It is hard to compare online courses in any subject with face to face courses. There are many factors which may lead a student to go for one or the other, factors which include convenience, cost, access, location, learning styles and preferences...

On the plus side, online TEFL courses do enable you to gain a useful insight into TEFL, and in countries where there is a lower minimum requirement for the qualifications of teachers, these courses can serve as a 'passport' into teaching. Online courses give a foundation which is ideal for helping to orientate potential teachers who may be going off on a short term teaching mission, where teaching English is not being seen as a long-term career, nor to provide a sustainable source of income, where teaching might take place on a casual or volunteer basis.

On the minus side, online courses lack physical face to face contact, and do not include any practice teaching, and for this reason are less recommended for absolute beginner teachers.

TEFL training in an online format is beneficial for anyone who doesn’t have the time or money to commit to a longer, more expensive course, or is not near a centre where face to face courses are held – provided that the qualification gained will suit their plans in terms of where they want to be, what kind of TEFL teaching they want to do, and for which employer.

Doing your TEFL course online is certainly a very convenient and flexible way to follow a course. In addition, it gives you a more prolonged period of time in which to learn about the industry, think about where you’d like to go, and consider whether or not you would like to take further training.

There is also the argument that anyone who embarks on an online training course, before moving on to a face-to-face one of the assessed variety, will be better prepared, and therefore more likely to acheive a higher grade.

Online TEFL courses focus on aspects which you would expect from any TEFL course, be it online or face to face, such as Student Motivation; Teacher Roles & EFL Methodology; Teaching of Grammar, Vocabulary, Reading and Writing; Classroom Management and Lesson Planning. Because of this, an online course is idea for a qualified, experienced teacer of another subject, who needs not the classroom teaching experience of a face to face course, but an overview of what teaching EFL is all about.

Some online courses have useful extras such as chat and forums, in which you can discuss ideas or issues with tutors and fellow course trainees.

Some online courses are externally validated by reputable accrediting agencies. They can also include a section on finding work in the UK and abroad, and provide you with useful publications as well as web sites that you may find interesting throughout the course. Even though the course providers cannot guarantee work they will help and guide you through the process of applying for a TEFL position.

Online training provides an especially useful format for teacher development courses.

Many people who complete TEFL courses are interested in learning more about teaching specialist groups of learners or types of language after they have done their basic training and, perhaps, taught for a while. There are relatively few face-to-face Young Learners and Business English courses available, but there are some good quality online ones. Upgrading your training with these extra skills will increase your chances of finding work and make you more confident as a language teacher!

Basic online courses can be completed in anything from approximately 40 hours upwards, although the actual time you spend and the pace of the course will vary and depends on your individual input.