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International TEFL Academy

Why choose International TEFL Academy?

International TEFL Academy is passionate about two things:

1. Providing the highest quality TEFL certification classes.
2. Ensuring all of our graduates find professional, paid English teaching jobs abroad & have a wonderful experience overseas.

All of our staff at ITA have worked, lived & traveled abroad extensively. We "get it," and we're passionate about helping you have a great international adventure as we did.

Based in Chicago IL, ITA is a worldwide leader in TEFL certification for teaching English abroad offering accredited TEFL classes in 20 locations worldwide & award-winning online TEFL classes. We certify 5,000 people per year to teach English abroad and we have graduates teaching in 80+ countries.

In addition to earning an accredited teaching qualification recognized worldwide, all of our students receive lifetime job search guidance & access to a full array of alumni services and networking opportunities.

ITA has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.

Reviews

Default avatar
Rachel
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

My Online ITA Course Experience

I am a current college student hoping to teach English abroad after I graduate. I really appreciate the online asynchronous format of this course because I was able to fit this course into my schedule even while working full-time (plus overtime) at my summer job! My instructor was very kind and helpful, and she offered excellent critiques on my assignments and participated often in the Discussion Forums. The other students were friendly and shared some great ideas in the Forums. I feel like the content was very thorough; it prepares students to teach people of any age or English proficiency level. I am very grateful for the required Practicum, also: even after completing only one hour as of when I wrote this review, I feel much more comfortable with the idea of teaching people English. Overall, I would highly recommend this TEFL/TESL couse!

Pros
  • Great instructors
  • Thorough and practical content
  • Good timeline
Default avatar
Joyce (Yuanchun)
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Great TEFL Program

Working with ITA has been a great experience for me. Not only do they offer a great course to obtain your TEFL certificate, they offer additional specialized courses that helps boost your experience and resume. ITA also offer many other resources such as advisors for your course and job search guidance, pdf's that outline details about working in different countries, information on where to find practicum programs, and much more. My advisors have also been very helpful to me in answering all my questions regarding courses and job search.

Default avatar
Caroline
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Highly Recommend

I absolutely recommend this program. International TEFL Academy has been such a great experience from my very first advisor to my professor to the job board. This program taught me things I didn't know I needed to know about teaching English and specifically teaching English abroad. The most valuable part of this course is how they teach you to build a lesson plan. Their program is incredibly student and spontaneous, authentic language focused. My professor was thorough, corrective, and helpful. I feel very prepared from this program.

Default avatar
Jessica
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Excellent experience. Feel prepared.

ITA has been more than what I expected. The material is comprehensive, the program (teacher, student affairs) is extremely supportive, and the resources (practicum hours/job search) are extensive. There's a sense of community even though it's all online.

When applying for my practicum hours, I was able to choose from a huge list of different and interesting organizations that ITA is affiliated with. Once I started my student teaching/practicum hours I felt prepared even though I had not completed the course. 2 weeks into my practicum hours I was invited to attend a professional development day in which the topic was material I had already covered in the ITA course!

I definitely recommend ITA for your TEFL certification. It's comprehensive, interesting, and will leave you feeling prepared, confident and inspired to teach and explore the world!

Response from International TEFL Academy

Jessica - Thanks for taking your TEFL course with ITA, and for sharing your experience - we really appreciate it! Please remember to get in touch with any questions or issues relating to your course and your job search. Our team is here to help!

Cheers! - The ITA Team

Read my full story
Default avatar
Taylor
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

ITA - TEFL Certification Program

I decided to get my TEFL certification as I had just graduated college and was not sure what I wanted to do with my life, so traveling and teaching English seemed like an exciting career path to pursue. At first, I was just participating in the course so that I had a cheaper option to travel to a different country, but after actively engaging in the course material and the enthusiasm my teachers and other classmates had for this subject, I was also excited to continued my studies. ITA had a clear, concise, organized way of presenting and teaching the information and I would highly recommend the program to anyone that is considering teaching English as a foreign language.

Pros
  • Organized material
  • Quick course duration
  • Vast amount of resources
Cons
  • Not as flexible with deadlines
  • Not as "hands-on"
  • Tutoring experience is found solely by students

Jobs

Programs

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Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Interview

Why did you choose this program?

