What type of TEFL certificate do employers abroad ask for?

The requirements for securing TEFL work differ slightly depending on what your long term goals are: if you’re just keen to do some casual teaching as a way of funding travels, the requirements will be different to what’s needed if you want to pursue a long-term career in TEFL teaching.

In general, most reputable employers look for candidates who have 120+ hours of TEFL tuition. This qualification shows that you’ve taken a course that will test your understanding of the basics of TEFL teaching. If you’re looking to secure a job at a school that offers better pay, better professional facilities and greater chance for professional development, then we strongly recommend taking a TEFL course that offers 120 hours of tuition as a minimum, and perhaps some additional modules like teaching business English, teaching young learners or lesson planning as some extra strings to your bow.

Some courses offer 140 hours of instruction – the most comprehensive of these are known as combined courses, and include 120 hours of TEFL training and 20 hours of classroom learning to provide you with some hands-on teaching experience as well. These kind of courses are a great choice for those who want to make sure they’re as prepared as possible for the reality of TEFL teaching, and they’ll demonstrate to employers a willingness to go the extra mile.

Also available are more intensive courses offering up to 320 hours’ combined learning, and even month-long CELTA courses which are ideal for those who are really aiming high with their TEFL career. As a new starter, if you’re just looking to enter in to the world of teaching English abroad, a basic 120 hour online course will be all that you need.

Don’t forget, a TEFL course is your passport to the world. View our full range of TEFL courses here.