Category: ESLinsider

I am thinking out loud here. I recently made a change to my site and am in the process of updating and upgrading my course to improve it. And I removed the certificate.

Why?

Because everyone is just after the certificate. They are in it for the wrong reasons.

They are chasing the carrot.

Sure some of them may need it for a job, but the certificate doesn’t mean much. And that is why more and more people are saying just get the cheapest one.

They are in it for the wrong reasons.

They don’t realize what they are getting into.

But why should they take my course that doesn’t have a certificate when they can take another course that gives them a certificate?

Why?

They have to have a really good reason to do that.

Here are my reasons:

1. Short practical instructional videos – watching other teachers is the easiest way to learn how to teach period. Although it does of course matter who the teacher is.
2. Feedback. It’s a live course with feedback on assignments from me – someone with years of experience teaching in China, Korea and Taiwan. Oh, and I live in Japan now.
3. It’s targeted towards teaching children (especially in Asia). Why does that matter? Because most courses out there actually focus more on teaching adults. I took one of those courses – actually 2 of those courses and I can say that they weren’t very helpful for that.
4. Personality development. Many of the improvements that I am working on now are in this department. Teaching abroad is an experience and it’s not only a job. So how can people take that experience and make it a life transforming one?

Another reason is I give them long term access. Apparently scarcity sells and giving people short term access sells, but what happens when you take a course when you haven’t even started teaching yet, complete it, go abroad, jump in the classroom and start teaching and then realize oh man this is difficult what did that course saying about teaching vocab?

Or maybe how was I supposed to deal with these kids speaking in another language? Did it say anything about that? I don’t think it did.

So what I am supposed to do with that.

The experience with the courses I took had a very weak classroom management section. Teaching kids is not simple. You are going to need some skills and classroom management is one and “positive reinforcement” only goes so far.

Now how am I going to make money from this course without a certificate?

I removed the bait.

I guess it’s not for everyone and there are fewer people now that will be interested just based on that. So that’s partly why I raised the price and am adding value to it.

How am I going to make money from this course without a certificate?

Maybe if I targeted licensed teachers as they already have a qualification that’s considered higher than TEFL certification. AND they are more of the higher performance types compared to many of the low performers who are just looking for a job.

How would I reach them?

Who else?

Experienced teachers? Some experienced teachers have taken my courses, but were they taking the course to learn or get a qualification? IDK.

But some experienced teachers think that they don’t need it.

What about new teachers?

Maybe new teachers would be less likely to take a course without a certificate. They’re looking for a job and very unfamiliar with the territory.

Why would they pay more for a course that gives them less? No, it’s not less it’s more but there’s no certificate.

Do people assume that all TEFL or TESOL courses are the same? I think some of them do as you have seen on Reddit. That’s why they say get the cheapest or a CELTA.

There is CELTA and there are all the others. So they think.

Some people think courses are the same. I think many are actually too. How can they know the difference? You have to show and tell a different story.

What’s the value of this?

Why have you removed the certificate?

The value is the learning. The value is in the process. If you are seeking a fix to your solutions then a certificate is probably not the answer.

Wait. Maybe I am wrong.

Because if they want a job that requires certification then a certificate is a solution.

But what kind of solution is it?

It’s a short term solution.

Why?

BECAUSE GETTING A JOB IS JUST THE BEGINNING.

I don’t think they get that.

Why not?

Because maybe they are not abroad and they are not teaching so they have zero context or knowledge of what they are getting theirselves into.

It’s abstract. Teaching is not yet a real thing.

So then maybe you should sell to people who are abroad and leave a note for those to remember you when they get abroad and start teaching.

Why take your course and not another?

I mentioned the video, the feedback which also enables them to use their materials.

They have there eyes set on their problem which is getting a job and getting abroad. Hence why they want an “accredited TEFL certificate”.

They want the security even if it’s all for show. They don’t know that. “Hours” like that famous, lol 120 hour TEFL course are fake but they don’t know. Accreditation is for show. A certificate is for show.

So you can’t compete with that.

So what do you do?

Maybe you should try to get people who have already started. Instead of trying to persuade people who haven’t go for people who have.

Figure out who you are talking to.

Getting a job is just THE BEGINNING. But that is all they are focused on. So IDK. Maybe focus on those that have started. But are those people looking for courses?

IF YOU NEED A CERTIFICATE AND A JOB THEN THIS COURSE IS PROBABLY NOT FOR YOU

At least not now…

Maybe this is a way to separate the people who are looking for a cert. and the people who are looking for a job.

Maybe they will remember you for later. Maybe. So who do I talk to? Maybe it’s better for people who have a job, don’t need a certificate and WANT TO LEARN.

Did I say want to learn?

But are those people out there? Or are all of most teachers abroad low performers who really don’t care about improving their teaching skills?

