Recently, I have decided my next big move is going to be getting TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certified and moving abroad to teach English. So, naturally, I googled “best online TEFL courses” and got a ton of different options and opinions. My hopes of a clear answer on which class to pick were quickly shattered. After many hours of reading articles about how to pick, people’s personal experiences with different courses, “best 5 TEFL courses” lists, and the websites of the courses themselves, I hadn’t gotten any closer to pulling out my credit card. That’s when I decided to make a huge chart so I could see all the elements I cared about in one place.
Factors to consider when choosing an online TEFL course
There are so many factors to consider in choosing a TEFL course, and at the end of the day a lot of it comes down to personal preference. There are tons of solid options out there, each with their own pros and cons. Below I will share the giant chart I created to save you some time in your own research, but first lets talk about a few of the things to consider in your decision.
Accreditation and Hours
You don’t have to get far in your TEFL course search to learn that it is important to choose an accredited option. However, that is not as simple as it sounds. There is no universal accrediting body for TEFL courses, so it is hard to know exactly what to look for and how different accrediting bodies compare to each other. To help with this, remember that the point of the accreditation is quality assurance, so take a look at the accrediting body’s requirements and consider their recognizability.
And just as important as accreditation, if not more so, is the number of hours the course is. A lot of employers are looking for 120 hour courses as a minimum, but 150, 180 or more could be even better.
Cost
The price range on TEFL courses is HUGE. In a lot of ways the saying you get what you pay for is true, but on the other hand, you have to ask yourself if the additional things you are getting for hundreds or even thousands of dollars more are worth that much to you? What if you could add them on separately, how much would you pay? One thing is for sure though, if the price is in the double digits, or you got a coupon from groupon, it is probably not worth your time.
Self-paced or Live
Another thing you have to ask yourself is if you prefer fully self-paced courses, courses held live over zoom or a similar service, or a combination of the two. Are you the type of person who needs a schedule to hold you accountable? Or would you do best with flexibility to work around your busy schedule? How many hours a week can you dedicate to the course? Do you want to get it done ASAP or spread it out over a few months?
Tutor Support, Assessments, and Other Class Elements
Of course, the content of the course and how it is evaluated is one of the most important things. This course is meant to prepare you for a job you have never done before, so you want it to be valuable. Take a look at the curriculum. Consider the type of assessments. Is it just multiple choice quizzes or is there opportunities for written assignments with feedback from a qualified instructor/tutor? How much access do you have to an instructor or tutor if you have questions about the material? And how are the learning materials taught? Do you read from a textbook, watch videos, do interactive exercises? How does that fit with your own learning style?
Practice Teaching Opportunities
While learning the theory behind teaching English is important, it can’t fully prepare you for standing in front of a classroom. This can be a challenge with online courses but different companies have come up with different solutions. Some have one or two day in class time to compliment the online material which might be ideal if you live close to one of the locations, otherwise not so much. Others have online practice with real ESL learners and your instructor observing, live small class zoom sessions where you can practice with other students, or programs where you find your own learners for the practicum but either video yourself or provide a written review of the experience to get feedback on. Some don’t have a practical element at all.
You will have to think about how valuable this is to you and which method you prefer. If you only want to teach online, or if you have previous teaching experience, you might not need this at all. But if you are new to teaching and want to build confidence this could be a priority for you.
Job Finding Support
At the end of the day, you are probably planning on taking a TEFL course because you want to get a TEFL job. While the demand for English teachers is high, it can be really intimidating to navigate the job market without any assistance. Therefore, you might want to consider choosing a course provider that offers job finding assistance after the course. The capacity to which this is offered varies a lot between companies. Some offer extensive lifetime job finding support, others provide access to an exclusive jobs board, some have job placement services, and others don’t provide any job finding services.
Which of these options is best for you will depend a lot on your unique situation. Do you feel confident in finding a job all on your own? Do you want the convenience of a job placement or do you want the control of choosing your job but with support and advice along the way?
Ratings and Reviews
Before committing to a course, it is a good idea to check out the reviews on an external site. A few good options are GoAbroad, GoOverseas, TEFL Course Review (TCR), and Trusted TEFL Reviews (TTR). Read through a few reviews from each site, and make sure to look at both the good ones and the bad ones! If someone only gave it one or two stars I always like to see why.
Some of these sites also rank courses so that can give you some insight too. Just because a course isn’t in a sites top ranked list doesn’t mean it isn’t the best course for you, but if it is that certainly can give you some more confidence in your choice! I share some of the ratings from these different sites in the chart below.
So with all that said, let’s get on to the chart!
