Best TEFL Articles In 2026 - Online TEFL And TESOL Certification. https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/best-featured-tefl-articles/ TEFL and TESOL Online Certification Course Reviews in 2026. Tue, 24 Feb 2026 08:35:15 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://i0.wp.com/trustedteflreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/cropped-trusted-tefl-reviews-logo.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Best TEFL Articles In 2026 - Online TEFL And TESOL Certification. https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/best-featured-tefl-articles/ 32 32 159069400 The Online TEFL/TESOL International Certification Course Teachers’ Choice Award Winner, 2025 https://trustedteflreviews.com/2026/02/24/the-teachers-international-online-tefl-tesol-certification-course-choice-award-winner/ https://trustedteflreviews.com/2026/02/24/the-teachers-international-online-tefl-tesol-certification-course-choice-award-winner/#comments Tue, 24 Feb 2026 08:07:33 +0000 http://trustedteflreviews.com/?p=966 TEFL Online Pro – Teachers’ Choice Award Winner in 2025! (first published: March 3, 2025) Dear readers, The Teachers’ Choice Award celebrates excellence in international TEFL/TESOL online certification course training. Each year, Trusted TEFL Reviews asks language schools, universities, current English teachers, and recent Online TEFL/TESOL course graduates to take part in the Online TEFL/TESOL […]

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TEFL Online Pro – Teachers’ Choice Award Winner in 2025!
TEFL Online Pro has won the Teachers' Choice Award for a record seventh consecutive time.

(first published: March 3, 2025)

Dear readers,

The Teachers’ Choice Award celebrates excellence in international TEFL/TESOL online certification course training.

Each year, Trusted TEFL Reviews asks language schools, universities, current English teachers, and recent Online TEFL/TESOL course graduates to take part in the Online TEFL/TESOL international certification course Teachers’ Choice Award, by voting for their favorite Online TEFL/TESOL international certification course program.

We asked you to take into account the following course features when submitting your vote:

(1) Did you receive the advertised course price when you signed up for the course?

(2) Were you satisfied with the signup process?

(3) Were the school staff polite and willing to help with any questions you had – both before and after paying for your course?

(4) In your opinion, was the course structure and content easy to follow and helpful for your future teaching career?

(5) Was your TEFL/TESOL certificate issued promptly after course completion?

(6) Did you feel that you received sufficient post-course support?

(7) How long was it between course completion and finding teaching work abroad or online?

(8) If you had any issues now, would you still feel comfortable contacting your TEFL/TESOL school for advice/help?

(9) Was the Online TEFL/TESOL course certificate that you received truly internationally recognized?

(10) Is what your Online TEFL/TESOL course school said it would be like in the country where you are now teaching a true representation of facts or was it deceiving/misleading information?

This year, we received an unprecedented reaction with 1,738,761 votes being cast.

Although many Online TEFL/TESOL international certification course programs received many votes, TEFL Online Pro received a majority share of your votes with 81.9% of all votes cast recommending this Online TEFL/TESOL international certification course program.

It is, therefore, with great pleasure that we announce that this year’s 2025 Teachers’ Choice Award goes to the teflonlinepro.com Online TEFL/TESOL international certification course program.


tefl online pro verified reviews:

https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/tefl-online-pro-reviews-in-2025


This is the seventh year in a row that TEFL Online Pro has won this prestigious award.

The winner of the Teachers’ Choice Award is granted the ability to publish the award on their school website, and they also enjoy a whole year’s free exposure on Trusted TEFL Reviews, where they may post, for example, any current course discounts or promotions on the Trusted TEFL Reviews website.

(Please note: this only applies to the winner of the Teachers’ Choice Award. To remain impartial and unbiased, Trusted TEFL Reviews does not accept any offers for paid advertising or paid product placement).

tefl online pro is currently running a Limited-Time Offer on all three of its Fully Accredited TEFL/TESOL online certification courses.


Trusted TEFL Reviews would like to officially congratulate TEFL Online Pro for the achievement of winning the Teachers’ Choice Award, in 2025.

Mia Williams. Co-owner of trustedteflreviews.com


TEFL Online Pro – Teachers’ Choice Award winner: 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | https://teflonlinepro.com/

tefl online pro verified reviews:

https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/tefl-online-pro-reviews-in-2025


International Online TEFL/TESOL course certification at its best.

TEFL Online Pro – Teach | Travel – https://teflonlinepro.com/


TEFL Online Pro has won the Teachers' Choice Award for a record seventh consecutive time.

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Limited-Time Offer! Get $100 off your TEFL course + free shipping on hard-copy certificates. Ends 23:59, February 28th! https://trustedteflreviews.com/2026/02/24/tefl-course-promotion/ https://trustedteflreviews.com/2026/02/24/tefl-course-promotion/#comments Tue, 24 Feb 2026 08:02:29 +0000 http://trustedteflreviews.com/?p=1506 Limited-Time Discount! Get $100 off TEFL/TESOL certification from TEFL Online Pro, plus free shipping on hard-copy certificates Use coupon code SAVE100FREESHIP Promotion ends 23:59 on February 28th, PST (California local time) >> Enroll Now << teflonlinepro.com runs three internationally recognized TEFL/TESOL certification courses: The Fast-Track 60-Hour International Online TEFL Certification Course Get $100 off the […]

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Limited-Time Discount!

Get $100 off TEFL/TESOL certification from TEFL Online Pro, plus free shipping on hard-copy certificates

Use coupon code SAVE100FREESHIP

Promotion ends 23:59 on February 28th, PST (California local time)

>> Enroll Now <<


teflonlinepro.com runs three internationally recognized TEFL/TESOL certification courses:


The Fast-Track 60-Hour International Online TEFL Certification Course

Get $100 off the $149 full course fee. Use coupon code SAVE100FREESHIP until Feb. 28th!

The Professional 120-Hour International Online TEFL Certification Course

Get $100 of the $299 full course fee. Use coupon code SAVE100FREESHIP until Feb. 28th!

The Hybrid 140-Hour International Online/Onsite TEFL Certification Course

Get $100 off the $549 full course fee. Use coupon code SAVE100FREESHIP until Feb. 28th!


View all courses: https://teflonlinepro.com/tefl-courses-online-and-combined/


TEFL Online Pro verified customer reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/tefl-online-pro-reviews-in-2025/


TEFL online programs that win the Teachers’ Choice Award are granted the ability to enjoy a whole year’s free exposure on Trusted TEFL Reviews, where they may post, for example, any current course discounts or promotions.


Thank You again for voting TEFL Online Pro the online TEFL/TESOL international certification course Teachers’ Choice Award winner, 2025.

>>> Enroll Now <<<


International Online TEFL/TESOL course certification at its best.

TEFL Online Pro – https://teflonlinepro.com/


TEFL Online Pro has won the Teachers' Choice Award for a record seventh consecutive time.

The only advertising allowed on Trusted TEFL Reviews is granted to the TEFL program winner of the annual Teachers’ Choice Award. The winner of this year’s award is TEFL Online Pro, so they have been given the opportunity to promote any TEFL course discounts that they may run during the year. This additional exposure on Trusted TEFL Reviews is without charge for the TEFL program currently enjoying Teachers’ Choice Award winner status.


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The 5 Best Online TEFL/TESOL Courses in 2026 https://trustedteflreviews.com/2026/01/31/best-online-tefl-courses-tesol-2020/ https://trustedteflreviews.com/2026/01/31/best-online-tefl-courses-tesol-2020/#comments Sat, 31 Jan 2026 10:13:55 +0000 https://trustedteflreviews.com/?p=5321 The 5 Best Online TEFL/TESOL Courses in 2026 This 5 Best Online TEFL/TESOL Courses in 2026 article was last updated on February 24, 2026. There are numerous Online TEFL/TESOL certification courses advertised online, and the pandemic was a catalyst for a tremendous surge in newly-established, fly-by-night companies, offering low-quality, dirt-cheap TEFL/TESOL courses. In the past […]

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The 5 Best Online TEFL/TESOL Courses in 2026


This 5 Best Online TEFL/TESOL Courses in 2026 article was last updated on February 24, 2026.

There are numerous Online TEFL/TESOL certification courses advertised online, and the pandemic was a catalyst for a tremendous surge in newly-established, fly-by-night companies, offering low-quality, dirt-cheap TEFL/TESOL courses.

In the past few years, Trusted TEFL Reviews has witnessed a significant increase in complaints from consumers who have purchased a 120-hour TEFL/TESOL course for less than US$100. These verified student reviews report that such courses don’t properly prepare you for teaching and that they tend to be unrecognized by employers and government visa agencies/offices.

It is, therefore, essential that you choose to take a TEFL/TESOL certification course that is legitimately recognized worldwide – for all online and abroad/overseas English teaching jobs.

The following Online TEFL/TESOL programs are on this Best Of list due to their consistently positive customer feedback, their better business practices, and because the certification awarded is recognized internationally by online and abroad/overseas employers and government visa agencies/offices.

These are the 5 best online TEFL/TESOL certification course programs in 2026:

  1. TEFL Online Pro
Screenshot of TEFL Online Pro website homepage

Top of our list is TEFL Online Pro. Students consistently rate their courses, customer support, and teaching online and abroad job-finding services as being excellent. All TEFL Online Pro courses come with 24/7 online tutor support, and there are no hidden fees.

TEFL Online Pro has won the Teachers’ Choice Award for the past 7 years in a row – it is the highest-rated Online TEFL/TESOL certification course program in 2026.

Is TEFL Online Pro accredited? Yes. The certifications awarded are Fully Accredited and internationally recognized.

Courses start from US$149.

TEFL Online Pro website: https://teflonlinepro.com/

TEFL Online Pro verified reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/tefl-online-pro-reviews-in-2025/

TEFL/TESOL online programs that win the Teachers’ Choice Award are granted the ability to enjoy a whole year’s free exposure on Trusted TEFL Reviews, where they may post, for example, any current course discounts or promotions.

TEFL Online Pro | Limited-Time Offer | Get $100 Off TEFL/TESOL certification + free shipping on hard-copy certificates! Ends 23:59 on February 28th | Get Discount >


2. OISE University of Toronto TEFL

In second place on our list is OISE University of Toronto TEFL. Student feedback on this program is consistently positive, and one of the standout positive points of feedback is the program’s links to the University of Toronto. All OISE University of Toronto TEFL courses come with online tutor support, and there are no hidden fees.

Is OISE University of Toronto TEFL accredited? Yes. The certifications awarded are Fully Accredited and internationally recognized.

Courses start from US$995.

OISE University of Toronto TEFL website: https://teflonline.teachaway.com/

OISE University of Toronto TEFL verified reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/oise-university-of-toronto-tefl/


3. CIEE TEFL

In third place on our list is CIEE TEFL. Student feedback on this program is consistently positive, and all their courses come with online tutor support and international job guidance services. CIEE TEFL offers job placement support for countries such as Costa Rica, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia, and there are no hidden fees.

Is CIEE TEFL accredited? Yes. The certifications awarded are Fully Accredited and internationally recognized.

Courses start from US$270.

CIEE TEFL website: https://www.ciee.org/

CIEE TEFL verified reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/ciee-tefl/


4. Maximo Nivel TEFL

In fourth place on our list is Maximo Nivel TEFL. Student feedback on this program is consistently positive, and one of the standout positive points of feedback is their ability to provide job placement services for the Central/South American teaching markets. All Maximo Nivel TEFL courses come with online tutor support, and there are no hidden fees.

Is Maximo Nivel TEFL accredited? Yes. The certifications awarded are Fully Accredited and internationally recognized.

Courses start from US$395.

Maximo Nivel TEFL website: https://maximonivel.com/

Maximo Nivel TEFL verified reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/maximo-nivel-tefl/


5. Vantage TEFL Certification

In fifth place on our list is Vantage TEFL Certification. Student feedback on this program is consistently positive, and all their courses come with online tutor support. Graduates highly rate this program for job-finding support services within Thailand. Vantage TEFL Certification also offers a 4-week (in-class) TEFL/TESOL course.

Is Vantage TEFL Certification accredited? Yes. The certifications awarded are Accredited.

Courses start from US$1,295.

Vantage TEFL website: https://www.englishatvantage.com/tefl-combined-class-thailand

Vantage TEFL verified reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/vantage-tefl-certification/


For clarification of the fundamental differences between ‘Accredited‘ and ‘Fully Accredited‘, please refer to the TEFL Accreditation Guide:

https://trustedteflreviews.com/tefl-accreditation-guide/


How do I know I can trust the reviews on Trusted TEFL Reviews?

✓ All reviews on Trusted TEFL Reviews are verified.
✓ We require contact information to ensure our reviewers are real.
✓ We require proof of course completion to ensure our reviewers took the course.
✓ We use intelligent software that helps us maintain the integrity of reviews.
✓ Our moderators read all reviews to verify quality and helpfulness.


Online TEFL/TESOL course scams exist- be wary of any programs not listed on Trusted TEFL Reviews. A program not listed on Trusted TEFL Reviews might be a scam.

If an Online TEFL/TESOL certification course program doesn’t have a company Facebook page, or if it does and has the Reviews tab disabled, be likewise wary.

The Online TEFL/TESOL industry (yes, it is an industry) is highly competitive. Online TEFL/TESOL schools writing misleading trash about their competition online is a common occurrence. Verified customer reviews are your friend. Anything else is probably just mudslinging by a business competitor.

Online and abroad employers expect you to have either a 120-hour TEFL/TESOL certificate or a 140-hour TEFL/TESOL certificate if it includes 20 hours of teaching practice.

You do not need more.

