The acronym TEFL means Teaching English as a Foreign Language. It most often refers to training courses that almost anyone can take to learn the knowledge and skills required to teach English to non-native speakers in countries all over the globe.

While TEFL means Teaching English as a Foreign Language, TESOL stands for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. Both descriptions are most often used interchangeably but TEFL is more common in the UK and TESOL is more common in the USA.

It is possible to teach abroad without a TEFL certificate in some countries. Please see our list of the top destinations and their requirements. Even when certification is not necessary, completing a TEFL course can provide you with valuable knowledge and tools that will make you a better teacher. Our courses – like all other reputable courses – also provides you with a number of resources to help you excel even beyond certification.

Having some knowledge of the local language can help you have a more fulfilling experience when teaching English abroad but it is not necessary in order to be an effective teacher. Besides, most places have active expat communities where English is the main language of communication. Our TEFL courses are taught based on the principle that English is the sole language used during lessons.

English as a Second Language (ESL) or English as a Foreign Language (EFL) is generally taught by anyone from 20 to 65 years but in some countries it may be more difficult for older teachers to find work as easily as younger teachers.

Some countries require a degree in order to offer a work visa but, generally, no degree is necessary. Those countries requiring degrees usually have no specification of discipline studied. 

Every school is different in their requirements but most schools will accept teachers without experience. The demand for EFL teachers is high. More experience general affords you better conditions such as salary. A TEFL certificate may even allow you to earn a higher salary each month.

Generally, of course! However, every country and situation is different. It is always important for teachers to be aware of rules and use their common sense, then safety should not be an issue.

Absolutely! You will likely befriend a number of fellow teachers but may also make friends with local people too. Everyone’s experiences are different but, generally, you will make good friends who will be an important part of your life. A high percentage of teachers form romantic relationships while abroad and it is almost impossible not to be involved in the local or expat community.

Firstly, you will often find yourself in a school with other foreigners. While there’s no guarantee that you will get along with all of your colleagues (it’s difficult to find something in common with everybody), it is likely that you will bond well with some of your colleagues. Local teachers are also often keen to befriend EFL teachers – this gives you a chance to learn so much about your new culture, try new experiences, and maybe even learn some local language. Romance is often around the corner in workplaces but but careful not to let it interfere with your work. Aside from school, it is usually easy to meet people on Apps like Facebook (join local groups for activities like hiking or soccer) or Tinder (it can be strictly platonic). Another fun way to meet like-minded people is to join a tour conducted in English. Google searches will yield a number of different options for you. 

Yes but you will need to research what you need to do for visas and schooling. It may not always be possible but if you are determined enough then you can make it work.

Due to the lower cost of an online TEFL course compared to the traditional in-class variety, online TEFL certification has inevitably become ever more popular in recent years. A quick online search will bring up dozens of providers offering a huge range of course options, but how do you know if they are valid? Always check that they are accredited, as StudyTEFL courses are. You can be confident in the quality of our OTCAC accredited courses.

If you are fluent in written and spoken English, you are eligible to take any StudyTEFL courses. You must demonstrate a high level of understanding but simply being a non-native English speaker will not prevent you from getting qualified and teaching English.

Our business operates in the UK but most of our associated developers and tutors teach in Korea and China. Our staff are currently active EFL and English language and literature teachers.

No. Once issued TEFL certificates are valid for life. It gives you confidence before you gain classroom experience and a foundation of knowledge from which to get better with practice.

The 120-hour course is designed to take you approximately 100 hours of study and around 20 hours for completing quizzes) but some students will complete it in a shorter duration. It is entirely possible to complete the course within 1 week but you would need to do little else than study and sleep each day. There is no time limit on how quickly you can complete the course but you must finish within 6 months.

