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The International Language Institute of Massachusetts (ILI) promotes intercultural understanding and diverse communities by providing high-quality language instruction and teacher training.

You are here: Home / News / Online TESOL Certification courses: Are they valid?

April 6, 2021

Online TESOL Certification courses: Are they valid?

Online TESOL Certification courses: Are they valid?

Are online TESOL courses valid?

Absolutely, yes! Online TESOL Certificate courses are valid. Your online TESOL Certificate qualifies you to teach ESL/ESOL/EFL worldwide. 

Bottom line: hiring bodies will not favor candidates with an online or in-person TESOL Certificate. They’re equally valid. 

However, not all online TESOL intensive courses are created equal. Practical teaching experience is key to making the most of your TESOL intensive course. 

Be sure that your online English teacher training course does more than just deal with the theory. You should get the chance to teach practice lessons with real students and process feedback. 

That’s why ILI’s online TESOL teacher training includes hands-on practice. You’ll have least 6 opportunities to teach and be observed by your trainer and peer students.

As a participant in our TESOL teacher training, you’ll examine the theory, and then you’ll put the theory into practice in your one-hour practice classes. ILI’s internationally recognized online accredited TESOL courses are just as valid as any in-person equivalent. With an online TESOL Certificate, you gain the theory, techniques, and qualifications to advance your career as an ESL/EFL/ESOL instructor. 

Can you obtain a teaching training entirely online?

Absolutely, yes. You can obtain TESOL teacher training entirely online. Online TESOL Certificate courses qualify you for a teaching position in any school or organization that provides ESL/EFL/ESOL instruction.

You gain the theory and skills to teach ESL/ESOL/EFL at home or abroad. Our fully accredited TESOL courses are delivered entirely online via Zoom and Google Classroom and result in 100% valid TESOL Certificate. 

Importantly, you get to teach practice English lessons yourself, be observed by your peers and trainer, and in turn observe your peers. 

ILI’s intensive TESOL teacher training program runs Monday through Friday from 10 am to 1 pm, with lunch from 1 to 2 pm, and afternoon class from 2 to 5 pm. 

Participants teach 6 hours during the program, with group planning sessions before every class taught and group processing sessions afterwards. There are no classes or meetings on the weekends.

The upcoming course dates for our accredited TESOL Certificate online programs:

  • May 3 – 28, 2021
  • June 7 – July 2, 2021
  • July 12 – August 6 , 2021
  • October 4 – 29, 2021 (No class 10/11, Indigenous Peoples’ Day)

ILI’s trainers are certified by SIT (School for International Training), world leader in the TESOL field. Our trainers have worked together for many years and bring a wealth of practical teaching and cross-cultural experience to the course.

Based on a core philosophy of experiential learning and reflective teaching, the online TESOL Certificate program provides the essential teaching tool kit for an effective ESOL instructor. 

Graduates receive an internationally recognized TESOL Certificate. Our online TESOL Certificate is valid to teach in both English-speaking countries and countries where English is not the primary language. 

What are the advantages of choosing an online TESOL Certificate program?

The importance of English as the global language of business, education, and travel is not diminishing. In fact, English continues to cross borders, connecting boardrooms, classrooms, and travel destinations.

For instance, international companies are instituting English-only policies for both senior staff and entry-level positions. New jobs in health care, technical support, and customer service require English language proficiency. Young people need English to attend university in the USA, UK, and Canada.

Asa  result, the demand for quality English language instruction keeps growing. Online TESOL intensive courses qualify you for these exciting teaching positions everywhere from Boston to Beijing.

The online TESOL Certificate cost pays for itself with global job opportunities. You will become a more effective educator who can make an impact in the lives of English learners.

An online TESOL Certificate program can jump start your English teaching career with 21st Century skills. Whether you’re based in Massachusetts or relocating to Singapore, TESOL Certificate online prepares you for a field that’s ever growing and ever changing. 

The year 2020 accelerated trends toward online and hybrid education. Moving forward into 2021 and beyond, international English students and the ESOL/ESL/EFL schools that serve them may continue to offer, and even expand, virtual language learning.