Some TEFL/TESOL programs offer 168-hour TEFL courses and even courses with 170+ hours. These course lengths are unnecessary and will not increase your chances of employment.

If you already have TEFL teaching experience, a 60-hour refresher course will be enough.

If you don’t have TEFL teaching experience, a 120-hour or 140-hour course will be enough.

For the ranking of all Online TEFL/TESOL certification course programs listed on Trusted TEFL Reviews, visit the TEFL Course Directory page:

https://trustedteflreviews.com/tefl-course-directory/


This ‘The 5 Best Online TEFL/TESOL Courses in 2026’ article was written by Mia Williams, co-owner of Trusted TEFL Reviews (TTR) | Best Featured TEFL Articles


New! Click here for the online TEFL/TESOL international certification course Teachers’ Choice Award winner. International Online TEFL/TESOL course certification at its best.


Verified Online TEFL/TESOL certification course program reviews, ranked in order of customer satisfaction: TEFL Course Directory


TEFL Accreditation Guide | 6 TEFL Red Flags | TTR Home | TEFL Course Special Offers


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Online TEFL/TESOL Certification Course Program Rankings for 2026 https://trustedteflreviews.com/2026/01/31/online-tefl-tesol-certification-course-program-rankings-for-2019/ https://trustedteflreviews.com/2026/01/31/online-tefl-tesol-certification-course-program-rankings-for-2019/#respond Sat, 31 Jan 2026 10:12:48 +0000 http://trustedteflreviews.com/?p=3169 All 57 international Online TEFL/TESOL certification course programs currently listed on Trusted TEFL Reviews are ranked based on verified customer reviews. Customers rate programs using the star-rating system: 5-star review: ‘Excellent’. 4-star review: ‘Very Good’. 3-star review: ‘Good’. 2-star review: ‘Very Bad’. 1-star review: ‘Terrible’. Online TEFL/TESOL courses can be either ‘Unaccredited’, ‘Accredited’, or ‘Fully […]

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The 5 Best Online TEFL & TESOL certification courses in 2023 & 2024 - trustedteflreviews.com

All 57 international Online TEFL/TESOL certification course programs currently listed on Trusted TEFL Reviews are ranked based on verified customer reviews.

Customers rate programs using the star-rating system:

5-star review: ‘Excellent’.

4-star review: ‘Very Good’.

3-star review: ‘Good’.

2-star review: ‘Very Bad’.

1-star review: ‘Terrible’.


Online TEFL/TESOL courses can be either ‘Unaccredited’, ‘Accredited’, or ‘Fully Accredited’.

‘Fully Accredited’ is the highest form of accreditation. A TEFL/TESOL certificate from a fully accredited program equates to the worldwide recognition of the certification and access to the best-paid teaching jobs.

A TEFL/TESOL certificate from an ‘Accredited’ program won’t necessarily be internationally recognized and will place you at a significant disadvantage when applying for teaching English jobs when you are up against applicants with fully accredited certificates.

‘Unaccredited’ TEFL/TESOL certificates are sometimes accepted by employers, but your employment options are dramatically reduced and the schools that will employ you tend to have poor reputations.


TEFL/TESOL Programs | 2026 | Ranked Best To Worst


1. tefl online pro | Fully Accredited and internationally recognized.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/tefl-online-pro-reviews-in-2025/

Teachers’ Choice Award | TEFL Online Pro has won the prestigious Teachers’ Choice Award for the past seven consecutive years: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025.

The winner of the Teachers’ Choice Award is granted a whole year’s free exposure on Trusted TEFL Reviews, where they may post, for example, any current Course Discounts or Promotions.


2. OISE University of Toronto TEFL | Fully Accredited and internationally recognized.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/oise-university-of-toronto-tefl/


3. CIEE TEFL | Fully Accredited and internationally recognized.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/ciee-tefl/


4. Maximo Nivel TEFL | Fully Accredited and internationally recognized.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/maximo-nivel-tefl/


5. Vantage TEFL Certification | Accredited.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/vantage-tefl-certification/


6. ICAL TEFL | Unaccredited.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/ical-tefl/


7. The TEFL Institute of Ireland | Accredited.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/the-tefl-institute-of-ireland/


8. Global English | Accredited.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/global-english/


9. INTESOL Worldwide | Accredited.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/intesol-worldwide/


10. Bridge TEFL | Fully Accredited and internationally recognized.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/bridge-tefl/


11. International TEFL Academy | Accredited.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/international-tefl-academy/


12. The TEFL Org | Accredited.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/tefl-org-uk/


13. ITTO | Accredited.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/itto/


14. Let’s TEFL | Accredited.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/lets-tefl/


15. TEFL Educator/TEFL Boot Camp | Accredited.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/tefl-educator-tefl-boot-camp/


16. Oxford Seminars | Accredited.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/oxford-seminars/


17. Premier TEFL | Accredited.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/premier-tefl/


18. i-to-i TEFL/Love TEFL | Accredited.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/i-to-i-tefl/


19. TEFL Training College | Accredited.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/tefl-training-college/


20. Global Language Training | Accredited.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/global-language-training/


22. UKtefl | Accredited.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/uktefl/


23. Teflen | Unaccredited.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/teflen/


24. CCELT | Unaccredited.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/ccelt/


25. Enjoy TEFL | Accredited.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/enjoy-tefl/


26. Teacher Link TEFL | Unaccredited.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/teacher-link-tefl/


27. TEFL Fullcircle | Accredited.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/tefl-fullcircle/


28. UNI-Prep | Accredited.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/uni-prep/


29. TEFL Iberia | Fully Accredited and internationally recognized.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/tefl-iberia/


30. TEFL Express | Accredited.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/tefl-express/


31. TEFL Graduate | Unaccredited.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/tefl-graduate/


32. The Course Mix | Accredited.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/the-course-mix/


33. TEFL Trainer | Accredited.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/tefl-trainer/


34. ontesol | Fully Accredited and internationally recognized.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/ontesol/


35. The Asian College of Teachers (ACT) | Accredited.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/the-asian-college-of-teachers-act/


36. International Open Academy | Accredited.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/international-open-academy/


37. Learn TEFL | Unaccredited.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/learn-tefl/


38. TESOL Training International Online | Unaccredited.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/tesol-training-international-online/


39. Footprints Recruiting | Unaccredited.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/footprints-recruiting/


40. Henry Harvin Education | Unaccredited.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/henry-harvin-education/


41. Anaheim University TESOL | Fully Accredited.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/anaheim-university/


42. Dux TEFL | Accredited.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/dux-tefl/


43. Greenheart Travel TEFL | Unaccredited.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/greenheart-travel-tefl/


45. Teach TEFL South Africa | Accredited.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/teach-tefl-south-africa/


46. TEFL Heaven | Unaccredited.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/tefl-heaven/


47. TEFL Hero | Accredited.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/tefl-hero/


48. TEFL Institute London | Accredited.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/the-tefl-institute-london/


49. TEFL Lemon | Accredited.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/tefl-lemon/


50. TEFL UK | Accredited.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/tefl-uk/


51. TEFL Universal | Accredited.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/tefl-universal/


52. World TESOL Academy | Accredited.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/world-tesol-academy/


53. ITTT | Accredited.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/ittt/


54. MyTEFL | Accredited.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/mytefl-blacklisted-warning/


55. ESLinsider TEFL | Unaccredited.

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/eslinsider-tefl/


56. ITO | Unaccredited

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/ito/


57 . The TEFL Academy | Unaccredited

Verified Reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/the-tefl-academy/


Please refer to these Trusted TEFL Reviews articles for further clarification regarding TEFL accreditation:

https://trustedteflreviews.com/tefl-accreditation-guide/

https://trustedteflreviews.com/2022/01/05/best-tefl-accreditation/



How do I know I can trust the reviews on Trusted TEFL Reviews?

✓ All reviews on Trusted TEFL Reviews are verified.
✓ We require contact information to ensure our reviewers are real.
✓ We require proof of course completion to ensure our reviewers took the course.
✓ We use intelligent software that helps us maintain the integrity of reviews.
✓ Our moderators read all reviews to verify quality and helpfulness.


Check where your Online TEFL/TESOL certification course program ranks:

https://trustedteflreviews.com/tefl-course-directory/


Taken an Online TEFL/TESOL certification course? Leave a review!


New! Click here for the online TEFL/TESOL international certification course Teachers’ Choice Award winner. International Online TEFL/TESOL course certification at its best.


Verified Online TEFL/TESOL certification course program reviews, ranked in order of customer satisfaction: TEFL Course Directory


TEFL Accreditation Guide | 6 TEFL Red Flags | TTR Home | TEFL Course Special Offers


The 5 Best Online TEFL & TESOL certification courses in 2023 & 2024 - trustedteflreviews.com

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Online TEFL TESOL Courses: 10 Things to Know Before Enrolling https://trustedteflreviews.com/2026/01/31/online-tefl-tesol-courses-10-things-to-know-before-enrolling/ https://trustedteflreviews.com/2026/01/31/online-tefl-tesol-courses-10-things-to-know-before-enrolling/#comments Sat, 31 Jan 2026 10:07:44 +0000 https://trustedteflreviews.com/?p=30396 Online TEFL TESOL courses are often marketed as a fast, affordable path to teaching English abroad or online. With hundreds of providers promising international recognition, guaranteed jobs, and glowing reviews, choosing the right course can feel overwhelming. Unfortunately, the industry is also largely unregulated, which has allowed misleading claims, fake reviews, and aggressive marketing tactics […]

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Online TEFL TESOL courses are often marketed as a fast, affordable path to teaching English abroad or online.

With hundreds of providers promising international recognition, guaranteed jobs, and glowing reviews, choosing the right course can feel overwhelming.

Unfortunately, the industry is also largely unregulated, which has allowed misleading claims, fake reviews, and aggressive marketing tactics to flourish.

Before enrolling in a course, it’s essential to understand how these programs really work—and what many programs don’t openly tell prospective students.

This Trusted TEFL Reviews article examines 10 essential tips for selecting the best online TEFL TESOL courses.

Researching Online TEFL and TESOL Courses

1. Some TEFL TESOL Providers Fake or Manipulate Reviews

Not all TEFL TESOL course reviews you see online are trustworthy. Because the industry is largely unregulated, some providers actively manipulate public feedback to appear more reputable than they really are. Common tactics include:

  • Paying for fake five-star reviews on review platforms and forums
  • Posting reviews under newly created or inactive accounts to inflate ratings quickly
  • Using generic testimonials that lack specific details about the course content or teaching experience
  • Offering free “top-up” courses or additional certificates in exchange for written reviews, which can bias feedback
  • Flooding platforms with multiple 5-star reviews in a single day—often 5–10 at once—which is usually a clear sign the reviews are not genuine

In some cases, reviews may also be recycled across multiple platforms or written using similar language, suggesting coordinated posting rather than genuine feedback.


Note: Trusted TEFL Reviews (https://trustedteflreviews.com/) only publishes verified customer reviews. Occasionally, some programs submit mass reviews in an attempt to boost their ratings; these submissions are not published because they do not meet our verification standards.

As a result, some providers who do not follow the rules have expressed frustration and falsely claimed that Trusted TEFL Reviews is biased. These claims are not true. Our goal remains to provide honest, reliable, and trustworthy feedback for prospective TEFL/TESOL students.


2. Reddit and Niche Communities Can Be Influenced by Providers

Furthermore, manipulation extends beyond traditional review sites. Some niche online communities, including TEFL-related subreddits, actively reflect the interests of certain providers. As a result:

  • Certain courses being promoted repeatedly
  • Competitor programs receiving disproportionate criticism
  • Critical posts about certain providers being removed or discouraged

Although not all Reddit advice is unreliable, prospective students should approach forum content with caution, because negative commentary can be strategically manufactured—just like overly positive reviews.

In particular, repeated talking points, similar phrasing, or reviews appearing across multiple platforms are strong indicators that feedback may not be genuine.

Treat overly positive and overly negative comments with healthy skepticism.

3. Some Online TEFL TESOL Courses Review Websites Promote Their Own Courses

Certain websites that offer TEFL TESOL reviews, such as ESLinsider, give the impression of being neutral guides, but in reality, they often:

  • Promote their own courses prominently
  • Publish content that undermines competitors
  • Present selective or exaggerated criticisms to make their offerings look better

These tactics, therefore, can mislead prospective students by skewing the perception of different courses, making it harder to objectively compare options.

Researching Online English Teaching Courses

4. Watch Out for Misleading Pricing and Currency Tricks

Some TEFL TESOL programs advertise huge discounts to make their courses look like incredible deals. For example, a course may list an “original” price of €459.00 and a discounted price of €183.60.

In reality, providers that offer excessive discounts often never sell the course at the higher price. They use this tactic to make the discounted price appear attractive, even though the lower price reflects their standard rate.

Some programs will list installment payments in a misleading way. For example, they might advertise the course as $99, but that is just one installment, and the student must pay 4 or 5 payments in total. This can make the course seem cheaper than it really is.

Additionally, some programs show prices in euros instead of USD, hoping U.S. students will focus on the number and not realize they are paying more after currency conversion.


Rule of thumb:

  • If the course advertises an installment price, check how many payments are required and calculate the total cost.
  • Always check the currency and convert it to your local money to know the real cost.

5. Stick to the Standard: 120 Hours Is What Employers Want

Most TEFL employers look for a 120-hour certificate. This standard is widely recognized internationally and demonstrates that a teacher has the essential training to teach English effectively. If teaching practice is included, a 140-hour certificate is also acceptable.

