How Much Does TEFL Cost?
As the demand for TEFL instructors grows, so does the cost and price of TEFL. You can take many different types of courses to become certified as a TEFL teacher: on-site, online or abroad. These factor into how much you’ll need to pay for your certification. Here, we will discuss everything about the cost and price of becoming a TEFL instructor in 2021.
- How much is a TEFL course
- How much does teaching English abroad cost
You might think they are the same thing, right? But the cost of the course is separate from the overall costs of starting a TEFL career. When planning on teaching English abroad, you must consider the price of flights, accommodation and other expenses.
For those wondering what TEFL is, it means teaching English as a foreign language. To begin this career, you must join a TEFL certificate program through a TEFL course provider or TEFL schools. You can take the courses in a school in your home country, abroad or self-study with online TEFL courses.
TEFL enables you to teach students in another country without any prior teaching experience.
How much does an online TEFL course cost?
Online TEFL courses are the cheapest way to get a TEFL certification with prices from as low as $300 for the basics where you learn by yourself to $2500 for more in-depth classes with live trainers teaching via Skype or Zoom. These courses usually come from more recognised institutions.
Making your decision all depends on how prepared and well-read you want to be in teaching English before you enter the classroom. The saying ‘you get what you pay for is generally a good rule of thumb for courses, but that doesn’t mean you must spend $2000+ to succeed! There are fantastic courses from up to $1000. All courses give you the skills, but some go further than others is what we are trying to say.
Online TEFL course: You should expect to pay between $300 to $2500 for these TEFL classes. You can choose from 30 to 400+ hours! Also, there are hybrid courses where most of your studying will be done online, and a few days in the classroom to finish.
On-Site TEFL programs: There course will vary depending on where you live but expect to pay between $850 to $3000. The length of the course, the textbooks and the school you attend will determine the cost. The average price is around $1900.
Get TEFL certified abroad: The cost of TEFL courses abroad is between $1250 to $1800. Each course will last four weeks, and the schools are great for finding job placements for their graduates when the course ends since you will already be in that country.
In General, if you don’t have the time or funds to do an in-person course, then you can find great online options to become TEFL certified. If you are working and plan to travel after you get your TEFL certification while you save up, then on-site in your home country might be for you. If you are ready to go and have a bit of an adventure, do a certification program abroad somewhere far away, like South East Asia, that includes teaching practice and will find you teaching jobs.
With a little saving and hard work, everyone should be able to get qualified in a month or two and begin earning income!
How much does teaching abroad cost?
So, we showed you how much a TEFL course could cost around the world, but now we will take a look at travel expenses.
Fights: When you are leaving for your job placement or to your TEFL certification course abroad, you have to get there somehow, and the only way is usually by booking a ticket. We don’t know where you are from or where in the world you will go… so it is hard to say a price, but Florida to Indonesia will be more expensive than California to Costa Rica.
Food & drink: If you are in Asia or Latin America, the food price will be much lower than in the Middle East, for example. The salary will be higher to match the higher living costs, however!
Various transport: You must get to the airport in your home country. Then from the airport in your new home to your hotel or apartment. It shouldn’t be too expensive but every little counts!
Accommodation: If you are doing a TEFL program overseas, then you will be living in the country for a month with no income! You will need to be able to afford to keep yourself going for this time. If you found some great teaching jobs and are going to begin, you must remember you are paid at the end of the month, so you will have to rely on your savings account until that first paycheck comes.
Entertainment: This is optional! You can sit in your room with the lights off trying to save money or head to some local attractions, or have a beer by the beach. You can still have a fantastic time and be entertained without spending money! There are always great things to do, places to go and see, so don’t worry too much about this part.
How to save money?
Choose a country with a low cost of living. The initial expenses of moving abroad will be cheaper, but you could lose out in the long term as salaries will also be lower.
No deposit: If the deposit and first months rent (sometimes the first two months) are a bit steep, consider checking the area for long-stay AirBnB’s. When you book on Airbnb for over a month, you will sometimes be given a significant discount. Also, there is no deposit required so that you can keep that in your pocket.
Share accommodation: with the other teachers in dormitories. Email the school and ask them for local dorms that previous teachers have stayed.
