6 Things to Know Before Taking an Online TESOL Certification

You may be thinking of getting certified. You are starting your ESL Teaching journey, and you have decided to take an online course as it is way cheaper compared to physical courses. 

The choice of taking a TESOL Certification Online is a very great one, however there are some things you need to know before deciding and registering for your course.

1. Ensure it is a legit Course Provider

There are a lot of scams online. Especially with the fact that you wont be able to see the course center physically, you need to take all the necessary measures to ensure that you are registering with a legit course provider.  Google is your best friend! You need to just search up reviews on the provider online and all the information of this provider will most likely be displayed. After scanning through, and if you find even just one negative review, you should do more research on that provider before paying and registering for the course. 

It is better safe than sorry.

2. Know your Hours

You need to ensure that you are registering for the right amount of hours. The minimum number of hours allowed for a certificate to be valid is 100 hours. So you need to make sure that you are registering for the right amount of hours.  You can register for courses that are 120 hours and above just to be on the safe side. And make sure you inquire from the course provider on the course hours just to be sure.

3. Know what you are getting into

Online TESOL classes are not like your generic in class courses. You need to be prepared to be able to learn most of your course work by yourself. Unlike the physical courses, you do not really have access to tutors while learning, so you might have to wait a few days before your questions are answered as you would probably need to email your online tutors. 

The whole point is just that there will be more self paced learning.

4. Ensure Valid Accreditation

You need to make sure that your course provider is accredited by a recognized accrediting body. There are many accrediting bodies, so you need to make sure that they are accredited by a recognized one.

5. Take advantage of connections

When you study with a course provider, you should take advantage of the connections they offer. While course providers do not necessarily set you up with a job upon graduation, they provide some materials and job opportunity connections to their students, so ensure you take advantage of them.

6. Teaching Practice not usually available

Most times, in Online TESOL Courses, you do not have the opportunity to have practical teaching sessions, but they are very important. So it is very essential that you pick a course provider that offers a teaching practical as a part of the course content. 

All in all, you just need to keep these things in mind before registering for an online course.