Signs You Should Consider an Online TEFL Certification
April 2, 2018
What is a TEFL Certification? Here’s What You Need To Know
April 4, 2018
5 Things to Watch Out for When Shopping for an Online TEFL
In today’s world of online courses, you have to do your due-diligence as a consumer. Here are 5 things to watch out for when shopping for an online TEFL.
In today’s world of online learning, you have to do your research to find a course that is truly high-quality. TEFL certifications are no exception. While there are a lot of quality courses out on the market, there are also a lot of scams. Here are 5 things to watch out for when shopping for an online TEFL course.
1 No Accreditation
Don’t waste your time on a course that is not accredited. No reasonable institution is going to give you a job based on a worthless certificate. In fact, you should look for a course that is not only accredited, but also one that is accredited by a legitimate source. Pay a visit to the accreditor’s website before you click to buy and make sure that they put courses through their paces.
2 Less than 120-Hours of Certification
This is another major red flag. Why would you sell a course that provides less than the industry standard for a legitimate certification? Well, because you like to con innocent people into giving you their money. If a course has less than 120-hours of coursework, don’t be fooled into thinking it will get you where you need to be. Reputable schools will require that you come in the door with 120-hours of certification period.
3 No Graded Assignments
Now this is one of those items that looks appealing at first glance. Humans in general don’t love to be graded or judged. However, how will you know how well you are learning the material if there is no standard of achievement that you must meet? Who wants to go blindly into the dark without any standard to hold themselves to? Perhaps some, but not us. We highly recommend looking for online courses that offer a blend of quizzes, exams, essays and other written assignments like lesson planning practice. This is one indicator that can help you determine the quality of the coursework and instruction.
4 Zero Support
If you are considering an online course that offers zero support, consider this: most students need to ask a question or two from time to time. A course that offers zero support is indicative of a course that is low quality and perhaps nothing more than an online textbook. We recommend looking at online TEFL courses that offer consistent support from a tutor or trainer. This will give you peace of mind in knowing you have someone to turn to when you have a question, comment or concern.
5 A “Crowded” Company
What do we mean by a “crowded” company? We mean those providers who offer many services that have little to do with online training. Perhaps they offer work and travel programs, volunteer teaching programs, in-person trainings, adventure travel guides, and the list goes on and on. While it can be appealing to work with an organization that has so many offerings, we suggest looking for one that spends more time on its online courses. You want your training to be a priority, so find a course provider who shares that goal.