In recent years, some providers have started offering “Level” courses with inflated hours, claiming 150, 168, or even more hours. These bloated courses include filler content that adds little to no value for actual teaching skills or interviews.

Key point: Having a 168-hour certificate does not make you more employable than someone with a 120-hour certificate. Employers care about the standard 120 hours—anything beyond that is usually unnecessary unless it includes additional teaching practice.

Exceptions:

  • Shorter refresher courses can be useful for full-time work if you already have teaching experience but lack a certificate. In this case, the shorter course gives you the official credential needed to qualify for jobs.

Tip: Aim for a verified 120-hour (or 140-hour with practice) TEFL certificate if you’re starting out. Don’t get swayed by courses boasting inflated hours—they won’t increase your job prospects.


6. Understand Online TEFL TESOL Courses Accreditation

When you choose a TEFL TESOL course, accreditation matters. Accreditation shows that a course meets recognized educational standards and that employers will take your certificate seriously. You should know there are three types of accreditation:

  1. Unaccredited courses—These courses have no formal recognition and may not meet industry standards.
  2. Accredited courses—These courses meet some standards but may not carry full recognition internationally.
  3. Fully accredited courses—These courses meet the highest standards and offer the strongest credentials for teachers.

Some programs create their own accreditation websites to make a course appear legitimate. You can usually spot these fake accrediting bodies because they:

  • Use stock photos of business people in conference rooms
  • Contain grammar or spelling mistakes
  • Lack independent recognition

Some providers claim they are “accredited” or “fully accredited” but only have recognition, not true accreditation. Verify the accrediting body before enrolling.

Choose courses accredited by reputable organizations. Some of the main bodies that grant fully accredited status for online TEFL TESOL programs include:

ACCET—Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training | https://accet.org/

ACTEFLC—Accreditation Council for Teaching English as a Foreign Language Courses | https://www.acteflc.com/

OISE—University of the Toronto Faculty of Education | https://www.oise.utoronto.ca/

TESL Canada | https://tesl.ca/

University of Cambridge’s English Language Assessment | https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/


Rule of thumb: Always pick a fully accredited course from a recognized organization to ensure employers respect your certificate.


A female TEFL teacher with her thumbs up

7. Online TEFL TESOL Courses Job Placement Assistance

Not all TEFL TESOL courses help you land a teaching job. Some offer no support, others provide job guidance, and a few claim job placement services—but don’t always follow through.

Choosing a course with realistic, transparent support can save you time, money, and frustration.

When evaluating a program, consider:

  • No support: The course teaches you the skills but leaves you on your own to find work.
  • Job guidance: Offers advice on CVs, resumes, interviews, and teaching abroad or online—often providing contacts at reputable schools—but does not offer direct placement.
  • Job placement services: Connects you to schools, often with contracts—but check for hidden fees or cuts from your salary.

Choose a course that offers job guidance, not a job placement service, to ensure you get support without hidden costs or unexpected fees—ideally, a program that also guarantees a job upon graduation.

8. Online TEFL TESOL Courses Tutor Support

Access to a qualified online tutor can make a huge difference in your TEFL TESOL course. Tutors guide you through assignments, answer questions, and provide feedback that helps you actually learn teaching techniques instead of just completing the course.

Choose a program that includes tutor support in the course price—not one that charges extra or fails to deliver the service. Some schools advertise support but don’t provide it. See the TEFL Scams section for more information.

When evaluating tutor support, check:

  • Availability: Can you contact a tutor whenever you need help, or only during scheduled sessions?
  • Responsiveness: Does the tutor reply quickly, ideally within 24–48 hours?
  • Expertise: Does the tutor have real teaching experience and TEFL TESOL qualifications?
  • Practical guidance: Does the tutor give actionable tips you can apply in real classrooms, not just assignment feedback?

Remember, tutor support is one of the most important factors in getting real value from a TEFL TESOL course. It helps you understand teaching methods, improve your skills, and prepare for the classroom—something you simply won’t get from the dirt-cheap online courses you often see advertised.

9. Beware of Dirt-Cheap Online TEFL TESOL Courses

Some online TEFL TESOL courses advertise prices as low as $20. Avoid them. These courses offer almost no real learning, can be completed in an afternoon, and employers rarely recognize them.

Even if you manage to get a job with a cheap certificate, you’ll likely work for a poorly-run school with low pay and few benefits.

Think of a TEFL course as an investment in your career. Paying a bit more now for a reputable certificate can earn you many times that amount in better salaries and opportunities later. As a general rule, avoid 120-hour courses under $100. No reputable course will cost less than $100, unless it is a recognized refresher course, which can be legitimately cheaper.

When evaluating low-cost courses, consider:

  • Course length vs. content: Can you realistically learn teaching methods in a few hours?
  • Employer recognition: Do reputable schools accept this certificate?
  • Quality of instruction: Does the course include tutors or instructors, or only automated lessons?
  • Career outcomes: Will this certificate actually help you find a well-paid teaching job?

Invest in a course that teaches you skills, provides support, and opens doors—not one that gives you only a cheap piece of paper.

A male English teacher in an EFL classroom

10. Specializations and Teaching Focus

First, choose an online TEFL TESOL course that covers multiple teaching specializations. The more areas you learn now, the more options you open for your future career.

Next, focus on courses that include modules on teaching business English and teaching young or younger learners—ideally as part of the standard course price. That said, some programs charge extra for these modules, so check carefully before enrolling.

Even if you don’t plan to teach business English or children now, gaining these skills early makes life much easier later. That way, you’ll move into new roles without needing to take additional courses or pay extra fees.

When evaluating course specializations, ask:

  • Business English: Does the course provide techniques for teaching professionals and adult learners in a corporate context?
  • Young/younger learners: Does it include methods for engaging children and teens effectively?
  • Included in price: Does the course bundle these specializations, or does it charge extra for each?

Choose a course that prepares you for diverse teaching environments, giving you flexibility and confidence in your TEFL TESOL career.

Be sure to take a look at the Directory of online TEFL TESOL programs to see how each course rates based on verified customer reviews.

Still deciding? Choose one of the 5 Best Online TEFL TESOL courses.

These top-rated programs stand out for their quality, reputation, and real-world results:

1. TEFL Online Pro
Website: https://teflonlinepro.com/
Verified reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/tefl-online-pro-reviews-in-2025/

2. OISE University of Toronto TEFL
Website: https://teflonline.teachaway.com/
Verified reviews: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/oise-university-of-toronto-tefl/

3. CIEE TEFL
Website
: https://www.ciee.org/
Verified reviews
: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/ciee-tefl/

4. Maximo Nivel TEFL
Website
: https://maximonivel.com/
Verified reviews
: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/maximo-nivel-tefl/

5. Vantage TEFL Certification
Website
: https://www.englishatvantage.com/tefl-combined-class-thailand
Verified reviews
: https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/vantage-tefl-certification/

In closing, thank you for reading “Online TEFL TESOL Courses: 10 Things to Know Before Enrolling,” brought to you by Trusted TEFL Reviews.

The 5 Best Online TEFL and TESOL Course Certification Programs in 2026 on Trusted TEFL Reviews.

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Best TEFL Certification 2026 – Teachers’ Choice Award https://trustedteflreviews.com/2025/12/28/best-tefl-certification-2026/ https://trustedteflreviews.com/2025/12/28/best-tefl-certification-2026/#respond Sun, 28 Dec 2025 08:42:50 +0000 https://trustedteflreviews.com/?p=30380 The Best TEFL Certification of 2026 will be recognized later this year when the 2026 Teachers’ Choice Award winner is announced, celebrating the highest standards in online TEFL TESOL training. Teachers’ Choice Award, 2025 The current holder of this award is TEFL Online Pro, winner of the 2025 Teachers’ Choice Award. Website: teflonlinepro.com Reviews: Trusted […]

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The Best TEFL Certification of 2026 will be recognized later this year when the 2026 Teachers’ Choice Award winner is announced, celebrating the highest standards in online TEFL TESOL training.

Teachers’ Choice Award, 2025

The current holder of this award is TEFL Online Pro, winner of the 2025 Teachers’ Choice Award.

Website: teflonlinepro.com

Reviews: Trusted TEFL Reviews

TEFL Online Pro is a seven-time winner of this award.


The Best TEFL/TESOL in 2026

One of the benefits of winning this award is the ability for the winner to advertise on Trusted TEFL Reviews at no charge. View Special Offers.

This is the only advertising Trusted TEFL Reviews allows.

We never accept any form of payment.

Furthermore, to remain a trusted and impartial source for online TEFL TESOL reviews, we publish only verified, authentic reviews.

Meanwhile, certain websites knowingly publish fake reviews and sell awards to the highest bidder.

We never do this at Trusted TEFL Reviews.


Best TEFL Certification 2026 – Teachers’ Choice Award

This year, the winner of the Teachers’ Choice Award will be announced in October.

Who will vote in 2026?

  • Current English Teachers
  • International Schools
  • Language Schools
  • Online Language Companies
  • Online TEFL/TESOL Course Graduates
  • Universities

All vote for their favorite Online TEFL TESOL international certification course program.

We ask companies and organizations to vote depending on how well programs have prepared their teachers for teaching English (online or abroad).

We ask online TEFL TESOL course graduates:

(1) Did you receive the advertised course price when you signed up for the course?

(2) Were you satisfied with the signup process?

(3) Were the school staff polite and willing to help with any questions you had – both before and after paying for your course?

(4) In your opinion, was the course structure and content easy to follow and helpful for your future teaching career?

(5) Was your TEFL/TESOL certificate issued promptly after course completion?

(6) Did you feel that you received sufficient post-course support?

(7) How long was it between course completion and finding teaching work abroad or online?

(8) If you had any issues now, would you still feel comfortable contacting your TEFL/TESOL school for advice/help?

(9) Was the Online TEFL/TESOL course certificate which you received truly internationally recognized?

(10) Is what your Online TEFL/TESOL course school said it would be like in the country where you are now teaching a true representation of facts, or was it deceiving/misleading information?

Therefore, voters are not simply naming a company’s name.

They will specifically identify which is their Best TEFL TESOL 2026.

Moreover, though, they will provide an explanation as to how they reached their decision.


How can you vote for the best TEFL Certification in 2026?

Trusted TEFL Reviews will begin sending emails with voting requests on March 1.

In addition, online TEFL TESOL course graduates can contact us with their voting decision and reasons.

Last year, we received an unprecedented reaction with 1,738,761 votes being cast.

We are hoping to receive even more votes in 2026.

Thank you for reading this Best TEFL Certification 2026 Teachers’ Choice Award announcement.

A female teachers' online Best TEFL Certification search for the 5 best courses.

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6 TEFL Red Flags | How To Spot Them https://trustedteflreviews.com/2025/02/07/6-tefl-red-flags/ https://trustedteflreviews.com/2025/02/07/6-tefl-red-flags/#respond Fri, 07 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000 https://trustedteflreviews.com/?p=10370 6 TEFL Red Flags – avoid getting scammed on your course purchase. 6 TEFL Red Flags that the TEFL course that you are about to purchase may likely be a TEFL certification scam! 1. The company has a Facebook page but has turned off the Reviews tab. The manipulation of reviews is a massive issue […]

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The 5 Best Online TEFL & TESOL certification courses in 2023 & 2024 - trustedteflreviews.com

6 TEFL Red Flags – avoid getting scammed on your course purchase.

6 TEFL Red Flags that the TEFL course that you are about to purchase may likely be a TEFL certification scam!


1. The company has a Facebook page but has turned off the Reviews tab.

The manipulation of reviews is a massive issue within the TEFL course industry, and this manipulation shows up in many forms:

  1. Almost all of the major TEFL review websites are privately owned and earn money via affiliate marketing – meaning that they exist because of backhanders from the TEFL companies that publish reviews. It is, therefore, in the financial interests of those sites to promote positive reviews – whether real or fake – and discreetly hide the negative reviews.
  2. Some TEFL programs employ “Brand Ambassadors” to promote their courses – also through affiliate marketing – and these TEFL program minions will write absolutely anything to get you to buy the TEFL course(s) they are promoting. Sometimes the blogger has taken the course and sometimes they have no experience with it whatsoever.
  3. Many review websites, such as Trustpilot, charge companies for the pleasure of being listed. Trustpilot is known for its relaxed attitude to not following up and verifying reviews. Some of the well-known companies that have Trustpilot listings take full advantage of this by flooding their listing with fake reviews. Companies listed on Trustpilot also have the option of paying to have poor reviews deleted.
  4. There are also TEFL programs that promote negative SEO, by publishing negative reviews online about their business competitors.
  5. Facebook (Meta) has recently been messing around (upgrading) with the Pages experience. this means that now you need to be logged into Facebook to view a company’s reviews. On the mobile version, it is difficult to find the Reviews section. Our advice is to log into Facebook, using a laptop, and check whether a program has its Reviews tab turned on or off. If their Reviews tab is turned off, something fishy is going on.

We don’t allow TEFL companies to manipulate their reviews on Trusted TEFL Reviews and we don’t charge TEFL companies anything for listing their programs.

The only advertising allowed is granted to the TEFL program winner of the annual Teachers’ Choice Award. TEFL Online Pro is the winner of this year’s award, so they have been given the opportunity to promote any TEFL course discounts that they may run during the year. This additional exposure on Trusted TEFL Reviews is without charge for the TEFL program currently enjoying Teachers’ Choice Award winner status.

2. The company is falsifying its accreditation status.

There are legitimate international TEFL accreditation bodies, there are questionable international TEFL accreditation bodies, and there are made-up international TEFL accreditation bodies.

