Many people who want to teach English to those who speak another language as their native language first need to obtain a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) certificate to qualify for teaching jobs and promotions. A weekend TEFL course is useful for those who have little time to pursue a full-length course or wish to gain advanced certifications. The course usually includes about 20 hours of classroom instruction that results in a certificate demonstrating the candidate has the skills needed to teach English to non-native speakers. When selecting the best weekend TEFL course, you should consider the types of instructional methods used, the level of the material, the certificate you will gain from the course, the price and the location of the course.
When you select a weekend TEFL course, you should first decide if you want a course that only has classroom sessions or one that combines classroom sessions with an online component. If you are new to teaching and have no prior experience, you may want a program that includes a combination of classroom teaching instruction and practice and an interactive online course to review the material. The classroom component of most TEFL courses has to cover a lot of material within two or three days, so there may be little time for reviewing basic grammar concepts. Mixed courses give you an advantage, because they provide additional helpful study material for you to review outside the classroom.
Although they are usually used to learn the essentials of teaching, many weekend TEFL courses also come in various levels that can help experienced teachers gain new skills. If you're new to TEFL, you should consider a fundamentals course that provides a basic TEFL certificate. After you have taught for a while and need more education to pursue better opportunities or get a promotion, you can consider specialized courses that focus on learning new teaching techniques. It's important to note that most companies do not allow you to join these advanced classes until you have taken a basic course or obtained an initial TEFL certificate.
The cost of a weekend TEFL course varies according to the location and the hours of classroom and online instruction the course provides. A basic certificate without an online component typically costs less than a mixed course or a course that let you choose specializations. Along with the cost of the course, you should consider the location, because some companies only offer courses in major cities.
