140 hour TEFL.org Course Review
Being the proud owner of a TEFL certification is one of the big requirements for becoming an English Teacher abroad. With so many TEFL courses out there it can be confusing to pick one. After a bit of research, I decided to go with the 140hr TEFL.org course which has since served me great during my 5 years teaching in Vietnam. This review shares some of the reasons why I picked the 140 hr TEFL.org course and what the course is like for anyone considering it.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, all marked with * Booking through these links generates a small commission for me at no extra cost to you.
Why TEFL.org?
✅ One of the big draws to the TELF.org courses was how highly accredited they are by the British education boards, indicating that the courses are of a high standard. The qualification is also accepted worldwide which is essential for teaching abroad.
✅ When I complete my TEFL certification I had no idea what type of teaching I was best suited to, so the range of modules covering different types of really appealed to me. TEFL.org also have the option to add on additional specialist modules so you can specialise in different types of teaching like teaching online, teaching young learners and business English.
✅ Another main factor the lead me to pick a TEFL course from TEFL.org was the ability to do a classroom-based course and receive in-person tuition, experience and guidance.
What does the 140 hr TEFL.org course include?
The 140hr course is one of TEFL.orgs more in-depth and comprehensive courses. It is split into 4 online modules which make up 120hrs of study, plus a 20hr classroom course. The online component covers grammar, teaching methodology (including video classroom observations), classroom management, and remote learning. This part of the TEFL course is completed at your own pace. For the classroom course, you select a weekend that suits you from a range of destinations across the UK. I did a 20hr/2 day weekend course but there are also 30hr/3 day midweek courses.
What was the experience like?
As mentioned the online component is split into 4 30hr modules. The modules cover grammar rules, teaching methodology (including video classroom observations), classroom management, and remote learning. I found the content interesting, and it has since been useful in my different teaching experiences, particularly learning the official grammar rules that we learn passively as native speakers.
There is a quiz at the end of each component, which can be completed as many times as you want (so until you have 100%).
Some components, like teaching methodology, have written assignments that are sent to your tutor and formally graded. The assignments were things like lesson plans and observation notes. Luckily the tutors were really helpful and gave me pointers on how to make sure I got near-full marks.
For the classroom portion of the course you can pick between a 20hr/2 day weekend course or a 30hr/3 day midweek course; I chose the weekend course. The classroom course is presented in a workshop style, where you get guidance from an experienced teacher in a small group setting. It covered lesson planning, how to present fun and engaging lessons, managing behaviour and a mini-foreign language lesson. For me, the chance to practice under guidance helped to develop classroom confidence.
The mini-language lesson was hilarious and confusing yet an extremely insightful addition to the course. It was completely unexpected; the tutor just suddenly switched languages and started assigning tasks. The experience was overwhelming as we had no idea what we were saying or expected to do. This provided a great taster of what it’s like to learn through language immersion, strengthening the importance as a teacher of using actions, speaking slowly and grading language.
The tutor was not only experienced but also extremely patient and open answering any general questions we had. I appreciated that she took an interest in getting to know us and our teaching goals. I also received a letter of reference from the tutor to support job applications which came in super useful.
How much time does it take to complete?
You can select a period for completion of your TEFL.org course – I picked 6 months. Unfortunately, I didn’t realise that the course started at purchase rather than when I first logged in, so I struggled to complete it within the allocated time. Luckily TEFL.org have course extensions so I just had to pay a small fee to extend it. They have 1-week, 2-weeks and 1-month extensions.
How much do TEFL.org support you?
You are assigned an online tutor who grades all your submissions, such as lesson plans. My tutor was prompt at grading and responding to emails, as well as offering feedback and guidance on assignments before I submitted them.
With every TEFL.org course, you are given lifetime access to their job website. I haven’t used their job site to find my teaching positions, but is a comfort to know that it is available should I need it.
Tips for doing a TEFL.org course
1️⃣ Save some money and wait for a promotion to buy. Sign up for their mailing list so you know when TEFL.org run a discount.
2️⃣ Don’t purchase unless you are ready to start. The course starts immediately after purchase so the clock is ticking!
3️⃣ Complete/start the grammar component before the classroom course. This allows you to focus on the teaching methodology without having to learn the grammar structures you are presenting.
4️⃣ Include the classroom course. It was the most memorable and valuable component of the whole course.
Buy your own TEFL.org course
I purchased my 140-hour course for £369 by waiting for a promotional weekend, saving around £80. TEFL.org regularly run discount weekends so I recommend signing up for their mailing list and taking advantage. If you do go ahead with purchasing a TEFL.org course, please consider using my affiliate link to do so* (I earn a small percentage commission which helps to keep this site running).
✍ For more information about teaching in Vietnam, check out my Complete Guide to Teaching English in Vietnam.
acele bacı nedir
Heya i’m for the first time here. I came across this board and
I find It truly useful & it helped me out a lot. I hope to give something back and aid others like you aided me.
lam dep
Hi, just wanted to say, I enjoyed this article. It was inspiring.
Keep on posting!
Hayden
Keep on writing, great job!
Alyce
Pretty! This was an incredibly wonderful post. Thank
you for providing this information.
sarah mcclatchy
You have noted very interesting points! ps decent web site.