Cheap TEFL courses online, should you take one or not? There is no one-size-fits-all answer here. However, if you’re looking to start teaching English online, or you have high hopes for an exciting adventure teaching English abroad, the first thing you need to do is get TEFL certified.
In this article, we’ll look at some of the best cheap online TEFL courses out there, so that you can get TEFL certified without blowing your budget!
Can You Find a Good, Cheap TEFL Course Online?
Obtaining a TEFL certificate can open up a whole new world of opportunities for you, but it can be pricey. Some TEFL certifications cost upwards of $1,500. The reality is a lot of people just don’t have that type of money lying around.
Fortunately, you don’t have to let that be an obstacle to achieving your dreams! There are now many TEFL certification courses online that start around the $100 mark. This begins to make that dream look a lot more affordable… Nevertheless, you still need to be careful to avoid any scams or courses that are too cheap and not accredited.
It’s also important to have a good understanding of the different TEFL levels. Most reputable employers will request a 120-hour level 3 TEFL course at a minimum. Higher level courses tend to be more expensive, and you can go all the way up to TEFL level 7! Like most things in life, you get what you pay for and that can certainly apply to TEFL courses.
The good news is that you can find a few hidden gems. These come in the form of 120-hour, fully accredited online TEFL certifications that are all TEFL level 3 and above. Don’t worry I’m not planning on keeping them secret! So, if you want an affordable TEFL certification of good quality, read on!
9 of the Best Cheap TEFL Courses Online
Note: The prices shown below are often significantly discounted. Please make sure you go through the links to check on the current price and get the best deals!
ITTT 120-Hour Online TEFL/TESOL course
ITTT has been around since 1993 and is a market leader in the TEFL industry. Their TEFL courses are fully accredited and they offer a vast array of different options. These range from TEFL courses abroad, hybrid TEFL courses, and online options.
The ITTT 120-Hour Online TEFL Course is extremely popular and internationally recognized by employers all around the world. You can choose to take the course either by yourself or with tutor support and videos.
Once you’ve completed your course with iTTT you’ll have access to their unique career support for the duration of your time as a TEFL teacher. They can help you acquire a TEFL job and provide assistance to you going forward.
Course price: $239 ($349 with tutor support).
It just so happens that we also offer an extra 10% off of all ITTT TEFL courses through this link. This makes what is already a great value course even cheaper!
MyTEFL 140 Hour Master TEFL Course Online
The MyTEFL 140-hour Master course is a great platform to start your TEFL career or to upgrade your existing abilities. Their teaching material is designed to be practical and classroom effective, so you will be prepared for the challenges of teaching English online and in the classroom.
In this package, you get the 120-Hour Professional TEFL course plus a 20-hour online teaching component. This allows you to cover all of the bases!
MyTEFL courses are accredited by OTTSA and they have been around for over 35 years. They can help connect you to employers and also believe in giving back. If you purchase a course through them they even make a donation to a great cause in your name. You can’t say fairer than that!
Course price: $299.
Premier TEFL 120 Hour Advanced TEFL Course
Premier TEFL has been around for over 25 years. They are a highly reputable company that offers accredited TEFL courses both online and in-class. Their courses are English government regulated and internationally recognized.
The Premier TEFL 120 Hour advanced course is ideal for beginners and coordinated by real English professionals. You have 6 months to complete the course and you can study when and wherever you like. They offer regular discounts and at the time of writing the course is nearly 70% off of the listed purchase price, which almost brings it into the sub $100 range! They even offer a 14-day money back guarantee if you’re not happy.
You can also choose to study for a 168-hour level 5 TEFL course or even a 290-hour Master TEFL training course with Premier TEFL.
Course price: $390.
i-to-i TEFL Level 3 120-Hour Online TEFL Course
i-to-i TEFL offer a range of courses but if you’re sticking to a budget your best bet is their level 3 online TEFL course. With this course, you’ll be able to work at your own pace and get the help of a virtual tutor. More often than not you’ll also find it discounted. At the time of writing, the i-to-i TEFL Level 3 120-Hour Online TEFL Course is 40% off and there are similar offers throughout the year.
i-to-i TEFL has helped over 200,000 EFL teachers get TEFL certified. They are Ofqual regulated with a TEFL accreditation from ODLQC (Open & Distance Learning Quality Council). If you go with i-to-i you’ll be making a good start to your TEFL experience.
Course price: $350.
The TEFL Academy 168-Hour Online TEFL Course
The TEFL Academy’s 168-hour online TEFL course is a great deal. For starters, it’s a level 5 TEFL course which puts it ahead of some of the other 120-hour level 3 courses on this list. It also comes with three free 30-hour top-up TEFL courses in Teaching Young Learners, Teaching Business English, and Teaching Online & 1:1. So, you’ll certainly be well prepared with this online course!
The TEFL Academy also offers a level 3 course, but it’s not that much cheaper so I think it’s worth plumping for the level 5 option. At the time of writing it costs $563 but is reduced down to $225, which makes it a worthy candidate for this list. You’ll even get help finding a TEFL job when you finish!
Let’s TEFL The Ultimate 120-Hour TEFL Course
The LET’s TEFL Ultimate 120-Hour TEFL course comes in at $499, so you may be wondering why we have included it here. However, it is an accredited course and normally has a great discount on offer. At the time of writing this is 70% off, which brings the price down to $149!
