International TEFL Academy - Reviews and TEFL Programs Abroad
International TEFL Academy was founded on the premise that language education offers English speakers from all backgrounds the opportunity of a lifetime to experience other cultures and build relationships abroad while providing a worthy service to others. Combining a wealth of expertise and commitment to excellence we provide the finest training and personal guidance to enable students from all walks of life to live their dreams of exploring the world while teaching English. We are committed to complete transparency and integrity in representing who we are, what we do, and what we stand for.
Teaching Programs
Ratings and Reviews
90%
Overall Rating90%Overall
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This course has covered many areas in which I have struggled during my own experiences tutoring English in the past. The staff has been extremely helpful along the way and I believe that after completing the 20 hours of classroom practicum I will be knowledgeable in many different techniques of teaching.
80%
Overall Rating80%Overall
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My experience with ITA was mostly very positive. After much research on other programs and several Q&As with my helpful and knowledgeable admissions advisor, I enrolled in the online course in early 2011. I feel that I got my money's worth.
The curriculum left a bit to be desired. I found several typos and thought most of the assignments could be more challenging; but overall, I would recommend the program. The staff seemed very willing to review and update the curriculum.
The employment resources that they provided also needed to be updated. After receiving my certificate, I used their directory of international schools to search for employment in S. America. I sent resumes to one country and nearly all the email addresses listed were incorrect, as they bounced back to me. Perhaps the listings have been updated since then, though... Ask!
I also greatly appreciated the instructor's willingness to hold online office hours for any questions on a regular basis, as well as the requirement to review peers' homework submissions. It was very interesting and valuable to see how others interpreted the assignments and to learn from their ideas.
I really appreciated the practicum, as it was lengthier than other TEFL/TESOL programs that I researched. I feel that I got a lot of experiential education that enhanced what I learned online. I also simply enjoyed teaching and observing the students!
80%
Overall Rating80%Overall
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I took the Online Course from the International TEFL Academy. I researched numerous programs and found that the ITEFL Academy was the most affordable, organized and accredited. The course was exactly what I expected; challenging at times and covered a broad span of topics. If your heart is truly not committed to teaching English, then the course would have been extremely difficult and time consuming for you. Otherwise, if you are a student eager to go abroad, everything flowed smoothly. The staff was and has been extremely helpful. I have graduated months ago and am still in contact with my adviser, emailing her laundry lists of questions and scheduling phone appointments as well. They are extremely helpful post-graduation which is just as important for them guiding you through the course.
70%
Overall Rating70%Overall
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Overall, though the International TEFL academy gave me advice and helpful information on schools and opportunities in Spain, almost all of the work was done by me. I found a way to apply for a visa because I had a boyfriend living in Spain, but otherwise most Americans simply have to stay illegally or find someone to sponsor them for a visa which is a long and difficult process, not to mention rare. However, if I ever need advice or assistance the TEFL Academy does what it can to provide me with information from past alumni that have traveled to Spain.
So far I've really enjoyed myself here-the nightlife is great! Drinks and finger food (called pinchos) are really cheap so you don't have to spend all you earn on going out. The food has a lot of garlic, bread and oil which does get a tad boring at times but if you're in a large city like Madrid you can find plenty of foreign food. I felt very safe-you have to be careful at night in the big cities but I found a shop to buy pepper spray and the Spanish community are very friendly and helpful in general. They don't speak a lot of English, however so you either have to be patient or have a little Spanish in your back pocket.
I would definitely do this again-it was hard to find work at first, especially in a crisis-ridden country like Spain but if you're persistent there is a lot of good paying english teaching jobs out there.
I didn't like my school so much-especially with children they expect you to teach them things that are unreasonable-you don't always see your kids very often and they only want to play games, so its hard to teach them advanced English, the most you can hope for is basic sentences. I've had great resources for teaching exams though, like the TOEFL and Cambridge books-they help a lot and keep the students focused. I wish I would've brought more books on English grammar because books are really expensive here, though. Maybe more clothes too, because those are really expensive as well-prepare to pay much more than you would in America. I wish someone would have told me how expensive things were so I would be prepared with an adequate wardrobe and possible more Spanish. I didn't really bring anything I didn't need-eveything has been put to good use.
