TEFL stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language, and refers to a certificate which you can work for if you want to go abroad to teach English. Courses which allow you to study for a TEFL qualification are widely available, and enrolling on one is the first step of your journey towards an exciting adventure abroad.
There are a number of qualifications which you can take to gain English language teaching qualifications but TEFL is the most widely recognised. Other qualifications are often geared up towards teaching people who have moved to English-speaking countries and need help with their language skills.
You can study for a course in a number of different ways.The courses are offered by a selection of institutions and you won’t normally need any prior teaching experience, though they may require you to have a certain level of education. Usually courses will consist of at least 120 hours of study in various forms, including seminars as well as online elements. There are options to pick and choose how you learn, and you can select elements such as full weekend courses if you want to complete some of your learning intensively.
TEFL is recognised in many parts of the world – you can choose to teach in numerous countries across Europe, Asia and South America. If you have a particular country in mind, look into what their requirements are before booking your course. Sometimes they will want you to have taken a longer course, or they may have additional criteria on top of your TEFL qualification.