Location
  • United States of America
Length
120 hours
Training Type
Classroom

Program Details

Teaching Practicum
Yes
Job Placement
Yes
Certifications
TEFL TESOL
Housing
Apartment Host Family

Pricing

Starting Price
1499
Price Details
All ITA students received lifetime job search guidance featuring:

Tuition includes lifetime job search guidance featuring:

✔️ Personal guidance from an experienced Job Search Advisor.

✔️ ESL Job Search Manual: All of our graduates receive a 400-page manual containing all relevant information for major job markets around the world.

✔️ESL worldwide school directory listing over 20,000 schools & online teaching companies worldwide.

✔️ Referrals to preferred recruiters, placement agencies, online teaching companies, and language schools.

✔️ Job interview assistance for International TEFL / TESOL course participants.

✔️ Engaged alumni community of 40,000+ ITA graduates in 80 countries worldwide.
What's Included (Extra)

✔️ University-level instructors
✔️ Award-winning accredited TEFL courses
✔️ Personalized pre-enrollment guidance
✔️ All courses include live practice teaching

Dec 26, 2022
Nov 08, 2021
39 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Earn your accredited TEFL certification with International TEFL Academy (ITA) and you’ll be qualified for paid English teaching jobs online and in 80+ countries across the globe.

If you’re a native English speaker from the U.S. or Canada, at least age 21 years old, and passionate about education, then teaching abroad is one of the best ways for you to live, work, and travel abroad in Europe, Asia, Latin America, or the Middle East.

You can take your ITA TEFL class Online or In-Person in 20 locations worldwide. All ITA graduates have lifetime access to one-on-one job search guidance and exclusive alumni networks. Join 40,000 ITA graduates teaching abroad in 80 countries and begin your journey today!

Video and Photos

Why is International TEFL Academy the Right Choice?

  • One-on-One Pre-Enrollment Guidance: What TEFL class is best for teaching English abroad in Spain, Japan, or Costa Rica? Which country is right for me? How much money do I need to bring with me & what kind of visa do I need? Your personal ITA Advisor will help you navigate these questions about TEFL certification & teaching English abroad.
  • Professional TEFL Certification Courses in North America: We offer accredited, 4-week In-Person TEFL classes at our headquarters in Chicago and in New York City. We also have 25 locations internationally. All of these TEFL classes qualify you to teach English in 80 countries worldwide. Every ITA TEFL class exceeds international professional standards for instructor qualifications, accredited curriculum, and student teaching hours. Getting TEFL certified in U.S. before going abroad is a great option if you’re not sure where you want to teach yet but know you want to get TEFL certified, and it’s also a great option for those who prefer face-to-face learning over online.
  • We Have Been in YOUR shoes: Everyone on the ITA staff has extensive international experience. Take your TEFL class at the ITA HQ and you’ll be interacting with fellow travelers on a daily basis! Travel is in our blood. It’s our passion to help people realize how realistic this dream of living & working abroad can be. We all appreciate the challenges & rewards of living, traveling, and working abroad.
  • One-on-One Job Search Guidance for Teaching English in Japan: How do I actually find a teaching job in Europe, Asia, or Latin America? Once enrolled in any ITA TEFL class, you’ll work with our team of expert Student Affairs advisors to help you prepare for your job search. You’re welcome to make an appointment with us during your time at the ITA HQ to work on your job search. Enjoy access to the most comprehensive job resources & guidance on the planet to help you navigate international job markets in 80 countries worldwide.
  • Access to ITA Worldwide Alumni Network: Don’t know anyone teaching English abroad? No problem! As an ITA alumni you have exclusive opportunities to network, connect, and correspond with our 20,000 ITA alumni teaching English across the globe. This is a great way to meet friends before you head abroad & get all of your questions answered by current ITA alumni on the ground abroad in Asia!

How Do I Get Started?

Contact International TEFL Academy for your starter brochure or call us directly at 773-634-9900 & start working with your personal Admission Advisors. Your advisor will work with you one-on-one to answer your all of your questions, go over your options & set up your game plan to see the world. Your advisor will be happy to speak with you as many times as you need to go over job markets, hiring requirements, TEFL course options & much more.

Your journey begins now so let’s get in touch & let’s get started!

Program Reviews

4.68 Rating
based on 31 reviews
  • 5 rating 80.65%
  • 4 rating 12.9%
  • 3 rating 3.23%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 3.23%
  • Benefits 4.6
  • Support 4.9
  • Fun 3.75
  • Facilities 3.8
  • Safety 4.35
  • Instruction 4.35
  • Support 4.5
  • Value 4.35
  • Academic Rigor 3.2
  • Job Assistance 4.35
Showing 9 - 16 of 31 reviews
Default avatar
Kelsey
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

International TEFL Academy

My favorite part about working with International TEFL Academy was my advisor, Jessie. She was so helpful and always very willing to answer any question I had. I am now currently teaching in Seoul, South Korea, which is where Jessie also taught. Having an advisor who has experienced teaching in the same location I was planning on going to was great! She gave me a lot of helpful tips and recomendations of things I should do when I arrived. I still keep in touch with Jessie to this day! I could never imagine working with any other academy to get my TEFL certification!

