Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL)

We present this 120-hour blended-learning short course as a 4-week, full-time face-to-face course or as a 12-week, part-time online course.

The full-time TEFL course is presented on Stellenbosch campus as daily, 8-hour sessions. All Covid-19 safety protocols will be adhered to and participants will be required to wear a mask throughout their training, to physically distance and to sanitize and/or wash hands regularly. Participants will also be required to complete an online health check daily to be permitted onto the premises.

The part-time TEFL course is a blended learning course presented over 12 weeks as follows:

• 2 compulsory video call sessions per week of 2 hours each
• 2,5 hours per week of self-paced reading and research
• 2,5 hours per week to complete activities and assignments
• 5 to 6 hours of practical contact teaching that will be completed in the last week of your course and will be a face-to-face opportunity to teach ESL students, plus 1 hour online microteaching

TEFL trainees will be required to complete 1-2 hours of online teaching as well as 3-4 hours contact (face-to-face) teaching during the practical component for both full-time and part-time courses. Arrangements can be made in advance for trainees who are not in Stellenbosch; please inform us if this applies to you.

For the full time course, you will need access to a laptop or desktop with an internet connection to complete activities and assignments.

For the part-time online course, you will need access to a laptop or desktop computer with good speakers or earphones and a microphone, as well as internet access for the video call sessions.

You should be able to speak and write English fluently. That means that you need upper-intermediate English language proficiency (CEFR level B2). We may ask you to take an online English proficiency test before the start of the TEFL course if you do not meet the minimum English language requirements we have mentioned.

From our experience, it is preferable to have an undergraduate degree from an English-speaking country or be in the process of completing a degree, as many teaching positions require prospective TEFL teachers to have a degree before they apply for a work permit. As long as you are aware of this and your English proficiency is at an upper-intermediate level, you are welcome to apply.

Click on the ‘Apply now’ button. This will take you to an MS Form to register your interest in the TEFL course.

You will then be contacted and sent a link to register and pay for the short course. A payment notification e-mail will be sent to you containing your unique reference number. Please e-mail this proof of payment along with a copy of your South African ID and/or passport to Jeanene Olivier at olivierj@sun.ac.za.

You will be accepted into the course once you have paid the fee in full, completed the online registration and after we have received a copy of your identity document/passport.

Important: Clients enrolled for a short course do not have the same access and rights as registered students at the University. No access can be provided to computer labs, the library, or any other form of university property.

You will receive a certificate of competence when you have completed both the theoretical and practical components successfully.
To receive your certificate, you need to attend all the face-to-face or video call sessions and complete all the assignments, and complete both the theory section and your practical teaching hours. Please note that the five to six hours of contact teaching cannot be completed online and will take place in Stellenbosch. Arrangements can be made in advance for trainees who are not in Stellenbosch; please inform us if this applies to you.

A TEFL Certificate can open doors for you. If you decide you want to teach English overseas, you will get to see the world and experience new cultures. A TEFL course will also give you the skills to approach your classroom wherever you are with new insight, and it looks great on your CV. If you decide to teach online, you can earn an income from the comfort or your own home and work flexible hours.

The fee of R13 727 is based on a minimum of five participants, and includes a TEFL manual.

The TEFL course is accredited through Stellenbosch University. Teaching practice is included in the price. We organise your teaching practice week which includes sourcing ESL students, qualified ESL lesson observers, and providing peer and trainer feedback.