There are many reasons to take either an online
tefl course or an onsite
tefl course and there are advantages and disadvantages to both. Both online and onsite
tefl courses have the same goal: to certify a student to be an effective and knowledgeable
teacher of
english as a foreign language. However, the path to
certification varies. Online
tefl courses are geared to be more flexible for people who are working or have families and do not have the time to take a time consuming class. The onsite
tefl courses
offer the hands on experience that the online class does not have.
The online
tefl course has many advantages over taking an onsite
tefl course. One major advantage is the
cost of taking an
online course. The
online course can
cost as little as a quarter of the amount that it would
cost to take an onsite course. This is a very appealing aspect of taking an
online course versus an onsite course. It can get extremely expensive to pay for the class and travel to another country for a month to take the onsite course. Another advantage to taking an
online course is the flexibility. The
online course allows the student to take the class at their own pace. This is a huge advantage over taking the onsite course because people do not always have to time to drop everything, from work to family, and travel to another country to take the onsite course. For these reasons the
online course has some big advantages over the onsite course. However, the
online course has drawbacks as well. The
online course does not
offer the same experience as the onsite course. For this reason a student might be unprepared for the realities of teaching a class due to the lack of practical teaching experience. Another disadvantage to taking an online class is the student will lack the resources that is
offered to students in the onsite class. For example teaching material or connections and help finding jobs after the course is over. There are many advantages and disadvantages
offered with the online
tefl.
The onsite
tefl course has many advantages over the online
tefl course. One major advantage is the experience. Taking an onsite course gives you the hands on experience that the
online course lacks. Onsite courses have the student plan lessons and teach groups of local students in order to pass the class. This type of practical experience is an invaluable part of the onsite course that is not
offered with the
online course. Due to the personal nature of the onsite course there are many advantages that are not
offered in the
online course. However, there are disadvantages to the onsite course as well. One major disadvantage is the
cost. Compared to the
online course, onsite courses can
cost four to five time the amount, plus the expense of traveling to another country and paying for accommodations and food for the month. This can be very difficult for someone who has strong ties to the community they are living in. One other disadvantage to the onsite course is the lack of flexibility versus the
online course. The onsite course is one month of classes that must be completed whereas the
online course gives leniency over when the course can be completed and can be done in the students' own time.
There are many different reasons to take either an online
tefl course or an onsite
tefl course. The online
tefl course is great for someone who needs flexibility when taking the course without the rigid deadline, and who can do it on their own time. The onsite
tefl course is great for someone who is able to move for a month and can afford a course that is located in a different country. The goals and
certifications of the onsite and online
tefl courses are similar, but how the student gets there differs. Each course
offers its own benefits and the choice is entirely up to the student.