70 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Elizabeth
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Amazing Experience

Getting my TEFL certification through International TEFL Academy was the best decision in regard to furthering my teaching opportunities. Prior to attending ITA, I had been teaching in South Korea where TEFL certification isn't required. I realized how much I love teaching and wanted to keep doing it while experiencing new cultures. I signed up for the program and was contacted by a pre-admissions advisor. Turns out my advisor had also taught in Korea, so we had a lot to talk about. He was extremely helpful with answering all of my questions. Even though I was on the other side of the world, I felt totally prepared for the class. ITA sent a pre-course email with further information about the course, where to find the books, and some suggestions on where to stay if you're from out of town. Once the class started, it was a lot of work. I was at school 10 to 11 hours a day (sometimes by choice), and then I would go home to finish quizzes or other homework. Even though it was a lot of work in a very short time, I never felt overwhelmed. The students in my class were supportive and encouraging, the teachers offered assistance in every way possible, and even my advisor gave some suggestions on where to go/what to do to de-stress. Once a week during the course, we had mini seminars on different topics; resume writing, teaching in Asia, teaching in Latin America, teaching in Europe and the Middle East. These seminars sparked my interest in new countries I'd never considered. The advisors leading the seminars have a wealth of knowledge to share. They can tell you about the different visa options, where to go if you want to teach children/adults/both, salary ranges for each country, volunteer options abroad, and more. I couldn't have asked for a better experience. I still stay in touch with some of the students from my class, and we often reminisce about our time in Chicago. Though it was a tough four weeks, it was a rewarding experience that I would do over again in a heartbeat.

What would you improve about this program?
It's hard for me to pick something I would improve because I had such an incredible experience with ITA. From the moment I signed up for the course until I received my certificate, there is nothing I can think of that I would change. Perhaps if my class had been smaller (my class had 10 people) I would have had more opportunities to teach in the practicum. I was most nervous about this part of the program, but I enjoyed the experience and the personal feedback from the instructor was very helpful.
51 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Laura
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Excellent Experience

I can honestly say that enrolling with ITA has changed the course of my life for the better. I was unsure as to which program would benefit me the most in my future, and I am super glad I decided upon the 190-minute in class practicum ITA offers.

Not only did it prepare me for teaching abroad, but the teaching staff, recruiting staff and everyone involved was kind and helpful along the way. I never felt uncomfortable or lost throughout the course, and found it to be a welcomed challenge.

The alumni program is also great; I've met some super great friends here in Korea that I otherwise wouldn't have known - all through the ITA alumni program!

Overall, I highly recommend anyone thinking of obtaining an internationally recognized TEFL certification to immediately start considering enrolling with ITA.

What would you improve about this program?
My only complaint is there was nobody to directly help with finding a job as much as I'd hoped. It wasn't a major problem, though.
54 people found this review helpful.
Response from International TEFL Academy

Hi Laura, thanks for the 10 out of 10 review, a great recommendation and we are happy you enjoyed the class and got a great job abroad. A correction for others reading this, you took a 190 hour online TEFL class (not minutes) which had a 20 hour practicum.

You also mentioned nobody directly helped with finding a job as much as you hoped. You took the class 2 years before this review so perhaps you forgot all that was involved. From our records we have over 50 email correspondences with you and also an in person meeting in Chicago with our job search guidance advisor. We provide all our students with a comprehensive 350 page job search manual, lists of preferred recruiters in Asia, lists of over 20,000 language schools, over 100 ESL job boards, live webinars to attend about job search including one specifically on Korea (where you went) and a library of taped webinars. All students have access to a full staff of job advisors to create a plan, answer questions, review resumes and cover letters, review contracts and provide unlimited lifetime job support.

What we do not do is get the job for you or tell a student where they have to go. We are here to train our students to learn how to work abroad and offer support and guidance so they have a skill set to be autonomous living abroad.

Default avatar
Jason
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Pre-Enrollment Through the Roof

ITA's pre-enrollment was extremely helpful in providing me everything I needed to pick the best certification. The course over-qualified me to teach English abroad as well. If I could add anything to the company, it would be to hire someone in each market who can serve as a link between the companies or schools and teaching candidates.

55 people found this review helpful.
Response from International TEFL Academy

Hi Jason thanks for the feedback, glad you appreciated our services and training. We do have 5 fulltime people on staff to assist our students with job assistance however it's a graduate's responsibility to interview and choose a job. We can only provide the assistance, feedback and skill set for graduates to choose the best job that suit them, everything else is between you and your employer. We believe training our graduates to be autonomous abroad is better than being reliant on us. We hope to hear about your experiences in our alumni stories soon!

