The TEFL Org

What it is

The TEFL Org is a course provider that trains people to teach English as a foreign language, either abroad or online from home. Its learners are would-be teachers: career changers, graduates heading overseas, people who want a side income teaching online, and existing English instructors who want a recognized qualification. The company describes itself as "the world's most accredited TEFL course provider" and, on its online teaching guide, as the most accredited UK TEFL course provider.

The company story on the home page explains where it comes from. After teaching English in Europe for many years, Jennifer MacKenzie and Joe Hallwood returned home to the UK with a mission to help others experience the opportunities TEFL had brought them, "So, in 2008, The TEFL Org was born!" The site says the business then grew quickly, "picked up awards, expanded internationally", and that the team has grown to over 40 staff and tutors. It also stresses that the company is "Owned and run by experienced TEFL teachers", with the line "Learn to teach, from teachers."

The courses

The course menu is the core of the product, and it is broader than a single certificate:

• 120-hour Premier Online TEFL Course. The site calls it "Our best-selling course" and lists it as "100% self-paced online study" with dedicated tutor support. This is the course most learners start with, and the online teaching guide explains why the hour count matters: "You want to make sure you have at least a 120-hour TEFL certification from an accredited course provider."
• 120-hour Premier Online TEFL Course: Audio Edition. Marked NEW, this is the same best-selling course "now in audio format", for people who would rather listen than read.
• 250-hour Online Level 5 TEFL Course. Also referred to on the home page as the Level 5 TEFL Diploma, it is the longer, deeper qualification and is studied entirely at the learner's own pace.
• Classroom TEFL Courses. These add practical classroom experience. The home page says they "can be completed in person or from home over Zoom", and the menu lists TEFL courses by location.
• Virtual TEFL Courses and Combined TEFL Courses, which mix the online and classroom routes.
• TEFL Course Bundles and Advanced TEFL Courses for teachers who want to add specialist training. The online teaching guide names one of them, the Teaching English Online Advanced TEFL course, which the company says it launched in 2016 to meet demand from online teaching.

The site sums up the choice as online, in person or over Zoom, whichever suits the learner, and promises that "Whichever course you choose, you'll be supported throughout it by one of our highly experienced TEFL tutors."

How studying works

Every course comes with a set of standard inclusions that the home page lists one by one. Learners get "a dedicated personal tutor for the duration of your course and guaranteed assignment marking within 48 hours." They get "24/7 access to your course on any device," so study can happen around a job or family. Under the heading "No hidden costs," the site states that "Our course fee includes a hard copy of your certificate, dedicated tutor support, and lifetime Jobs Centre access all as standard."

Entry requirements are deliberately low. The home page says "You don't need any previous experience or qualifications to start training as a TEFL teacher. All you need is fluency in English and the enthusiasm to learn." The site has pages for people teaching abroad without a degree, without experience and as non-native speakers, and offers an English Level Test for learners who want to check their own English first. Before buying, a learner can try a free TEFL Taster, take a quiz that suggests a course, or request a brochure. TEFL gift vouchers are also sold.

Reviews quoted from Trustpilot on the home page give a sense of the material. One verified buyer writes that "The video examples were really helpful when learning new methods and completing assignments," and another says "The courses are well organized and the content delivery and demo videos are relevant and helpful." Not every comment is glowing: one reviewer notes "Some of the courses are extremely long, and some are very short," and another, while calling the course phenomenal, recommends "updating the content."

Certificates and accreditation

The certificate is presented as internationally recognized. The site explains why accreditation matters to it: it gives learners and employers confidence that the courses "have undergone a process of external quality control." The About menu includes an Accreditation page and a TEFL Certificate Verification service, so an employer can check a certificate. The pages read here do not name the accrediting bodies, so a learner who needs recognition in a specific country should look at that Accreditation page before enrolling. The Level 5 course is described as a TEFL diploma; nothing on these pages presents it as a university degree.

Jobs, guides and community

The second half of the product is career support. Every course includes lifetime access to the TEFL Jobs Centre, and the home page states that "80% of our graduates find work within 2 months." The jobs menu lists recommended TEFL jobs, summer camp jobs, TEFL internships and named programs: teaching placements in South Korea, a Thailand teaching program, a Cambodia teaching placement, a semester teaching position in Vietnam and Japan teaching programs. Employers can post a job advert, which is how listings reach graduates.

The free guides are substantial. The Teach Abroad guide is "packed with essential information about more than 70 countries you can find work teaching English in," and the Teach English Online guide covers qualifications, equipment, common concerns, how online teaching companies work, independent teaching and how to set rates. It says "a quarter of our course graduates go on to teach English online." There is also a downloadable salary guide, a podcast called I Taught English Abroad, and weekly webinars that can be watched back on YouTube and Facebook, with recent topics including a TEFL CV and resume workshop, teaching writing and exam preparation. The online guide mentions a Facebook group where learners ask other online teachers for advice.

The numbers the site publishes

• Over 205,000 teachers trained, and "92% of them would recommend us"
• 4.6 out of 5 based on 10,582 Trustpilot reviews
• "80% of our graduates find work within 2 months"
• Founded in 2008, with over 40 staff and tutors
• A Teach Abroad guide covering more than 70 countries

The site shows course fees in a choice of region and currency (the United Kingdom, United States, European Union, Ireland, Australia, Canada, South Africa and the rest of the world), and the home page banner advertised a 60% discount. The pages read here do not print the course prices themselves. Phone support runs Monday to Thursday until midnight and on Friday until 10pm, UK time, and there is a contact page. When a learner buys a course they can also donate to the company's charity partner, Theirworld, and the site says The TEFL Org will match any donation.

Who it suits

The TEFL Org fits someone with no teaching background who wants a recognized, tutor-supported route into teaching English, either in a classroom abroad or online. The 120-hour course is the natural starting point because it is the hour count the company's own guide says employers expect, and it can be studied around a job. The 250-hour Level 5 course suits people who want a deeper qualification or plan to make teaching a longer career, and the classroom and Zoom options suit learners who want live teaching practice.

The lifetime Jobs Centre, the country guides and the named placements in Asia make it particularly useful for someone planning a move abroad. Non-native speakers are welcome, and the site has dedicated advice for them.

It is less suited to a qualified schoolteacher looking for graduate credit or a formal teaching license, since the product is TEFL training rather than an academic program. A learner who needs a particular accreditation for a visa or employer should check the Accreditation page first.