The program was online, which worked well with my schedule. Moreover, I was able to talk through all my questions, thoughts, and concerns with my Admissions Advisor. She was absolutely wonderful and gave me knowledge and resources even before I enrolled. I felt very supported before I even started the program.

What did your program provider (or university) assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

Honestly, even though it was all virtual, I never felt alone. If I ever needed anything, someone friendly and helpful (my admissions advisor, teacher, or student affairs advisor) would guide me along the way. You're encouraged to find your own practicum hours, but ITA has an extensive resource/partner list you can use to find an organization to work with. It was actually hard to choose, lots of interesting opportunities to choose from. I found an organization to get my practicum hours within 3 days.

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

Be ready to learn and be ready to work! The program really makes sure you're prepared. It's very comprehensive. They dig deep into what and how to teach, but also into cultural sensitivity and culture shock and/or homesickness. I took more time than 10 hours per week (the estimated time for the 11-week course), but I feel it was completely worth it. I left the program feeling really confident and inspired. Oh, and take notes!

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

I set aside a couple of hours each weekday to dedicate to my online course. Since it's virtual, you can set up whatever schedule works for you. Grab a cup of coffee, log in, and read, take notes, or attend a virtual seminar (some live and some pre-recorded). There are also some peer-to-peer prompts that create great conversations between you and your classmates if you choose to do that.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

Navigating a new country can be overwhelming, especially if you don't know the language. I found that most people are genuinely kind and helpful. I also found that what we think we know about a country and what it's really like are very different, often it's better than what we could've hoped for or expected.

What is the one thing you would tell someone that is thinking about traveling (or doing anything in life) but is scared to do it?

Trust yourself. If you thought of it, you're called to do it. No one ever regrets taking that trip (or that leap in life), they only regret NOT doing it. You just have to get out there and see for yourself!

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

John Bentley

Job Title
Senior Admissions Advisor & Head Writer
A lifelong traveler who grew up in Cairo, Egypt, John Bentley wrote for the Egypt-Israel Edition of the famous Let’s Go! guidebook series during his student days at Harvard and has worked in the fields of international travel, education, and journalism ever since.
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What is your favorite travel memory?

Having grown up overseas in Cairo, Egypt there are too many to count - from camping & fishing on desert islands in the Red Sea to exploring ancient monasteries in the Sinai and visiting the Berlin Wall at the end of the Cold War in 1989. Our high school in Cairo even had our high school graduation at the Great Pyramids of Giza.

But really the most rewarding moments of travel are the small ones you experience when immersing yourself in a foreign culture: strolling through a market in Saigon, riding a train through the countryside in India, interacting with the locals at a coffee shop in Cairo or a pub in Liverpool. These are my favorite travel moments.

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

One of the great aspects of working at International TEFL Academy is that we are constantly encouraged to learn as individuals, as team members, and as international travel experts.

We are constantly receiving new training and updates on all aspects of teaching English abroad.

From work visas in Poland to hiring requirements in South Korea, we are constantly getting updated on job markets and TEFL course options to provide the best information to our students & graduates.

Personally, I have also been able to learn a ton to enhance my skills in areas like writing, blogging, personal communications, and social media.

What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

There are too many to count, but certainly the most rewarding aspect of working at International TEFL Academy is seeing the people you work with realize their dreams of living, traveling, and teaching English abroad.

I love following my students' blogs, photos, articles and videos after they've gone overseas to teach English, especially for those for whom teaching English abroad is their first international travel experience.

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

I would take my TEFL class online or in Chicago and then teach English somewhere in East Asia like Japan, South Korea or Vietnam, though it would be hard to pass up an opportunity to live and work in a tropical country like Nicaragua, or even a class European country like Italy.

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

The passion of our team for helping others realize their dreams of teaching English & traveling abroad. International experience is the number one requirement to work at ITA so each member of our team understands personally the challenges and rewards of living and working overseas.

We also do our best to provide the most comprehensive and realistic information possible about teaching English abroad - this is why have more than 600 blog articles, FAQs, alumni interviews & videos on our website.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

Passion for what we do and providing the best possible experience to our students so that they can realize their dreams of living, traveling and teaching English around the globe.