TEACHING ONLINE ENGLISH
TEFL COURSE SYLLABUS & CURRICULUM

The International TEFL Academy Teaching English Online Specialty Course (30 hours) is a fully interactive course taught by a seasoned university-level professor with an advanced degree in TESOL or a related field and international teaching experience. The course is designed for those who are completing or have successfully completed an accredited TEFL course and are looking to Teach English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) to children or adults online.

Throughout this course, students will learn various pathways and methods of online delivery, as well as how to develop an online presence as an English teacher. They will also learn best practices for planning and delivering online language instruction.

This course will be delivered entirely online through the course management system Moodle. In Moodle, students will access online lessons, course materials, tasks, and resources. All tasks will be posted in an online forum or taken as an online quiz.

Course Hours: The course is comprised of 30 hours of online coursework, which includes readings, tasks, and peer participation.

See an example of the online english TEFL course syllabus & curriculum for teaching English online below:

Online English TEFL Syllabus Overview

Click on each tab to access their content.

 

Part 1: Chapter Outline

Important Note: Refer to the course calendar for specific tasks and peer participation due dates. Course activities and tasks will be explained in detail within each corresponding chapter. If you have any questions, please contact your course instructor.

This 30-Hour certification course is divided into two separate chapters:

Chapter 1: Identifying & Attracting Students

  • Describe the role and types of online language instruction in the world.
  • Describe the basic technology and common platforms used to teach online.
  • Describe a typical interview process and booking system for online language schools.
  • Describe steps to creating a niche for yourself as an independent tutor online.
  • Explain common marketplaces and strategies to get your profile noticed.
  • Portray a professional and engaging online presence, both in general and within an introduction video.
  • Develop a physical teaching space for online language instruction.
  • Explain strategies for online language teachers to stay organized.

Chapter 2: Delivering Online Instruction

  • Describe general considerations for teaching language to children and adults online.
  • List some online classroom management strategies for adults and children.
  • Interact with common materials used for teaching children in an online school.
  • Describe how to build and use a reward system for teaching online.
  • Explain how to build and tailor materials for use in tutoring adults online.
  • Explain some best practices for error correction in teaching adults online.
  • Describe the use of various tech tools that can be used in online instruction.

Part 2: Textbook & Technology

Required Textbook:

There are no required textbooks for this course. All of your reading material is available online within Moodle. Purchase of the book is completely optional and not a requirement to take the Teaching English Online Course.

You can find access to purchase the book at the following link: Teaching English Online by International TEFL Academy Press.

Required Technology:

To complete this course, you must have a method to record and upload videos to the internet. Common recording tools include a webcam, smartphone, or tablet. The equipment you use must provide a decent picture and sound quality.

It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that they meet this requirement prior to enrollment. Extensions on tasks will not be given to students because of technology problems.

Part 3: Assignment & Tasks

Tasks:

Each chapter contains its own set of tasks (assignments.) Tasks will be completed in 2 different formats – through an online quiz format or by writing or pasting text into the appropriate forum.

You can access the quiz or forum for each task(s) through the main course page of your course.

Your course calendar outlines the number of tasks that are to be completed for each chapter.

Tasks are due by 11:59:59 pm Central Standard Time on the specified due date.

Late Work Policy:

Be sure to pay close attention to deadlines—tasks that are completed after the due date will be deducted points for each day late. Tasks that are 1 day late will be deducted 2 points and tasks that are 2 days late will be deducted 4 points. Tasks that are submitted more than 2 days after the scheduled due date will receive an automatic grade of “0”. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that homework tasks are submitted appropriately.

Peer Participation:

Each week your course instructor will post a discussion topic in the forum labeled Peer Participation. To receive full points, you must post a minimum of two posts per discussion topic. You will post a response to the instructor’s discussion post by Friday and then post a response to at least one peer’s post by Sunday. Posts are due by 11:59:59 pm Central Standard Time on the specified due date. Credit will not be given for posts made outside of the due dates.

To pass the course and receive your 30-hour Teaching English Online Certificate, students are required to complete tasks 1 & 2 for each chapter and earn at least a 70% for the final score in the course.

Get-to-know-you Questions:

In your course, you will see several activities labeled with a blue question mark icon. These are optional activities designed to increase interaction with your peers. They are not graded for points and can be completed at any point in the course.