My school didn't really prepare me to teach, more thew me in and expected I could swim-it was terrifying at first, but I got the handle of it though. My older students were very well behaved and loved to learn, as well as not being afraid to do some hard studying, but the young ones-horrible! No disciple-they were very used to getting what they wanted, it seems to me kids in Spain remain dependent on their parents longer than in America.
As much as I've had fun I don't think I want to keep teaching English-its an ok pastime but there's not much gratification, I will probably continue learning Spanish and study in Spain. Hope this helped!
100%
Overall Rating100%Overall
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The staff is great, very much information they are very helpful and understand your desire to teach. There teachers are very skilled, they give great feedback on all your course work to make sure you learn. They even offer extra things like online viewing classes, live class room teaching.
Their student affairs is great. They answer your emails quickly with the best answers possible.
What are you waiting for? I am so happy i attended there classes.
80%
Overall Rating80%Overall
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This program offers excellent skill-building classes to prepare you to teach English abroad. The classes can be taken online, which is very nice for students still attending a University.
100%
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Turkey has been an amazing experience for me. The amount of available jobs is amazing and I've been able to have a great work life balanced with an ability to travel extensively throughout both Turkey itself, and throughout Europe.
I love the surprises that this city (Istanbul) has given me. It's amazingly safe and clean, and the transportation system is better than anything I've seen in the west. The people are genuinely kind and helpful and I highly recommend anyone with a sense of adventure and love of travel to check out Istanbul.
70%
Overall Rating70%Overall
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The TEFL Academy staff is friendly and their admissions officer did a great job of roping me into the program--I don't mean that in a backhanded way. I don't think if I had such a good experience talking with Ian, my admissions counselor, about how and why teaching abroad was for me, and the right time is now!-I never would have left my job and changed my life for the better.
I also really enjoyed the coursework--the material, pace and convenience. I worked full time while taking the online course and it was the most economical and practical way for me to complete my certification. My professor was engaging and I enjoyed her audio lectures, she was always very responsive and gave thorough feedback on my work.
The main area where the program is lacking is, in my view, job assistance. TEFL Academy is up front about their policy--they do not place you in a job, but I wish I had chose a program that did--it would be worth it for the money you pay. Essentially, they are turning out certifications but 99% of the job search process is up to you. The best way to use this program is to identify a recruiter you want to align with after you have completed your certification and then complete an online course with TEFL Academy. When it came to finding a job in Europe they gave me some delayed feedback and essentially told me it's sink or swim: best bet is to fly to Europe and hope you can get a job through some dogged hunting. Read: Hope your savings account is up to the challenge.
In my own experience and in the experience of other TEFL teacher hopefuls I have talked to, this is unrealistic. It is extremely difficult and costly to get a job this way. If your goal is to teach in Europe, I strongly recommend going through a company that places you in a position. I just noticed in the TEFL newsletter that they have a new policy and alignment with language schools in Europe, so maybe things are changing for the better.
Overall I do not regret the program I chose. I am excited about the alumni network and getting to know others who have completed the program and are out in the world. TEFL Academy's strength is their staff's willingness to help, although sometimes their resources to do so are not idealistic. I have nothing but positive things to say about the online curriculum and professors as well.
80%
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A lot of the schools and parents in Taiwan want only teachers that 'look' European, and despite the fact that I grew up in New Zealand and has English as my first language, my pay is half that of an European-looking teacher. Teachers that look Asian are paid less and are subjected to less-welcoming work conditions, and I have found that TEFL certificate do not improve the situation much. The program's great but I haven't found it a worthwhile investment as it hasn't really improved my work opportunities. However, if you're just looking for ways to be a better teacher, it would serve you well.

























I have taught Social Studies for a few years in the states but was worried about how I would do teaching English, especially overseas. After taking this program I feel that I am prepared for my overseas adventure that starts in South Korea in April. Thank you so much for all of your help International TEFL Academy.