Having worked in the TEFL industry for many years now, it is easy for me to be able to distinguish between all three.

Regarding the latter, you can notice these from a mile away because they almost always tend to show generic stock footage photos of businesspeople in boardrooms, wearing suits, and looking very serious about some type of business issue.

The people who run reputable TEFL accreditation bodies don’t hang around all day in boardrooms, wearing business suits.

To save yourself a whole load of wasted time and effort, we strongly recommend that you read the TEFL Accreditation Guide before parting ways with your hard-earned cash:

https://trustedteflreviews.com/tefl-accreditation-guide/

3. Level 5 TEFL courses.

Five years ago, no one had heard of a “Level 5” TEFL course.

You simply chose between an onsite or online TEFL/TESOL/TESL certification course – 120 hours being the industry standard.

Then came along the first few mentions of “Level 5” and more recently it has become very popular to claim that a Level 5 course is the best TEFL course to take.

Employers don’t give two hoots whether you took an over-priced Level 5 TEFL course or not. “Level 5” is just another marketing gimmick – of which there are numerous in this industry.

Employers of teachers online and overseas, and government job visa departments, want to see proof that you have completed a 120-hour TEFL/TESOL certification course.

If you already have teaching experience then a course covering fewer hours will often do, but the industry standard is 120 hours.

Should you wish to, you can also choose a course that adds a practical teaching component to the 120-hour standard regulation – recalculating the total number of hours in the course to a maximum of between 140 and 150.

Any course consisting of more than 120 hours (or between 140-150 hours with the practical teaching component) is unnecessary and won’t, in any way or form, increase your chances of landing a teaching job or getting your work visa.

Also, the Ofqual company that regulates the Level 5 TEFL syllabus – based in the UK – is not an accreditation awarding body. They only regulate the courses. This means that you can pay extra and take a Level 5 TEFL course, but that is no assurance that your certificate will be recognized by online and overseas employers.

It definitely won’t guarantee you better employment prospects over a fully accredited 120-hour TEFL/TESOL course.

In any TEFL job interview situation, it is the 120-hour TEFL/TESOL certification course that you will be asked to provide proof of having taken – i.e., the accepted industry standard.

Our advice is to place less importance on the brand of the TEFL/TESOL qualification and, instead, focus on whether the course is truly internationally recognized.

The vast majority of people reading this article will need to take a 120-hour TEFL/TESOL course to teach English online or overseas.

Take a look at the TEFL Directory for guidance:

https://trustedteflreviews.com/tefl-course-directory/

The top-rated schools in the directory are top-rated for a legitimate reason.

4. The course costs less than $50.

TEFL isn’t rocket science, but it does take relatively thorough training to become a TEFL teacher.

TEFL programs that offer dirt-cheap TEFL courses for under $50 are simply providing you with a piece of paper that says you are a qualified TEFL teacher. Claiming to be a TEFL teacher and having the skills and knowledge to be one are two completely different things.

Our advice is not to go for the cheap TEFL courses.

You should treat your TEFL course as an investment, and not as a shortcut to getting qualified to teach English online or overseas – something you likely won’t be able to do anyway when you invest so little in your online education.

5. TEFL programs that try to undermine the reputation of Trusted TEFL Reviews.

Trusted TEFL Reviews publishes every review that has been proven to come from a reliable source – AKA a real TEFL graduate.

We never delete poor reviews – although we are constantly asked to do so – and some TEFL companies that are so used to manipulating their customer reviews online choose to try and undermine the reputation of Trusted TEFL Reviews when we refuse to delete a poor review, or when we refuse to publish a review that has been written by a TEFL school’s staff member.

We recommend reading the Common TEFL Scams article to learn more about this:

https://trustedteflreviews.com/2021/03/30/common-tefl-scams/

6. The TEFL course is free.

We have noticed that a few relatively new online TEFL/TESOL programs are advertising their courses as “free”.

Given that businesses tend to traditionally operate on a business model whereby they create revenue in exchange for services rendered, our attention was piqued by this apparent middle finger to traditional business model marketing.

So, we did a bit of digging around to see how a business could run a profit by offering a free TEFL course.

We conclude that the so-called “free” course is just a front for charging you throughout the course in the form of unexpected, hidden charges.

We also noticed that the free TEFL courses – all of them – are not accredited.

7. Bonus Red Flag: Affiliate Marketing.

The TEFL Affiliate Marketing Scam is a massive issue within the TEFL industry.

These TEFL program sales minions are extremely adept at stretching the truth and creating false narratives.

If you stumble across their website or blog, you will read about how such and such a program (always a program they earn affiliate marketing sales commissions from) is the best choice, and how such and such a program (always a competitor that doesn’t do affiliate marketing) is a scam or just not trustworthy.

If you believe their shtick and enroll in one of the courses that they are promoting, you will likely end up paying for a subpar TEFL course that isn’t fully accredited, and the friendly person recommending the program(s) will stand to earn a sizable sales commission.

No reputable, fully accredited TEFL/TESOL certification course program operates via an affiliate’s marketing campaign model. They just can’t because their accreditation codes of practice don’t allow it.

We recommend reading the TEFL Affiliate Marketing Scam article to learn more about this:

https://trustedteflreviews.com/2022/02/07/tefl-affiliate-marketing-scam/


This ‘6 TEFL Red Flags’ article was written by Mia Williams, co-owner of Trusted TEFL Reviews (TTR) | Best Featured TEFL Articles


New! Click here for the online TEFL/TESOL international certification course Teachers’ Choice Award winner. International Online TEFL/TESOL course certification at its best.


Verified Online TEFL/TESOL certification course program reviews, ranked in order of customer satisfaction: TEFL Course Directory


TEFL Accreditation Guide | 6 TEFL Red Flags | TTR Home | TEFL Course Special Offers


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Online TEFL TESOL Course Review Scams in 2026 https://trustedteflreviews.com/2025/02/07/online-tefl-course-review-scams/ https://trustedteflreviews.com/2025/02/07/online-tefl-course-review-scams/#comments Thu, 06 Feb 2025 23:01:00 +0000 http://trustedteflreviews.com/?p=2623 This article is about online TEFL TESOL course review scams in 2026. The article begins under the two following advertising banners. Banner #1 is for a limited-time discount from TEFL Online Pro – winner of the 2025 Teachers’ Choice Award. The winner of the Teachers’ Choice award may, at their discretion, advertise for free on […]

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This article is about online TEFL TESOL course review scams in 2026.

The article begins under the two following advertising banners.

Banner #1 is for a limited-time discount from TEFL Online Pro – winner of the 2025 Teachers’ Choice Award. The winner of the Teachers’ Choice award may, at their discretion, advertise for free on Trusted TEFL Reviews for as long as they are the holder of this prestigious award.

Banner #2 is the current list of the 5 Best online TEFL/TESOL certification courses, based on verified student reviews. If in doubt, choose from one of the 5 Best course programs because they are all internationally recognized and reputable companies.

Both banners represent top-rated online TEFL and TESOL certification course programs.

The 5 Best Online TEFL & TESOL certification courses in 2023 & 2024 - trustedteflreviews.com

Online TEFL TESOL course review scams in 2026.

(Updated: December 21, 2025)

This is a must-read article if you are choosing which TEFL course to take and are confused by which ones are legitimate and which ones are scams.

The scams are becoming more and more sophisticated.

To prevent your TEFL dream turning into a TEFL nightmare, we strongly recommend that you read this article in full.

Online TEFL TESOL Scam TEFL programs.

Currently, the more notable scam TEFL companies are ESLinsider, ITTT International TEFL and TESOL Training, MyTEFL, The TEFL Academy, and World TESOL Academy.

1. ESLinsider

ESLinsider (Ian Patrick Leahy) portrays himself as a TEFL whistleblower and he trashes almost every TEFL program online for seemingly altruistic motives, but his endgame is to sell you one TEFL course – his TEFL course. Among a long list of criminal activity, he was recommending TEFL students without college degrees to buy fake ones online. Some people followed his advice and (in China) were arrested, fined, deported. Ian is currently wanted by the Chinese authorities and is essentially on the lamb, living a transient life in the United States. Ian was banned from Facebook for spreading misinformation and disinformation way back in 2017. https://www.eslinsider.com/

2. ITTT International TEFL and TESOL Training

ITTT International TEFL and TESOL Training operates under more than 20 different websites. Each one looks similar, but is different just enough so that you would be forgiven into believing that one website is a different company from another website. This company has a bogus accreditation from a website that spells it as “Accredidation”. Affiliate marketing is their lean and they have one favorite who will say and write anything to get you to make the purchase: Linda Dunsmore. ITTT will take your money, give you access to a subpar course, fail to respond to online tutor requests, and ghost you when it comes time for the advertised “free” job-finding help – unless you pay through the nose for their job placement services, which you are recommended to avoid like the plague.

3. MyTEFL

MyTEFL used to be accredited by OTTSA (a website they created) and are now accredited by a bogus company: International TEFL Accreditation Council (ITEFLAC). Folks, official accreditation company website’s don’t have stock images of business people in office boardrooms. MyTEFL offer affordable TEFL courses, but they make their real money from paid job placement services. Do not pay for this service. If you do, when you receive your weekly or monthly teaching pay, without realizing it at first, MyTEFL will be skimming up to 25% off. And what can you do about it when you have locked yourself into a job contract with a language school through MyTEFL? https://mytefl.com/

4. The TEFL Academy (TTA)

The TEFL Academy (TTA) is a truly corrupt corporate company. They claim to be the “Worlds #1 TEFL Course Provider!” They are not. And, despite their many claims, they are not accredited. The TEFL Academy claims to be accredited by AQC, DEAC, QUALIFI, and even by Ofqual. It is only regulated by Ofqual and QUALIFI, and it also appears that QUALIFI might have been created by the good folks at The TEFL Academy. AQC is a sister website of DEAC, and you can see that The TEFL Academy is not accredited by DEAC because DEAC has a search feature that shows all the companies that it accredits – The TEFL Academy is not listed. As with ITTT, The TEFL Academy pays affiliate marketers to promote its courses. More about this below. https://www.theteflacademy.com/

5. World TESOL Academy

World TESOL Academy is likewise shady as hell. They offer TEFL courses for $38 and this appears to lure in a lot of unsuspecting folk. After you pay, you get bombarded with requests to become one of their affiliate marketers. Students rate the course as “terrible” and a bit like flying with Ryanair, with a smorgasbord of hidden fees and additional costs. World TESOL Academy is accredited by Accreditat and CPD that are pay-for-accreditation companies that are not recognized by any reputable language schools. Another red flag is that they have the Reviews tab disabled on their Facebook page. https://www.worldtesolacademy.com/

Ian Patrick Leahy | Monroe | New Hampshire
Here is a photo of Ian Patrick Leahy, ESLinsider – the mastermind who recommended students without degrees buy fake ones online.

How TEFL companies scam you.

Besides the above mentioned scams, there are some complex ways in which some TEFL companies will scam you.

And the sophistication of the scams is intensifying.

TEFL Review Website Bedfellows

Go Abroad, Go Overseas and TEFL Course Review are the three biggest TEFL review websites. They each make their money from charging TEFL companies for a listing on their site – the TEFL companies are their customers – and it is in their best financial interests to have positive reviews about (fill in the blank) TEFL company than to have bad reviews published. This is why a company like The TEFL Academy has a high review score on all three websites – they make certain that negative reviews of them are minimized and they are free to have fake positive reviews appear on all three sites, and on the other review sites where they have a listing. Incidentally, The TEFL Academy has a lot of money at their disposal and frequently sue individuals and companies if they dare to publish something negative about them. Trusted TEFL Reviews published a few negative student reviews of The TEFL Academy and we were warned that if they were not taken down, they would sue us. We simply responded that the reviews will remain published because they were written by students of their program.

Affiliate Marketing

If you see an individual excessively promoting a TEFL program – with or without a coupon code for a discount – it will certainly be an affiliate marketer. Caitriona McTiernan and Megan Broccoli are the two main ones for The TEFL Academy and Linda Dunsmore heads the ITTT affiliate marketing side of the business. A large majority of TEFL programs belong to affiliate marketing companies, paying people who have never taken their courses to promote them online and earn money for themselves in the process. They will say and write absolutely anything (“the course was AMAZING!”) to make the sell, such as promises of earning $100 per hour for teaching English online. No one earns anywhere near to $100 teaching English online.

Trashing A Business Competitor

In the Wild West of online TEFL, anything goes. It’s very common for TEFL companies to trash each other online. They create fake profiles and then write fake complaints and fake reviews – misinformation and disinformation – on complaints websites and Reddit. And TEFL programs with deep pockets, such as The TEFL Academy, have now started to pay people to take a competitor’s course and then slam it online. This is cruel and clever because the person can show that they have a certificate from the TEFL company and can write exactly what the company tells them to write. A recent case involved one of the affiliate marketers from The TEFL Academy – Megan Broccoli – who purchased a TEFL Online Pro course, completed it, claimed after an hour of course completion that she couldn’t use the certificate, and began spreading her message on Reddit and elsewhere that the company is a scam. Something similar also happened to OISE University of Toronto TEFL and CIEE TEFL. CIEE TEFL, OISE University of Toronto TEFL and TEFL Online Pro are among the 5 Best Online TEFL/TESOL certification courses.

Reddit

When Online TEFL/TESOL courses were gaining traction about 15 years ago, in response to the established in-person TEFL/TESOL course industry, a few of them set up Reddit communities – communities that they used and continue to use to push their agenda. This tends to focus on trashing their competitors and clandestinely promoting their courses. We recommend avoiding Reddit for Online TEFL/TESOL course information because of this, and because of the vast number of TEFL shills active on the site.

