Teaching English online can be a fantastic opportunity for any ESL Teacher to gain experience and work from the comfort of home.
To teach online, you’ll need to earn a TESOL/TEFL Certification from an internationally accredited course.
This is what I did to become a teacher, and in this article, I will show you exactly how and where you can get a TESOL Certificate Online for a low-cost.
To earn a TESOL Certification, head to International TEFL and TESOL Training (ITTT) and complete one of their online courses. ITTT’s TEFL and TESOL courses are internationally accredited and offer the best value for money.
The courses are designed to prepare you for teaching ESL at any level. One of the biggest perks of having a certification from ITTT is FREE Lifetime Job Support. That’s right, no matter where you are in the world, ITTT will help you find work and give you a letter of recommendation that will make you stand out when applying for a position.
How to obtain a TESOL Certificate Online
- Head to International TEFL and TESOL Training by clicking here (20% Discount on all courses)
- Select “Online Certification”
- Select the course you would like to enrol in (120-Hr course is considered to be the minimum requirement to become a fully certified English Teacher)
- Start and complete the course and receive your certificate!
Let’s go through a detailed breakdown of the different courses offered and what you can do with them. Courses are divided into units that require a test to pass. Each course can be completed with tutor support for an additional cost.
Online TESOL Courses
60-Hour TESOL Course
This course acts as an introduction to ESL teaching. It is suited for those who are interested in becoming a volunteer teacher or an English language tutor. This course contains ten units on the critical skills needed to teach English as a second language effectively.
Most employers require teachers to have a minimum 120-Hr Certification, so the 60-Hr course will not be enough to become an English Teacher.
120-Hour TESOL Course
This course provides teachers with an in-depth, comprehensive understanding of ESL. It strengthens the learner’s knowledge of the English language. The main focus of this course is the methodology of the Engage-Study-Activate method of TESOL. You will also learn how to prepare high-quality lesson plans and how to manage classes of different levels of proficiency.
The course contains 20 units and a summative task where you are required to submit a lesson plan using the methods learned in the course.
This course is considered to be the minimum required by most employers in the ESL industry and is the course that I did to become an English teacher.
220-Hour Master Package
This course is actually made up of three parts!
- 120-Hr TESOL Course
- 50-Hr Course in Business English (CTBE)
- 50-Hr Course in Teaching English to Young Learners (CTEYL)
This course essentially is an expansion pack to the 120-Hr TESOL Course (which must be completed first). It introduces two areas of ESL teaching that will seriously prepare you to become a professional English teacher.
The 50-Hr Course in Business English will teach you all you need to know to teach business clients. These courses can be incredibly useful as more international companies are emphasizing their employees to learn English. Having this certification would look great on your resume!
The 50-Hr Course in Teaching English to Young Learners is designed to prepare ESL teachers for teaching students as young as two. Because teaching children is entirely different from teaching adults, teachers will need to apply their skills and adapt to new classrooms. This course provides methods for keeping young learners interested and engaged in your lessons and classroom activities.
Both courses contain six units and a summative task. Completing all three parts as one package will reward you with a lovely 220-Hour Master Certificate.
Which TESOL course should I enroll in?
Without a doubt, the 220-Hour Master Course is recommended to contain the most value. This course provides you with the minimum 120-Hr course plus two courses that will enhance your skills and put you ahead of others when applying for a teaching job.
The 120-Hour course, however, is still excellent on its own and will build your core TESOL and TEFL skills.
I would not recommend the 60-Hour course for those who want to become professional teachers as it does not provide the minimum amount of hours required by employers. However, this course would be excellent for those who are applying for a teaching assistant or volunteering role. Contrary to the other courses, 60-Hour course graduates only have access to ITTT online job support for one-year.
How long does it take to complete a TEFL/TESOL course?
This depends on the type of course you take, and the amount of time it takes for you to study each unit and complete the tests.
According to ITTT themselves, the 60-Hour course can be completed in as little as five days if you dedicate yourself. Trainees who learn at a slower pace, may take up to a month to complete the course.
For those who have a lot of spare time on their hands, the 120-Hour course could be completed within two weeks. The average time it takes to complete this course has been stated to be around six to eight weeks.
The two 50-Hour courses that come with the 220-Hour Master Package should take approximately one to four weeks each to complete.
| Course | Who this course is for | Time it takes to complete |
| 60-Hr | Provides a good introduction to ESL. For those who want to become tutors or volunteers. | Five days to a month. |
| 120-Hr | Contains the minimum required of hours needed by ESL employers. For those who want to become fully certified English teachers. | 2-8 weeks. |
| 220-Hr | The 120-Hr course + 2 extra courses. For those who want to upskill and become the very best English teachers with a competitive resume. | 1-3 months. |
ITTT is extremely flexible when it comes to how long it takes to complete a course. No matter what course you enrol in, you will have exactly six months to complete it. This is more than enough time to complete every unit and assessment and earning that crisp, internationally recognised certification.
How much does a TESOL course cost?
The prices of each individual course with or without tutor support are listed below. (All prices are in USD)
| Course | Without Tutor Support | With Tutor Support |
| 60-Hr | $199 | $235 |
| 120-Hr | $239 | $349 |
| 220-Hr | $349 | $399 |
Save 20% off your TESOL course!
English Teacher Guide is an ITTT Partner which means that you can get an incredible 20% discount on any ITTT course that you choose! Just click my affiliate link here or here.
You will see the discounted price once you begin the application and select the course you wish to enroll in.
Awesome! Now you know how to become an accredited ESL teacher online!
Related Questions
What is TESOL/TEFL/ESL?
These acronyms stand for “Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages”, “Teaching English as a Foreign Language” and “English as a Second Language”.
TESOL is commonly used in North America while TEFL is the prefered term in the UK and the Commonwealth. Despite what some might say, these two terms are interchangeable and any courses, certifications or programs titled TESOL or TEFL will be the same thing and won’t affect your career opportunities.
Is having a certificate necessary?
YES! English schools and ESL companies around the world receive thousands of applications every year, so it is necessary to have a certification to be qualified for full-time work. You will need a teaching certificate if you want to apply for a work visa in countries like China or Korea.
As mentioned before, having a certificate also means lifetime job support. This is essential and is worth the time and effort.
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