i-to-i TEFL Review by Alexia, November 13, 2008

This is a great quick course to do. I did the 40 hour on-line course for a basic beginner introduction to TEFL. I supplemented the course by reading 2-3 of the recommended text books, so I feel like I got a lot out of it. Course content was good, nice balance between challenging but not overwhelming. I completed the course in about 2-3 weeks, no worries. The best part was the personal tutor feedback - very useful suggestions and quick to respond. We did 1 lesson plan, which was really well taught, but the reason why I only gave 3 stars for this component was because there was only the 1 (can’t expect too much from 40 hours though I guess). A good starting course.

i-to-i TEFL Review by Mary, November 29, 2008

Now I do the I-to-I 100 hours TEFL course. It’s nice balanced and easy to access on internet page. But the best what I really like, it’s because the feedback tutor answer it’s in quick time and really helpfull. I plan to do some extra certificates courses with I-to-i. Thanks everybody.

i-to-i TEFL Review by Chris, January 7, 2009

I did a 20 hour course and a 20 hour grammar module, before teaching abroad, and it was a great way to get the qualification and the confidence necessary to jump right in at the deep end. The course was so accessible, the material really well designed and the instructor was excellent. However, in Ireland the Department of Education (ACELS) does not recognize i-to-i ’s qualifications, and now that I have taken training courses and a Masters TESOL course with other providers, I can see the limitations of i-to-i ’s training, with almost no lesson planning guidance, and no chance to teach real students, the end product is what you expect from a quick, cheap and easy TEFL course. The real hard work starts after the course when you try teaching for real.

i-to-i TEFL Review by Teflabc, May 7, 2009

Be careful of ‘online’ courses that promise that they are accepted worldwide and are accredited to a high standard. There are a number of issues that must be considered
before doing an i-to-i TEFL course;
1. There is no actual teaching practice on this course. The weekend course (20hours) , the only classroom segment of the full course, is amongst your fellow tutees, and there are no real students to practice teaching on. Therefore, the i-to-i course fails on one of the major requirements of most schools; a Tefl course with practical teacher training.
2. The majority of the main course (100 hours) is studied entirely online, with no opportunity to demonstrate what you learnt in a real classroom. It’s no better than buying a TEFL book and studying it.
3. The 8000+ job list that is provided is very out of date, has few contacts with email addresses and is no better than looking online for your own contacts.
4. Accreditation is poor; ODLQC is a paid monkey that doesn’t do much checking of the course standards. Compared to the University accredited Celta and Trinity courses, the i-to-i shrivels in comparison.
5. Most ‘good’ or ’semi-decent’ schools do not recognise i-to-i TEFL certification. The only certifications that are accepted worldwide and that are respected are the CELTA, Trinity Tesol and University degrees in TEFL related subjects. Most schools that ‘accept’ i-to-i certificates would employ you regardless of having this certificate or not. Remember, demand for ‘native’ speakers of English out strips supply in China, Korea and Thailand.
6.You may be considering i-to-i because it portrays itself as a sustainable and ethical company, however it is owned by the uber-travel corporation TUI, which is anything but ethical.

What you need to consider is, for 3-400 pounds extra, you could study the Celta or Trinity in Thailand, Japan, UK, Spain etc, in a classroom with a real trainer, with actual teaching practice.

i-to-i TEFL Review by Chris, May 11, 2009

I just wanted to respond to Teflabc— Most of the things you state, are things that i-to-i wouldn’t disagree with with the exception of #6. They are very clear about what they offer, what it is and what it isn’t.

Just yesterday, I completed the 20 hour weekend course–and I wanted to post my observations. I was nervous because I hadn’t seen many reviews and was prepared to be let down.

First–Karen, our teacher taught for 10 years in Japan, is head of a major organization that coordinates up to 300 teachers in England. She was amazingly qualified, and the hours literally flew by. Dynamic teaching methods and overall introduction to everything you would need to understand the different components to teaching English. We were a group of 14 and no one left disappointed.

Second–and this is for Teflabc: When the course was over, Karen discussed very openly what further training opportunities were there. She was very clear that i-to-i’s program will do fine for many rural areas and where the standards are not that high. She then reviewed Tefl, Celta and Trinity and explained that if we were still interested and wanted to be certified internationally that those were the routes to go.

Teflabc makes it sound like i-to-i is some scam: the fact is that they speak very clearly about what accredidation they have, they introduce very clearly what the purpose of the weekend courses are for. Because of i-to-i, I am beginning a month long celta training.

