What Should I look for in a TESOL Certificate Course?

What Should I look for in a TESOL Certificate Course?

In the last post, we looked at the macro differences in TESOL Certificate courses.  There are also a lot of micro differences.  Here are some specific points to consider when comparing TESOL Certificate Courses and deciding which one is the one for you.

1. Is the institution and TESOL certificate accredited?
2. What is the content of the TESOL/TEFL course?
3. What role does practice teaching play in the training?
4. What is the education and experience of the trainers?
5. What's the driving approach to teaching the course?

Before taking the plunge and getting TESOL Certified, doing a little digging around for answers to those questions are crucial.

Let's take a look at these factors...

What's the Difference Between TESOL/TEFL Certificate Programs

What's the Difference Between TESOL/TEFL Certificate Programs?

If you do a quick google (isn't it becoming a verb), you'll see a seemingly endless list of schools, institutions, and companies that offer some version of an English Language Teaching Certificate.

People who are considering getting a TESOL Certified and teaching English overseas probably find the quantity of TESOL Certificate Courses daunting.  In addition to things like location, length, and price, considering whether the format of the TESOL course is right for you can help you narrow your choices down.


At the macro level, there are three choices of TESOL Certificate Courses:

1. Face-to-Face TESOL/TEFL Courses
2. Hybrid (part online and part face-face) TESOL Courses
3. Online TESOL Certificates

There are many aspects to consider when gauging the quality of a TESOL Course (something we covered here).  The format of delivery can also give you an indication of the quality of the course and how it fits with your goals.

Let's take a look at each of these course formats and what they provide the participant........

Close Your Eyes, Spin the Globe, and Pick Your Place to Teach

Teach Your Way Around the World©

Close your eyes, spin the globe and pick a place to teach

Pick Your Place to TESOL™ 

With the proper preparation and a TESOL Certificate, you can literally close your eyes, spin a globe and pick a place to teach.

As long as your finger didn't land in a large body of water, the chances are there are jobs for you teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). 

From Asia to Africa, Guatemala to Guayana, and from Moscow to Micronesia, there are English language teachers and following their dream of teaching their way around the world©.

There is an unquenchable thirst for qualified English language teachers and that global demand has never been greater.   


Understanding what the field of TESOL and what the range of teaching opportunities looks like will help you determine if teaching English to non-native speakers fits into your own life goals.  If it does, get ready to open the door to a literal universe of teaching opportunities.

The field of TESOL {Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages} is unique for a number of reasons:

1. English language teaching jobs are found all over the world.  While you could also probably go just about anywhere and flip burgers at a fast-food restaurant, it most likely not your dream to serve french fries in Fez, Morocco.
2. There is a huge variety of teaching assignments ranging from teaching the traditional language class (e.g. Conversation I, Advanced Writing) to teaching specialized English language programs (e.g. Medical English, Business English).
3. Teaching positions differ greatly in terms of working hours, conditions, compensation, and support.  Some positions require you to work a 'normal' work week, others evenings and weekends; some provide generous benefits including flight others won't even pay the cab fare.

Traveling through the field of TESOL...

TESOL Trainers - A scaffold to success

What to Expect When Taking the TESOL Course

What should you expect when taking our 

TESOL Certificate Course?

So, what really happens in a typical SIT TESOL Certificate course?  

This is a great question to ask as this TESOL Certificate course probably isn't like many courses you've taken in the past.  Most classes are the 'sit' and 'get' kind where the instructor doles out the information, the students take notes, and passing the class is dependent on passing the tests.

Participants on the SIT TESOL Course plan for class.

World Learning's SIT TESOL Certificate course is different in all aspects.  As previously mentioned, this TESOL course is the kind of course for people who want to take charge of their own learning.

This TESOL Certificate program is a very interactive, experiential course that encourages participants to think critically, take risks, and involve their whole selves in the process from the beginning to the end.

For a look at how the TESOL Certificate course schedule is laid out, visit:

www.tesoltrainers.com. Here's a more detailed look of what goes on at each stage of the course.

There are basically 3 components to the TESOL course:  TESOL workshops, lesson planning, and practice teaching.  

Let's explore each of these!!!!

