20 Hour - How to Teach English Online
This course is essential for anyone interested in Teaching English Online (TEO). With guidance from TESOL qualified personal tutors who have experience in teaching English online, this course leads to a specialist teaching English online course certificate upon completion.
Why this course
With specific sections on different online teaching platforms, materials and resources, managing groups online and working with one-to-one students, you’ll have the opportunity to increase your knowledge and ability to teach English online.
Written by EFL professionals with a wealth of TEO experience, this course gives insight into valuable teaching techniques and provides useful material and lesson ideas. You'll find sections on setting up independently, giving trial lessons, managing your online business, as well as different companies you can work for if you are seeking employment, either as a native or non-native online English teacher.
How this interactive course works
This course is ideal if you’ve got a good broadband connection and can work entirely online via a tablet/PC/Mac. You’ll complete interactive exercises, create lesson plans and view video and graphics that bring the course to life.
Eligibility
This course is for existing EFL teachers who wish to enhance their career and learn more about teaching English in an online environment. However, it's also suitable to take alongside one of our main Global English TESOL courses if you are training to become an EFL teacher.
Our courses are open to all native and non-native English speakers over 17 years old with good written and spoken English. If you are a non-native English speaker, please see the course eligibility requirements on our FAQ page. Remember you can always ask us if you are not sure about your level of English.
We also welcome application from schools wishing to train their online English teachers in-house. Please contact us for more information.
Duration
This eight module course is approx. 20 study hours and typically takes between 3-4 weeks to complete, but you can go faster or slower than that if you wish. Because many of our trainees are balancing work/life commitments, we go at your speed and allow up to six months for course completion, far longer than many other online courses.
Everything you need to complete your course and gain your certificate is included in the one fee above. However, check out these optional extras:
- Additional time course extensions available if you need to go beyond 180 days
- Printed and embossed certificate available for an extra fee
This course blends perfectly with the Global English TESOL Business course for an additional 10% discount.
This course covers teaching English online material in 8 modules, in addition to an introduction and conclusion. Using interactive HTML5 to present information, trainees answer questions online. Note that you need to be internet connected and that the course cannot be completed offline.
Course content:
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| Module | Module title | Section | Section title | Time (hours) |
| CI | Course Introduction: TEO | 1 | Getting Started with TEO | 0.25 |
| 1 | Why Teach Online? | 1 | Reasons for TEO | 0.50 |
| 1 | Why Teach Online? | 2 | Advantages & Disadvantages | 1.00 |
| 2 | Why Learn Online? | 1 | Reasons For Studying Online | 0.50 |
| 2 | Why Learn Online? | 2 | Who Are Our Online Students? | 1.00 |
| 3 | Student Motivation | 1 | Staying Motivated | 0.50 |
| 3 | Student Motivation | 2 | Managing Expectations | 1.00 |
| 4 | Teaching English Online | 1 | Teaching Platforms | 1.00 |
| 4 | Teaching English Online | 2 | Finding Students | 2.00 |
| 5 | Lesson Preparation | 1 | Online Needs Analysis | 0.50 |
| 5 | Lesson Preparation | 2 | Online Lesson Plans | 2.00 |
| 6 | Materials and Resources | 1 | Online Materials | 1.50 |
| 6 | Materials and Resources | 2 | Using Resources | 1.50 |
| 7 | Teaching Independently | 1 | Managing the Class | 1.00 |
| 7 | Teaching Independently | 2 | Build Your Business | 1.50 |
| 7 | Teaching Independently | 3 | A Trial Lesson | 1.50 |
| 8 | Working for Companies | 1 | Teaching Online | 2.50 |
| CC | Course Conclusion | 1 | Certification and Survey | 0.25 |
| TOTAL COURSE TIME: | 20.00 |
in Teaching English Online
A Global English PDF certificate is awarded upon successful completion. A printed, embossed version is also available for an extra fee from our TEFL shop page.
Click on the certificate to enlarge.
Ready to start? Select Enrol now to begin.
Who delivers this course
TEFL Global is a trading name of Edventure Abroad Limited, launched in 2026 by Jonathan Siddall. Your course is delivered by our partner Global English, a UK online TESOL school in Exeter, established in 1997.
- Delivered: you study on the Global English platform, using Global English course content.
- Marked: a Global English tutor marks your assignments and writes feedback on them, and you can message your tutor with questions. Some short questions inside the modules are checked automatically.
- Certified: your certificate is issued by Global English and carries a code anyone can check at global-english.com/verify/.
- Accredited: ACTDEC-accredited | actdec.org.uk
What Global English’s students say
These are reviews of Global English, not of TEFL Global, which is new and has few reviews of its own yet.
- TEFL Course Review: Global English TESOL, 4.79/5 from 123 reviews (checked 7 Oct 2026).
- Trustpilot: Global English TESOL/TEFL, TrustScore 4.5 from 72 reviews (checked 7 Oct 2026).
Why some sites list us separately
Review sites list Global English TESOL under its own name, and TEFL Global is not listed there as a separate school. That is correct: they are two brands. TEFL Global sells the courses and Global English delivers, marks and certifies them.