TEFL Certification – Teach Away

How long does it take to get TEFL certified?

That really depends on:

1. How soon you want to teach abroad
2. Whether you choose to take an online or in-person TEFL course (skip ahead for advice on choosing the right TEFL program for you)

As a general rule, though, online, self-paced TEFL courses are usually the quickest (and most affordable) route to getting your teach abroad qualification.

Regardless of which option you choose, you’ll want to look for an online or onsite TEFL course that is a minimum of 100 hours. However, it’s worth bearing in mind that in many countries, a 120-hour TEFL is considered the industry standard. That’s why it just so happens to be the length of our most popular TEFL courses!

An online TEFL course can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months to complete, depending on your current work, school or personal schedule. While many learners complete their TEFL course in as little as three weeks, the average duration hovers in or around 6–12 weeks for all of our Teach Away TEFL courses.

There are also more intensive onsite TEFL courses that may be completed in around four weeks on a full-time basis.

How long is a TEFL certificate valid for?

For forever! TEFL certificates don’t expire. With your TEFL certification. You can finish up one teaching contract and travel to another country and teach English. If a country requires a TEFL certification, you will always be able to teach English there. That’s a pretty good return on your investment if you ask us!

Are TEFL courses hard?

This really depends on the course provider. It’s really rare for one our students to fail their TEFL course. You do need to be willing to commit the time to complete your coursework – that (almost) goes without saying. For example, as our TEFL course is self-paced, we have students who work or study full-time who are able to work through the course with ease.

What’s harder than a TEFL course, is trying to teach abroad without any TEFL training.

“I didn’t prepare for teaching at all! I thought the week of training provided by my school would adequately prepare me, but I greatly underestimated the challenges of teaching.”

“Jen, taught English in Korea”

Learn more about Jen’s experience teaching English in South Korea

Why the huge variety in prices for TEFL courses?

You noticed that, huh? TEFL course costs do vary greatly – as do their standards. While we do recommend you resist the urge to buy the course that comes up as the cheapest on Groupon, it’s also important not to assume that the more expensive TEFL courses are the best of the bunch.

For example, while some might assume that in-person TEFL classes are seen as more valid by employers, this really isn’t the case. So long as you choose a TEFL course that meets international industry standards (is at least 100 hours in length), from a reputable provider, it really doesn’t matter whether you choose to take in online or in person.

In fact, there are many onsite TEFL courses that don’t actually meet the criteria required for you to qualify for English teaching jobs abroad – like those weekend TEFL courses you may have seen advertised in your city. And equally, not all online TEFL courses are created equal.

Let’s quickly break down the cost of TEFL certification by course type.

Online TEFL courses: As low as $199 for a 40-hour TEFL course. A 100-hour TEFL course (the minimum requirement for reputable teaching jobs abroad) start at around $1,000.

Four-week, full-time, in-person TEFL courses: Cost upwards of $2,000, plus travel and food expenses.

TEFL courses abroad: Cost up to $1,700, plus travel (including flights), food and accommodation expenses.

Now that we’ve tackled some frequently asked questions around TEFL, it’s time to get to the fun part! Wondering what you can do (and where you can go) with your TEFL certificate? Keep reading to find out!