The Benefits of taking an In Class TEFL / TESOL Course

The main aim of taking a TEFL course is to equip oneself with the capabilities and skills required to teach English as a foreign language or a second language. However, several types of TEFL courses exist, with some conducted online while others are “in class”.

Making the choice between an online course and enrolling yourself into an in-class TEFL / TESOL course can be tricky. Many people go for online classes because it is relatively less expensive. However, in the long run, it is always better to have attended a physical class conducted by experienced personnel rather than by taking online classes.

The Benefits

• By taking TEFL in-class courses, you can easily get acquainted with the culture, lifestyle, teaching methods and overall work environment. The training centres often provide applicants with facilities like accommodation and transport.
• Getting a TEFL certificate will make you eminently more employable, even though there are some countries where TEFL certification is not required. Most countries have a huge demand for TEFL certified teachers.
• Getting 120 hour TEFL in-class training will also familiarise you with the classroom setting, which often intimidates new teachers, making them nervous when they have to actually conduct a class. The 120-hour course consists of six to ten hours of supervised teaching practice, taken by certified professionals, and facing real students. Observed Teacher Practice is one of the main factors that most employees look for.
• By going through the observed teacher practice, one can get a clear idea of exactly what type of teacher he or she wants to become. The program serves as a development tool for classroom communication and teacher-student interaction.
• Teaching is a constructive process, whereby you gain knowledge and experience which will further develop teaching skills. Many programs have established partnerships with local schools or institutions, which provide an ideal platform for practising your teaching skills.
• Overall, it is a very culturally refreshing experience, where applicants get to meet people with similar interests, interact with students and faculty of different countries and adapt to life in a new environment.

TEFL is not only for teaching English, but to cover aspects of English teaching where English as a language, is not commonly used. Fifteen years ago, a study conducted by the British Council found that there were 1 billion people in the world learning English as a foreign language. So one can quite well imagine how big that figure is in present times. As the importance of English as the lingua franca of the world is rapidly increasing, countries like Brazil, France, Russia, China, etc. are falling behind when it comes to the quality of professionals with knowledge of English. Hence, native users with TEFL certificates are highly in demand in these regions. The TEFL gives you a window of opportunity to tap into this demand.