Chicago Language Courses

Within our wide variety of online TESOL courses, our Diploma in TESOL is the most advanced online qualification that we offer. The course is designed to be taken by anyone who wants to start their teaching career with a higher level qualification than the majority of other first-time teachers in the job market. With this qualification on your CV/resume you will be able to apply for more prestigious teaching positions that typically offer a higher salary and greater responsibility. The diploma course begins with our standard 120-hour online TESOL certification course which covers all the basic subjects that new English teachers need to be aware of. Thanks to this base level start to the course, the Diploma in TESOL is open to anyone regardless of their previous classroom experience. There...  [Read more]

The 120-hour TESOL certificate course is one of our more popular online courses as it includes full coverage of the TESOL world and results in a certificate that is internationally recognized and welcomed by employers in all corners of the world. The many popular features of the course include the ability to decide on your study schedule which enables you to work at whatever pace suits your lifestyle. All graduates of the course will also receive access to our unique career support services for the length of your teaching career. Once your enrolment is complete we will send you an email containing details that will enable you to log-in to your restricted area of our online course system. From this system you will be able to access the course materials which you can choose to either study...  [Read more]

Our 170-hour TESOL course with online specialization has been designed for those who would like to gain a qualification to enter the ESL employment market and wish to maximize their options. Through this course we will give you the knowledge and skills needed to teach English in both classroom and online settings. The course is taken in two parts: First, our 120-hour certification is completed. This is followed by a further 50-hours of study looking at the particular skills needed to teach English online. One added benefit of the course is that on completion you will gain access to a unique graduate network, connecting you to ITTT alumni currently employed by many of the major employers in online teaching. The 120-hour TESOL course must be taken and completed first, followed by the 50-hour...  [Read more]

  The Association of Language Testers in Europe is an association of organizations involved in the assessment and certification of language learners in a variety of languages across Europe. The main purpose of the association is to provide an effective framework that allows employers and employees to compare the levels of language qualifications awarded in different countries. The development of the association and its framework has been largely due to the increase in migration of workers between European countries brought about by the widespread easing of border controls within the region. The association continues to grow and currently represents 27 different languages from all over Europe. Are you ready to live and teach abroad? Click here and get started today:...  [Read more]

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Russia could be a great teaching destination for you if you want plenty of cultural experiences and room to travel in a country that is still a little off the beaten path. There are around 150 million people in Russia and many of them want to improve their English skills for work or travel purposes. Jobs can be found in most big cities, particularly Moscow and Saint Petersburg. Unlike several other European countries, there is no specific best time to look for ESL jobs in Russia as the high demand means there are vacant positions available at anytime of the year. Another difference with Russia is that it is common for employers to hire teachers in advance from within their home country. This can be very convenient for many people as you will already know important details such as...  [Read more]

The wonderful continent of Africa covers a wide and diverse range of regions, from the Mediterranean beach resorts of North Africa to the vineyards and wildlife parks in the south. Despite the fact that jobs for ESL teachers are not as numerous or as widespread as you will find in many other parts of the world, there are opportunities waiting for those who wish to find them. The key to finding the right position for you might well be a degree of flexibility regarding your destination. A little patience might also be required. The best region for finding paid teaching jobs in Africa is the north of the continent. North African countries such as Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia all have a strong demand for ESL teachers, particularly in private language academies. Another option is private...  [Read more]

In many cases, people complete a TESOL certification course in order to head overseas to live and work. However, for many others the ability to teach online without having to leave home is a great opportunity. If you have no previous experience of teaching it can be a good way to build your skills and to earn some money before setting off abroad. For some people it can also be a very convenient way to top up what they earn from their main job, no matter where they are in the world. Starting out as an online English teacher is relatively easy and inexpensive. The main expense is likely to be the cost of completing a TESOL certification course. Although this initial outlay will require a significant investment of your time and money, it should prove to be more than worth it once you...  [Read more]

Yes, the opportunity to learn a new language is one of the highlights of teaching English abroad for many people. It?s a well known fact that being fully immersed in a foreign culture and continually surrounded by the language is the best way to learn it quickly. During your time teaching in a particular country you will inevitably have daily opportunities to practice and develop your new language skills. While you will probably pick up a certain amount of the language in your day to day life, you should also find that local language courses are available at more affordable rates than in your home country. Another benefit is that the language you will be exposed to on a daily basis will be the real language used by local speakers rather than what you might learn from a textbook. By...  [Read more]

In terms of validity, it is not the method of delivery that is most important about an individual course but rather the overall quality of the content. Whether the course is taken online or in-class does not typically tell you how good or bad that particular course might be. There are several fundamental areas of ESL teaching theory that should be included in a good quality TESOL training course such as teaching methodologies, classroom management techniques, and a range of grammar subjects. However, it is virtually impossible to judge an individual course by its stated syllabus, so how do you decide which course is the best? One thing you can do to gauge the quality of an online TESOL course is to check if it is accredited. This simply means that an independent body has evaluated...  [Read more]