So, if you think you may be interested in teaching english–Definitely spend the money for the 20 hour weekend course–a great experience that would be a great first step!

i-to-i TEFL Review by ZGM, June 26, 2009

I purchased and began work on the I-to-I TEFL 100 hour course in June 2008. By October I had completed it. I then left for Spain to get a job with it. I went for a few interviews but was unsuccessful, as they all wanted someone with at least some experience, I didnt have any, and the course didnt contain any practical experience. After 1 month in Spain I ran out of funds and had to return to the UK bitterly dissappointed. I was determined to try again in the future (I was desperate to leave the UK) and I did. In May 2009 I left for South Korea, and thats where I am now. I had a definite job, contract and accommodation set up for me before I left. I was also accepted without having any teaching experience, you just need a university degree in any subject.

Looking back, I know consider the I-to-I course as a waste of time and money, as I could have got this job in Korea without spending £395 on I-to-I’s online course. Their course may be a good introduction to what TEFL is like, but certainly not worth the money especially when you can do the proper recognized CELTA or TRINITY course for another £400. The reason I bought I-to-I’s course was because I was taken in by their ‘internationally recognized course’ and ‘accredited’ claims. I really should have been more careful and done more research before I got my wallet out, but that doesnt excuse I-to-I from making misleading claims. Let this be a lesson any TEFL newcomers.

i-to-i TEFL Review by Ash, July 14, 2009

What matters is both your qualifications AND experience. I am teaching in South Korea AS I take my online 100 hour i-to-i certification.

You can have the experience and not have a certificate, and most places won’t take you [because of the demand, it will set you apart from most]; you can have a certificate and no experience and be utterly at a loss.

What’s needed is both. Yes it’s good to do your research before you start, but if you’re egnaged in an online program, it’s your responsibility to go out there and get the experience. If you’re taking a weekend course or college course before you begin teaching then it’s no different than obtaining a cert. online and getting in the field experience simultaneously or right afterward.

i-to-i TEFL Review by Sarah, September 28, 2009

I did the 120hour course in January, I was talked into it by one of i-to-i’s sales reps on the phone. I even thought I got a good deal with 20% off, but now realise they offer this every month.

The course was OK, but definitely not worth the 400-odd I paid. The only good part of the course was the weekend course, the rest of it isn’t really useful.

I tried to get a job in Japan with this certificate, however most schools wanted a minimum of 120hour in classroom training (like the CLETA, I think it’s called). At the moment, I managed to get a volunteer placement with a school.

I would suggest people go for a 120 hour course (in-classroom), which is accepted worldwide. From what I’ve heard from existing teachers here, i-to- courses are just a paper-mill.

i-to-i TEFL Review by Lucy, October 18, 2009

Thought I’d add my own thoughts on this subject. As an English graduate with a PGCE I am already recognised as a qualified teacher, however I have no experience in teaching TEFL so thought I’d do the 100 hour course to boost my knowledge and make me more prepared for teaching abroad.

I actually think that the i-to-i course is pretty good; so it’s not CELTA or TRINITY- but have you seen how much they cost?! All for, at the end of the day, a slighty different bit of paper!

The i-to-i course is thorough; they do not just pass everyone; you have to complete each module to a certain standard or retake it ( you can only resubmit twice), and you are given very good feedback from the well-qualified tutors; so you become more aware of your strengths and weaknesses. I am now almost finished on the course and have taken advantage of the Job Placement Service offered to register to work in Czech Rep. Normally this country requires the 120 hour course (inc practice), the i-to-i rep who spoke to me recognised I had a PGCE, saw common sense and said she was sure that was fine (if they were so “money-grabbing”, surely I’d have been pressured to add the 20 hour course?).

I honestly feel that i-to-i offer good value. They explain from the beginning what is included, and don’t try to con anyone. I think CELTA and TRINITY are charletans, they charge a lot more than i-to-i, and you still only get 6 hours of practical teaching! At the end of the day a lot of schools abroad are more bothered about you having a degree than a TEFL cert, whatever TEFL you take; it does more to prepare you, than give you any clout when applying for jobs.

i-to-i TEFL Review by Keith, December 23, 2009

I did only a short course on multilevel classes with i-to-i (because I did my TEFL certificate through a university) and I was satisfied. I learned a lot.

To ZGM: Any preparation for working in Korea is appreciated, especially in the public schools. I work in a public school and in Korea I feel there are way too many people coming to teach these wonderful children and don’t have a clue what to do. ZGM, you made an investment and probably you are a better teacher for it.

About Spain: I have heard that it is a tough place to get an English teaching job. You have to be super-credentialed and super-experienced because there is a lot of competition. But it makes sense because many people want to go to Spain because of some idealized notion of life there.

