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Premier TEFL Review: Get TEFL Qualified

Premier TEFL Review: 168-hour Level 5 Certification

Overall Rating

Our Verdict
4.6/5

Premier TEFL offers a wide range of online and blended TEFL courses which covers just about every need in terms of having a TEFL qualification. Its (Ofqual) Level 5 TEFL certification is an excellent option for anyone who wants a legitimate and affordable qualification for teaching English online or abroad.

In completing this Premier TEFL review, we have actually assessed the Level 5 course first-hand. Let’s dive in.

Pros

Cons

Table of Contents

About Premier TEFL

Company Background

Premier TEFL is a TEFL certification provider based in Ireland. The founders of Premier TEFL have over 30 years of combined experience in the ESL industry. The company offers programs including TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) Certification, IELTS (International English Language Testing System) Certification, and Business English Certification. It offers both an online learning platform as well as blended learning courses.

Premier TEFL is a legitimate TEFL course provider and a reputable company in the industry.

Premier TEFL Accreditation

Premier TEFL is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Distance Learning (ACDL). ACDL is an accrediting body based in the United Kingdom. It awards accreditation to organizations offering online courses in various fields, including journalism, programming, and language education.

ADCL has the following code of conduct:

What ACDL seeks from those it endorses:

  1. Correct and up-to-date documentation.
  2. Competence in written English correspondence, course content and all official documentation.
  3. Organisation must function as an institute of learning and this function must be reflected in all public content, media and documents.

How an ACDL-approved organisation must conduct itself towards potential students:

  1. Organisation must offer a degree of transparency in how it conducts its business. Private business must still exhibit trustworthiness.
  2. Courses, Media, and Course Procedures must all be advertised in a truthful and professional manner.
  3. Language competence must be consistent and of the highest standard.
  4. Materials needed in order to complete course must be justified in their requirements and clearly outlined before commencement of course.
  5. Course must follow a fair and appropriate pace and time-frame.

How an ACDL-approved course should be structured:

  1. Methodology must be clearly outlined.
  2. Course must be structured with coherent/sequential modules.
  3. Modules should cover a range of aspects of said subject.
  4. A valid certificate is awarded upon successful completion of course.
  5. For all courses, content and procedure must always be current and up to date.

Source: ACDL Code of Conduct

Courses Offered by Premier TEFL

Premier TEFL offers a wide variety of courses, delivered either completely online or through blended learning. Here is an extensive list of their core and specialist TEFL courses:

Online Fast Track Accredited TEFL Courses

Online Ofqual Level 5 TEFL Courses

Blended TEFL Courses with Virtual Practicum

Specialist TEFL Courses

  • Teaching English Online – 30 Hour Course
  • Teaching TOEIC – 30 Hour Course
  • Young Learners – 30 Hour Course
  • Teaching IELTS – 30 Hour Course
  • Teaching Business English – 30 Hour Course

In-depth Look at the 168-Hour Level 5 Online TEFL Certification

Premier TEFL’s course menu is vast, and its specialist courses offer the full gamut of skills training for those seeking specialized skills as an ESL teacher. However, our primary focus is on the 168-hour online TEFL certification. This is the best option Premier TEFL offers for most people seeking a TEFL qualification, because it is accredited as a Level 5 qualification, and the accreditation is regulated by The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual), a non-ministerial department of the UK Government. Premier TEFL is an approved training center of Training Qualifications UK (TQUK), an independent Ofqual approved awarding organization.

A 168-hour Level 5 TEFL certification is equivalent to a CELTA or Trinity CertTESOL qualification. By completing this course, you will gain 29 Credit Points at Level 5 (RQF). 

This TEFL certification is verifiable with Ofqual: the Qualification Number is 601/5234/5 on the OFQUAL Register. Why is this important? Prospective employers can validate the certification as a legitimate Level 5 qualification in the UK. Not all TEFL certifications are accredited, and many accredited TEFL courses do not have government endorsed or regulated accreditations. This places the Premier TEFL 168 hour online TEFL certificate in a select group of TEFL certifications that can claim legitimacy through a government endorsed accreditation.