Final Evaluation:

At the end of your course, you will be asked to complete a course evaluation worth 2% of your final grade. The evaluations cover the course material and course instructor. The evaluation should only take up to 10 minutes.

Viewing Grades in Moodle:

Points you receive for graded activities will be posted online in the gradebook. From the main course page, click on the Grades link on the left navigation to view your total points. To view rubric scores and written feedback from your instructor, click on the task and scroll past the directions. If you have any questions on your grades, reach out to your instructor.

Your instructor will update the online grades within 5 days of the due date of the task. Tasks in the form of an online quiz will be automatically updated upon completion.

Part 4: Tasks Outline

Below is an outline of the course tasks that are to be completed for each chapter. Some tasks will be completed by pasting or writing text into the appropriate forum. Other tasks will be completed as an online quiz.

Course Calendar & Due Dates

Teaching English Online Course Calendar & Due Dates

Chapter 1 – Identifying  & Attracting Students

  • Chapter 1 Peer Participation
  • Chapter 1 Task 1 Quiz
  • Chapter 1 Task 2 Introduction Video

Chapter 2 – Delivering Online Instruction

  • Chapter 2 Peer Participation
  • Chapter 2 Task 1 Quiz
  • Chapter 2 Task 2 Video and Lesson Analysis

Other Assignments

  • Final Course Evaluation

Part 5: Grading Scale

Your average grade in the course will be determined as follows:

Teaching English Online Glass Grading Scale

Students must complete chapter tasks 1 and 2 for each chapter AND receive a 70% or higher final score to pass the course and receive their certificate.

Teaching English Online Glass Grading Scale 2

It is the student’s responsibility to check grades and instructor feedback throughout the duration of the course.

Part 6: Course Policies

Participation:

Students are expected to participate in all online activities as listed on the course calendar. To stay on track, you MUST log in to the course at least once a day. If not, you may miss important announcements, date changes, etc. You will not be docked any points if you do not log in to your course every day, but it is highly recommended.

Build Rapport:

If you find that you have any trouble keeping up with assignments or other aspects of the course, make sure you let your instructor know as early as possible. As you will find, building rapport and effective relationships are key to becoming an effective professional. Make sure that you are proactive in informing your instructor when difficulties arise so that we can help you find a solution.

Transferring or Withdrawing from Your Course:

Students who are unable to complete the online course must contact the Student Affairs Department at International TEFL Academy. Please refer to your ITA Terms and Conditions for a description about the transfer and withdrawal processes and contact Student Affairs with any questions.

Commitment to Integrity:

As a student in this course you are expected to maintain high degrees of professionalism, commitment to active learning and participation in this class and also integrity in your behavior in and out of the classroom. Cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated in this course.

Cheating is defined as “an act of lying, deception, fraud, trickery, imposture, or imposition. Cheating implies the breaking of rules.”

Plagiarism is defined as “the wrongful appropriation, close imitation, or purloining and publication, of another author's language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions, and the representation of them as one's own original work.”

Students who are caught cheating and/or plagiarizing on course assignments will receive an automatic grade of “0” on their assignment with no chance of redoing the assignment for credit. If the student continues to plagiarize, he or she will be automatically withdrawn from the class.

Questions about Course Guidelines and Policy:

If you have any questions regarding the assignment policies, quiz policies, due dates, etc. please contact your instructor.

Continuing with the course assures International TEFL Academy that you are aware of your role as the student and what is required of you throughout this course.

Part 7: Instructor Information

Your instructor is available by email. You can send your instructor an email at any time of the day or night and will receive a response within 24 – 48 hours. To find more information on your course instructor and contact details, please visit the profile section in your course. Your course instructor is not available by phone.

Important Note: This syllabus, along with course tasks and due dates, are subject to change. It is the student’s responsibility to check ITA for corrections or updates to the syllabus. Any changes will be clearly noted in course announcements.

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Additional Resources

TEO Specialty Course

30 Hours 👩‍💻👨‍💻

Learn more about ITA's Specialty Course for Teaching English Online that will enhance your online teaching skills & make you competitive with online employers worldwide.

 

Enrollment

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Before enrolling, we strongly recommend that you are concurrently enrolled in an accredited TEFL certification, are already certified, or have experience teaching ESL.

Not an ITA Student? Please fill out a form or call 773-634-9900 now.

Please call your original ITA Admissions Advisor or visit the Dates & Tuition page for more details and to enroll for this 30-Hour Teaching English Online Specialty Course.