I would agree with all the poor reviews this company has. If you come in knowing which country you want to teach in there, there’s a good chance you might not get place there so their stipulation of not placing you and guaranteeing your money back does not apply if you still get an offer where you did not have your eyes set on. So I would recommend choosing a better program that is more vetted to the country you want to teach in. I especially did not appreciate my agent pushing me to get the online certificate when I adamantly wanted the in person program I understand it was my decision in the end to pick an in person or online program, but I was made empty promises for the online program and the in person program would have been more beneficial for my situation, but I was pushed to pick the online TEFL program. Ultimately, I decided to go with a different program, Ninja Teacher because my ultimate desire was to be placed in Vietnam and they specifically hired teachers in Vietnam only. I wish I had gone with ninja teacher in the first place instead of wasting my money on International TEFL Academy.
TB
taylor B.
These courses were garbage
These courses were garbage, I don't recommend them. It is so overly academic and they act as if you're teaching Oxford students, not tutoring children on zoom. Waste of money, and you can find free courses of TEFL at Alison Learning.
GM
Gary M.
Disappointed with International TEFL Academy – Overpromised and Underdelivered
I had high expectations for the International TEFL Academy (ITA) based on their marketing, but my experience with both their online TEFL course and job placement program was deeply disappointing. ITA consistently overpromised and underdelivered, to the point that I would consider it misrepresentation.
First, their job placement support was nearly useless. The country data they provided was already two years out of date, which made it difficult to plan realistically for job opportunities. Given how quickly visa regulations and hiring trends change, I expected current information—something they claim to provide but clearly do not.
The online TEFL course itself was equally disappointing. My instructor barely participated in the class, offering only a single, generic post each week. Her comments on student posts were brief, generic, and lacked any real engagement or useful feedback. It was obvious she was just phoning it in, which made me question the value of the course as a whole.
For the price ITA charges, I expected a much higher level of quality, engagement, and support. Unfortunately, what I got was an impersonal experience and outdated resources. If you're serious about getting TEFL certified and finding a job, I’d strongly recommend looking elsewhere.
Response from International TEFL AcademyMar 10, 2025
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We are genuinely sorry that your experience did not meet your expectations. At International TEFL Academy, we are committed to providing high-quality TEFL training and job search guidance, and we take concerns like yours seriously.
We want to address a few of the key points in your review:
Job Search Guidance & Country Data Accuracy
Our job search resources are reviewed and updated annually based on market changes, employer feedback, and direct input from alumni and partners. While we acknowledge that some job postings may require adjustments over time, our most recent audit updates are live on our Alumni Corner portal, with the full audit scheduled for completion by the end of April 2025. We appreciate your feedback and want to assure you that keeping our job search materials as current as possible is a top priority. Additionally, as part of Job Search Guidance, we provide these resources, connections, and networks as a starting point for teachers. While our resources are constantly expanding, they are not intended to be comprehensive regarding the endless TEFL opportunities that exist worldwide. Many of the schools in our School Finders are locations where alumni previously have had success and good working experiences.
Guaranteed Job Placement Program
When you enrolled in the Guaranteed Job Placement Program, we facilitated your move overseas details and arranged multiple job interviews for you, exceeding the three interviews guaranteed by the program. Ultimately, you successfully secured a job offer through our guaranteed placement process, fulfilling our program's commitment to you.
Teaching English Online Specialty Course
Our 11-week online TEFL and 2-week Specialty courses are asynchronous, allowing students to complete coursework at their own pace with weekly deadlines while receiving personalized feedback on assignments from experienced instructors. Additionally, instructors of our 11-week course host weekly office hours to provide hands-on support for students who need additional guidance. Our Student Affairs team is available Monday through Friday during business hours, and we know you utilized our team multiple times throughout your courses to ensure your success.
At ITA, our goal is to support all our current students and alumni in their TEFL journeys, and we remain committed to providing the best possible resources, products, and guidance.
Wishing you success in your teaching career.
Best,
The ITA Team
CH
Christopher H.
I was working on assignments and the…
I was working on assignments and the instructor failed me twice in a row on one question from the same assignment. If there are 5 questions, then one should not fail someone. The next assignment the same thing. I am a former teacher of five years and an MBA graduate, so you think I don't know if an assignment should be passing or failing when I write content , lesson plans, and assessments for one of the largest districts in the country Dallas ISD. The question was about accuracy vs fluency which is very subjective to begin with. Every lesson includes both, so why is that such an important question and this was a written assignment not an exam anyways. I feel like they failed me on purpose or something. It's definitely a scam after they took my last payment of $374.25 and then failed me and told me I could pay another $300 and start the course over. I would rather go somewhere else. What a ripoff. I bet I've been a teacher longer than the teacher that was grading my assignment. I will be writing a review on here every chance I have to warn people of this ripoff. I called and told student affairs that this is not good teaching. This school should be trying to help people succeed not simply failing them for the sake of saying , "I found one little error on your assignment, so you're not perfect which makes you a failure" because that's how they make you feel. One question wrong out of 5 is an 80. No one told me you had to 100% correct on every assignment.
SC
ScarletWolfie
SCAM! NOT WORTH IT!!!
Horrible!!!!
After completing this course, I've been reaching out to them in regards of recieving my certificate for 4 MONTHS. Each time I had been told there are issues. One minute I am told there are problems with grading, and the next ALL of my work has been erased and I was told to RE-DO everything! When I finally got a number to call, I was not helped! My emails were being blocked, my work had been erased, and when I spoke in the provided chat box, I was dealing with MULTIPLE passive aggressive helpers who would not even read my messages before instantly telling me that the fault was laying by my side. When I had done everything they told me to do, it still didn't work and I did not get A SINGLE EMPLOYEE that could help me.
The practical assignments, WERE ABSOLUTELY USELESS. Only repeating the same short answered things from the first. For FOUR HOURS I had to sit and listen to stories; NOT EVEN RELATIVE TO WORKING AS A TEFL TEACHER, and was only allowed to leave the assignment AFTER the tutor left.
If you are looking for a study course, DO NOT. I REPEAT. DO. NOT. DO TEFL. It's non-refundable, has poorly planned assignments which often get cancelled, and you aren't getting your certificate. I am a South African, this course was not cheap. And yet I am still sitting with nothing. THIS. IS. A. SCAM.
DO NOT THINK FOR A MOMENT THAT THE POSITIVE REVIEWS ARE *REAL*. THEY ARE FAKES TO FLUSH THOSE OF US WHO GIVE TRUTHFUL REVIEWS OUT!!!
I started in February. It is now SEPTEMBER OF 2024 AND I AM STILL FIGHTING FOR WHAT I WORKED FOR!!!!
BR
Brooke
Non-refundable course
I signed up for a course, then after research saw the company was not the best. Not even an hour later I was canceling and they told me it was non-refundable. Sure its in the T&C, but as a college student not refunding me $500 was a major setback. Super disappointed in their lack of empathy since my situation was a bit different- the payment was still pending when I called so it should not have been an issue. Plus I never got to attend the course either so I paid 500 to just lose money, no service was provided to me
NI
Niko
Lame excuse for “job assistance.”
The “initial advisors” are just salespeople with emails. The International TEFL Academy’s alleged “job-assistance” is non-existent for online teachers. They make you jump through hoops and in the end they just copy/paste automated responses. They gather all these links to drop in your email; some of the links work others don’t. The student affairs ask you (when you’re jumping through hoops) to take a specific code which they generated to your email, include it in a form which you’re to fill out with your information and answered questions. They have all this info on you and then they send you links of jobs for YOU to research all on your own… and these jobs require qualifications you clearly stated that you don’t have. Why did I copy paste a specific code which identifies me? Why did I give you all my information if you’re not going to use it to give me any information relevant to me? Most of the class itself (to become certified) was a bunch of self-research, half-good links thrown at you as well.
Response from International TEFL AcademyDec 1, 2022
Hi Niko - Thanks for taking the time to write a review and sharing your perspective. We're disappointed that your experience did not meet your expectations. We work hard to provide the best training and services possible, but we know that we can always do better and will continue to work to improve the experience for all of our students. If there are any issues you wish to discuss or if need assistance relating gaining employment in the field of TEFL, please reach out to our team.
Regards - The ITA Team