One Goal, Two Methods
ITTO’s Online TEFL Certification and on-site certifications are geared to achieve a similar goal in two very different ways. The goal is to make you the most effective and most qualified English language teacher that you can be. Achieving that is done in our online course through a combination of interactive technology and experienced, technically savvy tutors.
In our on-site program, it is achieved by immersion in a great program with excellent teachers. They both come down to two main things – cutting edge methodology and sincere, professional people who are concerned about your progress. ITTO´s courses are recognized by schools and language institutes across the globe. If you want the online course to best suit your needs but still want an onsite experience, we invite you to take our Optional Teaching Practices any time after completion of your online course!
There Is No Best Way
Just as our on-site course does, our online course will give you all of the basic theoretical and practical knowledge you need in order to become an excellent English instructor. The main difference is that our online course is designed for busy people who may not be able to travel away from home for a month and commit to a full time on-site course. There is really no ‘best’ way to learn how to be a teacher – it all depends on your individual needs and professional goals.
Cost Vs. Benefit
Something you need to consider is what you are willing to spend, whether you want to become a full time or part-time instructor, and the amount of time you have available to travel. It is definitely a cost/benefit proposition. On-site training does have some very tangible benefits. Schools such as ITTO provide the opportunity to teach actual students of English as part of the course, with 10 observed teaching practice sessions (which is even more than the international requirement of 6). In addition, the concentrated learning experience you can obtain by being immersed in an intensive learning environment for a full month is unmatched. However, these benefits have a higher cost in both time and money.
Compare ITTO and other schools.
The Course Content Is Similar
As a general rule, the online teacher training contains more theory than the on-site course since it is completed via the Internet as distance learning with no actual teaching in a classroom environment. The on-site course is more practical (hands-on) by its nature, as it includes 10 individually observed teaching practices and uses a more comprehensive, immersion approach. The basic content is actually quite similar in both courses. The minor differences are generally caused by the different medium of teaching. Online educational technology experts have designed the online course making sure that it is not simply a ‘repackaged’ course that was meant to be taught in person. Instead, it uses its medium to the maximum potential to reproduce as close as possible the results of the original course. Both courses will provide results, so you need to weigh the cost/time and other factors to determine which is best for your personal situation.
Our Reputation Is Long-Standing
Whether you choose the online or on-site option, it is imperative that you choose a well-known and respected school that is affiliated with solid industry organizations. An employer will accept your certificate based on what school has issued it. ITTO has a long-standing solid reputation and is considered to have one of the best programs. The online market for these types of courses is much newer, yet ITTO’s reputation for its on-site programs definitely creates a ‘halo effect’ for our online programs. Potential employers know that ITTO holds all of its programs to the highest standards and employs only the best instructors, so they correctly assume that we hold our online programs to those same stringent standards.
Flexibility Is A Key Factor
A major reason that many people decide to take the online programs is flexibility. While you need to put aside a month of your life and drop everything from work to family for the on-site program, our online program is an interactive self-study program that can be undertaken at your own pace. There are 140 hours of content, so you can work for a modest 10 hours a week (2 hours per weeknight) and finish in 3 – 4 months. Or, you can spend just a few hours a week and finish in 6 months or up to a year. We will not charge for a six month course extension, in the event that you need one. Whatever suits your schedule – as there isn’t a set time limit for completing each part of the course. However long it takes you to complete the material, your online tutor is always available to answer your questions and guide you to completion.
Our Online Program Features Have On-site Qualities
There are many things that enable our online teacher training program to bring aspects from our on-site program site to life. This part of the course is intended for you to pattern yourself after effective teachers in an EFL setting. You will view all of the latest techniques and methodologies in action as teachers correct, encourage and monitor students learning English. Our e-library recreates many of the resources that would be available in an on-site school to students. We have even replicated some of the job placement services we offer for our on-site programs. We offer lifetime access to our direct employment contacts worldwide – contacts that respect our track record, including that of our online program.
