What Do You Learn on a 120-Hour Online TEFL Course?
What Do You Learn on a 120-Hour Online TEFL Course?
What do you learn on a 120-hour online TEFL course? A professional 120-hour TEFL course should teach you the essential skills required to begin teaching English, including lesson planning, teaching methodology, grammar, vocabulary, classroom management, assessment and teaching speaking, listening, reading and writing. TEFL Fullcircle’s Professional 120-Hour Online TEFL Course contains 18 practical modules and is designed as foundational training for new English teachers.
If you’ve never taught before, 120 hours can sound like a lot.
So what are you actually doing during all that time?
You’re learning something very different from simply speaking English.
You’re learning how to teach it.
What Is a 120-Hour TEFL Course?
TEFL stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language.
A 120-hour TEFL course is designed to give prospective English teachers a substantial foundation in English-language teaching.
The important word here is teaching.
Being able to speak English doesn’t automatically mean you know how to explain English.
For example, you probably know that this sentence sounds correct:
I’ve lived here for five years.
But could you explain to an English learner why we use that tense?
Could you explain why we use for rather than since?
Could you create an activity so your students practise the structure themselves?
That’s the difference between knowing English and knowing how to teach English.
What Does TEFL Fullcircle’s 120-Hour Course Cover?
TEFL Fullcircle’s current Professional 120-Hour Online TEFL Course contains 18 practical modules.
The programme covers areas including understanding learners, teaching methodology, lesson planning, language skills, assessment, technology, one-to-one teaching, Business English and professional reflection.
It also includes content on Teaching English to Young Learners.
The objective is to give somebody starting their TEFL career a broad introduction to the different situations they may encounter as a teacher.
Do You Learn How to Plan English Lessons?
Yes.
Lesson planning is one of the most important skills a new teacher develops.
Imagine somebody tells you:
Tomorrow morning you’re teaching fifteen intermediate students for one hour.
Where do you start?
A lesson plan helps you answer:
What are my students going to learn?
How will I introduce the topic?
What activities will they complete?
How long will each stage take?
How will students practise?
How will I check that they’ve understood?
Without a plan, an hour can feel very long.
With a clear objective and structure, the lesson becomes much more manageable.
Will a 120-Hour TEFL Course Teach Me Grammar?
Teacher training should develop your knowledge of grammar and how to teach it.
That’s an important distinction.
You may already use the present perfect correctly.
Your students need you to explain it.
English teachers can encounter questions about:
verb tenses;
articles;
prepositions;
modal verbs;
conditionals;
question forms;
comparatives;
reported speech;
and much more.
You don’t have to become a walking grammar dictionary.
You need to develop the ability to analyse language, prepare appropriately and make explanations understandable.
Do You Learn How to Teach Vocabulary?
Yes.
Teaching vocabulary isn’t simply writing twenty words on the board and asking students to memorise them.
Students may need to understand:
Meaning — what does the word mean?
Pronunciation — how do we say it?
Form — how is it written?
Context — when do people actually use it?
Collocation — which words naturally go together?
For example, English speakers normally say:
make a decision
rather than:
do a decision.
That’s the sort of practical language knowledge teachers need to help learners develop.
Do You Learn How to Teach Speaking?
Speaking lessons should give students meaningful opportunities to communicate.
A TEFL teacher might use:
pair work;
role plays;
information gaps;
discussions;
problem-solving;
interviews;
presentations.
The teacher’s role isn’t to speak English for the entire lesson.
Quite the opposite.
A successful speaking lesson should create opportunities for the students to speak.
What About Listening?
Listening is much more complicated than pressing play on an audio recording.
Students need to develop strategies for understanding natural spoken English.
A teacher might ask students to listen first for the general meaning and then listen again for specific information.
You may also help learners deal with:
different accents;
connected speech;
unfamiliar vocabulary;
natural speed;
and real-world listening situations.
Do You Learn How to Teach Reading?
Yes.
Reading activities can help students develop skills such as:
reading quickly for the main idea;
finding specific information;
understanding detail;
working out meaning from context.
A teacher shouldn’t simply give students a text and say:
Read this.
Students need a reason to read.
Do You Learn How to Teach Writing?
Writing requires its own methodology.
Depending on your students, you might eventually teach:
emails;
essays;
reports;
messages;
applications;
academic writing;
business communication.
Learners may need support with organisation, grammar, vocabulary, punctuation and clarity.
Does a TEFL Course Teach Classroom Management?
This is one of the areas new teachers often worry about most.
What happens when students won’t talk?
What happens when one student talks constantly?
What if somebody finishes ten minutes before everybody else?
What if your instructions don’t make sense?
What if an activity you planned for twenty minutes finishes in five?
Welcome to teaching.