Our course is fully online, meaning there is no classroom experience, much like most other cheaper certification courses around. It means you learn lots of theory so that when your time comes, you know what to do. Some courses are blended with online and offline classes, meaning you pay much more but may also get to put some of what you learn into practice. However, unless you are actually teaching real students (which is rare), the whole scenario can seem quite unnecessary and nothing like the real thing. Another important thing to keep in mind is that learning online may not suit everyone. Some people need the human element when learning and will find learning online a struggle. The studyTEFL online course does not allow you to practice teaching in-person but we are the cheapest TEFL course and we do provide you with videos and feedback of actual EFL lessons, unlike many other courses.

$34. Yes, just twenty-four United States dollars for our 120-hour online TEFL certification course. If you can find a fully accredited course of equal hours elsewhere then we will match their price and take off a further $1. 

We accept payment via credit/debit card on Stripe or PayPal. Simply click on the course purchase button.

Our online TEFL course offers a fully-automated and affordable route to TEFL certification. The course does not come with personal tutor guidance but you can ask our experienced online tutors questions should you become stuck on any unit. Courses are 100% online and completed at your own pace on any device.

A TEFL course is a serious academic undertaking, so it is possible to fail. The final test can be retaken twice. If you fail to score 80% overall for all quizzes combined then you will not receive certification. However, only a small percentage of students are not successful, mostly voluntarily drop out as they are unable to commit to the time and effort required. Hardly any students actually fail due to not meeting the academic standard.

Our TEFL certification does not expire. It is your responsibility to keep yourself informed on the latest developments in English teaching so that you can best meet the needs of your students.

No. Our units are tested by online quizzes with multiple choice and shorthand response questions. You learn as you are being quizzed by different questions. Our pass rate is close to 100% (mostly due to a handful of students losing interest in becoming a teacher of EFL).

Six months. After 180 days, your course code will expire and you will no longer be able to access the course content.

Yes. Once you have completed your course with a passing grade, you will receive digital certificates. Paying $25 extra means we will post a professional, embossed hardcopy of your certificate with transcripts anywhere in the world (very remote places may require additional postage). You will also receive access to digital versions as standard. The online version can be viewed by anyone with your course completion code and your surname 24/7.

Experience and accreditation. Our staff each has over a decade of TEFL experience, certification, Masters in TESOL or (Applied) English Linguistics, and some also have teaching qualifications such as PGDE. Our courses have each been approved by OTCAC for full accreditation, meaning they meet objective standards set by the industry for training new EFL teachers. 

Low costs, low profit, and high student numbers. Automation and fewer staff help us to keep our costs low, and we do not rip you off. We know what you might be thinking: low cost can mean low quality. But we offer low cost and high quality. In fact, we are so sure of our exceptional quality that not only do we allow you to access some courses before enrolling, we also offer a full refund within 14 days if you are not 100% satisfied with your course. 

No. Everything is included. All students receive tuition, full technical support, and digital TEFL certificates. You can always pay an extra $25 for paper certificates to be mailed, but these are often not required by employers.

No. See for yourself in our free lessons before purchase. StudyTEFL content adheres to international TEFL standards. We cover the same material as other online courses and actually offer more modern content since we were established more recently. So, actually, we consider our content to be superior to many course providers. Part of our motivation for forming StudyTEFL was dissatisfaction about courses provided by certain TEFL course providers. 

No. Our content is 100% online.

Trustpilot, Amazon, Google, and on our courses. We have only been registered with Trustpilot for a short while but already we have a number of excellent reviews. 

70%. This equals the British grading system equivalent of an A. We feel that a TEFL teacher should display at least this level of knowledge to be an effective classroom teacher. Since most of the questions are multiple choice, this grade should be easily attainable should you read the material and make some effort to retain the key information of each unit.

Yes. A digital transcript is emailed with your PDF certificate, and when you view your digital copy online, it appears with transcript information such as units learned and your overall passing score. You can also opt for a paper copy with a paper certificate.

Most lessons have at least one video, but most have 2 or more videos. We include these additional resources to supplement text material and provide our students with extra useful information.