logged in you will receive your first email with the course details and course units. Each course unit needs to be worked through in turn and the relevant tasks completed. Trainers will then mark the assessment tasks online. Course units are worked through in order. Upon completion of the course trainees will be sent their certificate within five working days. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with...  [Read more]

  Some and Any are two words that often cause confusion, which is why we have decided to take a closer look at the difference of the two words in this video. Firsly, some is a determiner used for positive statements while any is a determiner used in questions and negative statements. Consider the following situation: I asked the teacher if he could give me some paper. I said ?Excuse me, have you got any paper?? Unfortunately, he didn?t have any. The first statement is positive and therefore requires us to use some. The second sentence is a question and therefore, we need to use any. The third and final sentence is a negative statement which also requries us to use any. It's worth noting that we do sometimes use some in questions and we also use any in positive statements. For...  [Read more]

  "Your" and "you're" often get confused, not only by English learners around the world but also by many native English speakers. Let's break it down. "Your" is a possessive adjective that indicates ownership, while "you're" is simply the contraction of "you are". Let's take a look at this example sentence: Your grades are great this semester. In this case, we use 'your' as we use it to indicate ownership. You're the best student in the entire school! This example require us to use 'you're' because it is the short form for 'you are'. Should you not be sure which one to use, think about if you want to express ownership or of you want to say "you are". Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online...  [Read more]

  This is the second ITTT video that looks at the structure of the Present Perfect Continuous tense. This time we focus on the question form. Question form: auxiliary verb 'have/has' + subject + been + present participle Have I/you/we/they been teaching for five years? Has he/she/it been teaching for five years? To learn more about the Present Perfect Continuous tense and the other tenses, why not have a look at our other videos online. You may then want to consider completing one of our popular courses. ITTT's courses will equip you with the necessary skills needed to make sure that you can become an effective English language teacher and to be able to confidently teach all aspects of the language. Then the possibilities as to where you can teach are endless. For more...  [Read more]

Once you have decided on attending an in-class course the next decision to make is which location is best for you. To ensure you have the widest choice possible, we have plenty of locations to consider. If you would like to complete your TEFL certification in North America we have many options across the US, as well as centers in Canada and Mexico. You might also want to consider South and Central America where we operate training centers in a range of exotic locations, including Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala and Peru. As Asia contains the largest markets for English language teachers, we have plenty of centers to choose from throughout the region. If you want to take advantage of the countless job opportunities in China, we have four great locations to pick from....  [Read more]

EFL stands for English as a Foreign Language and is to almost all purposes the same as ESL, English as a Second Language. These two are also equivalent to ESOL which means, English to Speakers of Other Languages. For each of these terms, when we talk about the teaching of them, we add a ‘T’ to the front of each acronym and hence we arrive at the terms TEFL, TESL and TESOL. As they are basically the same we will refer to just one from here on, TEFL for the Teaching of English as a Foreign Language and EFL for English as a Foreign Language. Almost all TEFL teaching positions require a minimum qualification of a 100 to 120-hour TEFL certification. Courses provided to cover this certification are usually delivered by one of three methods, namely, onsite courses, online courses and combined...  [Read more]

  In this online TESOL course video the trainer covers the structure of the future simple tense. The basic structure is as follows: Positive: Subject + will + base verb Negative: Subject + will + not + base verb Question: Will + subject + base verb? As noted in the video 'will' can be replaced by other modals to express varying degrees of certainty. For suggestions and more formal situations we can substitute 'will' for 'shall'. For more information about this and other future forms see our other videos on the future tenses. If you are interested in teaching English abroad and studying TESOL online visit our website at the link above. We have a number of online TESOL courses and studying TESOL online is not only a convenient way to earn your teaching qualification but also a...  [Read more]

The choice between different TEFL course formats depends on your teaching plans and preferences: Each of these options has its advantages and is suited to different teaching goals and circumstances. Consider your own situation and aspirations when choosing the most suitable TEFL course format for you. Upon receiving your course fee, we will promptly send you an email containing all the necessary information to commence your TEFL studies. This email will include your personal login details for our online training platform. Once you access the platform, you will find all the materials required to start with the first unit of the course. As you progress through the materials and feel you have sufficiently absorbed the information, you can proceed to take an automated online test based on...  [Read more]

The world of English language teaching is well known for its love of acronyms and unfortunately this can lead to a large amount of confusion amongst potential teachers, as well as those with plenty of experience in the field. Websites for course providers, job boards, recruitment programs, and any other teaching related information you might look at are likely to be littered with acronyms, including TEFL, TESOL, and CELTA. So what is the difference between these terms? Short for Teaching English as a Foreign Language, TEFL is probably the most common acronym you will come across when conducting research for teaching English abroad. TEFL does not refer to a single training program, certification, or program provider but is simply a catch-all term for training courses and certification...  [Read more]

  This video covers the difference between 'advice' and 'advise'. As these two words have a similar pronunciation and spelling, their usage is often confused. In fact, the two words are both are from the same word stem but 'advice' is the noun and 'advise' is the verb. Therefore, their usages are not the same. 'Advice' refers to a proposal for an appropriate course of action. Please give us some advice about planning a trip to France. In this example, we use 'advice' because it is the noun. When we want to describe the action of giving advice or offering a suggestion, we use the verb, or 'advise' spelled with an 's'. A good example would be: I advised them to visit the Pyramids of Giza when they are in Egypt. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section...  [Read more]

  There is often much confusion surrounding these acronyms but essentially they mean the same thing. TEFL = Teaching English as a Foreign Language TESOL = Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages The above are generally used interchangeably, however, TEFL is most commonly used within the UK and TESOL is usually preferred in Australia and the USA. Although some countries may favor one acronym over the other, it is important to remember that a TEFL certification and a TESOL certification are exactly the same thing as the training involved is identical. Although TEFL and TESOL training courses are identical and the acronyms are generally used interchangeably, there is a technical difference between the two. The general perception is that speakers of English as a foreign...  [Read more]

  We are going to move on to the second of the productive skills, which is writing and, again, we'll have look at the background, too, and create a typical lesson for a writing skills session. One of the things to be aware of in a writing skills lesson is that writing tends to be more formal than spoken English. So, there will be some differences between the two, such as writing very often uses less contracted forms and so on, but having said that there are many similarities between the two particular skills. So, many of the considerations that we had for a speaking skills lesson will also apply here to a writing skills lesson. Within writing skills itself there are some sub-skills that we may want to teach and those sub-skills could include, but are not limited to, hand writing...  [Read more]