Niche subreddits, such as online course communities, are often run by people with a vested interest in promoting certain courses—for which they receive a financial kickback. This often leads them to delete positive comments about any business competitors of the courses from which they receive kickbacks.

The r/TEFL subreddit is well known for this type of behavior—they allow positive comments for their favored TEFL companies but prevent students of some other TEFL programs from posting honest reviews of their course experiences. They even have a Reddit Wiki page that clearly demonstrates the quid pro quo partnership they maintain with certain programs.

Trashing Trusted TEFL Reviews

It must be so frustrating for the many TEFL programs that don’t have the kind of power over Trusted TEFL Reviews that they lord over other TEFL review websites. So what do they do? They spread misinformation and disinformation about me and Trusted TEFL Reviews because they just can’t handle having even one or two negative reviews published online about them. By trying to discredit this website, they hope that people won’t believe the reviews of their program. All TEFL programs listed on Trusted TEFL Reviews have a free listing and all TEFL programs are free to respond to reviews and to add comments.

The TEFL Wall of Shame.

Important Clarifying Information.

Several points need addressing, and I will write about each one separately:

The Teachers’ Choice Award

Several Online TEFL companies are claiming that the Teachers’ Choice Award is fake. It isn’t. We created the Teachers’ Choice Award back in 2019, after noticing that other mainstream TEFL review websites had also created their awards. The fundamental difference between our award and the awards of other mainstream TEFL review websites is that the winner of the Teachers’ Choice Award is based on merit alone – voted for by language schools, universities, TEFL students, and TEFL graduates. If a company has won an award from a mainstream TEFL review website, it means they have likely paid for the privilege of “winning” that award.

TEFL Online Pro

TEFL Online Pro (https://teflonlinepro.com/) has won the Teachers’ Choice Award for seven consecutive years – they are the highest-rated in 2026. They have won the award every year because they were the Online TEFL/TESOL program that received the most votes. Trusted TEFL Reviews does not own TEFL Online Pro, just as it doesn’t own the other four Online TEFL/TESOL programs that currently hold the place of being one of the 5 Best Online TEFL/TESOL programs. Trusted TEFL Reviews is an independent Online TEFL/TESOL reviews website. We are not affiliated with any TEFL/TESOL program listed on the Trusted TEFL Reviews website.

Trusted TEFL Reviews is a not-for-profit website

Contrary to what some Online TEFL programs claim, it doesn’t cost anything to list your Online TEFL/TESOL program on Trusted TEFL Reviews. Also, we don’t allow any paid advertising because we feel that it could present a conflict of interest. The only advertising allowed is granted to the TEFL program winner of the annual Teachers’ Choice Award. TEFL Online Pro (https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/tefl-online-pro-reviews-in-2025/) is the winner of this year’s award, so they have been allowed to promote any TEFL course discounts that they may run during the year. This additional exposure on Trusted TEFL Reviews is without charge for the TEFL program currently enjoying Teachers’ Choice Award winner status.

I am not a man

I identify as a woman because I am a woman, living and teaching English in Vienna, Austria. Contrary to what some Online TEFL/TESOL companies have written about me online, I am not a “man”, I am not a “dyke”, and I am not a “b!tch”. I am a mother. I co-own Trusted TEFL Reviews with my partner and we run Trusted TEFL Reviews together, from our apartment in Vienna. We also have a small office within the city limits that we visit mostly during the summer months when the air-con in the office is a welcome respite. We also run the Teachers’ Choice Award from this office. It is no Online TEFL/TESOL program’s beeswax what our addresses are and we both feel safer not disclosing our addresses. I have received threats in the past simply because I wouldn’t delete a negative review written about one of the TEFL programs listed on Trusted TEFL Reviews.

We never delete reviews from Trusted TEFL Reviews, unless the review is later found to be fake

Online TEFL/TESOL course programs are the customers of the mainstream Online TEFL/TESOL review websites. The programs pay a yearly fee to be listed on the review website, and this is how those review websites generate the majority of their commercial income. Those review websites have a strong financial incentive to hide negative reviews and hold almost no verification process for publishing positive reviews – the vast majority of which are written by the TEFL company. Trusted TEFL Reviews has a strong verification process in place and we only publish reviews that have been proven to have been written by a real TEFL student. This has infuriated a few Online TEFL/TESOL companies – companies that are used to chalking up fake 5-star reviews on those mainstream TEFL review platforms.

We allow all of the TEFL companies listed on Trusted TEFL Reviews to respond to reviews

All Online TEFL/TESOL companies listed on Trusted TEFL Reviews are free to respond to any review published about their program. The vast majority of programs choose not to, but some do. The most prolific company to respond to reviews – responding to every review they receive – is TEFL Online Pro. This company is proactive and recognizes the importance of thanking customers for writing positive reviews and addressing any issues presented by negative reviews. If an Online TEFL company writes that they tried responding to a review but were unsuccessful in doing so, it is a flat-out lie.

Russian review websites

A few months ago, an Online TEFL/TESOL company reached out to me – a company not listed on Trusted TEFL Reviews – complaining that their business wasn’t doing so well. They blamed their dwindling revenue on the many cheap Online TEFL/TESOL programs undercutting them with lower prices. They suggested that they would “handle the Google Ads campaigns” of those programs through a process known as click fraud. They also suggested that I should write some damning reviews about those programs on complaintsboard.com. I refused the offer and told the individual to focus on improving their course offerings and customer services. complaintsboard.com, dirtyscam.com, and ripoffreport.com are all Russian-owned websites. They may claim otherwise, but they operate outside of countries where they can be held accountable for the defamatory material that they allow to be published on their websites. I read one recent “complaint” that TEFL Online Pro is offering courses illegally and not paying their taxes. This, of course, is just fiction. I also read another “complaint” where someone had written that OISE University of Toronto TEFL is a scam and their certificates are not valid internationally. Also, fictitious. The rogue Online TEFL/TESOL companies use these websites to badmouth their business competitors because all you need to do to have your review published is to verify your email address – using any name to create an account. Those Russian websites feel protected from legal repercussions and they are the go-to websites for the dregs of the Online TEFL/TESOL certification course world.

TEFL companies that want to take over the world

The TEFL Academy (https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/the-tefl-academy/) is the perfect example of a company that wants it all, and they are willing to break all the better business rules to achieve their objective. We began listing this program on Trusted TEFL Reviews a few years ago. Within a couple of days, we received an avalanche of 5-star reviews for them, but not one of the reviewers was willing to prove course participation in The TEFL Academy program. They were fake reviews. We also have it on good word that this company reaches out to its graduates and offers them a free mini TEFL course if they write a positive review. This is why there is such a disconnect between their reviews on Trusted TEFL Reviews and their reviews on Facebook, Trustpilot, etc. World TESOL Academy (https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/world-tesol-academy/) is also guilty of this shameless and flagrant middle finger to the better business rules. They claim to be the “Worlds #1 TEFL Course Provider.” This obviously isn’t true, as are many other claims on their website.

Our advice for Online TEFL/TESOL companies

Interact with your customers! If you receive a positive review, thank the customer for spending their time to review your program. If you receive a negative review, apologize and try to right a wrong. Don’t write false sh*t about me or Trusted TEFL Reviews just because you got some negative feedback.

Our advice for Online TEFL/TESOL students

The Online TEFL/TESOL industry is unregulated and highly competitive. Some companies will swear blind to you that you need to take their course because it has more hours or because it has won so many awards. The Teachers’ Choice Award is the only Online TEFL/TESOL certification course program award that cannot be bought. The industry standard is a 120-hour TEFL/TESOL certification course (140 hours if it includes 20 teaching practice hours). You don’t need more training hours because those extra hours are meaningless for TEFL employers. If you pay less than US$100 for a 120-hour Online TEFL/TESOL certification course, you WILL regret it.

Accreditation

To prevent you from becoming a victim of a TEFL scam, we recommend that you choose a Fully Accredited TEFL/TESOL certification course provider.

The most well-known accreditation companies – offering Full Accreditation:

ACCET – Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training.

ACTEFLC – Accreditation Council for Teaching English as a Foreign Language Courses.

OISE – University of the Toronto Faculty of Education.

TESL Canada

University of Cambridge’s English Language Assessment

If you read anything negative about these organizations online, it has been written by an Online TEFL/TESOL program – a program that likely has no accreditation itself or one that simply pays a dodgy accreditation company an annual fee.

You can see which companies are Fully Accredited and internationally recognized by looking through the program listings in the TEFL Course Directory:

https://trustedteflreviews.com/tefl-course-directory/

The top-rated schools in the directory are top-rated for a legitimate reason.

The low-rated schools in the directory are low-rated for a legitimate reason.

Be smart. Don’t fall for the disinformation and misinformation.

Trusted TEFL Reviews


If and when we are notified of shady practices or even outright scams, we will post details of them in the Online TEFL Course Scams section of this website.


This ‘Online TEFL Course Reviews Scams’ article was originally written and published by Mia Williams, co-owner of Trusted TEFL Reviews (TTR) | Best Featured TEFL Articles


Related articles:

https://trustedteflreviews.com/2021/03/30/6-tefl-red-flags/

https://trustedteflreviews.com/2021/03/30/common-tefl-scams/


New! Click here for the online TEFL/TESOL international certification course Teachers’ Choice Award winner. International Online TEFL/TESOL course certification at its best.


Verified Online TEFL/TESOL certification course program reviews, ranked in order of customer satisfaction: TEFL Course Directory


TEFL Accreditation Guide | 6 TEFL Red Flags | TTR Home | TEFL Course Special Offers


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TEFL TESOL Accreditation 101 https://trustedteflreviews.com/2022/01/04/tefl-tesol-accreditation-101/ https://trustedteflreviews.com/2022/01/04/tefl-tesol-accreditation-101/#comments Tue, 04 Jan 2022 03:31:00 +0000 http://trustedteflreviews.com/?p=1587 TEFL TESOL Accreditation 101 TEFL TESOL Accreditation 101. This article has been updated on December 21, 2025. TEFL TESOL Accreditation 101. (A list of institutions providing Online TEFL programs ‘Fully Accredited’ status appears towards the bottom of this article.) For sake of convenience, and to avoid repetition, we will use the generic term ‘TEFL’ instead […]

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TEFL TESOL Accreditation 101

TEFL TESOL Accreditation 101.

This article has been updated on December 21, 2025.

TEFL TESOL Accreditation 101.

(A list of institutions providing Online TEFL programs ‘Fully Accredited’ status appears towards the bottom of this article.)

This is quite a long article. It is an honest, factual, serious look at the question of Online TEFL/TESOL/TESL accreditation.

If you are researching which Online TEFL/TESOL/TESL course to take, this article should be essential reading for you.

For sake of convenience, and to avoid repetition, we will use the generic term ‘TEFL’ instead of mentioning ‘TEFL/TESOL/TESL’ each time these terms require a mention. These terms do have their differences in meaning, but for all intents and purposes, they essentially refer to the same type of training and this is why most teacher-training programs advertise their courses with one or more of these acronyms listed.

One of the most common misconceptions about Online TEFL courses, and one of the main areas that permit room for the peddling of misinformation, is the heated topic of accreditation.

Over the past few years, Online TEFL programs have discovered that it is much easier to sell their courses if they claim that their courses are accredited.

The result of this ‘accreditation fever’ has been the mushrooming creation of “accreditation bodies” that have been created by savvy business people with little or no background in education.

Some TEFL schools have also jumped on the bandwagon; creating fictitious accreditation websites, in order to make their courses seem more credible – all the while deceiving their customers and perpetuating the ‘accreditationspiracy’.

In addition to the above, some Online TEFL programs try to convince consumers that their programs are more credible because they are “accredited and regulated” by AQC, Ofqual, QUALIFI. These are not accreditation bodies, they are regulatory bodies. There is, a major difference, and the “Level 5” TEFL course brand (which was only recently created) is just another marketing gimmick to try to convince the consumer that you should take their Online TEFL program.

The truth of the matter is that there isn’t one international accreditation body for Online TEFL courses.

Therefore, we begin this article with the plain unadorned fact that the Online TEFL industry is completely unregulated, and the term ‘accredited’, when applied to Online TEFL/TESOL certification course programs, is purely a marketing gimmick. This, in turn, has created a snowball effect, whereby most people who are looking to take an Online TEFL course now place accreditation status high on their tick box list that a TEFL program must include.

Some government visa agencies, and some language schools, have also bought into the accreditation fallacy; stipulating that their teachers must hold an accredited TEFL certificate if they want to work for them and if they want to be able to legally teach in their country.

I have been teaching for over ten years now, and I have not once been asked whether my TEFL certificate is accredited or not. I have also never been asked whether my TEFL certification was taken online or in-person. I live and work in Austria, where the authorities are sticklers for correct documentation.

So if accreditation means relatively very little, is it completely worthless?

And which accreditation bodies are more trustworthy than others?

Accreditation is important when it provides the customer with an extra layer of consumer protection.