The skills of teaching in-person and online overlap, but they aren’t identical. The English instructor of the future needs to be flexible and tech-competent (though not necessarily tech-savvy, but tech-adept enough to implement sound student-centered practices in whatever online environments are supported by the hiring institution.)

TESOL certification online makes you a candidate with experience teaching in an online format, navigating platforms, and projecting public speaking confidence. 

In fact, schools hiring for online ESOL courses might prefer candidates with an online TESOL since it demonstrates competency with online instruction.

When you graduate from an online TESOL Certificate course, potential employers know you possess not only the theory and techniques but also hands-on experience and commitment to student success.

An online English teacher training program makes you an attractive job candidate for schools anywhere in the world, from the USA to the UAE. In 2021 and beyond schools will look to build both in-person and online programs for international English students of all proficiency levels.

An online TESOL Certificate prepares you to teach any curriculum, from business to academic English, for any population, from executives to immigrants. You’ll gain insight into teaching listening, reading, writing, speaking, and, importantly, integrated skills. It’s not what you teach, but how you teach, and that’s focus of the TESOL intensive course online teacher training. 

When you have a TESOL Certificate, potential employers know that your first day on the job at their organization won’t be your first time in front of students in a classroom or on screen. The best TESOL courses online give you a chance to teach practice English lessons with real students, refect on your successes and struggles as a teacher, and incorporate new strategies moving forward.

Plus, hiring bodies know you can design a lesson with specific learning goals for a target audience, solicit and process feedback, and plan ahead for an even better lesson tomorrow. 

In short, graduating from an online TESOL intensive course shows that you’re ready for hire.

Tips for successfully learning TESOL online

TESOL courses online can be as effective as in-person teacher training. The key is what you bring as a participant in the TESOL intensive program.

Maybe you’ve never stepped into a classroom before. Or maybe you’ve already logged hours in front of a white board with colored markers. Either way, you may want to take a second look at your assumptions about English language instruction.

Participants in online TESOL courses should bring an open mind and a willingness to take risks with new tools.

ILI’s online TESOL intensive course emphasizes the process of planning, practice, and reflection. You may end up adjusting your ideas about best teaching practices. You may even end up reimagining the classroom and reinventing yourself as an educator. 

Many participants in TESOL courses online discover bracingly new ideas about how to be a teacher in a student-centered communicative language learning environment. 

If you’re asking yourself, “Are online TESOL courses valid,” the answer is yes. In fact, TESOL course distance learning can be not only effective but also rewarding. 

You may improve your connections with your students, and your students may make more meaningful connections with one another. 

You’ll see how your teaching helps non-native English speakers improve their language skills and build confidence. 

The end result of a TESOL Certificate online is the potential for a more rewarding experience among students and instructors alike.

As a participant in our TESOL Certificate online you’ll learn the ins and outs of formulating learning goals that are relevant to the students’ lives. You’ll learn different approaches to  structuring lesson plans step by step. You’ll learn techniques to facilitate communicative activities. Crucially, in ILI’s TESOL intensive course you’ll get at least 6 opportunities to teach and be observed by your trainer and peer students.

You’ll also see other teachers implementing the same practices for their own learners. All the while, you’ll reflect on your experiences while processing feedback from peers. 

Ultimately, what you need to do as a TESOL Certificate online participant is to try out new techniques, think about what worked and what didn’t, and adjust accordingly. 

If it’s your first time teaching, you’ll learn the basics of designing and facilitating communicative language activities. Even if you have lots of classroom experience, you’ll discover things that you didn’t know about creating learning objectives, eliciting student responses, and fostering engagement. Furthermore, participants in TESOL intensive courses online acquire tools for delivering error correction, boosting student talk time, and managing a multi-level classroom with multiple learning styles. 

Both beginning and experienced teachers benefit from TESOL intensive courses online by deepening and broadening their understanding of student-centered instruction. 

Now’s the time to join a TESOL Certificate course online and become a sought-after ESOL/ESL/EFL teacher.

Article by ILI Staff / News

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