International TEFL and TESOL Training

What it is

International TEFL and TESOL Training, known as ITTT, is a course provider that trains people to teach English as a foreign language, at home or abroad. Its learners are future English teachers: people planning to move overseas, people who want to teach online, and teachers adding a specialism or a higher-level diploma. The same ITTT course lineup also appears on tesolcourse.com and tesolonline.com, which carry the ITTT name.

The home page banner calls ITTT a "#1-Rated TEFL and TESOL Course Provider" that has been "Training Teachers Since 1998". Elsewhere the site says it has spent more than 25 years in the teacher training industry and that "So far we have graduated over 100,000 new teachers." The company describes its own aim as maintaining its "status as the world's leading TEFL course provider." Those are the company's claims about itself.

The online courses

The online catalog is organized by hours and by a level number, and the home page sets them side by side in a comparison table:

• 120-hour course (for teaching abroad), Level 4
• 170-hour course (for teaching abroad and online), Level 5. The tesolonline.com site describes this as the Teach English Online course, "specifically designed for anyone who wants to teach English online now or at any time in the future."
• 220-hour Master Package (for teaching abroad plus Young Learners plus Business English), Level 5. The home page calls it "our best seller".
• 370-hour Diploma course (TEFL/TESOL Certificate and Diploma), Level 6. The site explains that the diploma "also includes the initial 120-hour TESOL course" and so is open to anyone.
• 550-hour Expert Diploma course (Certificate and Diploma plus Young Learners, Business English, Online Teaching and an optional Practicum), Level 7.

According to the comparison table, every package includes technical support, supplementary materials, free lesson plan access, grammar units, phonology units, video lessons, full tutor support and lifetime job guidance, plus a hard copy and PDF certificate. The specialist modules (Business English, Young Learners, Online Teaching), the practicum and the diploma are added as the packages get bigger. The home page describes the online format plainly: "All online courses are entirely flexible and self-paced. Work at your own pace in your own time!" The tesolcourse.com page adds that learners on an online course with tutor support "will receive high-quality assistance from an experienced trainer."

Specialized courses are also sold on their own, and the course menu points to Online Course Bundles for learners who want several qualifications in one purchase.

In-class and combined courses

For people who want face-to-face training, the home page says its international training centers offer 4-week courses at teaching locations around the world, and that ITTT runs "In-class courses in 38 countries worldwide." Named centers include Florence, Tokyo, Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok, Manuel Antonio, Buenos Aires, Cusco, La Antigua, Gran Canaria, Seoul, Phnom Penh, Hua Hin, Guadalajara, Rio De Janeiro and New York City. The tesolonline.com page says this route "includes in-person instruction by highly experienced professionals and observed teaching practice."

The combined course splits the work: "Complete all the theory of ESL teaching online and then head to one of our training centers to complete your training." The registration form lists combined courses in Bangkok and in New York City, where the latter is marked as eight days of attendance.

Prices and payment

ITTT publishes its prices, shown as a base price next to a discounted "price on offer". On the teflcourse.net home page:

• 120-hour course from US$249 (shown against US$340)
• 170-hour course from US$299 (against US$520)
• 220-hour Master Package from US$349 (against US$699)
• 370-hour Diploma course US$499 (against US$1390)
• 550-hour Expert Package US$599 (against US$1690)
• In-class courses from US$1490 (base price from US$1990)
• Combined courses from $1195

The home page says "Courses discounted by up to 40%." The ITTT domains do not always agree on the top tier: tesolonline.com shows the 550-hour Expert Package at US$999 and the diploma at US$599 in its comparison table, while its own registration form lists $499 and $599, so a buyer should check the price at checkout. Specialized courses are listed from 175$ on tesolcourse.com.

The registration form offers three ways to pay: in full, in two installments or in three installments, each marked "+ free course". The free course is chosen from Teaching English to young learners (CTEYL) or Teaching business English (CTBE), and the home page adds Teaching English Online as a third option for those who sign up by the end of the month. The same form lets a buyer register between one and ten course participants. Registration itself "is free and does not commit you in any way," and comes with a free e-guide on the basics of TEFL and TESOL. The footer links to pages on payment options and a money back guarantee.

Accreditation and certificates

The tesolonline.com page states: "The certificates gained by completing a training course with ITTT are the only 100% online TEFL/TESOL certificates available that are validated, accredited, and credit-bearing from an internationally recognized university." The home page banner reads "University Accredited and Internationally Recognized TEFL and TESOL Courses," and the site says its courses "are accredited by individuals, institutes and schools that are committed to the improvement of English language teaching across the globe." The home and course pages do not name the university or the accrediting organizations; the site keeps that detail on dedicated Accreditation and Uni Credits pages. There is also a certificate verification service and a LinkedIn badge.

The course menu also lists B.Ed and M.Ed in TESOL programs and CELTA and Trinity courses as further routes beyond ITTT's own certificates.

Entry requirements and support

ITTT keeps the entry bar low. The home page says "All you need is a good working knowledge of English and to be over the age of 18. There is no requirement for previous teaching experience or teaching qualifications." It welcomes "applications from all nationalities, both native and non-native English speakers."

Job support is a large part of the offer. The home page promises "Lifetime Job Guidance and Assistance for all ITTT Course Graduates," and tesolcourse.com says "All graduates of our courses have access to our extensive job services which are available for the duration of your teaching career." The comparison table on tesolonline.com lists one-on-one job consultancy. The site has a Jobs section, says it works with TEFL recruiters who are "always looking to fill positions at schools worldwide", and publishes guides on salaries, hiring seasons and finding online teaching work. Prospective learners can email the team or request a call back by telephone or WhatsApp, and the site points to video reviews from graduates and a course quiz.

Who it suits

ITTT suits someone who wants a published price and a clear ladder of qualifications, from a budget 120-hour certificate to a 550-hour expert diploma, and who prefers to study online at their own pace. The installment plans and the free bonus course make the entry options easy to budget. The in-class courses in 38 countries suit people who want classroom practice in the country where they plan to teach, and the combined route suits those who want the theory online first.

It is less of a fit for a learner who needs to know before buying exactly which university accredits the certificate, because that detail sits on separate pages, and the differing prices across the ITTT domains mean a buyer should confirm the figure at registration.