Korea is a great place to get teaching experience, but I hope that people at least get some fundamentals under their belts before coming here. I would not advise anyone to take an expensive course like Trinity or CELTA if the plan to teach for a short time. If you want to make teaching English a career, by all means take one of those courses or do a Masters in TESOL or ELT.

I am American and I taught English in Germany and Finland without any certification. I wish I had taken some course before…things would have gone much smoother.

i-to-i TEFL Review by James, April 6, 2010

I completed the 40hr weekend/grammar course in January and headed to Thailand to teach. To be honest, the weekend course was great; the trainer was knowledgable and motivational and the course was structured. However, the online course was bit of a con as I didn’t feel it was any different from buying a good grammar book and studying it by yourself. Also, although the weekend course was great, it was way too short, felt hurried and had no actual teaching practice with real students.

The main reason I just did the 80hr course was to try it out before going the full hog and doing the 120hr course (while in BKK). However, when I arrived in BKK, all of the respected and high-paying language schools and institutes said that the certification was insufficient. I heard from 8 employers in Bangkok (ranging from British Council to Wall Street) that the i-to-i course was inadequate because it was studied for the majority ‘online’ and that there was no actual teaching practice involved (this is what they stressed the most).

In the end, I managed to get a job a small government school on the outskirts of BKK. However, i believe that it was more to do with their desperation for native speaking teachers than the i-to-i course. And by the way, the i-to-i courses I did were in no way sufficient for preparing me to teach.

Since I’ve been here, I’ve met a number of experienced teachers teaching in some prestigious locations. They said that if you want to work in a good school you need the following;

- a year of experience (sometimes, at the right times of the year good schools will hire newbee teachers as long as they have an internationally recognised TESOL/TEFL)
- a CELTA, TRINTY, A SITtesol or at least a 120hr CLASSROOM based TESOL corse (with teaching practice)
- a degree

Most of these teachers I spoke to said that the i-to-i course, like most of the other online courses, is a very basic ‘intro’ course. It is not sufficient for a career in TESOL/TEFL.

I have now completed a CELTA in BKK, and I wish I did this initially rather than wasting my money on the i-to-i course. Although, the CELTA was full on for four weeks, I left feeling ready to teach anywhere. I also secured a job with a top international language school in BKK.

i-to-i TEFL Review by Carl, April 11, 2010

I took the 40 hour online course, if you know next to nothing about teaching this guide will indeed help you but some of it proves to be tedious for a learner who does best hands on. If you can study online easily this will work for you and get you started but I think its hardly worth the 200 and something USD I payed for it.

If I were to give it a dollar value, it would be $10 USD, simply because you can buy a book for that price that’s going to teach you twice as much.

i-to-i TEFL Review by Danny, May 16, 2010

As somebody going with EPIK (English Program in Korea), having a 100+ hour certificate qualifies you for around $100 extra/month pay raise. Considering it is a year-long contract and they do not care on the type of certificate you have, $500 for the i-to-i 120hour TEFL certificate is without a doubt worth it. Besides making my money back after five months abroad, I also feel more confident and prepared to teach English.

I also think the interactive structure of the online course is very good. Nobody here seems to be talking about that component of the course. The modules are actually fun to do (if you think that’s possible. haha).

i-to-i TEFL Review by simon, June 8, 2010

I feel obliged to write a review of i to i here as I feel there are far too many negative one’s being written. I am 46 years old with no degree, but I have 3 college diplomas from the early 80’s (which is where a university degree would have been from should i have one). I did the i to i course purely to see if teaching english would suit me rather than just going into a job abroad with all guns blazing and no teaching experience / certificates.

Doing this course made me realise that it would be something i could and will enjoy doing. It has taught me the basics ie lesson planning, grammar amongst other things. It has also given me a brief outline of teaching one to one, large classes, limited resources, business english and teaching young learners. This course has never pretended to be the be all and end all, I have always known i could get a job in thailand with just a tefl certificate albeit not in bangkok necessarily because of the university degree and the ageism aspect, but, i could get a job elsewhere there and cambodia, vietnam etc should i desire to.

My intention has always been to take a celta course in which ever country i choose to teach in, as well as having my tefl cert i would bet i can find a decent job and get a proper teaching licence without a degree.

The tutor feedback was excellent, I now know how to lesson plan which was something i could not do before the course, the grammar module has reminded me of all those dark days back at school doing english, overall the course content was very good, no teaching experience but this can always be gained on the job or even one to one private lessons in this country.