Accreditation can be divided into four main camps:

  1. An Online TEFL program simply chooses not to capitulate to the pressure of being accredited and remains an Unaccredited provider.
  2. An Online TEFL program creates an accreditation website itself, for the sole purpose of convincing consumers that they are a credible institution. This is usually a short-term fix because no amount of convincing can hide a subpar product and poor customer service. Trusted TEFL Reviews classes these Online TEFL programs ‘Unaccredited‘ and such programs should be avoided. They should be avoided because the training will be poor, you will have very little (if any) consumer rights, and you could become a victim of fraud.
  3. An Online TEFL program capitulates to the pressure of being accredited and pays an annual fee to an accreditation body, and in return, they can claim that they are an accredited Online TEFL program. The accreditation body may, or may not, follow through on their promises that they maintain high levels of accountability regarding the Online TEFL programs that they accredit. Trusted TEFL Reviews classes these Online TEFL programs ‘Accredited‘ and such programs should be chosen after due diligence is carried out regarding their (verified) customer reviews on trustedteflreviews.com.
  4. An Online TEFL program capitulates to the pressure of being accredited and pays an annual fee to an accreditation body, and in return, they can claim that they are an accredited Online TEFL program. The accreditation body ensures high standards of culpability and follows through on their promises that they maintain high levels of accountability regarding the Online TEFL programs that they accredit. Trusted TEFL Reviews classes these Online TEFL programs ‘Fully Accredited‘ and such programs tend anyway to receive consistently positive student feedback. This is not always the rule, though, so always check the (verified) customer reviews on trustedteflreviews.com.

Institutions providing Online TEFL programs Fully Accredited status include:

ACCET Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training | https://accet.org/

ACTEFLC Accreditation Council for Teaching English as a Foreign Language Courses | https://www.acteflc.com/

OISE University of the Toronto Faculty of Education | https://www.oise.utoronto.ca/

TESL Canada | https://tesl.ca/

University of Cambridge’s English Language Assessment | https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/

Online TEFL courses that are directly accredited by a Ministry of Education also enjoy Fully Accredited status.


The following Online TEFL/TESOL programs (in alphabetical order) are Fully Accredited and internationally recognized:

Bridge TEFL | https://bridge.edu/tefl/ | Bridge TEFL verified trusted TEFL reviews.

CIEE TEFL | https://www.ciee.org/ | CIEE TEFL verified trusted TEFL reviews.

Maximo Nivel TEFL | https://maximonivel.com/ | Maximo Nivel verified trusted TEFL reviews.

ontesol | https://ontesol.com/ | ontesol verified trusted TEFL reviews.

OISE University of Toronto TEFL | https://teflonline.teachaway.com/ | OISE TEFL verified trusted TEFL reviews.

Oxford Seminars | https://www.oxfordseminars.com/ | Oxford Seminars verified trusted TEFL reviews.

TEFL Iberia | https://tefl-iberia.com/ | TEFL Iberia verified trusted TEFL reviews.

TEFL Online Pro (Teachers’ Choice Award winner, 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025) | https://teflonlinepro.com/ | TEFL Online Pro verified trusted TEFL reviews.

TEFL/TESOL online programs that win the Teachers’ Choice Award are granted the ability to enjoy a whole year’s free exposure on Trusted TEFL Reviews, where they may post, for example, any current course discounts or promotions on the Trusted TEFL Reviews website.


You can check to see whether an Online TEFL/TESOL Program is Unaccredited, Accredited, or Fully Accredited by clicking on their category in the sidebar. The mention of which accreditation status they hold is clearly stated at the top of their category page, above the program’s review(s).

Unaccredited courses are identified with the statement, ‘Is [Online TEFL Program] accredited? No.

Accredited courses are identified with the statement, ‘Is [Online TEFL Program] accredited? Yes. The certification awarded is Accredited.’

Fully Accredited courses are identified with the statement, ‘Is [Online TEFL Program] accredited? Yes. The certification awarded is Fully Accredited and internationally recognized.

If you are having difficulties locating a program’s category page, you can easily locate it by clicking on their live link in the TEFL Course Directory: https://trustedteflreviews.com/tefl-course-directory/


Important information about Ofqual and TQUK-regulated courses:

Ofqual and TQUK are often (incorrectly) claimed to accredit Online TEFL programs offering a ‘Level 5’ certificate. Some Level 5 programs even go as far as to claim that the Level 5 TEFL certificate is the same as the CELTA certificate. ‘Level 5’ refers to one of the levels on the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. In other words, it’s a United Kingdom qualification that means very little to anyone outside of the UK. Furthermore, a qualification assessed at Level 5 doesn’t mean that it is “equivalent to the CELTA qualification”. Instead, it means that the level of education, knowledge, and skills required to complete the course is the same as that required to complete the CELTA, i.e., to be over 18, and to have a level of English and education that is equivalent to the average UK high school graduate.

Ofqual and TQUK are regulatory bodies, not accreditation bodies.

Ofqual and TQUK are regulatory bodies, not accreditation bodies.

A TEFL program can be regulated by Ofqual and be accredited or fully accredited by an external accreditation body, but this is not always the case.

A number of Ofqual-regulated TEFL programs blatantly lie to their customers by claiming that they are Ofqual accredited, or lie and claim that they are Ofqual regulated and fully accredited by another body that only regulates courses.

Ofqual and TQUK-regulated courses should provide you with a high level of TEFL training (although this is by no means guaranteed) but Ofqual and TQUK are by no means of the stretch of the imagination accreditation bodies.


One final point is that the accreditation industry in itself is highly competitive.

An argument that we often see is that a certain accreditation body should be taken more seriously than another simply because they have been in operation for longer.
This is absolute hogwash.
It doesn’t matter if an accreditation body has been in operation for one month or ten years.
What matters is whether the main accreditation members of the body are master’s-degree educated (in the field of Education), have years of credible experience in the field of TEFL and whether the accreditation body honors the rights of consumers.
Too many self-proclaimed “established” accreditation bodies have been set up by private individuals, with no university education and little to no experience in TEFL, and with just one mission: to make money and to hell with standards.

And our last (important) point:

When you apply for an English teacher job, online or abroad, IF your employer does ask whether your certificate is accredited, they sure as hell won’t ask WHICH company accredited your certificate.

What DOES matter, and what is ESSENTIAL, is that the Online TEFL course that you took actually taught you how to teach English.

Help with finding teaching work after the course should also be a priority, but NEVER pay any company to help find you a job. And NEVER accept a job placement agreement. There is so much work available and an Online TEFL program that will help you find work, as a free service when you pay for the course, is the preferential route.

Yes, you can save your money and buy a 120-Hour Online TEFL course for under $100 US, and you can enjoy the short-term-lived, feel-good emotion that you “got TEFL certified”, but the real proof of the pudding comes when you are sat in front of an experienced interviewer or stood in front of an actual class of students, and when you will very quickly realize that the course you completed in under a day has, in no way, whatsoever, prepared you for any of this. And then, inevitably, you won’t hear back from the school and you will, inevitably, have to begin a new search for another Online TEFL course to take – one that will properly prepare you for the job you want to train for.

Therefore, in conclusion to this TEFL TESOL Accreditation 101 article, always aim for a fully accredited Online TEFL program.

Quality 120-Hour Online TEFL courses begin from around $150 US. Pay anything less and you will be selling yourself and your future students short.


This ‘TEFL TESOL Accreditation 101’ article was written by Mia Williams, co-owner of Trusted TEFL Reviews (TTR) | Best Featured TEFL Articles


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Common TEFL Scams | What To Watch Out For https://trustedteflreviews.com/2021/10/12/common-tefl-scams/ https://trustedteflreviews.com/2021/10/12/common-tefl-scams/#comments Tue, 12 Oct 2021 02:32:00 +0000 https://trustedteflreviews.com/?p=9224 How to avoid the most common TEFL TESOL certification course scams. Essential TEFL Tip! Are you worried about being scammed? TEFL course scams are becoming more sophisticated! Protect yourself by reading about the latest TEFL scams in this article: Online TEFL/TESOL Course Review Scams in 2026 If you are concerned about becoming a victim of […]

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How to avoid the most common TEFL TESOL certification course scams.


Essential TEFL Tip!

Are you worried about being scammed? TEFL course scams are becoming more sophisticated!

Protect yourself by reading about the latest TEFL scams in this article:

Online TEFL/TESOL Course Review Scams in 2026

If you are concerned about becoming a victim of an Online TEFL/TESOL course scam, we strongly recommend choosing from one of the 5 Best Online TEFL/TESOL certification course programs in 2025:

The 5 Best Online TEFL/TESOL Courses in 2026

Mia Williams – Trusted TEFL Reviews


Common TEFL Scams come in various forms and from various sources. When people think of ‘TEFL Scam’ they usually think first of the scenario where they pay for a TEFL course and receive nothing in return. Thankfully, this is a rare occurrence. You are, however, much more likely to fall victim to a TEFL scam unwittingly- one that you may not discover a victim of until a few months or even a few years later.

This article will look at the most common TEFL Scams and will demonstrate how to avoid these easy-to-miss pitfalls. We will also be highlighting the Online TEFL certification course programs that are well-known in the TEFL industry for their shady business practices. i.e., TEFL programs to avoid.

At the end of this article, we list the Online TEFL/TESOL certification course programs that we recommend taking if you are having a hard time deciding on which course to take.


1. Common TEFL Scams – Fake Reviews.

Fake TEFL Reviews written by Online TESOL certification programs.
A large number of Online TEFL/TESOL certification programs fake their own customer reviews.

Fake customer reviews are a huge issue across the board for most industries and the world of TEFL is no different. The fakers have been getting more and more sophisticated and it can now be very difficult to distinguish real reviews from fake reviews.

Let’s take a look at one of the worst fake reviews offenders: The TEFL Academy.

The TEFL Academy (TTA) used to be a well-respected Online TEFL TESOL course provider, before 2021, until they brought in a new CEO: Thomas Gibbons. Since Thomas’s appointment, Trusted TEFL Reviews (TTR) has witnessed a substantial overnight increase in “customer reviews” for TTA.

One only needs to look at TTA’s customer reviews on Reviews.io, Trust Pilot, and Hello Peter, to ascertain that something isn’t quite right with the sheer number of 5-star glowing reviews being received all at once for this program, as well as on its Facebook (Meta) page.

How can we be certain that TTA is publishing fake reviews?

Soon after Thomas’s new appointment as CEO at TTA, TTR suddenly began receiving a lot of reviews all at once for TTA’s listing. In one day, if my memory serves me correctly, we received just over 20 reviews for the TEFL Academy program.

Out of those 20 reviews, only four were found to possibly come from a real reviewer. Out of those four, no one returned our email when we requested proof of course enrollment.

It was then that we suddenly stopped receiving so many reviews for this program- until March of this year that is.

In March of 2021, TTR received yet another suspicious TTA review, stuffed with a lot of marketing keywords. The review was submitted by one of their Brand Ambassadors, masquerading as a recently-graduated TTA TEFL student – Caitriona McTiernan.

What does a TEFL Academy Brand Ambassador do? As far as we can gather, it is their job to promote TTA’s courses. In return for their hard work and diligence, they earn a 20% affiliate commission on every TEFL Academy course that is purchased via their recommendation.

TTA’s Brand Ambassadors have demonstrated that they are capable of seriously stretching the truth and can write absolutely anything, without accountability, to earn a juicy 20% affiliate commission fee on every TTA course referral.

And Caitriona earns a ton of money by promoting The TEFL Academy – a UK/Ireland-based TEFL school that rips its customers off through false advertising and likewise false claims.

But, hey, it pays for her trips abroad and I guess she somehow inner justifies the whole shebang. Somehow. I, for one, couldn’t. And neither, I’m assuming, could you.

More about affiliate commissions is in section 2 of this article.

We consider the blatant faking of customer reviews to be a serious red flag.

Whenever we come across examples of this, we always expose the company or individuals behind the fake reviews- as we have done so regarding The TEFL Academy:

https://trustedteflreviews.com/2019/03/25/the-tefl-academy-certification-review/

https://trustedteflreviews.com/2022/05/19/tta-the-tefl-academy/

Incidentally, the path of least resistance for these fake review scammers, when their review is denied publication, is sometimes to claim that Trusted TEFL Reviews is biased. Invariably, the found-out fake reviewer will claim that TTR is owned by such and such a TEFL program- a claim designed to reduce the credibility of TTR and reduce the credibility of them having been exposed as a fake reviewer.

If the TEFL program that they are reviewing tends to receive poor reviews, as The TEFL Academy does, the fake reviewer will also be trying to reduce the credibility of those verified customers’ poor reviews.

Claims made that Trusted TEFL Reviews is a biased reviews website, owned and run by any of the TEFL reviews websites listed on Trusted TEFL Reviews, is a clear sign that the person or company making the claims is trying to cover something up.

Such claims always lead back to an individual representing a TEFL company, or a TEFL company acting in its self-interests. In both cases, the hidden agenda behind such claims stems from a TEFL program with a poor reputation- a poor reputation that they are trying to cover up and conceal from future paying customers.

Trusted TEFL Reviews is an independently run Online TEFL/TESOL reviews website. We are not affiliated, in any way, with any of the Online TEFL/TESOL certification programs listed on this site.

Only the winner of the Teachers’ Choice Award is granted the ability to publish the award on their school website, and they also enjoy a whole year’s free exposure on Trusted TEFL Reviews, where they may post, for example, any current course discounts or promotions on the Trusted TEFL Reviews website.

Tefl Online Pro won this prestigious award in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025.

https://trustedteflreviews.com/category/tefl-online-pro-reviews-in-2025


If an Online TEFL/TESOL certification program has a high rating on Trusted TEFL Reviews, it means that they are doing something right when it comes to the product it offers and how it treats its customers.

If an Online TEFL/TESOL certification program has a low rating on Trusted TEFL Reviews, it means that they are doing something wrong when it comes to the product it offers and how it treats its customers.