TEFL COurse Comparison Chart
| Cost | Hours | Accreditation | Assessments | Tutor Support | Practicum / Practice | Other Class Elements | Job Support | Ratings | |
| Maximo Nivel | $395 USD | 150 | The organization is accredited by the Ministry of Education in Guatemala and in Peru, Global Associate member of NAFSA | Papers, grammar activities, lesson planning elements. Assessed by a tutor and given feedback. | 10 hours live tutoring and coaching via zoom + email support available | 6 hours live virtual practice with teach observing and giving feedback | Transferable but most focused on teaching to Spanish speakers | Lifetime personal job finding assistance | 4.9 on TCR, 9.53 on GoAbroad, in GoOverseas Top 12 list, Rated #4 by TTR for 2023 |
| TEFL Org | $264.50 -$439.50 USD (with 50% off sale offered frequently) depending on number of hours. | 120, 140, 168, or 188 | DEAC AQC approved and Level 5 course is Ofqual regulated. | Assignments and quizzes. The assignments are between 100-600 words and the quizzes are multiple choice | Personal online tutor assigned | Live Virtual Classroom – 20 hours, split over 2 or 4 days, in small groups of students doing various activities and practicing together with feedback from instructor | Video observation | Lifetime access to jobs center and CV support | 4.6 on TCR, 9.2 on GoAbroad |
| The TEFL Academy | $139 -$395 USD (with 60% off sale offered frequently) depending on number of hours. | 120, or 168, with add-on options | Regulated by Ofqual, awarded by Qualifi, DEAC AQC approved | Exams after each unit, and 3 coursework-assessed assignments. | Included | 10 hour in class one day sessions in a variety of locations (big cities), OR a 40 hour additional observed teaching practice course | 24 weekly one hour webinars, free top up classes (young learners, business English, or online), ebooks | Included | 4.6 on TCR, 9.25 on GoAbroad, Rated #3 by GoAbroad for 2022, in GoOverseas Top 12 list |
| International TEFL Academy | $1499 USD but often on sale for $100 or $200 off | 170 | Approved at a Level 5 Ofqual accreditation by TQUK | Weekly assignments with feedback from instructor | Instructor assigned to cohort, with live office hours | 20 hour practicum with online students or live students independently found. Feedback given on lesson plans and reviews, but not observed by tutor. | Part of a small cohort, working on 11 week schedule, with discussion boards. Optional live lectures. | Lifetime personalized job support | 4.7 on TCR, 9.64 on GoAbroad, Rated #1 by GoAbroad for 2022, in GoOverseas top 12 list |
| i to i | $175 – $520 USD (with 75% off deal offered frequently) | 120, 180, 300, or 420 | Ofqual regulated and DEAC-approved, accredited by ODLQC | Quizzes after each module, plus creating a lesson plan with feedback | Access to an academic support team | 2hr online practice session included in current promotion, otherwise none | Jobs board membership and support provided, but may be less than others | 3.5 on TCR, 9.75 on GoAbroad, rated #2 by GoAbroad for 2022, in GoOverseas top 12 list | |
| U of T OISE and Teach Away | $995 – $1495 CAD (Approx $745 – $1120 USD), but currently 20% off | 100, 120, 150 | Backed by the University of Toronto | Written assignments, tests, and a final exam | In a webinar they said you can reach out with questions, but this is not advertised | None | Choose specialization units in the 120 and 150 hour options | Access to Teach Away’s job boards and services, however this is available for free anyway | 4.7 on TCR, 8.7 on GoAbroad, in GoOverseas Top 12 list, Rated #2 by TTR for 2023 |
| Premier | $249 – $749 USD, with discount currently being offered | 120, 180, 270, 310 | Ofqual regulated | 3 assessments to complete which are a mix of open-ended and multiple choice questions and you will receive feedback from the team | Personal tutor support | 10 hour virtual course add-on available | 26 hours live Zoom classes, student community app | Monthly job coaching seminars and exclusive access to jobs board | 4.2 on TCR, 9.23 on GoAbroad, in GoOverseas Top 12 list |
| myTEFL | $299 – $349 USD | 120, 140 | Moderated and accredited by OTTSA and ITEFLAC | exercises, quizzes and tests | 24/7 tutor support | None | Lifetime course access | Provides job placement services. Also will provide letter of recommendation | 4.7 on TCR, 9.54 on GoAbroad |
| Bridge | $468 – $1099 CAD (approx $350 – $820 USD) | 100, 120, 150, plus additional specialization options | Accredited by ACCET, recognized by AQUEDUTO | Create a Philosophy of Teaching statement, a lesson plan, and a research report, quizzes. Weekly assignments. | An instructor is assigned to your cohort and you are able to interact with them. | Option to add on a 20 hour in person practicum, but you must set it up on your own. Or option to add a 60 hour online practicum. | Part of a small cohort, working on 12 week schedule, with discussion boards. Optional live sessions. College credits available. | Access to jobs board and Jobs Advisors for personalized advise | 4.2 on TCR, 9.35 on GoAbroad |
| Oxford Seminars | $885 – $995 CAD ($660 – $735 USD) | 120 | Internationally recognized | Variety of assessments, including lesson plan creation | Instructor lead | Observed practice with classmates, feedback given | Held Live Via Zoom | Job finding assistance included | 3.9 on TCR |
Final Tips For Choosing
Once you have narrowed your search down a bit the best thing you can do is reach out to a couple of the companies with any remaining questions you have. Even if you don’t have any pressing questions you can’t find the answer to on their website, come up with something to ask. This is because it’s not so much about the questions as it is about seeing how they respond. How long does it take to hear from them and how helpful are they? This can be a great indicator of what working with them throughout and after your course will be like.
After talking to a couple, just go with your gut! At the end of the day, as long is it is accredited and enough hours to qualify for the type of job you are looking for, any course will put you one step closer to your goals!
So, after all this research, which course did I pick?
Before I tell you I just want to say that I don’t necessarily think I picked the best overall course, because I don’t think there is a best course. They all have pros and cons, but after weighing these, I think I picked the best course for me.
I decided to go with Maximo Nivel for a few reasons. First, my goal is to teach in Latin America as a starting point, so I figured why not go with a provider that is well known in that region? Second, I really like that they have practical, online, and observed teaching practice with real ESL learners. This is something I didn’t find offered with any other course. Third, they offer extensive lifetime job finding assistance which I think could be super helpful. And finally, they are affordable and self paced.
Once have completed the course, I will do a full review of them here!
Which course are you leaning towards?
Let me know in the comments! Or save this post for later to help with your decision!