There are a lot of teachers out there. I think you are assuming they are all the same.

When is the best time to take an online TEFL course? This is a question that I don’t actually see people ask often or consider. Most people take courses whether they are online or onsite BEFORE they start.

But is this actually the best time?

Well, it improves your resume as it gives you a qualification, but as far as the training goes I don’t think it is for a couple of reasons.

The first reason why is because you haven’t started teaching yet and you have nothing to work with or compare it to. At this point teaching is still an abstract concept.

The second reason why is that there’s going to be a gap in between the time when you complete the course and when you start your job. So that is not going to help your memory of the course material.

If the online TEFL course wasn’t any good then that’s also not going to help your memory.

On average it will probably be at least a couple of months in between when you finish the course and start working.

How long do courses allow access to the courses?

Well, it depends on the course. Most online courses allow less than 6 months. Here are a couple of examples.

• i-to-i allows 3 months access.
• MyTEFL allows 3 months access.
• ESLinsider’s advanced course allows unlimited access.

So when is the best time to take an online TEFL course?

Now contrary to popular belief which is you take a course before you start teaching I would say that if you are going to take a course just one time then I would take it after you start.

Why?

Because you will have context. The material will seem less abstract to you. It will probably be more helpful too because you will remember more of it.

But don’t I need the certification to get a job?

You can get a job with an online TEFL certificate, but you can also get a job without any TEFL course.

But won’t my job be difficult if I don’t know what to do on the first day?

Sure, but I think it’s going to be a bit difficult either way. Ideally you should take a course before you start and then after again for review. Research shows that repetition and spaced intervals between studying leads to better memory and retention.

I don’t think your first week or so will be that easy regardless so yes, taking it before should help, but I think it will be much more helpful if you start after you start your job for the reasons mentioned above.

So now you know more about the best time. But what is the best online TEFL course?

Is an online TEFL course enough? Based on my experience teaching English in Asia I’d say that it is usually enough to get a job when required.

But…

What do you mean by enough? Do you mean can you get a job with an online TEFL? Or do you mean is it good enough for the training?

In my experience teaching in Asia: China, Korea, and Taiwan I would say that most schools there will accept online TEFL courses, however it does depend on the school.

The schools that don’t accept online courses are often more prestigious or in places like Europe or the middle east. Most first time teachers do not get into these schools anyways unless they have experience.

So despite what you might have heard having an in-class course is not going to make a big or any difference in your chances of getting a job or making more money. Having TEFL experience matters more.

The course is just a start.

Are online TEFL courses any good? Well, that is going to depend on the course as all online courses are not created equally. What you take away from a course or what you learn is going to depend on the course and you.

Is an online TEFL course for you?

• Are you a self-directed learner?
• Are you self disciplined?
• Are you independent or introverted?
• Do you want to control the pace?
• Are you planning to teach abroad for just 1-2 years?

If your answers are mostly yes to those questions then an online TEFL course may be better for you compared to an onsite TEFL course.

Now let’s talk about the training.

Here’s why most online TEFL courses are not good enough

How do online TEFL courses work? Well, it depends on the course, but for a lower quality one you read passages and then take quizzes or answer multiple choice questions. Now you can learn by reading, but if you have no visual element to it you’re going to have an awfully hard time remembering what you are studying.

Studies show that people tend to only read 20-28% of a page. So if you only read that much then how much do you think you will remember?

If you don’t remember what you studied in a course then how well do you think you will teach?

You need a visual to learn how to teach. For me the best way to learn how to teach was by watching other teachers. Now you can do that in a classroom or you can do it online with video.

A higher quality course is going to use a lot of instructional videos because studies show that people learn better with video compared to text.

It’s also more interesting.

You may have read that online courses are useless or worthless, but the people who say those things typically fall into a few groups:

• Traditional learners
• CELTA snobs
• They took a cheap/low quality Groupon TEFL course
• They never took an online course and are just repeating what others say

If you read r/tefl on Reddit you will soon find out that many people there are pro-CELTA. CELTA is supposed to be a good course, but it’s not for everyone especially those who are not in it for the long run, don’t teach adults, don’t want to cram, or pay $2000.

On the other end of the spectrum on Reddit are those that recommend taking the cheapest online TEFL you can get so you can “check the box”.

These people are only focused on appearances and getting the job, but getting a job is just the beginning.

A cheap course is cheap for a reason. You tend to get what you pay for. As mentioned above you probably won’t get instructional videos, feedback or a quality course.

Going with a low quality/cheap course will likely continue the circle of people saying online courses are worthless. So yeah they are worthless if you take the wrong course just to get a job (“check the box”) and you don’t learn.

I think the biggest factor for a successful experience with an online course is to have a visual. You should watch other teachers teach the same or similar students as you are going to teach. If you teach kids then you need to watch other teachers teach kids.