The course is highly rated and includes a lifetime job placement service. This means that after you complete your course with Let’s TEFL they could help place you in a TEFL job in China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, or elsewhere! You’ll also find helpful guides on different countries and be able to learn about the experiences of working abroad from some of their alumni on their blog.
Course price: $499 reduced to $149.
Bridge 120-Hour Master TEFL Certificate
BridgeTEFL is one of the most established TEFL course providers in the business. Their 120-Hour Master TEFL Certificate will qualify you to teach English all around the world.
One of the standout features of this TEFL certification is that it’s even recommended for undergraduate level university credits by the American Council on Education. You can’t beat that for a seal of approval!
This course costs north of $600 but their current special offer brings them into this list.
The TEFL Org 120-Hour Premier Online TEFL Course
The TEFL Org are from the UK are are the world’s most accredited TEFL course provider. Their 120-hour course is their flagship course and they have helped over 180,000 students start their TEFL career.
It’s therefore safe to say they come with a good reputation and they claim that over 80% of their graduates find a job within 2 months of completing the course. So, they might be a good option if you’re worried about securing work.
At the time of writing, the price of the course is £184.50, which works out to roughly $235.
TEFL UK 120hr Professional TEFL Course
The TEFL UK Professional TEFL course will provide you with training to become a highly effective and confident TEFL teacher. Trusted by over 50,000 students, it allows you to teach anywhere in the world. You do not need any prior qualifications to take this course. It is highly affordable and is currently priced at £99. This translates to roughly $120.
Is it Worth Doing a Cheap TEFL Course Online?
Yes, and yes, if you choose the right one! You just need to remember that most TEFL jobs will require you to have at least a 120-hour TEFL certificate. Therefore, this is one of the first things you should look for. You should also check if the TEFL course provider is accredited or not.
Additionally, you should see if there are any country or job requirements where you wish to teach English. These can vary from place to place. Some employers may require you to have done a TEFL certification with teaching practice. Whereas other employers might ask for a specific TEFL qualification such as CELTA, which can be priced up to $2,000.
As I’m sure you’ll appreciate, there is no point doing a cheap course if it doesn’t get you the job you want. For example, it’s quite rare to find teaching practice with the cheapest TEFL courses, so be aware of this. You should always do your research and make sure the course matches your requirements! When doing your research you should also check the reviews a course has received. This will be a good indication of if its affordability matches up to its quality.
Will it Help You Get a Job?
Provided you obtain your TEFL certification from a well-recognized, reputable course provider it will definitely help you get a job. If you want to teach English as a foreign language, nearly all employers will require you to be TEFL certified. This applies if you want to teach English abroad or teach English online.
To learn more about the requirements of some of the companies that offer positions teaching English online, you can check out these online English teaching jobs.
What Qualifies as a Cheap TEFL Certificate Online?
Online TEFL certificates can cost anywhere between $30 – $2,000. What qualifies as a cheap TEFL certification will often come down to your own perception and the country you live in.
The most expensive courses are usually offered by course providers who have been in business for a long time. They have built up a strong reputation and brand. As a consumer, you know that you can rely upon them for quality and this is priced in.
The cheapest TEFL courses online will often cover fewer hours than that all important 120-hour mark. They could also be from new and upcoming providers who are targeting the global mass market or are still establishing their reputation. That’s not to say that these courses are low on quality, but for the purpose of this article we covered courses priced $100 and up. These are more likely to hit our requirements of a 120-hour fully accredited online TEFL course from a well-known, reputable course provider.
Why is TEFL Accreditation So Important?
TEFL accreditation is important because it certifies that the course provider is adhering to a set of standards established by an external third party, which revolve around the quality of the TEFL training program being delivered. The accrediting body will visit the course provider and assesses these standards to determine if they are being met. This helps to regulate the TEFL industry.
If a course is accredited it can give anyone purchasing the course peace of mind that they will receive an authentic TEFL certification and training of good quality. It should also carry more weight with employers.
Without TEFL accreditation anyone can create, market, and sell a TEFL course without any regulation. This can lead to low quality courses with TEFL trainees getting ripped off. Unfortunately, many such courses still exist in the sub $100 bracket. For this reason, you should be particularly cautious when it comes to purchasing TEFL courses on coupon sites such as Groupon. If it’s so cheap that it looks too good to be true it often is and it may not be accepted by a number of the major teaching companies.
This is why we emphasize the importance of accredited TEFL courses when it comes to examining those courses in the lower price bracket.
Something worth noting
However, it is also worth pointing out that technically there isn’t actually one official governing body that regulates all of the accrediting bodies. To complicate matters, accreditations can be given by external third parties who aren’t governed themselves, which is something to be aware of.
Nevertheless, most TEFL accredited courses will be reliable and it currently doesn’t seem to be a major issue for employers. Therefore, the best thing to do is to check if the course is accredited along with any reviews it has – this will give you a good idea if it’s worth the price.
After all, you want to make sure you’re getting good value for your money. For this reason, it’s very important to do your research thoroughly when looking for accredited online TEFL certification programs.
Still Looking?
Are you still looking to find your ideal TEFL certification and get TEFL certified?
If these courses are out of your budget range you’ll find some of the cheapest online TEFL courses here.
If you’re looking for courses on the next level up check out the best online TEFL courses where you’ll find top-end course providers like the International TEFL Academy.
For more great deals check out the latest TEFL course special offers. We hope you can find what you are looking for!
James has been helping people teach English abroad for over twelve years. He’s traveled to over 30 countries, lived in 3, and taught English in Chile and online.
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