Worldwide TEFL Certification Can Help Your TEFL Program Succeed

TEFL accrediting body

If you are looking to set up a new TEFL school, program or institute, there is no shortage to the number and range of items that you must arrange and have in place before even beginning to think about officially “opening your doors”. This includes everything from when, where and how you will deliver instruction to what the course material will be and who will teach it. Add to that where the students will come from, how many students you will have in a given course or program at one time, the length of the program, the cost of the program and so on and your head can soon be spinning. One of the most critical components that you should ensure your school has is certification from the global TEFL accreditation organisation.

This may sound like unnecessary busy work to some but it could be the difference between becoming a successful program not. The reason for this is due to the robust nature of the certification offered by the world TEFL Accrediting Commission (WTEFLAC). Over the decades, this commission has worked to develop one of the most stringent sets of conduct codes in such educational arenas you will find. Achieving approval from the TEFL accreditation organisation will provide your program with a huge advantage over competitors as it will tell prospective students as well as prospective staff and faculty members that you are focused on quality and deliver a high level of product to your customer.

Having the certification will give you a competitive edge in recruiting the best staff members possible. Quality teachers want to work for quality institutions and this synergy helps draw and attract the most quality students to your program as well. In the end, it all becomes a very tightly woven unit where the quality of one component attracts and raises the next and so on. There are many steps involved in receiving your certification from the global TEFL Accreditation Organisation—and for keeping it over the years as well.

But, this is not an area in which to cut corners or to procrastinate as it truly can be the one element that sets you apart and helps you not only stay in business but grow your business both domestically and internationally. Given the high percertage of TEFL programs that offer courses in multiple countries, the ability to promise a consitent level of quality everywhere is another reason for achieving the right certification as it will help confirm for your students that this is an area of commitment for you and your business will thrive as a result in the end.

What to Expect With A TEFL Certification Course

TEFL Accreditation Body

An accredited TEFL certificate course will prepare you for a career teaching English abroad. You’ll be taught by qualified and experienced teachers and will be given all of the tools necessary to effectively teach English for both your own enjoyment and the enjoyment of your future students. For some accreditation TEFL certificate courses, you’ll have to be interviewed before you’re allowed to enroll. You can also complete the certificate course online or in a classroom if you like. Your first course exercise might be a refresher in English grammar and phonology.

You should always make sure that your TEFL certificate course includes teaching practice. In teaching practice sessions, there might be feedback sessions where the accreditation TEFL course teacher describes the lesson that you’ll be teaching, lets you know how you did during the day’s training session and gives you an idea of what the next lesson will consist of. To make things as realistically as possible, teaching practice sessions might be completed with real ESL students at different learning levels.

TEFL certification courses will make you more aware of your native language. Even though you speak English every day, you may not be aware of the nuances of the language. A certification course will reintroduce you to the intricacies of English so that you’ll better be able to explain and demonstrate them to your future students. During the course you might also receive lessons in a variety of foreign languages in order that you may learn what it will be like for your future students. This may help you to determine common problem areas that all languages share and help you to become a more effective teacher.

Some of the assignments in your accreditation TEFL course might include a case study of language difficulties, a project where you create your own lesson plan and one where you write down what it was like for you to learn a new language. Towards the end of the certificate course you’ll probably take an exam where you’ll demonstrate your skills in vocabulary, phonology and grammar. Some institutions award graduates two certificates; one for completing the accredited course and another one with their detailed grades.

There are also accreditation TEFL schools that allow future students to take a quiz before they sign up for the certificate course in order to determine if they’d like being a Accreditation TEFL teacher. It’s recommended that you take this quiz before you spend time and money on the class in order that you may find out if you have the personality required to become an effective teacher.

How TEFL Accreditation Helps English Students

TEFL Accreditation

If you know students or prospective students from a non-English speaking country that are wishing to learn English, you should be sure to help them seek out programs that are certified by the worldwide TEFL accreditation organisation. Teaching English as a Foreign Language is commonly known as TEFL around the globe and students today are fortunate to have most major programs governed and monitored by a consistent set of standards and expectations. This helps ensure that they receive the highest level of instruction with the most ethical processes and cost structures possible.

When coming from another country, seeking out a good and qualified course for English as a foreign langauge can be daunting. Many students or programs will start with local English programs in their home country. This is smart – as long as the local program is reconised by the global TEFL accreditation organisation. If so, that local agency can offer great information about and leads on the right program for a particular student or group of students to enroll in when in a foreign country. The longer that a student or group of students is planning to be in the foreign country studying English, the more critical the certification and level of professionalism in a program becomes – as it will have a long impact on each student far more than simply a one or two week course. That is not to say that one should overlook the importance of full certification by the TEFL accreditation organisation even for shorter courses but, rather, that the more in-depth the course is, the more critical the need for oversight becomes.

Students who are serious about wanting to learn or improve their English skills will want nothing but the best in terms of course information, learning modalities and staff experience. It is only through the proper and rigorous channels of full certification and accreditation that a student can be ensured that he or she will receive such high quality instruction and have a consistent experience from beginning to end. The international TEFL accredication organisation is formally known as the world TEFL Accrediting Commission (WTEFLAC). The WTEFLAC has worked hard to develop a robust and comprehensive code of conduct that all particpating and accredited programs must agree to and adhere to. They must undrego regular reviews in addition to their initial acceptance into the overall governing body’s realm.

Make sure that you tell any prospective English student to first and foremost look for the seal of approval by the world’s TEFL Accreditation Organisation before looking any further into a specific program for learning English as a foreign language. They will thank you later.

Assuring Accreditation

TEFL Accreditation

You’re thinking about taking your first TEFL course, but there are so many options available to you that you aren’t sure which one you should enroll in. One of the first things you should look for in a class is one that has gained accreditation. With accreditation TEFL courses, you can be sure that you’re getting a high quality education that meets the standards set forth by a TEFL accreditation organization. Courses that aren’t accredited may not get you as many job prospects once you become an abroad English teacher, and there’s also a chance that you won’t receive the best salary possible.

There are several TEFL accreditation organizations, all of which that provide guidance on how a TEFL course should be organized and delivered. Some examples of the accreditation TEFL organizations include the SQA, Scottish Qualifications Authority, the QCA, Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and the ODLQC, Open and Distance Learning Quality Council. These accreditation bodies govern Scotland, Wales and England. Other organizations include ACTDEC, Accreditation Council for TESOL Distance Education Courses, and ACCREDITAT, which is a new and privately-owned body.

If you see that the instructor for the course is part of a member accreditation TEFL messenger board, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the professor has also been accredited. All it means is that the professor paid their dues in order to be part of the membership organization. Depending on the school, it’s entirely possible for them to have a combination of awards and professional affiliations. It’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with some of the more popular affiliations and awards so that you’ll be able to immediately tell whether your future teacher or learning institution is worth your time, effort and money.

Accreditation variety is something else to keep an eye out for when you’re looking at TEFL courses and schools. School and courses that only have membership credentials may not be as highly qualified as courses and schools that have endured the accreditation TEFL process. The reason for this is that being part of a membership organization only requires that you pay membership feels while being truly accredited means that you had to go through a tough accrediting process.

After you’ve made sure that a course has been properly accredited, you’ll next want to check the course length, that the teacher is highly qualified, if the school will help you find a job/write a resume/build your interviewing skills and if you’ll have a chance to practice your teaching skills before completing the course. Paying close attention to the course that you choose now could save you the trouble of looking for a better class later on TEFL accrediting body.