If you teach adults then some stuff will transfer to kids, but not all and vice versa.

Here is an advanced course that is especially focused on teaching kids (5-14) in Asia. Or a quick online TEFL course to check the box for better or worse.

More reviews on ESLinsider and here.

Related:

• Can you fail an online TEFL course?
• Is 120 hour TEFL enough?
• What is an online TEFL course like?

This post will point out some of the reviews on ESLinsider and offer additional input on some of those attacks left by troll competitors.

ESLinsider is my site. I started working on its videos in 2009. And it’s been online since 2011. It offers activity based teacher training especially focused on teaching in East Asia where I taught.

The best place to find reviews on ESLinsider is here.

But you may be wondering why aren’t there many on 3rd party sites?

But wait a second.

Actually there are on ESLinsider’s Youtube channel or on the Quora post I’ll mention later.

I’d like to point out that unlike many other courses ESLinsider actually has a lot of “reviews” if you want to call them that on its how-to videos on Youtube. And those videos are used in ESLinsider’s courses.

Take a look.

Here’s a comment from one of the videos:

“I’m a new teacher and these videos really saved my hide (they still do) and my students like these activities a lot. I would like to thank you…” – Luiz Felipe

A comment on the video above.

Why I don’t use 3rd party TEFL review sites

The short answer is: I don’t like middlemen.

If you are searching for reviews on ESLinsider’s courses then I’ll assume that you are also checking out other companies too and you have probably been to some 3rd party review sites like:

• gobroad.com
• teflcoursereview.com
• gooverseas.com

They make money by referral links and from advertising from the courses on their site.

You have to create an account there before people can leave reviews on your course.

I did initially create an account with either the goabroad or the gooverseas site (can’t remember which one as they look the same to me) a few years ago, but changed my mind and had it deleted for a few different reasons.

If I wanted a better position on their site and to be found there then I had to pay money.

Those sites are not “unbiased” like some say.

So instead of paying them money and helping their site grow I decided to put the review software on my own site instead.

DO YOU TRUST 3RD PARTY REVIEW SITES MORE?

Guess what?

Sites like Amazon have MILLIONs OF FAKE REVIEWS.

And like 25% of Yelp reviews are fake.

There are also plenty of fake reviews in TEFL too. In fact there are entire review sites out there that are fake and I’ll tell you about one later.

I don’t do affiliate marketing or advertise

Unlike most other TEFL courses, ESLinsider doesn’t have an affiliate program. Maybe I could make more money doing that, but I just don’t like it.

I don’t know about you, but to me it’s not very genuine. It’s basically like bribing people to write a review of you or link to your course.

Accreditation is another 3rd party

Accreditation in TEFL is also basically a paid review.

You may think accreditation is a sign of quality, but is it really?

1. It’s easy to fake or it’s paid for in TEFL.
2. It’s seeks to maintain the status quo on “standards”.

And…

The question nobody seems to ask…

What do you know about the accreditor?

The idea behind accreditation might be good, but some educational non-profit organizations say it doesn’t work.

I have taken two different TESOL/TEFL courses and both were accredited, but neither one was very helpful or practical.

And that’s the problem with “education”.

Accreditation isn’t about learning.

Learn more about TEFL accreditation.

ESLinsider is small and more like a mom and pop shop

I try to be transparent vs. not which is I think like most of the TEFL course industry especially online.

I didn’t originally design ESLinsider to be a course. Back in 2011 it started with how-to videos and an ebook.

I didn’t like the TEFL/TESOL course industry because of all the lies. The courses came later. It’s more popular as a resource (its videos) for current teachers.

I have no interest in being another look alike TEFL course. Are all the courses out there starting to look and sound the same to you?

I wrote a bit about TEFL copycats in this PDF.

I have taken some atypical stances not trying to fit in with what I don’t believe in. For example, accreditation and TEFL course “hours“. When it comes to online courses those hours mean nothing.

I completed a so called “120 hour” online TEFL course on Groupon in 8 hours, not cause I needed it, but because I wanted to see what I would get.

Until about 2016-17 I did name my courses with “hours”, but it never sat well with my conscience and then as the course developed more I changed it…

George has left a few reviews and his first one was left 4 years ago.

120 hour course->Advanced->TEKA

Also…

I don’t follow “best business practices” in some sense and I do criticize the TEFL course industry (some of my so-called competitors),  because this is ESLinsider NOT blue pill TEFL.

So…

I try to keep it simple and practical minus the hype and lies.

It’s not popular maybe because I didn’t do what other people did, but on the plus side I think you’ll find it to be more personable.

And one of my favorite quotes by Seth Godin was…

Regardless of how you measure ‘best’ (elegance, deluxeness, impact, profitability, ROI, meaningfulness, memorability), it’s almost never present in the thing that is the most popular.

