What is a TEFL?
Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) is a qualification that equips teachers with the relevant skills to effectively teach English to foreign students as a second language. A TEFL certification is required and accepted by most online English training schools globally.
Learn more about how to obtain your TEFL.
Is there a difference between TEFL and TESOL?
No. While there used to be more of a difference between TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) and TEFL, these two terms are now used synonymously.
Learn more about the main types of foreign language teaching qualifications, their differences, and what opportunities each of them affords foreign language teachers.
Are some TEFL qualifications better than others?
Yes. Some countries acknowledge courses on qualification frameworks. These are relevant to that country alone.
Independent international accreditation bodies (like ACTDEC) hold course providers to quality standards, within which various levels exist. Make sure the TEFL provider you choose, is accredited with ACTDEC.
Do I need a degree to teach online?
Most online schools will require a degree, some will accept a diploma, but very few will accept anything less.
Different online schools from different countries require different minimum levels of education. It is always best to check the exact requirements of the specific online teaching job you want to apply for.
Is it worth getting a TEFL?
- Earn a supplemental income
- Work-from-home opportunities
- Teaching a variety of students (children and adults, from all around the world)
- Flexible schedules
- Work / life balance
- A modern browser.
- A stable internet connection sufficient to access content-rich web pages.
- Audio equipment to listen to course instructions.
- A microphone to engage verbally in course tasks.
If you want to teach English online, yes. Most online learning institutions require teachers to have a TEFL, and it will make you a suitable candidate for more online teaching jobs.
Teaching online has some great benefits:
What will I need to do The Really Great Teacher Company's TEFL course?
You need a CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference) English ability of B2 or better. You can do a CEFR General English test to assess your proficiency.
In terms of technical requirements, you will need the following to access the course:
How much does The Really Great Teacher Company's TEFL course cost?
Only $9.90 USD per month. Our 120-Hour, fully accredited and internationally recognized TEFL Certificate is included in the Inspire Academy course library, that you get access to when you sign up to the monthly subscription plan.
Does The Really Great Teacher Company's TEFL course have a free trial?
Yes. Sign up for a free account on The Inspire Academy and you will automatically have access to our TEFL Introduction Module at no cost. This will give you some insight into the course to establish if it's right for you. You will also be able to communicate directly with an Inspire Academy Trainer to ask any further questions related to the course before proceeding to activate your monthly subscription.
How do I sign up?
Visit The Inspire Academy to sign up and create your account. Once you are logged in, navigate to the Course Catalog, and find TEFL under the Certifications category. Click the subscribe button to activate your monthly subscription and gain access to the complete TEFL course.
What if the course is not for me?
If, after completing the TEFL Introductory Module, either you or your Inspire Academy Trainer realize that this is not the correct course for you, there is no obligation to proceed. Simply cancel your monthly subscription.
What advice do you have for someone who has never completed an online course?
The Inspire Academy has professional and experienced Trainers, who are well versed in helping students navigate their course! They will happily provide practical support in learning how to teach English to foreign students, as well as learning and teaching online.
Successfully completing online courses requires discipline and effective time management. We highly recommend that students create a quiet, dedicated place to study, draw up a study schedule, and set clear goals. And then stick to them!
Do I get teaching practice in this online course?
Yes! Our course is filled with practical examples and assignments to practice various skills associated with teaching. Your final assessment will require you to present a demonstration of how you would conduct a real lesson.
How will I be assessed during the course?
Each module contains a number of units with associated tasks to ensure you gain the knowledge and skills needed to teach English online.
The unit assessments are automatically marked and give you an indication of your progress and familiarity with the work. All unit assessments need to be completed.
At the end of a module, you will need to complete a module assignment. A passing mark of 50%, as assessed by an Inspire Academy Trainer, is needed to pass a module assignment.
If you do not pass a particular module assignment, your trainer will provide you with feedback on where you went wrong (and what you did right!). They will redirect you to resources or parts of the course that you need to revisit, and then invite you to submit the assessment again.
Once you achieve a passing mark for each module, you will be able to complete the Final Course Assessment. You need to achieve 50% for the Final Assessment. If you do not pass this assessment, your trainer will provide you with feedback, redirect you to resources or parts of the course that you need to revisit, and invite you to submit the final assessment again. You have three attempts to attain a minimum of 50% passing grade for the final course assessment.
Once you pass each module and the final course assessment, you will be awarded with your accredited 120-hour TEFL Certificate!
How long will this course take me to complete?
It is a 120-hour TEFL certification, thus it should take you approximately 120 hours to complete. However, based on experience and level of engagement with the work, it is possible to complete it at a faster or slower pace.
Each module requires you to actively engage with the content, reflect on the examples and lessons, complete assignments, and correspond with your Inspire Academy Trainer.
Each module has a specified number of hours it should ideally take to complete, to ensure maximum engagement with the content.
Do I need to complete the course within a certain time frame?
No, you have unlimited time to complete the TEFL. However, we strongly advise that you aim to do so within 6 months from the start date, to ensure an effective learning process and to avoid potentially having to redo assessments due to having forgotten the content.
Do I get a certificate?
Yes! Upon successfully completing the course, having met all of its requirements, you will be issued with a digital 120-hour TEFL Certificate. We do not issue physical certificates.
Do you help me find a job after I complete this course?
The Inspire Academy is powered by The Really Great Teacher Company, where we provide exciting online teaching opportunities to online teachers from all around the world. Once you have completed your TEFL, please visit our Teaching Jobs page where you can view all our open positions that you can apply for.
There are also various other online platforms, agencies and job boards where you can find online teaching jobs.
Will I be hired for an online teaching job as a non-Native speaker?
Yes. There are many online schools and learning centres from around the world that don’t necessarily require their teachers to be native English speakers. Each institution has their own standard for fluency and accent, but the most important factor is the ability to teach and teach well.
Who do I contact if I have any further questions?
Please don't hesitate to reach out to us via email at and one of our Inspire Academy Trainers will respond to you within 48 hours.