How long does it take to complete a TEFL course?

Why TEFL?

Before getting into how long it takes to complete a TEFL course, let’s quickly look at the reasons why you might want to sign up for one in the first place.

TEFL – which stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language – is an internationally recognized qualification that allows you to teach English to non-native speakers abroad and online.

The vast majority of reputable employers worldwide will require a 120-hour TEFL qualification from a properly accredited TEFL course provider. While a TEFL qualification is enough to get you started teaching English, make sure to research visa requirements as some countries can require teachers to have a bachelor’s degree and/or hold a passport from specific English-speaking countries.

A TEFL course not only gives you the qualification these employers look for, but also the practical skills and training to become a great teacher. During a TEFL certification course, you'll have the chance to brush up on your grammar knowledge and learn the specifics of teaching English language learners. A good TEFL course will also cover essential skills like lesson planning and classroom management. Essentially, We’ll look into exactly what you can expect to learn during a TEFL course later in this article.

How do The TEFL Org courses work?

Next up, let’s take a little look at how TEFL courses work. Here at The TEFL Org, we offer both online and classroom TEFL courses. Our classroom TEFL courses are held in the UK and Ireland over a single weekend, or three consecutive weekdays. If you’re based elsewhere, or the dates don’t suit, then our virtual classroom courses are a great option and follow the same syllabus. And, as our online TEFL courses are entirely self-paced, you can study in your own time and at a pace that suits you.

One of our aims as a TEFL course provider is to make getting TEFL certified as accessible as possible, which is why our courses have been designed to be flexible so you can fit studying in around work and other commitments. You can study from anywhere in the world using your laptop, smartphone, or tablet. Once you’ve completed your course, we’ll even ship your certificate to you wherever you are, at no additional cost.

How long are you given to complete the course?

Worried you won’t have enough time to finish the course? No need! With our courses, you get 6 months to complete our 120-hour online course and 7 months for our Level 5 courses. We know that sometimes life gets in the way and the unexpected happens, so if you do need more than the allocated time you can always purchase an extension.

Different course providers will give you different time frames and it’s important to check different types of qualifications, with different hours and levels before you sign up. Some providers will give you a short amount of time so it’s more likely you’ll have to pay to extend the course, which can significantly increase the cost of getting TEFL certification.

We’ve had students with completely clear schedules finish the course in a matter of weeks. While it’s possible to complete the course this quickly if you have enough time to devote to it, it’s not something we recommend. There are a couple of reasons for this.

To get the most out of your TEFL course it’s important to take your time with it. There’s a lot of information to take in and if you’re rushing through it, you’re unlikely to really absorb it. As with any course, you get as much out of it as you’re willing to put in.

At the end of the day, you want to come away with not only a qualification but also confidence in your teaching skills and ability.

Will it really take me 120 hours to complete the 120-hour course?

Most people won’t take exactly 120 hours to complete a course – this is simply an estimate of how long it takes the average person to complete. Some people will take more or less time. It all depends on the individual.

While 120 hours might sound like quite a lot, broken down over the average of 10-12 weeks that most of our students take to complete a course, it’s just 10-12 hours per week. When you look at it like this, you can see how easy it can be to fit a 120-hour course in around your other commitments.

Unlike Groupon TEFL courses, however, it’s certainly not possible to complete a course from The TEFL Org in under 10 hours! These courses advertise themselves as being 120-hour courses simply because this is what customers and employers are searching for. In reality, these courses won’t take you anywhere near that amount of time to complete because they lack course material and assignments. Many employers are aware of this, which is why they’re often not accepted.