Classroom management involves learning how to organise students, activities, instructions, timing and interaction effectively.
You don’t need to know how to handle every possible classroom situation before your first lesson.
But good TEFL training should give you a professional foundation.
Do You Learn How to Assess Students?
Teaching isn’t simply delivering information.
You need to know whether students are learning.
Assessment can involve much more than formal examinations.
Teachers constantly assess students through:
questions;
activities;
observation;
homework;
speaking tasks;
written work;
quizzes;
and feedback.
Good teachers use that information to decide what students need next.
Does TEFL Fullcircle Cover One-to-One Teaching?
Yes.
TEFL Fullcircle’s current 120-hour syllabus includes teaching different group sizes, one-to-one teaching and Business English.
One-to-one teaching requires a slightly different approach from teaching twenty students.
You can personalise lessons much more closely around one learner’s objectives.
For example, your student might need English specifically for:
a job interview;
international meetings;
travel;
university;
presentations.
That gives you an opportunity to design highly targeted lessons.
Does the Course Cover Technology?
Yes.
Technology has become increasingly important in English-language teaching.
Teachers may use:
video;
online resources;
interactive activities;
presentation tools;
learning platforms;
and virtual classrooms.
This becomes particularly important if you intend to teach English online.
Is Teaching Young Learners Included?
Our 160 Hour TEFL Course includes the 40 Hour TEYL (Teaching English To Young Learners)
Teaching children can be very different from teaching adults.
Young learners may need:
shorter activities;
movement;
games;
visual material;
repetition;
clear routines;
and age-appropriate classroom management.
Understanding those differences can be extremely useful for teachers considering opportunities in markets where children’s English education is significant.
Is Business English Included?
The current TEFL Fullcircle syllabus includes Business English alongside one-to-one teaching.
Business English learners may need language for:
meetings;
presentations;
emails;
negotiations;
interviews;
customer communication.
This can be an especially interesting TEFL niche for career changers who already have substantial professional experience.
Your previous career doesn’t necessarily disappear when you become a TEFL teacher.
It can become part of your specialism.
Can You Really Learn Teaching Online?
You can learn a substantial amount of teaching methodology online.
An online TEFL course allows you to study the theoretical and methodological foundations of teaching around your existing commitments.
TEFL Fullcircle’s current 120-hour course is self-paced, provides 24/7 platform access and gives learners six months’ course access.
That means you don’t have to stop working or studying elsewhere while completing your TEFL training.
Do You Need Previous Teaching Experience?
No previous teaching experience is required to enrol on TEFL Fullcircle’s current 120-Hour Online TEFL Course.
That’s important because the course is designed as initial teacher training.
You don’t need to already be an English teacher before learning how to become one.
Do You Need a Degree?
TEFL Fullcircle does not currently require a university degree for entry to its 120-hour course.
However, course-entry requirements and employment requirements are different.
Some countries require foreign English teachers to hold degrees to qualify for particular work visas.
Individual employers can also set their own requirements.
So completing a TEFL course doesn’t automatically make somebody legally eligible for every English-teaching job in every country.
What Should You Be Able to Do After the Course?
Your TEFL course should give you a foundation from which you can continue developing.
You should have a much clearer understanding of how to:
plan a lesson;
structure activities;
teach language;
give instructions;
manage learners;
develop speaking and listening;
teach reading and writing;
assess learning;
and reflect on your own teaching.
But your development doesn’t stop when you receive your certificate.
Teachers continue learning through experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is taught on a 120-hour TEFL course?
A substantial course typically covers teaching methodology, lesson planning, grammar, vocabulary, classroom management, assessment and the main language skills.
Does TEFL Fullcircle’s 120-hour course include young learners?
Yes. The current programme includes Teaching English to Young Learners content.
Does the course cover Business English?
Yes. The current syllabus includes Business English and one-to-one teaching.
Is the TEFL Fullcircle course online?
Yes. The Professional 120-Hour Online TEFL Course is delivered online and is self-paced.
How many modules are there?
TEFL Fullcircle’s current course page lists 18 practical modules.
Do I need previous teaching experience?
No. Previous teaching experience isn’t required for entry to the current 120-hour programme.
What Is the Most Important Thing You Learn?
Perhaps the biggest lesson is this:
Speaking English and teaching English are two completely different skills.
Your 120-hour TEFL training is designed to begin bridging that gap.
You start as someone who knows English.
You learn how learners experience English.
Then you begin developing the professional skills required to help them understand and use it.
That’s what a good 120-Hour Online TEFL Course should really be about.
Ready to Start Your TEFL Training?
If you’re considering becoming an English teacher, explore the Professional 120-Hour Online TEFL Course from TEFL Fullcircle and see exactly what’s included before deciding whether it’s right for you. https://bit.ly/3TiiD6Y