Organization Approved TEFL

online tefl courses vs Onsite TEFL coursesWhen offered the option of taking an online tefl course or an onsite TEFL course many people will say initially that they would prefer to take the onsite course. Once you take a look at the real differences between the two though, it becomes clear that onsite courses are not obviously superior to online courses. Onsite courses do naturally offer more face to face study time with a teacher or tutor, and are able to offer real teaching experience as part of the course, but many online TEFL courses have proven themselves to be quite effective despite the fact that they aren't able to offer real world teaching experience. Online TEFL courses offer flexibility. For many people, taking an onsite TEFL course simply isn't an option. Some people can't take off work for a long enough period of time to take an onsite course. Many people can't manage to travel to the course location, or are simply to busy to travel to the course location. Online courses give the student a kind of flexibility that these onsite courses cannot offer. All work is done on the student's own time, and because all work is also done wherever the student desires here is of course no traveling necessary. Some onsite courses offer more flexibility by having a few weeks of personal study time, where the student doesn't have to go to a class, and combine that personal study time with classroom time. But even this method which requires minimal classroom time is unmanageable for many potential students. On the other hand, the classroom time and real teaching experience that onsite courses offer can be extremely beneficial for soon-to-be teachers of english. That teaching experience gives the students not only the confidence to begin teaching but also the necessary skills and first-hand knowledge of which teaching methods work for the specific person and which ones don't work as well. The flexibility of online courses is useful not only because it allows students to work in their study time around their work schedule but also because it allows students to absorb the material at their own pace. Some people like to take more time than others to study new material. With an online course you can take as long as you'd like to learn one topic, and as little time as you'd like to learn another. For some people, this is a huge advantage. Other students who perhaps are a little less self motivated might not see this as an advantage. They might prefer the rigor or an onsite course. Here, each topic is given a set amount of classroom time and the students are forced to learn the material in that given time period. Which of these methods is superior is not cut and dry, but is rather subjective. Each student will have their own preference. Finally, there is the price. Many online courses tend to be cheaper than onsite courses. This is clearly a point in favor of the online courses. With less direct teaching from a professor, and zero classroom time, online courses simply have less overhead and therefore are able to charge a more reasonable fee. Both of these course types have their pros and their cons. The type of course that is better suited for a given student will depend upon a number of factors, such as the courses price, the flexibility it offers, and the students own personal schedule around which the classroom and study time must fit. References: An Online or Onsite TESOL course... Which is best?; The TEFL Times - http://www.eltworld.net/times/2011/03/an-online-or-onsite-tesol-course-which-is-best/ Online TEFL TESOL course VS Onsite TEFL TESOL course. - http://www.tefl-online.com/aboutitto/onlinevsonsite.php