TEFL is becoming a popular career choice for those who want to combine teaching, travel and adventure. With online learning and teaching offering more options than ever, there are many TEFL courses to choose from both face-to-face and online. It can be overwhelming to go through them all and decide which one you need. How do you know which one is best for you? That’s why we’re here to help you with this step-by-step guide to choosing the best TEFL course in 2025.

Step 1: Understand what TEFL is and why you need a TEFL course.

This is essential! You can’t study a subject to prepare for a career you don’t know anything about. This can help with your study and career expectations. TEFL means teaching English as a foreign language. This means you will teach students who speak another language as their first. This is typically done in their own countries or online. TEFL is not teaching native speakers English language or literature in their countries (e.g working in a UK or Irish high school).

A TEFL course is essential if you want a career in TEFL as it will prepare you to teach English in the classroom and online. A good TEFL course will cover a range of topics – how to teach kids, how to teach reading, writing, grammar etc and how to prepare effective lessons. You should also learn classroom management which is how to control your class and create a conducive learning environment. 

Importantly, a TEFL course is not to teach you English or cover in-depth grammar points. You should already have this level of English to teach. There may be things you don’t know as well, especially if you’re a native English speaker. After all, you won’t have learnt English in the same way as those who speak a second language. Some grammar may be covered in your TEFL course but any extra knowledge will be learnt by you on the job or by putting in extra work to understand how the students learn.

A TEFL certification is also essential as it’s a requirement for TEFL jobs! Your future employer will want to see this on your CV and ask for your certificate. Many will also verify it to check that it is legitimate. This is why you need to undertake the best TEFL course out there as your employer will want to know you are prepared for the job.

Step 2: What are you looking to do with your TEFL certification?

People have different career goals and want to do different things with their TEFL certificates. Everyone also has diverse backgrounds and experiences to accompany their qualifications. To choose the best course for you, you need to ensure it meets your specific needs and what you want to do with your qualifications when you finish.

For example, if you want to work in China and don’t have previous teaching experience, then a Level 5 TEFL Diploma will be the best option for you, as it will be a more in-depth TEFL qualification for you to complete. This type of course will give you a greater chance of gaining employment.

If you have to teach online and already have some in-person teaching experience, then a 120-hour TEFL course would be useful. Many companies require this industry minimum and if you already have some experience, the course will do the trick for you to gain employment.

If you’re interested in a particular niche of TEFL then studying additional courses will benefit you and your CV. Courses in Business English, Young Learners or Teaching English for Exams are common specialities and these courses can help you gain that extra knowledge to teach these areas. Studying additional courses alongside your foundation TEFL Diploma will help add to your CV and confidence.

Step 3: Ensure that your course is accredited 

Unfortunately, there are various courses out there that are not accredited. These only seek to get your money without being of any use or help to you. Your employers also want to know you’ve taken a valid course so you won’t get away with taking one that’s cheap and illegitimate. Accredited courses are held to the utmost standards and are regularly updated, so you, and your employer, know the training is relevant and of a higher quality.

To check whether your course is accredited, you can view the awarding body information on the company’s website. Then you can also verify on the awarding body’s website. There should also be a visible accreditation number. Remember, a company is going to want to show that they are legit so it will be easy to find. If there isn’t one, ask them for it. If they won’t provide one or tell you it’s not necessary then this is a big red educational flag and you shouldn’t invest any money with them.

Step 4: Look at reviews 

Reviews are important for any product or experience these days. Put the company’s name into the search engine and you will find what other people say about the course. Take the time to read what they say – what they liked, what they didn’t like. Some of it might be relevant to your situation and your needs.

If a company has no reviews, then this isn’t a good sign and it’s probably best to stay clear. Remember that every company will have at least one negative review. You will probably never find anything with only positive ones. It’s important to focus on the ratio between positive and negative and look at what people actually say.

You can find TEFL reviews on sites such as Gooverseas or in Facebook groups for TEFL teachers. Here you can ask people directly about their experience with TEFL and a particular TEFL course. 

Step 5: Is the course structure right for you?

It’s important that you understand the course you will be taking. Are their live lessons with a teacher? Are their exams? You don’t want any surprises down the line which will stress you out. Each course should list its delivery mode and any assessments. They will also typically include a breakdown of the modules and what you’ll be learning.

Online TEFL courses are a brilliant way to get qualified in a more flexible way. They are typically self-study so you can study the modules whenever you get time. There’s no set schedule so you don’t need to worry about fitting in the course with your busy life. It’s really never been easier to get qualified with online TEFL courses; it’s about choosing the one that’s best for you!

Step 6: Is there job support available? 

While most companies cannot guarantee a job placement after the course, many have useful resources such as job boards, advisors and webinars to help you get started. Check out what is and will be available to you during and after the course. This can be a big plus for studying a TEFL qualification. 

Step 7: Reach out to the TEFL provider

So you’ve pretty much decided on the best TEFL course for you and now it’s time to make the first move. If you still have questions or doubts then get in touch with the provider and they can help you. If you’re between two courses on the website, then they can help you decide which is right for you based on your needs.

Chatting to the provider is also a good way of gauging the company’s customer support. If they take 2 weeks to reply, it doesn’t bode well for your course should you need further support. If you get a helpful and friendly impression from them, then this is a good sign that they are there to help you achieve your TEFL goals! 

Step 8: After you buy

You’ve taken the TEFL plunge, well done! You’re set to start your learning journey! What should you do next? Try to devise a study plan based on the number of modules and assignments you need to go through. Everyone’s plan will look differently depending on their time and their goals so don’t worry about anyone else’s progress and focus on your own.

Whilst retaining TEFL knowledge is important, you don’t need to remember absolutely everything straight away. The best courses will have exercises that help you recycle and remember this knowledge. Take some notes as you go but don’t copy everything down, this isn’t productive! 

Most TEFL courses include assessments or assignments, not closed exams. This means you can refer back to your course as you need to in order to complete any work. You’re not expected to write without having any help! On the flip side, if you take a self-study course then you will need to be independent in your learning and not expect a tutor to ‘teach’ you the whole course.

As you reach midway through the course, you can start to think more about what your plans for after your TEFL qualification are and how you can achieve this. Start researching job posts and locations – it’s never too early to be informed! You can ask your TEFL provider for some help if they provide this service too.

Follow this step-by-step TEFL guide and you can choose the best TEFL course for you. Choosing the right TEFL course is a key decision in your career. Take the time to go through the steps and make sure you understand what type of course you are signing up for. This should include understanding the content it will provide, whether it’s accredited or not and what you need to do to complete the course in terms of workload. If you decide carefully and pick the right TEFL course, then you will be well on your way to a fulfilling and exciting TEFL career! It’s that simple!