Do you want to be TEFL or TESOL-certified and teach in Yishan Zhen? Are you interested in teaching English in Weifang Shi? Check out ITTT’s online and in-class courses, Become certified to Teach English as a Foreign Language and start teaching English ONLINE or abroad! ITTT offers a wide variety of Online TEFL Courses and a great number of opportunities for English Teachers and for Teachers of English as a Second Language.
Individuals who decide today that they would like to become certified to teach English as a foreign language have two primary options for their study: onsite and online courses. While onsite courses are the traditional mode for formal TEFL training, online learning has become increasingly popular with the democratization of technology across the world. Onsite courses typically host numerous students who speak the same native language (English, most commonly). Online courses, by contrast, are completed on an individual basis. Each option has its own benefits and drawbacks, and the disadvantages of each are often compensated by the advantages of the other. This complementary nature of online and onsite learning indicates that students would benefit from a course which features characteristics of both. The most important advantage to online TEFL courses is the fact that each individual student is able to determine the timeline for completion. Online courses are time flexible, meaning that students can decide when and how often to study, as well as how long each study session should be. For the learner who has a full time job, this advantage alone is enough to make online courses a great choice for TEFL certification. Online courses are also location flexible, meaning that students who live in rural or remote areas - where onsite courses might not be a feasible option - are still able to complete their course and become certified. Because there is some variety in online courses, additional advantages depend on the features of a particular course. For example, some online courses offer video chatting with instructors. With this feature, individual students get one-on-one focus with an instructor, meaning that their motivations and needs are addressed and lessons can be tailored to meet their goals. The instructor is also able to monitor each student’s progress through the course and ensure that they are mastering each component. Without video-chatting an instructor, however, students might lose motivation to complete the course, especially if they get stuck and struggle to understand a concept. Because onsite TEFL courses regularly meet face-to-face, teachers can address those students who may struggle. Instructors can also build rapport with the class and encourage active participation for most effective learning. The most important advantage to onsite TEFL courses, however, is that students can practice with each other. Equally vital to learning the methods for teaching English is putting those methods to practice. In an onsite course setting, students can work in pairs or groups to practice teaching and test their creativity. Students can also practice with the rest of the class, simulating a real ESL classroom. Students will learn from each other and build their confidence in teaching, and can also practice using visual aids and other teaching materials. Onsite courses also allow students to ask questions to the instructor or to their peers continuously as they learn, and students can discuss and debate ideas or best teaching methods. However, students who are very busy or who live far away from onsite course offerings aren’t able to access these benefits. The advantages of online TEFL courses compensate for the disadvantages of onsite TELF courses, and vice versa. For example, in an online setting, students can determine their own learning timelines but can’t practice their newly learned skills. In an onsite setting, students can practice their skills in a role-play or simulation, but are confined to a predetermined course timeline. For this reason, an ideal solution would be a fusion of the two. Perhaps one combination might be a primarily-online course which incorporates two-to-three onsite meetings for discussion and practice. In this scenario, meetings would be held biweekly and students would be able to sign up to attend regardless of their current progression through the course. This way, students are free to complete the course at their own pace but can also access teacher expertise and peer interaction. This fusion, online-only courses, and onsite-only courses all have unique advantages and disadvantages because none of them is perfect for every TEFL learner. Each individual must choose an option that fits his or her needs best.
