CHEAP TEFL COURSE ONLINE TRUTHS

If you’re looking to teach English abroad or online, you’ve probably fallen down the rabbit hole of TEFL course options. And boy, there are a LOT of options – from dirt cheap weekend courses to eye-wateringly expensive programs that cost more than a used car (well, a pre-covid used car, anyway).

But here’s the thing: more expensive doesn’t always mean better. I’m not just saying that because we offer affordable TEFL course training (though full disclosure – we absolutely do!), I’m saying it because we offer cheap TEFL courses at studyTEFL and, as qualified teachers with years upon years of experience, we know that what we offer is useful and of great value to trainee EFL teachers. But, don’t just listen to me, as I do understand the healthy portion of skepticism most people hold given contexts such as this: let’s look at what actual TEFL graduates are saying about both budget-friendly and premium options for online TEFL training courses.

The Price Tag Paradox

120-hour online TEFL courses can range anywhere from $14 to $2,500+ (though accredited TEFL courses tend to be more expensive). I’m not going to spend much time addressing free courses that offer automated certificates for no money: I actually signed up for one of these years ago and soon realised that their system is designed to get you ‘certified’ in a few hours so that they can (seemingly) make commission pushing poor-paying TEFL jobs onto under-trained teachers. If there is such a thing as high-quality, truly free TEFL course certification, then I’d love to know how these professionals are able to sustain a living. Anyway, I digress! The difference between $14 (or free!) and $2500 is a massive difference! But what exactly are you getting for that extra cash, and who can afford such a substantial training fee?

Rebecca from Manchester shared on TEFL Course Review: “I paid nearly £1,800 for my CELTA, and while the instruction was excellent, many of my colleagues got jobs with £300 certifications. We’re teaching at the same school, earning identical salaries.” She adds, “If I’d known, I might have made a different choice” (TEFL Course Review, 2024).

This isn’t unusual. James Miller, who reviewed both a budget online TEFL and a premium in-person course for TEFL Horizons, noted: “The practical teaching techniques I use daily came equally from both courses. The expensive one had more observed teaching practice, but the affordable one covered the essential methodology just as thoroughly” (TEFL Horizons, 2023).

Did I cherry-pick these? Perhaps. Are they legitimate reviews? I believe so. Is there a theme to be taken that is evident in many areas of the real-world? I believe so, and I believe it’s that some people pay more because they have a belief that more money equals more quality or more substance. If this is something you believe, then that’s your opinion, but my opinion is that what you get from studyTEFL online courses is more value per hour of learning than you get from more expensive courses. Let’s keep going with the discussion, however.

Experience Matters More Than Certificate Cost

Schools and online platforms care about your certification – yes. But they care far more about:

• Whether you have a legitimate, accredited certification
• Your teaching experience and approach
• How you perform in the interview
• Your reliability and professionalism

As Sarah Chen, academic director at EF English First, told ESL Magazine: “We look for accredited certifications, but we don’t particularly favor expensive programs over affordable ones. A teacher’s attitude, aptitude, and interview performance are much stronger indicators of classroom success than how much they spent on their certificate” (ESL Magazine, 2024).

What OUR Affordable TEFL Course Offers

The studyTEFL accredited online TEFL courses were created by a team of experienced teachers – myself included. As a qualified teacher with a master’s degree in English, TEFL certification (from another online TEFL course provider!), and years of classroom experience all over the world, I know what makes an effective English teacher.

Our curriculum covers:

• Essential teaching methodologies
• Lesson planning and classroom management
• Grammar instruction techniques
• Cultural awareness and student engagement
• Practical exercises and feedback
• Online teaching
• Using A.I.
• Everything else in between!

All of this comes at a fraction of what you’d pay for an online TEFL course from a provider with similar non-government regulated accreditors. 

What Graduates Say About Affordable vs. Premium

Let’s look at other reviews from actual TEFL course graduates (found on the internet):

Alexandra T. shared on Reddit’s r/TEFL community: “My $300 online TEFL got me teaching positions in Vietnam, China, and now Spain. The course content was comprehensive and practical. Five years later, I’ve never once been asked how much I paid for my certification” (Reddit, 2023).

Meanwhile, TEFL Academy graduate Thomas wrote: “The premium course provided excellent feedback, but the core content wasn’t dramatically different from what friends learned in more affordable programs. The main benefit was the in-person practice teaching, which I could have organized independently” (TEFL Academy Reviews, 2024).

When Might Premium Courses Be Worth It?

To be fair, premium courses do have their place:

• If you have high anxiety about classroom management
• If you’re targeting very competitive markets like Western Europe
• If you specifically want to teach academic English at universities

Daisy Wong, who teaches at a prestigious language school in Tokyo, told TEFL.org: “My expensive certification helped me break into the competitive Japanese university market. However, for most language schools and online platforms, a solid accredited certification of any price point is sufficient” (TEFL.org, 2023). 

The Bottom Line

Whether you choose the studyTEFL affordable online TEFL course or a more expensive option really depends on your specific goals and circumstances. But don’t fall into the trap of thinking that higher cost equals better preparation or job prospects.

The key is finding an accredited course with solid content created by real teachers who understand what works in the classroom – not how much you can spend on a certificate.

After all, your students won’t care how much your certification cost – they’ll care about how well you can help them learn English, and that has everything to do with your dedication and teaching approach – and very little to do with how much you spent on your TEFL certificate.