This article looks at the 15 best online TEFL courses to get you teaching ASAP. If you wish to skip our analysis of digital education and demand for TEFL courses, please proceed to The 5 Best Online TEFL Courses to Get You Teaching ASAP.
Digital Education
There has been a significant boom in the digital education market over the past few years. As of 2023, Global Newswire reports that the digital education market stood at a valuation of $19.2 billion. However, the industry is expected to snowball towards a size of $95.7 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 25.8%. The reason the industry saw a significant boost in 2020 was due to lock-down restrictions all over the world. The UN revealed that nearly 1.6 billion learners in more than 190 countries were adversely affected due to the coronavirus-related restrictions. As the pandemic continued to linger on, people turned to online courses in an effort to improve their skills, stay busy, or transition towards alternative incomes.
Similarly, business organizations began enrolling their employees in online courses as an alternative to conventional training seminars. Thus, online education became a vital tool for major organizations to motivate staff and increase their efficiency as remote employees. Just weeks into the pandemic, online education platforms began reporting significant surges in enrollment and completion of online courses. On 30th April 2020, Udemy, Inc. (NASDAQ: UDMY) reported a 425% increase in enrollments on its platforms, along with an 80% increase in usage from businesses and governments.
“The trends we’ve seen over the last two months represent a significant acceleration in the transformation to a new Future of Work.”
– Darren Shimkus, Former President, Udemy for Business, Udemy, Inc. (NASDAQ: UDMY)
Increased enrollments fueled the recognition of online courses and certifications around the globe. In its 2021 Impact Report, Coursera, Inc. (NYSE: COUR) revealed it had achieved over 200% growth in enrollment of entry-level professional certificates. Some of the entry-level certifications offered by Coursera, Inc. (NYSE: COUR) were developed in partnership with Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ: META), Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG), and International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE: IBM), enabling individuals with limited educational backgrounds to develop the competencies necessary to work in the biggest organizations on the planet.
Post-pandemic, digital education is expected to continue spearheading innovation in the education sector. One notable segment in this market is that of English language learning. According to Research and Markets, the global market for English Language Learning was estimated at $21.3 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach a size of $70.7 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 16.2%.
TEFL Courses
Apart from other benefits such as ease of communication and improved learning capabilities, English language courses can be a gateway for new career opportunities. TEFL, or Teach English as a Foreign Language, is one such credential that can help open new doors. TEFL is an internationally recognized certification that certifies an individual’s competency to teach English to non-native speakers.
Demand for TEFL courses can be gauged by the fact that many notable digital education companies and edtech organizations have introduced the certification on their platforms in the last few years. In April 2023, edX, a leading global online learning platform from 2U, Inc. (NASDAQ: TWOU) partnered to launch a new TEFL professional certificate program for edX users. Our article on Best Online Degree Programs For Working Adults highlights how 2U, Inc. (NASDAQ: TWOU) is one of the most significant names in the EdTech industry.
“We look forward to providing edX learners with the ability to gain a valuable certification with The TEFL Org and to go on and create a positive impact in the lives of those they teach.”
-Andrew Hermalyn, President, Degree Support, 2U, Inc. (NASDAQ: TWOU)
If you’re interested in learning more about what is the most accredited TEFL course, join us as we look at the best online TEFL courses to get you teaching ASAP.
Methodology
To develop our list of the best online TEFL courses to get you teaching ASAP, we initially picked out the most recommended the best online TEFL courses on the internet. We used multiple sources including Go Abroad, Henry Harvin, and Go Overseas to develop a shortlist. Further research was narrowed down to these places only. This approach also allowed us to obtain an initial score for each park based on the number of times it was recommended across different sources. Once this list was obtained, we used ratings from Go Abroad and Go Overseas (wherever available), along with our previous scores and Reddit reviews & comments, as metrics for our rankings. The cumulative score for each place was summed, based on which we sorted our list in descending order. The top 15 places were chosen as the best online TEFL courses to get you teaching ASAP.
By the way, Insider Monkey is an investing website that tracks the movements of corporate insiders and hedge funds. By using a similar consensus approach, we identify the best stock picks of more than 900 hedge funds investing in US stocks. The top 10 consensus stock picks of hedge funds outperformed the S&P 500 Index by more than 140 percentage points over the last 10 years (see the details here). Whether you are a beginner investor or a professional one looking for the best stocks to buy, you can benefit from the wisdom of hedge funds and corporate insiders.
Here are the best online TEFL courses to get you teaching ASAP.
15. International Open Academy
Recommended Course: 120-Hour TEFL Certificate
Insider Monkey Score: 1.27
Hours of study: 120
Price: €129
This course is accredited by the International Council for Online Educational Standards (ICOES), whose certificate is recognized by employers around the world. The course can be paid for separately or as part of the International Open Academy membership. It is also the cheapest 120-hour TEFL online course on our list.
