Get a taste for TEFL with our OxfordTEFL Online Starter course

The OxfordTEFL Online Starter course is an introduction to TEFL. It is aimed at people who would like an effective and flexible low-cost introduction to TEFL, in some cases before going on to take a full face-to-face qualification, such as an intensive 4-week Trinity Cert TESOL.

By the end of the course you will have a greater understanding of how to teach English. The OxfordTEFL Online Starter course will give you ideas and material to help you start life as a teacher. It will also encourage your ability to reflect which will ensure your continued professional development and success in the teaching profession.

If you find yourself in one of these situations, the Online TEFL Starter Course is for you:

• You are already teaching or about to teach but do not have the time, money or opportunity to do a full four-week Cert TESOL course. You would like, however, at least a quick guide to the basics of teaching English and a TEFL certificate to show for it.
• You don't live near a centre where the course is run and need a distance/online course in TEFL.
• You are considering a four-week intensive Cert. TESOL course, but would like a taster course in teaching English to see if teaching would suit you and if you can meet the demands.

The course is open to native and non-native speakers. Non-natives need to demonstrate an intermediate level of English (Level B1, Common European Framework, Cambridge ESOL PET, and Trinity Grade 6). They can demonstrate this in the on-line written application form.

The Online TEFL Starter Course comprises of 8 modules of approximately 5 hours each. There is flexibility with regard to pace, but we recommend you spend a maximum of 2 months. You can opt to do 5 hours a week for 8 weeks or 10 hours a week for 4 weeks, depending on the time you have available.

Learning online gives you the freedom to choose when you do the work.You will be working with one of our experienced teacher trainers and will receive feedback on all work you submit. You will also have the opportunity to speak to your tutor and discuss your progress at intervals throughout the course.

The Online TEFL Starter Course covers an introduction to basic TEFL skills and knowledge:

You will need regular access to e-mail, Internet and a DVD player.

Our team of teacher trainers are experienced in teaching English in a range of contexts and teacher training. They are highly qualified with a Trinity Diploma in TESOL or DELTA, a practical as well as academic qualification. Your tutor has experience in online learning and teaching and understands how this works on a practical and motivational level. For more on the tutors, have a look at the staff page.

To pass the course and receive the certificate you will have to:

• Complete 100% of the course tasks to a satisfactory standard.

The OxfordTEFL Online Starter Certificate will state that you have passed the course, outline the components of the course in detail and state the length of the course.

You are only required to buy 1 book for the Online TEFL Starter Course:

How to Teach English (with DVD) by Jeremy Harmer Published by Longman. You can buy this through www.amazon.com or through your local bookstore.

The following websites also offer useful material and articles.

Onestopenglish.com 
BBC.co.uk

 

I found the modules and the amount of work genuinely useful, thought-provoking and practical as well as fair in quantity. I want to mention my tutor, to whom I am infinitely grateful, whose encouragement and useful advice will become an invaluable tool from now on wherever I take my teaching.

 

María de los Ángeles Rey

The starter course is ideal to have a taste of what is the face to face EFL course. If you are not sure about taking the face to face course it can clarify your ideas, it is convenient because you are at home working at your own pace and it is affordable. After completing this course I’m almost sure I’ll take the other one.

Francisco Sanchez Garcia

The OxfordTEFL Online Starter Course is a great introduction to the world of teaching English as a foreign language. I knew that I wanted to enroll in the 4-week certification course, but I thought I should take the starter course first to make sure that it was the right decision for me. I really enjoyed the online course and it has definitely gotten me excited about the wonderful challenge ahead of me. The content of the course was very interesting and I found that I looked forward to starting and completing each module.My tutor was amazing and provided great feedback. She was very encouraging and I felt extremely motivated to do well. I have now applied for the 4-week certification course in Barcelona. If I am accepted, I know that I will have a great foundation because of the starter course.

Jennifer Kleffman

I enjoyed the course immensely and, not knowing what to expect, I found the workload just enough. I was very grateful for the support and flexibility from the tutor. I found the telephone lessons very useful and they were great in clarifying any points which I may not have understood. It isn't always easy to study from home but I found the modules clear and easy to understand.

The text book was invaluable and gave me a deeper insight into the English language, something I always took for granted. Doing the course has encouraged me to take it further and I look forward to one day doing the 4 week TrinityCert TESOL course.

Lynne Ratcliffe

My tutor was very prompt, nice and informative. She has given me numerous things to contemplate and has helped me get a really good idea of what I'm getting myself into. She's encouraged me to think about different angles to ideas I hadn't thought of before.

I found the introduction, the program of the tasks given and the tutoring very clear. The most useful (thing) for me about the course was that the theory, explanations and instructions were described through real-life examples in classrooms.

Please take note that fees are non-refundable. You need to make sure you have the appropriate English level competency. Please review our "Criteria for acceptance" detailed above.

It is expected that you finish the OxfordTEFL Online Starter course within six months from the date of purchase. We will send you a mid-course announcement stating that you are approximately three months into your six-month limit if you haven't finished the course by then.

You may extend your course for an additional two months beyond the original expiration date for an additional fee of €90.00.

If you have any questions or enquiries about this course, please don't hesitate to contact us, and a member of our team will be happy to answer you.