Beyond accreditation and legitimacy, the course also teaches fundamental skills and teaching practices that are important to teach English as a foreign language.

Premier TEFL 168 Hour TEFL Course Certificate Sample
Graduates of the Premier TEFL 168 Hour TEFL Course receive a verifiable certificate like this sample.

Course Outline

This course is intensive, and takes 13 – 16 weeks to complete. This is a self-study course that must be completed online. Premier TEFL currently does not offer a blended learning option for this course. There are 11 modules in total:

  • Module 1: Principles of Teaching English as a Foreign Language
  • Module 2: Understanding English Grammar
  • Module 3: Teaching English Grammar
  • Module 4: Teaching English Vocabulary
  • Module 5: Teaching Productive Skills: Speaking and Writing
  • Module 6: Teaching Receptive Skills: Listening and Reading
  • Module 7: Materials and Aids for Teaching English
  • Module 8: Teaching Pronunciation of English
  • Module 9: Lesson Planning for Teaching English as a Foreign Language
  • Module 10: Young Learners
  • Module 11: Use Resources Effectively when Teaching English as a Foreign Language

Passing the Level 5 Course

While this TEFL course is not hard to pass, it certainly does require a genuine effort.

It is possible to fail this course. You will have to complete assignments and tests, and an academic tutor will assess your coursework. You will be given two attempts to re-submit any incorrect answers, but will receive a failing mark if you are unable to successfully complete your assessment questions on the third attempt.

Assignments

As this course is completed online, all of the TEFL assignments are contained within the learning portal. As a Level 5 qualification, the assignments will be comprised of a mix of multiple choice and open-ended questions, including essay-style questions. An academic assessor will review your open-ended questions and responses.

Guidance and Support

Every enrollee will be assigned an academic tutor to assist them with academic queries. Enrollees will have direct access to the academic tutor throughout the course.

Who Can Enroll in this Course?

To enroll in the 168 Hour Level 5 Online TEFL course, you must be a fluent English speaker and have excellent writing skills in English. It is not necessary to be a native English speaker, nor is it required to have prior teaching experience. It is also not necessary to have a university degree.

What's Good About This Course

Intuitive Course Design

Premier TEFL has organized this course so that it is easy to follow and intuitive. This is important when selecting a TEFL certification program as you don’t want to spend a lot of time navigating to find specific sections and content.

Upon opening the course, you are immediately taken to a section where you are able to download all of the included supplementary material: (grammar books, lesson plans, reading resources, etc.). In the left sidebar, there is a navigation menu for accessing each module in the course, In the right sidebar, there is a navigation menu though which can move between sections within the current module.

Every module within the course is convenient navigate through, and on the whole, this course has been very well laid out compared to other courses we have evaluated.

In-depth Content and Solid Delivery

A TEFL certification course should be designed to prepare people to be effective ESL teachers. Unfortunately, many TEFL courses exist purely to issue certificates for a quick buck, so people can teach abroad or online. Since most employers require their teachers to have a TEFL qualification, but there is no regulator of TEFL qualifications, the TEFL certification industry operates with both good and bad apples. However, what is the point of adding such a requirement if the certification does not properly equip graduates to be effective ESL teachers? How does a quick and easy TEFL certification help either the teacher or the student?

The Level 5 168 Hour Online TEFL Certification offered by Premier TEFL does. Each module has been thoughtfully designed to help enrollees prepare for all common aspects of teaching ESL learners. The course conveys relevant knowledge and skills to prepare and deliver successful ESL lessons and help ESL learners improve their English language proficiency. It is a complete course, and because it also includes a module for teaching young learners (the largest ESL segment), there is no need to take an extension course as you would if you were to enroll in the CELTA.

Enrollees are also provided with a broad spectrum of supplemental resources that are available as downloadables. This includes an extensive grammar book and lesson planning resources.

The course is delivered through a blend of short videos, podcast clips, text and reading references. Most low-end TEFL courses, which surprisingly don’t cost much less than this one, tend to be inundated with text and PDF attachments. ESL teaching is a hands on skill, and an online course is already missing the in-person element. Video instructions can help to overcome that to some extent.

