About TEFL Courses

There are so many variations of TEFL for teachers to choose from today, often deciding which one to undertake is quite a difficult decision. In this short section, we’re going to give you some food for thought, before purchasing a TEFL course.
Do I need a TEFL course to teach English Overseas?

Up until recently, Tiger English would have said “NO it’s optional, it’s not a visa requirement and the vast majority of schools don’t really mind. You will have received support from your supervisors and teachers at your school. However, this is changing. However, we think it is a fair assessment now that if you hope to secure a position anywhere in the world today, you should try to have some level of TEFL completed first.

Why is TEFL Training a requirement now?
We believe a number of factors have caused, primarily the supply/demand factor. There are so many graduates looking to teach overseas today, that schools can cheery pick their teachers. Think about it, if you and another graduate are competing for the same position and you both have BA’s, you both have no teaching experience but your opponent has an introductory TEFL course such as a Weekend or Online TEFL course, who would you offer the job to first?

Another reason for the change is more governments overseas today are requiring candidates to have some teaching experience or some level of TEFL completed before offering a work permit. China is an excellent example of this. SMOE (Seoul Public School Board) in Korea require all teachers to have t least 100 hours of TEFL certification completed. 

What TEFL course should I take?
It really depends on three factors.
1. Are you planning to go overseas just to teach and experience foreign lands for a year or two or do you want to become a career TEFL teacher?
2. Is there a specific requirement by the governments of the countries you wish to find a teaching position in?
3. Do you have any teaching or training background? Will you be able to cope with a new culture/lifestyle and a new job all at once?

If you are just planning to go teaching overseas for the culture experience, or to find out you like teaching in general, then we would recommend completing a 100 or 120 hour online TEFL course. Its cheap and its comprehensive enough to help you secure the job you want. 

If you are thinking about a career in TEFL, then you should consider making the investment in a CELTA course. However, we usually encourage teachers to get some teaching experience before making this financial commitment.

What’s the most popular course for teachers?

A 100 Houe Online Course is by far the most popular choice by graduates these days. It’s very comprehensive. It’s ideal for teachers looking to teach in places like South Korea, China, Taiwan and many more countries worldwide.