14. Henry Harvin
Recommended Course: 120-hours TEFL / TESOL Online Certification Course
Insider Monkey Score: 1.35
Hours of study: 120
Price: $899
Henry Harvin offers a wide range of courses that have helped train over 460,000 individuals. Its 120-hours TEFL / TESOL Online Certification Course is one of the best short online TEFL courses to get you teaching ASAP. The course offers an internship experience at top MNCs, whilst also offering extensive placement support. Moreover, the course can be complemented by other industry-specific courses on Henry Harvin’s platform to supplement your skillset.
13. Bridge TEFL
Recommended Course: 120-Hour Master TEFL Certificate
Insider Monkey Score: 1.50
Hours of study: 120
Price: $710 (currently $389)
The unique feature of this course is that it helps secure up to 6 college credits through the American Council on Education’s College Credit Recommendation Service (ACE CREDIT). Moreover, the certification is internationally recognized and offers extensive job support upon completion. Due to these factors and its competitive pricing, it is one of the best short online TEFL courses to get you teaching ASAP.
12. Oxford TEFL
Recommended Course: Cambridge CELTA – Full Time
Insider Monkey Score: 1.62
Hours of study: 120
Price: €1,625
Oxford TEFL offers pre-TEFL, TEFL, and Advanced TEFL-level courses, all of which can be completed online. Its Cambridge CELTA certification is one of the quickest ways to obtain a CELTA-level certificate from your home. According to Oxford TEFL, the course is beginner-friendly with 48% of the trainees being non-native speakers and graduates from over 60 countries.
11. TEFL Hero
Recommended Course: 40 Hour Free TEFL Course
Insider Monkey Score: 1.71
Hours of study: 40
Price: Free
Definitely the most affordable and perhaps the best short online TEFL course to get you teaching ASAP, TEFL Hero’s 40-hour course is both accredited and provides a certificate upon completion. Although its ability to land you TEFL jobs is limited by the fact that many employers require a minimum of 100-120 hours of TEFL study to qualify, it still opens doors to plenty of opportunities in the industry. For those who cannot afford more expensive certifications, it is one of the best ways to kick-start your TEFL career.
10. CIEE TEFL
Recommended Course: 150-Hour TEFL Certificate
Insider Monkey Score: 2.98
Hours of study: 150
Price: $1,195
CIEE offers TEFL courses of several different duration, between 30 to 180 hours. However, their best online TEFL course to get you teaching ASAP is the 150-Hour TEFL Certificate that can help you qualify for most TEFL jobs worldwide. The course is flexible towards students’ schedules and can be completed on both part-time and full-time basis. The course also provides individualistic feedback, one-on-one coaching, and free job placement opportunities with reputable employers, making it one of the best TEFL programs with job placement.
9. TEFL Pros
Recommended Course: 120 Hour Digital TEFL Course
Insider Monkey Score: 3.32
Hours of study: 120
Price: unquoted
This course focuses on combining high-quality training with a flexible schedule. Students receive live coaching calls each week, the ability to practice skill-building techniques, and the flexibility of completing most of the course components per their convenience. In addition, the course helps students create a professional portfolio that can be used in job applications once they complete the program.
8. Premier TEFL
Recommended Course: 300 Hour Ofqual Regulated Level 5 TEFL Advanced Diploma
Insider Monkey Score: 3.49
Hours of study: 300
Price: $2,299 (currently $495)
This Diploma comprises of one 180-hour TEFL course plus two 60-hour TEFL-Pro courses, thus setting graduates up with the qualifications to target the best-paying TEFL jobs. Moreover, it is accredited as a CELTA level training, making it one of the highest qualifications that you can achieve in the industry, whilst also being one of the best online TEFL courses to get you teaching ASAP.
7. Teach Away | OISE University of Toronto
Recommended Course: 120-hour OISE TEFL online course
Insider Monkey Score: 3.69
Hours of study: 120
Price: CAD $1,295 (currently $1,050)
The University of Toronto, in conjunction with Teach Away, offers 3 different versions of online TEFL courses. The 120-hour version is by far the most popular and has the added benefit of enabling graduates to qualify for onsite jobs in foreign countries such as Japan, UAE, China, etc. Although the certification is more expensive in comparison to other best online TEFL courses to get you teaching ASAP, the benefit of being accredited by the prestigious University of Toronto can prove invaluable to kickstart your career.
6. MyTEFL
Recommended Course: 120 Hour TEFL Course Online
Insider Monkey Score: 3.73
Hours of study: 120
Price: $299 (currently $156)
MyTEFL is a highly renowned company in the TEFL industry that prides itself on not just offering a TEFL skillset but also on its efforts to continually improve teacher training standards. Every course offered by MyTEFL is accredited by the International TEFL Accreditation Council (ITEFLAC) and its 120-hour course is additionally moderated and accredited by the International Council for Online Educational Standards (ICOES). Furthermore, in the spirit of giving back, a portion of your course fees are used to make a donation in your name.
Click to continue reading and see The 5 Best Online TEFL Courses to Get You Teaching ASAP.
Suggested Articles: