Antigua, Guatemala
4 week TEFL Course

Once you’ve enrolled and paid your deposit, we’ll get in touch with our partner centre, who will look at your application before confirming your place on the course.

(If for any reason we or the partner centre are unable to offer you a place on the course, you’ll receive a full refund of your deposit payment.)

The School of TEFL team and partner centre will keep in close contact with you until the course starts, providing information and advice about visas and documentation, arranging your accommodation and other practicalities, and answering any questions you have.

You’ll pay the balance payment directly to our partner centre approximately 60 days before the course starts. (If you enrol closer to the start date though, that’s no problem).

Our partner centre will meet you at the airport (or bus station) and take you to your accommodation. Then your TEFL trainer will see you on the first morning of the course, ready to start!

Theory
During the 4 weeks of the course you’ll gain a solid foundation in the principles of successful English language teaching. You’ll have input sessions for 7-8 hours a day, Monday to Friday. The typical schedule is: Class from 9am-1pm, lunch break from 1pm-2pm, class from 2pm-4/5pm. These sessions cover a range of topics: You’ll learn about the language itself, teaching skills and techniques, classroom management strategies and much more, giving you a strong grasp of the theory behind Teaching English as a Second Language. You’ll also be expected to complete 20-30 hours of required reading.

Practice
Practical teaching is the heart of the TEFL course, and you’ll leave the course with invaluable hands-on experience. You’ll give lessons both to your peer group and to real English learners, observed by your trainer. You’ll start with teaching mini-lessons in the first week and continue throughout the course, building up to taking over a live English class with real, non-native students in week 4, where you’ll teach 60-minute lessons each day. You’ll have plenty of feedback, guidance and coaching from your trainer throughout this process, allowing you to reflect on your teaching, increase your self-awareness and improve your techniques.

In addition to this, there are various short workshops where you’ll be able to practice specific teaching techniques and strategies. You’ll also have the opportunity to observe 6 hours of real classes by experienced teachers. In total, you will have 15 hours of practical teaching and observation during the course.

Coursework and assessment
In addition to the practical component, you’ll be completing coursework and assessments throughout the four weeks. This includes two focused written assignments. You’ll also be assessed on your overall progress and growth as a teacher during the course.

The assessment process is designed to prepare you for real-life teaching scenarios you’ll encounter when you start paid employment.

You can expect to spend some time outside of the classroom on assignments, observations and planning your lessons. Throughout the course you’ll be challenged and encouraged to think creatively and analytically, both during input sessions and with your teaching practice and assignments! By the end of the course, you’ll have the knowledge, skills, and practical experience you need to confidently pursue a career in English language teaching.

You’ll learn everything you need to start teaching English: skills and methodology, how to manage a class, teaching theory and much more. Here’s a summary of the main areas you’ll cover on the course:

• Language awareness (learning about how the language works, including grammar and phonology)
• Lesson planning and lesson structure
• Approaches to learning and teaching
• Critical teaching techniques
• How to teach grammar and vocabulary
• How to teach speaking and writing
• How to teach reading and listening
• Classroom management
• Teaching English with games
• Teaching group classes
• Teaching one-to-one
• Testing and assessment of learners
• Preparing learners for English language tests
• How to find and develop materials and resources
• Job-finding skills and strategies

There are a number of accommodation options:

Host Family
Most participants stay with a pre-approved Guatemalan family in the Antigua area. Our families live 10-25 minutes walking or by bus from the training centre. You can choose a shared or private room. For shared rooms, you are placed with 1-3 other people of the same gender and age group. Breakfast and dinner are included seven days a week. You’ll have a key to the house and are free to come and go as you please, but you must respect the routine and house rules of the family.

Student Residence (subject to availability)
Student residence rooms are within a 10-minute walk of the training centre. They can be shared or private, with breakfast and dinner included seven days a week. For shared rooms, you are placed with other people of the same gender.

Apartment
Apartments are within a 10-25 minute walk or bus/taxi ride from the training centre. They are private (not shared), fully furnished including linens, towels, kitchen utensils and Wifi. Please note that meals are not included with apartments.

Hostel / Hotel
Hostel and hotel rooms are within a 10-25 minute walk or bus/taxi ride from the training centre. Hotel rooms are private; hostel rooms can be shared or private. For shared rooms, you are placed with other people of the same gender. Please note that breakfast is included with hostel and hotel rooms, but not other meals. Most hostels have a kitchen.

Typical accommodation costs for 4 weeks *
Host family – Shared room: $625
Host family – Private room: $740
Student residence – Shared room: $760
Student residence – Private room: $950
Apartment: $795
Hostel – Shared room: $480
Hostel – Private room: $840
Hotel: $2295

* Prices are representative and may vary slightly.

A bus ride to the training centre will typically cost around $1. Taxis are more expensive. We recommend budgeting about $5 per day for transport.

Whichever accommodation option you choose, you’ll receive detailed instructions on how to get from your accommodation to the training centre on the first day!

What can I do with my TEFL certificate from School of TEFL in Guatemala?

The School of TEFL course trains you to teach in Guatemala or anywhere in the world. If you decide to stay in Guatemala, you’ll find high demand for English teachers, partly due to the rapidly growing tourism industry. The low cost of living enables you to enjoy a comfortable lifestyle on a teacher’s salary.

Our partner centre’s job support includes a specialist job-finding workshop in week 2 of the course, CV preparation, and introduction to their Latin American contacts and network of recruitment partners. They also hire two to three of their TEFL graduates each month to work at their language institute in Antigua (the same location as your TEFL training centre), working Monday to Friday with weekends free.

Where can I teach?

You’ll find job opportunities in Antigua, Xela (Quetzaltenango) and the capital, Guatemala City, in both private language institutes and public schools, working with all age groups. Private institutes hire year-round, whereas public schools follow the school year, recruiting mainly in January and February. You’ll find Guatemalan students keen to learn and relaxed, making it a great country to teach as a newly qualified teacher.

If you decide to leave Guatemala, there is quite literally a whole world of possibilities open to you, with teaching jobs in just about every country on every continent.

Again, the School of TEFL team and the specialist staff at our partner centre will provide you with advice and support, and we take this commitment to you very seriously. We’ll help you create a CV tailored to the job market’s requirements and work with you to explore prospects with language schools and other potential employers.