FAQ More questions will be added to this section on a consistent basis. New Questions If you have a new question, please feel free to contact us at any time. Frequently Asked Questions Is this a "real" TEYL course? Yes! We think it is the best certificate course available for those who want to teach ESL/EFL to children. How can there be teaching practice online? This course is for those who already have some teaching practice. It is not a qualifying course for first-time teachers. An optional teacher practice session is available. Please see the practicum section. Why do I need this certification? This is not an introductory or qualifying certificate to get into the TESL/TEFL/TESOL field. This certificate will give you the confidence to become a TEYL professional. There is a need for a more professional attitude in teaching young learners — an introductory certificate in teaching adults is not enough to deal with the special needs of children. With this certificate you can show employers, clients, and all others in the industry that you have taken the time and effort to gain the special skills required to successfully teach English to young learners. Are there any prerequisites for the course? Can anybody take this course? Please see the CertTEYL Course section for the full prerequisites of the course. We will review every application carefully — we will consider any candidate that we deem to have sufficient experience and/or education to finish the course and to write a quality certification paper. Is there an age limit for taking this course? Yes. You need to be at least 21 years old. Teaching children is a tremendous responsibility. If you are younger than this, you may ask for special permission to participate in the course, but this permission is very difficult to obtain. Do I have to be a university graduate? No. How long will it take me to complete this course? There is no easy answer for this. The average time is about 40 to 60 hours over a period of 4 to 18 weeks, but it all depends on your previous education and learning experiences. Each course participant learns at their own pace. The time spent on the certification paper is what varies the most from participant to participant. The course is the equivalent to about 120+ hours of regular classroom work. Will "Online" be written on the certificate? No. We are proud that our course is online, but we also feel that most people still do not realize that an online course can be a superior qualification to a classroom course. Does everyone who pays for the course get a certificate? No. We will try our best to screen out those who do not have the potential to finish the course by recommending that they re-apply after they have gained more experience, training, or education. Those who are accepted to take the CertTEYL course must complete high quality work to become certified. Our reputation for excellence is paramount to the success of our company — we are in no way a "certificate mill". Why is it called an Advanced certificate? It is called an Advanced certificate because it is designed for those who have already learned the basics of teaching and want to specialize in the teaching of young learners. The word "advanced" is used to distinguish between this course and courses designed for beginners or those new to teaching. How soon after I complete the course will I receive the certificate? Within 1-2 weeks, but if you need a letter stating that you have completed the course, we can provide the letter within a couple of days. Do you offer any employment services? No, we train teachers and nothing else. You can ask for a work reference letter from your tutor. Your tutor is also willing to discuss his/her career or job experiences with you. We have established relationships with various schools throughout the world who are actively seeking our graduates, but you must take the initiative and inform us of your needs. Please see our JOBS section for more details. Please contact us if you have any additional questions.