ODLQC are a british government backed accreditor, many people have slated them, but i think it is a very good accreditor, not as good as celta admittedly, but if you want celta then pay the extra money and do it. I to i is a good start in the tefl world and will get you a job and a teaching licence in most cases, so please stop putting it down so much, I enjoyed doing the course and as such will be moving abroad to teach within the next year.

i-to-i TEFL Review by Mic, June 15, 2010

I would stay away from i-to-i. I had a terrible experience with them. They advertised their internship in China claiming that you would get a chance to select your region. Initially they offered a choice of four regions, but then, only AFTER the money had been paid, they informed me that in fact there were only 2 regions to choose from, which were something like ‘North’ and ‘South’ China, regions so large they could realistically include anything.

I also found them unhelpful in moving dates and in making changes. Their 120 hr course, also, is a bit of a joke. It’s intuitive, and you learn very little new. I’d stay away.

i-to-i TEFL Review by Amy Robin, June 21, 2010

I was surprised to read Mic’s comment on 15 June. My experience of the i-to-i TEFL course so far has been nothing but overwhelmingly positive. I’ve completed the Weekend Course and am thoroughly enjoying working my way through the online component (I’m doing the 120 hour combined course). My expectations have been exceeded in every area so far. I’ve been particularly impressed by how quickly the assignments are marked and how comprehensive and helpful/constructive the feedback is. If only university tutors were as good at providing timely and useful feedback! The quality of teaching on the Weekend Course was second to none and I’m rapt with the wealth of TEFL resources now at my fingertips. I taught English in Japan with no qualifications or experience a few years back, and had a good experience.When I return to Japan next year, having completed i-to-i’s 120 hour combined course, I know that I’ll be equipped with the knowledge, tools and confidence to have an even better TEFL experience. An outstanding one, in fact. So thank you, i-to-i. Keep up the fantastic work.

i-to-i TEFL Review by Nick Pellatt, July 7, 2010

One star rating for all categories….Can you say zero stars? I dont know!

I did a 40 hour course prior to taking a paid job in China, and realised very quickly that employers who accept an i-i qualification will normally accept you without any qualification if you have a BA/BSc. This is true for many countries where the only requirement is a degree.

In order to continue teaching, I had to complete a recognised course later (I’ve also reviewed that course with St Giles Eastbourne on this site) and so the i-i course was a waste of time and money. So much so that I actually omit it from my resume now as it detracts rather than adds to my qualifications.

I would advise everyone to avoid courses like this, and invest the money into a couple of textbooks instead that will teach you just as much at a far better price. Likewise for the reviewers who say ‘i-i is a good introduction to EFL’, well, books like ‘Learning Teaching’ by Scriverner is just as good an intro at a far lower price.

Anyone who is confused by the mixed reviews on here should just look at some job adverts on a site like TEFL.com and see what employers actually want from candidates. A quick look there will quickly show you that in some regions, a degree is enough, in other regions, a Master is the minimum. When EFL qualifications are required, Trinity/CELTA etc are normally the industry minimum.

This leaves i-i and similar programs as being superfluous. Avoid.

i-to-i TEFL Review by Anon, August 24, 2010

Complete waste of time, effort & your money. Your resources would be better spent looking at doing a practicle course with a reputable provider.

Let me offer a working example, here we see the assessment question;

Devise concept questions to check student understanding of the sentences. Write 3 or 4 questions to each sentence. Make sure all your questions are useful, i.e. they check the essential meaning of the grammatical structure.

I wish you wouldn’t smoke so much.

Answer:

Does the person smoke often?
Is the person happy when he/she is smoking?
Do you think his/her’s cloths smell?
Does he/she smoke regularly?

Below is the feedback

Comment: Mostly correct but you’d also have to establish that the speaker wants the smoker to smoke less.

My point being that the course question is asking for concept questions in relation to the statement made, I cannot get my head round what the tutor mean’s by his/her comment.

Also be prepared for further nonsense as follows;

Since this is your final attempt at checkpoint 3, I have to fail you on the Online TEFL Course. We often allow an extra attempt for those students who are on a learning track but still a little short of the required level. However, in your case I am not inclined to do so, because you have not followed my explicit instructions in some tasks.

Despite 3 attempts and writing the answers to the fairly simple questions, spending an awful lot of time and money the Tutor here tries to say I fall below the required standard.

Read the response carefully before you make your mind up, hardly worded very well for a DOS, is it?.

What a complete load of non-sense I will be asking for the DOS to either re-consider their decision or refund on my course, if not expect an unbelievable website to appear about i-to-i horror stories where there are no holds barred.

Anyone even signing up to this course should be aware that if your answer does not agree with the tutors you will get some pedantic, useless feedback!