How long does a TEFL course take?

There is no simple answer to this question as it depends entirely on which type of TEFL course you choose to study. At ITTT we have a range of courses that are designed to suit the various needs of our trainees, each with its own time scale for completion. Please see below for a breakdown of our various course options.

Online courses are often the quickest route towards TEFL certification. If you are in a real hurry a course such as our 60-hour introduction to TEFL may be a good choice as you can conceivably complete it in as little as five days. Even those who prefer to study at a slower rate should find they can complete the course within one month. However, it is worth remembering that the majority of employers worldwide insist on job applicants having a TEFL certificate of at least 100 hours.

If you want to ensure you meet the criteria of these employers and therefore open the door to jobs offering a competitive salary, a 120-hour TEFL certificate may be more suitable. The 120-hour TEFL course includes more than enough content to satisfy the majority of employers, and is therefore a very popular choice. This course can be completed in as little as two weeks if you are extremely motivated and have few other commitments, however, most trainees should expect to spend around six to eight weeks on this course.

As the online courses are designed as self study options, the time they take to complete is really down to the individual trainee. In contrast, the in-class TEFL certification course is a full-time course that runs for a set time period. If you choose this option you will attend the training center of your choice for a period of four weeks. During this time you will complete all the theory lessons and have extensive teaching practice with authentic English language students to ensure you are ready to start work as soon as the four-week course is complete.

As well as the standard TEFL certification courses above, we also offer specialized and advanced online courses that allow you to expand your CV/resume. Our specialized courses in teaching young learners and teaching business English are both 50-hour courses that can be completed in as little as one week, with an average completion time of around four weeks. The online diploma course is an advanced qualification that will take a minimum of one month to complete, with an average completion time of around eight months.

As you can see, unless you choose the in-class TEFL course which has a fixed timetable of four weeks, the speed at which you complete your training really comes down to how much time you choose to spend on it. The good news is that all our standard online courses have a time limit of up to six months which should be plenty of time to complete your certification and start out on your new career as an English language teacher.