Other programs that have also followed this path of least resistance line of attack, just as The TEFL Academy has done so, are Ian Patrick Leahy from ESLinsider TEFL, Henry Harvin Education, ITTT TEFL, MyTEFL, TEFL Fullcircle, and World TESOL Academy.

What else do these fake-review Online TEFL/TESOL programs have in common?

They all offer unaccredited courses, despite almost all of them claiming to be “accredited” and “international”.

Where is a good source for real TEFL student reviews?

Facebook tends to be a very good source because it has at least some moderation systems put in place, whereby they are able, over time, to delete suspect reviews.

trustedteflreviews.com remains one of the most trusted sources for customer reviews because we are an independent reviews website- meaning that we don’t have a horse in the race and we are free to publish any customer reviews that have been verified as coming from a reliable source.

The verification process for the publication of reviews on TTR includes requesting proof of course enrollment.

All 52 Online TEFL/TESOL certification course programs currently listed on Trusted TEFL Reviews, ranked in order of customer satisfaction:

https://trustedteflreviews.com/tefl-course-directory/

2. Common TEFL Scams – Affiliate marketing.

Someone who has never taken a TEFL certification course can earn money by promoting a particular TEFL course- claiming that they took the course and that they would recommend it to others. They earn money from recommending the course to others. This, in part, constitutes the affiliate’s marketing of common TEFL scams.

Affiliate marketing is another major spanner in the works when it comes to the perpetuation of common TEFL scams.

The TEFL course affiliates marketing scam works like this:

Person ‘A’ wants to earn money online. They realize that they can earn money online by recommending a TEFL program and earning a commission on every course purchase that they initiate. The commission rate is usually around 20% of the total course purchase price. Person ‘A’, who has never taken the TEFL course, begins blogging about that TEFL course- claiming that they purchased and took the course, that it was amazing, and that others should also purchase and take the course.

The internet is rife with travel blogs that are signed up to TEFL course affiliate programs.

You can usually recognize them because they have unique names, such as ‘Goats On The Road’, ‘Roaming Vegans’, ‘Two Monkeys Travel Group’, etc.

Some TEFL programs, such as The TEFL Academy, have gone a step further by employing their own ‘brand ambassadors’ to affiliate market their courses for them. In some cases, the brand ambassador will be a graduate of the program, but in other cases, the brand ambassador will have no first-hand knowledge of the course.

Either way, when you are being paid to write only positive things about a product/service because you get to gain from your content, it is highly unlikely that you will be objective in your coverage of the product/service for which you are writing.

Not all TEFL programs have an affiliate marketing program, but the ones that do tend to be programs that you would do best to avoid. MyTEFL and The TEFL Academy are two unaccredited Online TEFL TESOL certification programs that rely heavily on their affiliates’ minions for new paying customers.

Of further concern is that some of the most well-known TEFL course reviews websites, travel abroad/overseas websites, and work abroad/overseas websites are knee-deep in the affiliate’s marketing model- earning an affiliate’s marketing income from TEFL course sales of the programs that they have listed, and which they accept reviews of on their sites.

Affiliate marketing is one of the common TEFL scams. You should most certainly take anything written by an affiliate marketer with extreme skepticism because they often, if not always, have a hidden agenda behind the content that they have written.

3. Common TEFL Scams – Accreditation.

The majority of Online TEFL TESOL certification programs are not “accredited” and are not “internationally recognized”.

TEFL accreditation is another area in which there lurk Common TEFL Scams.

Because there is not one central accreditation body for Online TEFL TESOL certification courses, there are, instead, a handful of accreditation bodies that fully accredited Online TEFL TESOL certification course programs.

The accreditation bodies authorized to provide Fully Accredited status to Online TEFL TESOL certification course programs:

ACCET – Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training | https://accet.org/

ACTEFLC – Accreditation Council for Teaching English as a Foreign Language Courses | https://www.acteflc.com/

OISE – University of the Toronto Faculty of Education | https://www.oise.utoronto.ca/

TESL Canada | https://tesl.ca/

University of Cambridge’s English Language Assessment | https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/

Online TEFL courses that are directly accredited by the Ministry of Education also enjoy Fully Accredited status.

There are, of course, other “accreditation awarding institutions” out there, such as Accreditat, OTTSA, and ITEFLAC, but they are fake accreditation websites.

Trusted TEFL Reviews ran an article on the OTTSA accreditation scam a while back:

https://trustedteflreviews.com/2020/02/18/warning-the-ottsa-accrediting-professionals-scam/

MyTEFL started with OTTSA accreditation. As has ITTT TEFL.

About six months after we ran the OTTSA accreditation scam article, MyTEFL also magically gained “accreditation” from ITEFLAC – a website that suspiciously appears to have been created by MyTEFL. MyTEFL is now also “accredited” by the International Council for Online Educational Standards (ICOES). ICOES also accredits such bastions of international education including, but not limited to, ‘Permanent Jewelry Bestie’ and ‘spray tan class’.

MyTEFL and ITTT TEFL issue their course certificates out of Thailand. OTTSA was created by a newbie English teacher, Simon Godwin, who lives in Thailand.

OTTSA is a creation of MyTEFL and ITTT TEFL.

ITEFLAC is so obviously a scam. You only have to look at the website to see that it is a fake accreditation website. Could ITEFLAC also have been created by MyTEFL? Possibly. We definitely wouldn’t put it past them.

The TEFL Academy also lies about its accreditation claims.

On the TTA website, it is claimed that The TEFL Academy is accredited by Ofqual, QUALIFI, DEAC, and AQC.

These are external bodies authorized to regulate education programs, not accredit them.

The TEFL Academy (TTA) is, therefore, heavily regulated, but is not accredited at all.

The lesson to be learned here is that when choosing which Online TEFL TESOL certification course to take, choose a course that is fully accredited by one of the (top) above-mentioned reputable international accreditation bodies.

4. Common TEFL Scams – The ‘That TEFL Course is a scam or fraud’ scam.

Some Online TEFL TESOL certification course programs will go to extraordinary lengths to damage the reputation of a competitor.

When I traveled in India, one of the stand-out annoyances was how whenever I would arrive in a new place, with my mind made up on where I was going to sleep for the night, I was always told by random strangers on the train or bus stations that the place where I had chosen to stay was “bad”, “no longer in business”, or “a scam”.

This would then follow with a recommendation of their own, for a far better place where I should sleep instead.

In 100% of these run-ins with “helpful” strangers, not once was my intended accommodation as was described by them.

This is also a Common TEFL Scam.

Some Online TEFL TESOL programs spend vast amounts of their time spreading fake information online about their competitors, to try and convince people to take their course program instead.

A clear winner in this category is Ian Patrick Leahy, from ESLinsider TEFL.

Ian has carved out a specific niche for himself, whereby he churns out pages and pages of misdirected online content- all with the sole intention of selling more of his unaccredited ESLinsider TEFL /TEKA courses.

In other words, Ian Patrick Leahy is a serial online spammer.

Ian and his ESLinsider TEFL course have been banned from Facebook for this excessive spamming and excessive spreading of false information.

Pick and choose any Online TEFL/TESOL certification program – Ian will have written some trash online about it at some time, on his school blog or YouTube channel.

The major irony is that Ian Leahy from ESLinsider TEFL has been directly linked with the imprisonment of English teachers in China.

Just Google ‘ESLinsider Scams Asia’ and you discover a treasure trove of complaints and warnings.

Ian was not only selling his unaccredited TEFL/TEKA course to unsuspecting people. He was also selling fake college diplomas. The Chinese authorities found out and arrested and then deported anyone they found to have bought a fake college diploma from Ian Leahy/ESLinsider.

There are now warnings issued by various reputable sources – all advising people not to take one of Ian’s ESLinsider TEFL/TEKA courses because if they do, they won’t be eligible for a work visa and might be detained due to association with Ian’s TEFL course.

In addition to this bombshell, it has recently come to light that Ian Leahy has been accused, by his verified customers, of having withdrawn money from their debit and credit cards without prior authorization and for purchases not related to TEFL.

Ian Patrick Leahy claims to be a ‘TEFL expert’, an ‘ESL insider’, but has little knowledge of TEFL – demonstrated in one of his YouTube videos, where a user comments on him not knowing the first thing about teaching Phonetics.

The Ian Patrick Leahy ESLinsider scam has been covered in detail on Trusted TEFL Reviews, using Ian’s own published content against him: https://trustedteflreviews.com/2020/02/03/eslinsider-reviews-scam/

We often receive emails, asking whether so and so’s Online TEFL course program is legit or not, and citing concerns about something they have read online that points to the opposite conclusion.

Our advice is always the same.

Place importance on verified customer feedback. Don’t place importance on content that is not from a verified customer source.

5. Common TEFL Scams – Dirt-cheap TEFL courses.

A bunch of one American Dollar bills for TEFL TESOL course payment.
Trusted TEFL Reviews has seen some Online TEFL TESOL courses for less than $20 US.

If you pay peanuts then you get monkeys, and if you buy an Online TEFL TESOL certification course for peanuts then you will be setting yourself up for immediate failure and for becoming victim to the dirt-cheap Common TEFL Scams.

We do understand that money can be tight for some people, but there are some purchases in life that you don’t want to save on and compromise quality on.

A TEFL course is something you don’t want to make a huge saving on because there is always a reason behind that huge saving.

If you purchase a 120-hour Online TEFL TESOL certification course for under US$100, you can expect that course to be unaccredited and full of grammar and spelling errors. You can also expect that you will learn very little on the course and that your course certificate will look like a 5-year-old created it.

The dirt-cheap Online TEFL TESOL certification courses are also almost always not accepted by online/international employers, and you will likely discover down the path that your certificate won’t be accepted as a document for the work visa that will be essential for your teaching purposes.

Do yourself a favor and invest a little bit more and earn an internationally recognized TEFL TESOL certificate that will properly train you to teach English, and that will be accepted worldwide.

The Online TEFL TESOL certification courses that Trusted TEFL Reviews recommends you take.

TTR is an unbiased Online TEFL/TESOL reviews website, so we are completely impartial when it comes to which TEFL course you should take.

However, based on the verified reviews submitted over the years by Online TEFL/TESOL course customers, we would recommend, if you are having a hard time deciding on which course to take, the following (listed in order of customer review ratings) Fully Accredited Online TEFL/TESOL certification course programs:

TEFL Online Pro | Verified customer reviews | https://teflonlinepro.com/

TEFL/TESOL online programs receive an additional program reviews category when they win the Teachers’ Choice Award and are granted the ability to promote their course discounts or promotions on Trusted TEFL Reviews.

OISE University of Toronto TEFL | Verified customer reviews | https://www.teachaway.com/

CIEE TEFL | Verified customer reviews | https://www.ciee.org/

Maximo Nivel TEFL | Verified customer reviews | https://maximonivel.com/

CIEE TEFL, Maximo Nivel, OISE Toronto TEFL, and TEFL Online Pro certificates are Fully Accredited and internationally recognized.

Read more: The 5 best Online TEFL TESOL courses to take in 2026

TEFL Online Pro has won the Teachers’ Choice Award in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025:

https://trustedteflreviews.com/2024/10/19/the-teachers-international-online-tefl-tesol-certification-course-choice-award-winner/


Stay safe out there!

This ‘Common TEFL Scams | What To Watch Out For’ article was written by Mia Williams, co-owner of Trusted TEFL Reviews (TTR) | Best Featured TEFL Articles


New! Click here for the online TEFL/TESOL international certification course Teachers’ Choice Award winner. International Online TEFL/TESOL course certification at its best.


Verified Online TEFL/TESOL certification course program reviews, ranked in order of customer satisfaction: TEFL Course Directory


TEFL Accreditation Guide | 6 TEFL Red Flags | TTR Home | TEFL Course Special Offers


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ESL Job Exchange | 2026 https://trustedteflreviews.com/2021/03/29/esl-job-exchange/ https://trustedteflreviews.com/2021/03/29/esl-job-exchange/#comments Mon, 29 Mar 2021 03:27:00 +0000 https://trustedteflreviews.com/?p=9945 ESL Job Exchange Which TEFL TESOL course certification is right for you? We want to make this article short and to the point, without keyword stuffing, because the question posed by this Trusted TEFL Reviews ESL Job Exchange article can be answered very simply. There are literally hundreds of TEFL and TESOL courses listed online, […]

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The 5 Best Online TEFL & TESOL certification courses in 2023 & 2024 - trustedteflreviews.com

ESL Job Exchange

Which TEFL TESOL course certification is right for you?

We want to make this article short and to the point, without keyword stuffing, because the question posed by this Trusted TEFL Reviews ESL Job Exchange article can be answered very simply.

There are literally hundreds of TEFL and TESOL courses listed online, and one of the common complaints that we receive from people searching for a TEFL and TESOL course is that they are not sure which programs are legit and which are not.

There is so much misinformation published online regarding which course programs are the best, and often this information has been clandestinely published by a TEFL program or TEFL programs that have a hidden agenda interest as to the way this information is portrayed.

Another big issue is the number of bloggers recommending TEFL and TESOL courses that they have no experience of, and which they earn an affiliate’s commission from when you purchase a “recommended” course via their website.

Finding the right TEFL and TESOL certification course is key because you want to invest your hard-earned money in a course that will issue you with a certificate that is accepted for both online and in-person teaching English jobs.

What you don’t want to find, after spending your money and time on an alleged legit course, is being turned down for interviews and work visas because your TEFL and TESOL certificate turns out not to be as legit as the program that sold it to you said it was or was not as “recommended” as an anonymous blogger claimed.

The answer to “Which TEFL TESOL course certification is right for you?” is surprisingly simple.

Choose a Fully Accredited TEFL/TESOL certification program.