House share with a local family: Some people love this, and some don’t. It can be an amazing way to get to know local people and immerse yourself in their culture. You lose your privacy, however, and it is hard for some to feel comfortable in other people’s homes.
Online jobs: This won’t save you cash, but it can help earn you some so you won’t be broke on your journey!
How much does TEFL cost in Asia compared to Europe?
The difference in the price of TEFL courses in these two areas is not massive. The course costs will go from $1200 to $1700. The cost of living in Asia compared to Europe is much lower, however, so your rent and food costs would be far lower than in Europe.
Teaching English abroad can be pricey to get started. Still, once you begin teaching English in schools, your bank balance will start to go back up as your salary will be higher than the cost of living in Asia and Europe also, but sometimes it can just even out.
TEFL course cost in Latin America vs the Middle East
Doing a TEFL certification course in Latin America will be far cheaper than a TEFL course in the Middle East. The salary in the Middle East for English teachers can reach three or four times higher than that of English teachers in Central and South America! This means the price has to match the income.
You can always do TEFL certification courses in your favourite location in Latin America, take your pick of teaching positions and work for a year or more and later move to one of the countries in the Middle East and teach English abroad there for a number of years.
Is it cheaper to teach English in Europe or the Middle East?
If your choosing to teach English as a foreign language in a country in these areas and want to save money, choose Europe. It is not as cheap to live in as Asia or Latin America, but it can be cheaper than the main destinations in the Middle East.
You can always begin your career teaching English abroad in Europe and use the job opportunities there to save up some money before moving to more expensive areas in the Middle East, such as Dubai.
Where is the cheapest place to do a TEFL course abroad?
You can do the cheapest courses abroad and still be in the most beautiful locations in the world, and you don’t have to compromise!
Take a TEFL course in Mexico’s gorgeous Puerto Vallarta for as little as $1299 for the four-week course, and there are often special deals for this course also, which can give you significant savings!
There is a TEFL program in Bali, Indonesia, for $1445. You will need a bachelor’s degree to teach on this tropical island, but the course is very reasonable, and the rent of food prices are very low!
Wondering how much does a TEFL course cost in Italy? There is one in the lovely scenic city of Florence, the birthplace of the Renaissance, for as little as $1450 for the whole four weeks.
These are some of the places you can get your TEFL certificate, and the costs aren’t too high. You can earn your TEFL certification at home in the USA for up to $2070, including all costs, so why not do a course in one of these mesmerising locations instead when the costs work out the same?
Can I skip the TEFL course and buy a TEFL certificate?
No! TEFL certifications are like any educational certificate, and you cannot bribe the schools so you can start working as a teacher in different countries. You wouldn’t expect Harvard to do it, so neither do TEFL courses.
You cannot buy the certification. It is the course, training and classroom practice you are paying for, not the paper. If you find a website showing the certification cost without a course, then it is a scam, and you may not be hired to teach abroad.
If you are going abroad to teach students in different countries, you have to be able to enter the classroom and improve their English language skills. If you don’t have the proper training, you will let them down.
What will I get if I join a teaching English program abroad?
In the programs, you will get expert training on everything, including classroom practise with ESL students. Once your training is completed, you will receive your certification. You will also have job placement options. The school will organise job interviews in local public schools and language schools.
You will be given a job placement option of approx three city locations you’d like to work in and what type of school you would prefer to work in. Tell them which type of school you want and where you want to go, and they will email all the relevant companies to get you hired.
One of the main benefits of on-site courses compared to online courses is the classroom practice with ESL students. This is a crucial part of your training. Not only do you get to see what the job fully entails before you start teaching, but you get to test all your skills and theory which you learned in the course, and if you are struggling with some aspects, you can ask the trainers to help you improve on that area.
Are TEFL courses worth it?
If you want a way to live in other countries for extended periods of time and be legally allowed to work for a living to pay for your adventure, then this is the career for you! It is perfect for qualified and unqualified people, the courses are the only requirement and teach you all the skills you need to know to succeed. There are too many reasons to discuss in this post why TEFL is worth it, but check out that article if you want the answer to that question, we give you all the special sauce!
We hope this post was helpful for those who need more information about the cost and price of becoming a TEFL teacher in 2021. Check back soon for updates on our blog, which will include even more content related to the world of TEFL. If you have any queries, big or small, send us an email or leave a message below.