The Benefits of Guided Practice Teaching

The Benefits of Guided Practice Teaching

"Promoting Positive Teaching Practices"

You can read a book about teaching English to non-native English speakers.  There are abundant TESOL resources on the Internet that will give you vital knowledge about teaching and learning language.  However, building a solid foundation inthe principles of TESOL comes from putting these principles into practice.  

Taking a TESOL course that provides plenty of real teaching experiences is the best way to prepare yourself for teaching non-native English speakers. 

Previously, we offered a detailed look at how the Experiential Learning Cycle  drives World Learning’s SIT TESOL Certificate Course.  Authentic English language teaching experiences lies at
the heart of the course and drives its focus.

The most reputable TESOL Certificate courses, like SIT's course, provide at least 6 hours of individual classroom teaching to each participant.   Most importantly, each hour is supervised and observed by a qualified trainer.  There are so many benefits to this experiential approach to learning.


Here's why our TESOL Certificate course sets you up for success....

I've got my TESOL Certificate, now what?

How do I get a job as an English Language Teacher?

Getting TESOL Certified is the First Step

So, if you're like the group of teachers that have just completed World Learning's SIT Graduate Institute TESOL Certificate course, you're probably wondering, "What now?  I've got the skills.  I've got the accredited TESOL certificate, and I'm ready to start teaching.  Now, all I need is an English language teaching job!"

Practicing Language Doesn't Have to Be Boring.

Now that you are a TESOL certified teacher, where do you go from here?  There are so many opportunities for teaching English both at home and abroad.  Likewise, there are many ways to learn about these TESOL jobs.

How do you get your first job teaching English overseas?  While earning your certificate was probably a challenge, finding the teaching job that best fits your goals can also be a bit challenging.  Deciding where and what you see yourself teaching is critical.

Certainly, you want to start looking for what kinds of English language teaching jobs are out there.  The resources available can seem overwhelming;  The internet provides a ton of English language teaching jobs, recruiters, discussion boards, and many other indispensable tools for finding a teaching gig.

There are countless TESOL employment opportunities that appear every day.  These are English language teaching jobs from all over the world.  There is a huge variety in the kinds of schools looking for TESOL certified teachers all with their own requirements.   These TESOL jobs are also quite diverse in the scope of the teaching job (kinds of classes), the number of contract hours, and the compensation the schools offer.

What's the best way to tap into the available resources to find a job teaching English that meets your needs?

Teaching Your Way Around the World!

TESOL Jobs From the Macro to the Micro

Teach Your Way Around the World©

A TESOL Certificate from World Learning’s SIT Graduate Institute, can open up a world of opportunities to teaching your way around the world ©.

The field of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) is vast with a large range of English language teaching positions around the world.  TEFL and TESOL programs all look to fill their classrooms with qualified teachers who are going to help their students succeed.

There are TEFL/TESOL jobs teaching English to young children, teens, and adults.  There are English conversation classes and more specific courses in grammar, writing, and pronunciation.  There are general English classes and English for Specific Purposes, such as Business English.  There are full-time & part-time TESOL jobs.  There are English language programs that hire teachers for both long term & short term contracts.  In short, the myriad of English language teaching options is mind boggling....which is a good thing!  It means your perfect TESOL job is out there waiting for you to find it.

The best thing that you can do before getting a TESOL job and packing your bags is empowering yourself with knowledge about teaching English overseas.  Below, you will find informative information on the TEFL/TESOL employment sector that can help educate you on what kinds of jobs teaching English to non-native speakers are available.

Read More....

The Simple Guide to The SIT TESOL Certificate Course

The Simple Guide to the SIT TESOL Certificate Course

Alright, so you're thinking about taking the SIT TESOL Certificate course with John Kongsvik in Santa Fe, New Mexico.  Maybe you've visited our website and perused our blog. Perhaps you are even wondering whether or not you need to get TESOL Certified (read about this here).

You may have even watched a few videos made by graduates of this course.

You probably listened to TESOL graduates talk about what they have been doing since getting certified.

You also heard these people share how going through the training with John Kongsvik impacted their teaching careers.

While the TESOL Trainer's Youtube channel has many testimonials, you can also view a sample from Alyx Tilly right here.

You can get in-depth information on every facet of our TESOL Certificate course in Santa Fe, New Mexico by downloading an information packet.  


To make it even easier, we have created Our Simple Guide to the SIT TESOL Certificate Course in a just-the-facts sort of way....


Read on for how you can..

Teach Your Way Around the World©