Within the world of ESL teaching there is little in the way of common regulation so course providers are free to offer whatever courses they wish. For the trainee, this can make it difficult to know which courses are the best and which are best left alone. On the positive side, there is something you can do to check the overall quality of the course and its contents. If the course you are interested in has been accredited by an independent body then it is fair to assume that it will be of reasonable quality. Put simply, an accrediting body is an independent third party who reviews the standards of a course provider and gives them their accreditation if they are satisfied with the results of that review. By visiting a course providers website it should be easy to find any...  [Read more]

There are four main categories of English teaching programs that we will consider here: For each program, we will have a look at who they are for, what they generally involve and anything else of particular note. Who the program is for: This is the type of English taught in government schools and private language institutes throughout the world. What the program generally involves: The syllabus is usually defined for five levels of study using an established book series such as New Headway, ‘Let’s go’ for example. Of particular note: There are many millions of students learning general English worldwide. Who the program is for: English programs taught for students who need to show that a particular level has been achieved, either for employment or university entrance. Two of...  [Read more]

Distance learning has become an increasingly popular form of study in many fields of education and ESL teaching is no exception. To ensure we continue to provide a high level of convenience and affordability we regularly add new course options to our online range. Our 120-hour online TESOL course covers virtually all the same theory subjects as our in-class TESOL course. The main difference between the two course options is observed teaching practice (OTP). During an in-class course trainees get to spend many hours practicing their teaching in a real classroom under the guidance of experienced teacher trainers. Because of this practical experience, in-class TESOL courses are generally seen as superior to courses that do not provide any practical training. However, while our in-class...  [Read more]

For many teachers teaching English online is an appealing career path due to the convenience of working from home or while on the move. It is your responsibility as an online ESL teacher to teach students whose first language is not English. The four skills of listening, reading, writing, and speaking in English are all part of the job. Teaching English in person is very different from teaching ESL online from home. Forget about using heavy textbooks and photocopying tedious worksheets! Teaching English online is awesome because there are so many cool resources available, such as YouTube videos, blogs, and online ESL language apps and games. However, you may encounter some difficulties when attempting to teach English online. For instance, when you teach a student in person you can...  [Read more]

The bottom line is that it is not necessary to have knowledge of any language other than English when taking a TESOL course or when teaching English abroad. In the modern age, the majority of English classes around the world are based on the communicative approach to English teaching that simply means that English is the only language used in the classroom by the teacher and the students. You may find yourself in a situation where you have a multilingual classroom that contains speakers of a dozen or more different languages. In these scenarios being able to speak one or two of them would be unlikely to help anyone. In contrast, teachers in monolingual classrooms often find that their students are more likely to revert to their common language during a lesson if they know that the...  [Read more]

If you have never taught a class of students before, it is worth taking a few moments to imagine your first lesson as an English teacher to a class of 30 students, none of whom are English speakers. Here are some fundamental questions to ask yourself before you start. If, at this very early stage of thinking about this process, you are imagining yourself to be totally out of your depth, this is a good thing, as you are probably being honest with yourself and you are probably right. Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) is not as easy as it may first appear. Being a native speaker of English does not qualify you to teach it. A TESOL course will give you a solid grounding into the areas of the English language that are commonly taught and an introduction to teaching...  [Read more]

If you want to start your ESL teaching career with an advanced-level qualification under your belt, our online Diploma in TESOL could be the ideal option. By adding this qualification to your CV/resume you can demonstrate to employers that you are a serious candidate who has the skills and knowledge to thrive in higher level teaching jobs. The advanced nature of the Diploma in TESOL course means it has been specifically designed to build on the subjects that you study in a standard TESOL certification course, meaning that an initial TESOL qualification is generally required. However, as the diploma course also includes our 120-hour online TESOL certification course, this is typically no problem. Simply sign up for the 370-hour Diploma in TESOL course and you will start your training...  [Read more]

If you choose to attend an in-class TESOL course, the first decision to make is which location would suit you best. In order to offer the widest choice possible, we have training centers in a range of great locations. We have many options for completing a TESOL certification course in North America. As well as several training centers in the USA, we have locations in Canada and Mexico. Central and South America are also very popular destinations for our trainees and we have some great locations to choose from in countries including Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala and Peru. Asia is the largest and most popular market for ESL teachers which is why we have several course locations to choose from across the region. If you want to find a job in China which has the...  [Read more]

At any time you will find a huge number of vacant ESL teaching positions available in countries right across the world. Because of this very strong demand there are always plenty of opportunities up for grabs for anyone who wants to take advantage of the situation. All you really need is a TESOL qualification. Below we take a look at what prospective ESL teachers need in order to be eligible for a TESOL course with ITTT. It almost goes without saying that the most important attribute required when taking a TESOL course is a solid understanding of the English language. However, it is certainly not necessary to be a native English speaker as there are plenty of employers around the world who are happy to employ non-native speakers with a TESOL qualification. As long as you are fluent...  [Read more]

All TESOL courses provided by ITTT, and most other course providers, are separated into individual sections or modules in order to make the content easier to digest and to retain after the course is complete. Each course contains multiple modules covering all the most important areas of English language teaching, including various grammar points, a range of classroom skills, and lesson planning strategies, to name just a few. This course design should allow you to work through the materials smoothly and ensure that most of the information covered is still fresh in your mind when you start your first day in your first ESL teaching job. However, as most TESOL course providers, including ITTT, offer many different course options to suit various personal goals and scenarios, there is no...  [Read more]