Most importantly, this is a course you can fail. There are assignments, and open-ended assignments will be assessed by an academic tutor. This is necessary to qualify as a Level 5 qualification, and gives the course credibility.

Actionable Information and Advice

During our review of the Premier TEFL 168 hour online course, we really appreciated that each section provides actionable tips that can be implemented in the ESL classroom. An example of this is the understanding grammar module. Throughout the lesson, there are various side notes under each section of the module which provide tips for teaching specific concepts, and activities that can be used with both younger and older ESL student age groups to help them better understand complex grammar concepts.

The course is chock full of advice to equip enrollees with actionable information they can bring into the classroom. Even if you are an experienced ESL teacher intending to earn a quality TEFL certification, the course content will offer you new insights and perspectives you might not have considered beforehand.

What Can Be Improved

Premier TEFL is undoubtedly delivering a top-notch qualification via the 168 Hour Level 5 Online TEFL Certification. There is no second guessing Premier TEFL’s position as among the best online TEFL providers, in large part due to the Level 5 Ofqual certification. Unfortunately, Premier TEFL only offers Level 5 certification courses online. While this should be sufficient for most people aiming to gain a TEFL qualification, many higher paying employers prefer candidates who have completed their TEFL certification through an in-person or blended learning course. As well, many people actually want to take an in-person or blended learning course, as they can learn and acquire more practical skills during in-person sessions.

Premier TEFL does offer blended learning courses. They just don’t offer Ofqual Level 5 qualifications as blended learning courses at the moment. That doesn’t mean their current offering of blended learning options is inferior. However, Premier TEFL’s most important competitors currently offer some mix of Level 5 TEFL certifications via online, blended learning or in-person course options. Here’s hoping Premier TEFL will introduce a Level 5 blended learning option, too.

Who is this Course for?

The Premier TEFL 168 Hour Ofqual Level 5 TEFL Certification is suitable for almost anyone aspiring to earn a qualification as a TEFL teacher and acquire the teaching skills that are necessary to be an effective English teacher. Possessing this qualification will open you up to ESL job opportunities around the world and the rapidly growing demand for online English teachers.

As mentioned above, both native and non-native English speakers can enroll in this course. If you are a non-native English speaker, you should be fluent in both spoken and written English at the B1 level of higher to complete this course. Premier TEFL offers a simple English level test to check if your command of English is sufficient to take one of their TEFL courses.

Job Placement Service

Most TEFL opportunities can be found on various online job boards and social channels. As such, Premier TEFL seems to have moved away from offering a job placement service, instead providing an extensive blog with job hunting advice.

While it does offer internship opportunities in Asia, Europe, and South America for a fee, it is most likely that you will be able to discover teaching opportunities (both paid as well as volunteer tutoring opportunities) through various online channels without having to pay for an internship, once you have obtained a TEFL certificate.

Student Reviews

Reviews from students who have completed and earned their Premier TEFL 168-hour course certificate are overwhelmingly positive. Here’s a video from a Premier TEFL graduate who shared his testimonial on the company’s official YouTube channel:

Pricing

The 168-hour Level 5 Online TEFL Certification tuition fee is regularly priced at $639. However, Premier TEFL frequently runs promotions discounting the course fees by as much as 50%, so it’s not unusual to see this course available for a very reasonable price. Indeed, Premier TEFL seems to offer its 168 Hour Level 5 Online TEFL Certification at a lower price than its counterparts. Aside from anyone interested in an in-person or blended learning course, we can’t think of any reason why you would not enroll in this course to earn a TEFL qualification.

If your goal is to get qualified as an online English teacher, the 120-hour Advanced course is a more affordable option, and is sufficient for nearly any online English teaching opportunity, providing you meet other typical requirements such as having a university degree.

We hope this Premier TEFL review has helped understand what is a Level 5 TEFL course, and decide if this course is the ideal choice for you and your TEFL career.

premier tefl review - pricing
Premier TEFL regularly offers its 168 Hour Ofqual Regulated Level 5 TEFL Course for less than $250.
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