All the reviews that are written on my site are written by people who have taken courses there. I also kept some testimonials (2012-2016) which started long before I set up the reviews on my site in 2016.

As of right now there are 30 (5 star) reviews on ESLinsider and 1 with just a 4 star rating, but no written review. I ask people if they can leave a review when they finish the course, however they aren’t obligated to.

There I do say that I may delete a review if they don’t use their name and email used in the course.

Why?

I say that to prevent possible trolls or evil competitors from writing a malicious fake review like some of the people below did.

Does ESLinsider have any bad reviews?

Well, to be honest there are a few that were written by people who used troll accounts.

They didn’t take a course with ESLinsider although one of them claimed to.

One troll claimed that I was selling diplomas, perhaps he saw this drawing I did and believed it.

Duh…

But if you search Google for the keywords “ESLinsider diploma” you won’t find any place where you can buy a diploma on my site.

If you search:

eslinsider reviews

You’ll see some negative pages that were written by the people below.

“Trusted” TEFL reviews?

There’s this other newer site out there that claims to be “trusted” who wrote a fake review of my site and attacked me on Quora, TEFL.net, etc. His sites are called “trusted” TEFL reviews and TEFL online pro (the winner of some fake award on that “trusted” site) and ACTEFLC his fake accreditation.

He owns the review site to write fake reviews and promote his other site.

He formally had a similar review site scam called ITTP and teflonlinereviews.com.

Now his scam is called TEFL online pro and “Trusted” TEFL reviews.

Related:

• TEFL online pro fraudulent company
• TEFL online pro legit?
• Beware ITTP TEFL has the same owner as review site
• ittp-prague-neville-thomas-i-was-looking-to-take-a-tefl-onsite-course-i-got-ripped-off-g-1205691

Why do I point this out?

Because if you do a search for reviews and my site then you will likely find stuff he has written to make me look bad.

Like this:

Or this.

Here’s a comment from the video above.

Aside from that…

 

Any critical reviews?

Like not from trolls???

Yeah, 1,000 dislikes on the videos in the pic above which is like 11% of the people who watched my videos and pushed either the like or dislike button.

And here’s a critical email I got once about the course:

“I understand the level of difficulty between the courses. However, in the 20 hour course, when answering the questions, the answer could be easily seen in the text that was meant to be studied.

I would suggest more of a challenge where studying the context is mandatory to correctly answering the question. Not just searching for the match to the question.
That is my personal opinion. Other then that, the material was well put. Thank you.” –
Sarah Gilbertson

My thoughts on that are why should I make it intentionally more difficult to learn? I try to make it easy not hard. Some teachers make you want to work for no good reason.

Not me.

I intentionally broke up all of the text into mostly small bits because that’s a better way to learn AND I put the answer right there as I didn’t think hiding the answer would help.

Listen to Seth Godin’s comment.

“Open book open note ALL THE TIME. There is zero value in memorizing anything ever again. Anything worth memorizing is worth looking up.” – Seth Godin

---

“Not Well-Known, Yet Has Invaluable Information and Advice From a Great Teacher…

At first I was hesitant to take Ian’s Advanced Course, since there didn’t seem to be much information about it online. However, I can now say with full confidence that Ian has put together a masterclass catalog of teaching materials, each presented in a clear and logical way, with a great website to re-find anything if needed. The course pages seem to be frequently updated and Ian is incredibly quick to respond to submitted assignments or messages.

Direct communication with Ian is a huge plus. There are a few assignments to submit (Lesson Plans, mainly) and Ian gave me very detailed and meaningful feedback on every one. – Kyle P.

Read more reviews of ESLinsider’s online courses or ask me a question.

Last words…

You’re reading this on my personal blog, but you can also learn more about ESLinsider here.

Also there are some reviews on a guide book that I wrote on Amazon and other related posts below:

• ESLinsider reviews (Quora reviews)
• ESLinsider reviews (main)
• Review on ESLinsider’s Lazy Teacher’s Guide To TEFL
• The best course reviews on ESLinsider (video)
• A collection of ESLinsider’s reviews
• ESLinsider reviews on Reddit
• ESLinsider is 10 years old.
• Interview with Alex Case about ESLinsider’s free course (DISCONTINUED)
• ESLinsider’s 10 most popular Youtube videos
• About ESLinsider

And more on ESLinsider…

• ESLinsider’s best reviews
• ESLinsider reviews on Reddit
• ESLinsider on Google
• ESLinsider on Twitter
• ESLinsider’s Youtube channel + ESLinsider’s how-to video playlist (super practical and helpful!)
• ESLinsider reviews on Pinterest (my favorite pin and everyone else’s at the moment)
• ESLinsiders online tefl training videos exceed 100,0000 views
• 2012 interview with ESLinsider about the free TEFL course (no there isn’t a free course any more)
• ESLinsider on tumblr.com
• About ESLinsider