TEFL and TESOL certification programs are categorized into three distinct groups:

  1. Unaccredited
  2. Accredited
  3. Fully Accredited

If in doubt, check the TEFL Course Directory:

https://trustedteflreviews.com/tefl-course-directory/

There, you will see whether a TEFL and TESOL program is listed as Unaccredited, Accredited, or Fully Accredited.

The 4 top-rated online TEFL and TESOL international programs are all Fully Accredited:

TEFL Online Pro – https://teflonlinepro.com/

OISE University of Toronto TEFL – https://www.teachaway.com/

CIEE TEFL – https://www.ciee.org/

Maximo Nivel TEFL – https://maximonivel.com/


This ‘ESL Job Exchange | 2026’ article was written by Mia Williams, co-owner of Trusted TEFL Reviews (TTR) | Best Featured TEFL Articles


New! Click here for the online TEFL/TESOL international certification course Teachers’ Choice Award winner. International Online TEFL/TESOL course certification at its best.


Verified Online TEFL/TESOL certification course program reviews, ranked in order of customer satisfaction: TEFL Course Directory


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The downsides of purchasing online TEFL TESOL certification courses for under $50. https://trustedteflreviews.com/2019/09/20/online-tefl-tesol-certification-courses-for-under-50/ https://trustedteflreviews.com/2019/09/20/online-tefl-tesol-certification-courses-for-under-50/#comments Fri, 20 Sep 2019 14:12:45 +0000 http://trustedteflreviews.com/?p=1944 Cheap Online TEFL courses for under $50 tend to contain very poor study content and conceal hidden fees that you only become made aware of once you have paid your initial course fee. We would go one step further, by recommending not to purchase a 120-Hour Online TEFL TESOL course for less than US$150. I […]

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The 5 Best Online TEFL & TESOL certification courses in 2023 & 2024 - trustedteflreviews.com

Cheap Online TEFL courses for under $50 tend to contain very poor study content and conceal hidden fees that you only become made aware of once you have paid your initial course fee. We would go one step further, by recommending not to purchase a 120-Hour Online TEFL TESOL course for less than US$150.

I understand what it’s like to be worried about money – due to student loans, and a stagnant employment market.

Almost eight years ago, I was in the position that you likely might be in now.

I had recently graduated college, I felt the rest of my life was going to be spent paying off my debt debt, and above all, I wanted to take some time away – in a foreign land – where I could self-indulge a little in some TLC.

After much searching, I managed to find a temporary job for the summer, and that was both a blessing and a glorious wake up call.

It meant I could pay my Mom money towards my keep, and it meant I could save some – towards my eventual life dream of settling down in Fiji and making money from selling seashell bracelets. Hey, we can all dream 🙂

But then, someone introduced me to the idea of TEFL, and a few month’s later, I was sat squeezed into an economy class seat, and eating my vegetarian meal – flying over ‘the pond’ and on my way to Europe.

From then on my life changed so much for the best, and I’ve not looked back since.

Back then, the onsite vs online TEFL/TESOL/TESL debate was in full throttle. I chose to take my TEFL online – in doing so saving a small fortune on costs – and I soon came to realize, as I transitioned a few teaching English locations, that online TEFL was the way forward and that all the forum posters who had warned me not to take an online TEFL because I wouldn’t be able to find well-paid work with it, were, well, misinformed at the very least.

Now of course – 2019 – onsite (residential) TEFL courses are becoming obsolete as more and more of us realize that they are time and money eaters, and that online TEFL certificates are equally recognized and accepted.

However, there is a downside to the current explosion of online TEFL certification programs in the industry.

Woman counting one dollar bills to pay for cheap TEFL TESOL online certification course.
Are you rich enough to buy cheap things?

“What’s the problem?”, I hear you wondering.

The problem, my earnest reader, is the new trend of overnight pop-up-like-mushroom schools, which market their online TEFL TESOL Tesl courses for under $50 – with some scraping the barrel with as low as a $5 price tag.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not against low prices. My friends sometimes call me all the names under God’s sun, but – to date – I have never been labeled a Socialist. I understand the mechanics of a market economy, and (for the most part) I embrace it.

But, but, but, there are some products you should avoid paying silly-ass cheap prices for. And a TEFL certificate is one of them.

Take a read through the reviews on trustedteflreviews.com and you will soon see a familiar pattern – which, incidentally, was my motivation for writing this piece.

Almost every review written on a TEFL course bought for under $50 is a dissatisfied, negative review.

The main complaints of these types of cheap TEFL courses are:

  1. People are taken in by the advertised price of the course, which seems too good to be true, and find themselves being asked to shell out for an expensive course extension, and an expensive hard copy certificate – making the final course fee much higher than was originally agreed on. If something seems too good to be true, it invariably is just that.
  2. Because the initial course fee is so low, these program owners often feel that they can get away with offering subpar services – meaning you will receive little to no support both during the course and when it comes time to begin looking for teaching work.
  3. Another common complaint is the quality of the certificates issued through these under-one-hundred-TEFL courses. The result is often that you are at a disadvantage during the interviewing process and are left to accept the not-so-well-paid positions.
  4. When things go wrong, or when you have an issue, you can try contacting one of these super-cheap online TEFL programs for assistance, but you’ll receive little or no help in return.

“So what is the price range that I should be looking at?”, I sixth-sense hear your question.

Our expert advice is to look for an online TEFL program that offers its base 120-hour course for somewhere between $200 – $400. Anything less than this, and you will be sacrificing quality and support services. Anything more than this, and you will be overpaying.

The reason why I mention specifically 120-Hour online TEFL courses is because this is the industry standard. It is perfectly feasible to pay less for a 40, 60, or 80-hour online TEFL course, and perfectly feasible to pay more for a 140, 160, or 180-hour online TEFL course. Your benchmark though should be a program’s 120-hour online TEFL course offering.

“But, I’ve already been teaching for years and only need the piece of paper for my employer”, I imagine someone else chimes in.

Yes, in this case, it can sometimes seem beneficial to steep so low and just complete a few quizzes and receive a piece of paper in return, but again, why would you not pay a little bit more relatively speaking, and invest in something that you can use long-term, and invest in something that adds credence to your resume – and not something that makes you look like a bit of a cowboy/cowgirl.

Yeehaw 🙂

In conclusion. If something seems too good to be true then it will likely be just that. Online TEFL TESOL TESL certification course programs can provide significantly lower-priced courses than onsite (residential) ones as they don’t have the same overheads of classrooms, teachers, etc. This has resulted in the Online TEFL certification course market growth that we have seen during the past few years – and this is good as a whole for the industry. Remember that any TEFL course is an investment. It’s just that some are worth the investment and some will be like throwing your money out the window.

Thank you for reading this slightly longer-than-usual article 🙂


Written by Mia Williams for Trusted TEFL Reviews (TTR) | Best Featured TEFL Articles


Related article: https://trustedteflreviews.com/2021/03/30/6-tefl-red-flags/


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Why international TEFL/TESOL (post-course) job support matters. https://trustedteflreviews.com/2019/05/21/why-international-tefl-tesol-post-course-job-support-matters/ https://trustedteflreviews.com/2019/05/21/why-international-tefl-tesol-post-course-job-support-matters/#comments Tue, 21 May 2019 06:12:00 +0000 http://trustedteflreviews.com/?p=1427 Why international TEFL TESOL job support matters. Almost every international TEFL/TESOL online certification course program advertises ‘international job support’ as part of their post-course services, and the teaching English world community of TEFL newbies would be a much happier place if this were, in reality, true. However, it often isn’t and is simply an opaque […]

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Why international TEFL TESOL job support matters.

Almost every international TEFL/TESOL online certification course program advertises ‘international job support’ as part of their post-course services, and the teaching English world community of TEFL newbies would be a much happier place if this were, in reality, true.

However, it often isn’t and is simply an opaque ruse to capture a new client’s course fee.

We have noticed, among the reviews listed on Trusted TEFL Reviews, quite a few examples of reviewers complaining of little or no help once they completed their online TEFL/TESOL studies; despite reading contrary claims on the school websites which happily took their money with such promises strongly worded in their manifests.

It isn’t exactly a switch-and-bait scam, but it does seem to be the case that certain online TEFL schools (they shall go unnamed) promise the earth while a new student is deciding whether to make their payment for a course and that once the payment for the said course has been made and processed, the level of customer service plummets.

We have received complaints of schools not honoring their promises of providing help with finding work after course graduation and this raises an important point.

Why do people take TEFL courses?

Primarily, they take them to find teaching English jobs abroad after course completion.

I mean, a course could be the Holy Grail of online TEFL instruction, but if no job materializes afterward then it kind of debunks the whole point of taking the course in the first place.

Post-course, international job support ranges from zilch to moderate, to excellent. You should be aiming for excellence. Why? Because you WILL need help finding the right type of teaching job after your course is all finished.

There are thousands of teaching English abroad jobs available worldwide – a very good reason not to accept a job placement btw – but not all teaching English abroad jobs are created equal.

Think about it. Would you travel across the Atlantic Ocean without a guide to steer you clear of possible dangers and ensure you chose the right route for your adventure journey? Well, the answer is probably no.

The same is true of Online TEFL/TESOL courses.

Once you have graduated, you will need the right type of support; assisting with your resume, honing your interview skills, making certain that your choice of teaching location is the right fit for you, and giving professional advice regarding what you should be earning, which schools to avoid and basically how you can land the perfect TEFL job.

So our advice at Trusted TEFL Reviews is to completely ignore what schools write on their websites about post-course support. Ever lied on a resume? Well, companies do the same.

Instead, read through the verified reviews listed on Trusted TEFL Reviews, written by course graduates, and see what they have to say about their experience of their post-course support was like.


Written by Mia Williams for Trusted TEFL Reviews (TTR) | Best Featured TEFL Articles


New! Click here for the online TEFL/TESOL international certification course Teachers’ Choice Award winner. International Online TEFL/TESOL course certification at its best.


Verified Online TEFL/TESOL certification course program reviews, ranked in order of customer satisfaction: TEFL Course Directory


TEFL Accreditation Guide | 6 TEFL Red Flags | TTR Home | TEFL Course Special Offers


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The dirty tricks of some Online TEFL certification programs you should be fully aware of. https://trustedteflreviews.com/2019/05/20/the-dirty-tricks-of-some-online-tefl-tesol-certification-programs/ https://trustedteflreviews.com/2019/05/20/the-dirty-tricks-of-some-online-tefl-tesol-certification-programs/#respond Mon, 20 May 2019 09:10:00 +0000 http://trustedteflreviews.com/?p=2074 The dirty tricks of some Online TEFL certification programs you should be fully aware of. Hi! 🙂 This is a first for us, but we felt that we couldn’t just let this information slide by, as it could either have affected you or is currently affecting you. Earlier this week, we received a review from […]

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The dirty tricks of some Online TEFL certification programs you should be fully aware of.

Hi! 🙂

This is a first for us, but we felt that we couldn’t just let this information slide by, as it could either have affected you or is currently affecting you.

Earlier this week, we received a review from a graduate of an Online TEFL program – that will remain nameless – and after our usual checks, we were able to confirm that the review in question was valid. In other words, it was a verified review, written by a real person, who had taken that particular Online TEFL certification course.

The review did tend to lean more towards negativity, than positive feedback, but it was generally a well-balanced review – addressing some key areas whereby the graduate felt could be improved.

We don’t always request copies of TEFL course completion (certificates, etc.) but in this case, we did ask the reviewer if they wouldn’t mind just sending us a copy of their certificate. They obliged, and everything checked out fine.

We then received a strongly-written email, from the Online TEFL school, that had received the review.

At first, they threatened us with legal action, if we wouldn’t delete the review, and then, they attempted to bribe us – offering a monthly payment to keep negative reviews from being published of their Online TEFL program.

We of course stood by our guns, so the saying goes, and reminded the school in question, that we simply publish feedback from people who have taken an Online TEFL course, and that we are in no way liable for the content of material published on trustedteflreviews.com. Oh, and thank you for the offer of the bribe, but, no thank you. Yeah, yeah, but no 🙂

But one particular mention got our goat; made our blood boil; enraged us.

The Online TEFL school in question, not only threatened and bribed us, but they also mentioned the names of two other (very popular) TEFL course review websites, where they have this agreement in place of keeping negative reviews deleted, and only positive reviews published.

And this confirmed for us, why it is, that some Online TEFL companies tend to receive quite negative reviews on Trusted TEFL Reviews, but when you take a look online, they are portrayed as being five-star courses.

I don’t think I need to explain this any further, as the vast majority of Trusted TEFL Reviews readers have a higher-than-usual intellect.

What we do want to express within this post, is that Trusted TEFL Reviews only publishes reviews, written by course graduates. And we never pander to Online TEFL schools, to have negative reviews deleted. We have also become quite apt at recognizing fake reviews – written by Online TEFL school staff members, and we always delete these as soon as they arrive in our Inbox.

Of course, this puts us a little in a piggy-in-the-middle position, and we have recently received multiple attacks online – trying to discredit our website – but ultimately, we provide a service for people, who are searching for honest reviews, and trustedteflreviews.com will always remain a source of verified Online TEFL reviews, written by real people.

The two schools, btw, of whom we write in this article have been removed from Trusted TEFL Reviews. If an Online TEFL school isn’t listed on Trusted TEFL Reviews, then it might mean they are not a credible company.


Written by Mia Williams for Trusted TEFL Reviews (TTR) | Best Featured TEFL Articles


Related article: https://trustedteflreviews.com/2021/03/30/6-tefl-red-flags/


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