Default avatar
Hilary
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Best Deal in TEFL Certification - by far

Despite my experience volunteering with Interexchange at an exorbitant cost and being placed in a very difficult family situation, I chose to pursue teaching abroad and TEFL certification. After much online research and shopping around, I settled on a couple of options. I corresponded with a few, receiving generic responses or finding their process or costs practically impossible. Finally, after a skype session with Matthew Birgy from International TEFL Academy, my decision became cemented. Not only did he show up for the skype session, but he also answered my questions and alleviated my fears in regard to finding work and getting along. As a former teacher himself, he drew from his own experience and applied the relevant aspects to my own situation.

What a steal! I managed to get a great deal on the course as well! It was an easily navigable online course that I could access from anywhere - Italy, France, Switzerland, or wherever I may have traveled at the time. The teacher was nice and prompt in answering my questions. I found the material to be simple and I liked having the practice in lesson planning for a younger age group.

With the help of the excellent and reputable program and Matthew Birgy, I was offered several jobs up to a month before I even finished the course. I accepted my current job in Nakhon Si Thammarat. Once again I had a lot of help in getting things arranged. I did not go through a company (as advised), so I got to keep all of my paycheck and choose where I would teach.

I wouldn't recommend that anyone look anywhere else. It has been close to a year since I signed up for the program and I can still shoot Matt an email with my questions or ask advice concerning my next adventure. This was far more than just a TEFL certification. This was a major life choice. I am so glad that I chose so well. I love my school. I love Thailand. I know that I will love my next exploit as well! I am fully prepared and ready to go!

What would you improve about this program?
I loved the program. I am so fortunate! How can you improve on the best thing? I'm sure that you can and they will. The classes could have been a bit more lively and present less lengthy, dry material. Overall, it was ok though. It was very well organized and managed.
53 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Jordana
3/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Intense course

Be ready to work hard and know how to balance your time. Jobs do not come easily, after graduation the real work begins. I suggest studying up on English Grammar before beginning the program. You have to be very self motivated finding teaching jobs and tutoring. They do not help you get a job afterward. It is just in and out with a new group full of naive students filling their seats with $1800 in hand. It is all very rushed, you will spend ALL your time doing homework if you want this program to be successful. However, there is no way I would have had the knowledge to teach others English without this program.

What would you improve about this program?
It is too rushed
57 people found this review helpful.
Response from International TEFL Academy

Hi Jordana,
We appreciate taking the time for the review. From our correspondences with you we have notes you really liked the TEFL class in Florence, got a lot out of it, you found a job in Italy. You later contacted us for job assistance in Spain and we had discussions with you about this.

Jobs for anyone in life do take effort and a serious nature to go investigate, interview, and review offers. ITA provides training on how to find the jobs, lists of thousands of language schools, requirements, how to evaluate and secure a job during the right season. All the expectations are given prior to enrollment and if our students follow our advice it works out.

While we appreciate the review, your score of 5 out of 10 seems inconsistent with what was promised and delivered, excellent TEFL certification training and the skills and resources to find employment.

Your review is accurate that this is a full time class for 4 weeks, lots of reading, classwork and homework. It's the real deal, it's bootcamp for becoming a TEFL certified English teacher. 4 weeks to learn as much in a meaningful way to be as effective as a teacher as possible. We have provided a wealth of resources along the way and time on the phone whenever you requested for job assistance. We hope that if you are looking to teach anywhere again to please reach out to us and let us assist you as we provide lifetime job assistance.

Default avatar
Hannah
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

International TEFL academy

Although a TEFL certificate is definitely not needed for teaching in Thailand the networking that I had access to because of this class was invaluable. Upon landing in the country I felt like I already had friends willing to meet up, travel together, and help me look for jobs. I've met some of my best friends through International TEFL Academy.

What would you improve about this program?
Not being able to go back and log into the course website after a certain amount of time. There are so many times when writing lesson plans that I wish I could go back to course content.
53 people found this review helpful.
Response from International TEFL Academy

Hi Hannah,

Thanks for the review and feedback. The online course is open to go back into after the 11 week class has been completed for a certain period of time. We do remind people to copy anything out of there they want (such as lesson plans) but like all good things they must come to an end and let the new students into the course.

Default avatar
Laurel
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Everyone should do this!

Registering with International TEFL Academy was one of the best decisions of my life. The staff were so supportive and always made you feel excited about the possibilities and doors that would open once I became certified. Working with ITEFL Academy to get certified creates limitless possibilities for you!

55 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers

Hi Alexandra, The majority of English language classes around the world are taught by non native English teachers, e.g. in Russia the majority teaching English are Russian. In China the majority teaching English are Chinese. Most countries want fluent English speakers ("native is also use") because many of the local English teachers don't have fluent English skills or American or British dialect...

Ages for people teaching English abroad varies country by country, some are set by the country for a work visa, some are cultural norms. Here's an article to give some insight but there are people 18 to 88 teaching English in different countries.