Your Next Step to International Travel

Looking for an exciting career change that offers great inter-cultural experiences and will take you all around the globe? Look no further than Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL). With the qualifications TEFL courses can give you, the opportunities to travel are endless due to the high demand for English teachers overseas. You will receive a unique experience of life in other countries, being integrated into local communities. You will also gain rewarding relationships as you teach people what has fast become one of the most valuable worldwide commodities, communicating in the English language.

Over the last few years TEFL courses have sprung up everywhere. In-class courses are held in many places all over the world; from London to Calcutta, Barcelona to Shanghai. These courses range from shorter weekend classes and part-time study to full-time study programs that can be as short as four weeks. Certificate, diploma and degree-level qualifications are available. There are also many websites that offer online courses to gain your qualification in the privacy of your own home, while working at your own pace.

When choosing which course would most suit you, you need to consider the following questions. Does the TEFL course meet international standards for English teaching? Do you receive an acceptable amount of time of training (at least 100 hours), and is it of a high quality? Does it include at least six hours of actual teaching experience, where you have a chance to be critiqued? Does the course include projects, assignments and exams that are moderated by an independent body and have content that is updated to match recent developments in language teaching? And finally, does it offer a qualification that is recognized internationally and validated independently? Once you have considered and researched these things you are well on the way to finding a course that is right for you.

The price of the course could also be a factor in you decision. The cost of a four week, in-class certificate course is around US$1300. Online courses start at around US$200. Whatever you choose, TEFL courses are an affordable and exciting possibility for anyone who is looking for a change, and amazing experiences abroad. You are bound to learn a lot about different cultures and people groups, while teaching people who are eager to learn. A quick web search could be the beginning of your next world-wide adventure!