How is ESLinsider different? Actually the goal wasn't to be different. The goal was and still is to be better.
Lots of practical teaching ideas for free (how-to videos)
You won't find free materials like ESLinsider has on another TEFL course website.
I don't know of another TEFL course provider out there that put as many how-to videos (100+) on Youtube as I did. All other courses as far as I know keep everything they have behind a log in with access for a limited time (usually 2-6 months).
And what do they have?
I took a popular online course on Groupon that doesn't have any video. Just a boring black and white course.
Those courses are just for show.
You're not going to learn.
And trust me your future self will want to learn because if you don't how fun do you think teaching will be?
Then there are the informational teaching sites that have games and activities on them, but in my experience they all sucked because they were disorganized, not easy to read and hey it's way easier to learn how to teach by watching other teachers than it is by reading about it. But if you like reading then under the instructional videos in the link above I put quick and easy to read bullet points.
Also ESLinsider didn't start off as TEFL course. It started off with videos and an ebook back in 2010-11.
ESLinsider is independent and is proudly not accredited
I don't believe in the system or want to support it or be anything like it.
TEFL accreditation is a paid review if it's even "real". That's right fake accreditation exists in TEFL to get you to buy their course. The brand out there that brags about it's fancy goverment accreditation is accredited by someone who accredits: welding, motivation, driving, banking, new age training, and fashion courses.
Often what happens is a TEFL course company creates a fake accreditation under another name to "accredit" their course and on the surface newbie teachers are fooled.
Basically I could get an accreditation if I paid someone - someone I don't admire or look up to or know anything about - which is most of TEFL. Everyone tries to look official and academic like a university, but none of them actually are.
Like I said before they are just for show.
If I pay an accreditor then I become part of a system that I don't believe in and I help perpetrate that lie. And speaking of lies...
There is no 100, 120, 140, or 200 "hour" course here
This is not university. Aside from CELTA or maybe Trinity TESOL TEFL courses have no affiliation with universities or colleges so why do they name their courses with "hours"? They do it to look official, but most of them are not.
This is especially true with online courses. There are 2 types of online courses: asynch (not held at certain times) and synch (held at certain times) and I have never heard of synch courses in TEFL. Which means these courses are work on them when you want and there are no hours or credits or any of that BS.
There is no affiliate marketing here
Why not?
Because it seems like a misleading way to get people to spread the word. You might get popular because of it like some courses are, but it's a rigged way since you are paying people to do it.
I also don't pay for advertising or use 3rd party review sites.
ESLinsider is targeted on teaching in East Asia
I've taught English in China, Korea, and Taiwan and lived in Japan.
ESLinsider is focused on a smaller part of the world. A part where I've spent quite a bit of time. I taught here, lived here and interviewed teachers here. I like it over here. If you are thinking of teaching over in this part of the world then you might find this site to be helpful.
Here are some links to teaching in China, Korea, Taiwan and Japan.
Do you want to know who runs those TEFL courses?
Another thing about most TEFL courses is they are not transparent. In most cases especially online you won't have any idea who is running the course you are taking.
So like it or not a creative person is behind ESLinsider. No, I didn't study education in college or get a teaching license, instead I got real world experience teaching in Asia that you don't learn in college.
Most English teachers abroad have no experience teaching English abroad. It's not a career for most. So how does that benefit you?
Well, if I was overly educated I might explain things in complex or theoretical terms, but I am not. In fact I might be like you in that you don't have a background in teaching, so I can explain things to you in simple terms. I can show you how to teach.
And what I learned is that watching other teachers is the best way to learn how to teach English. You can read books or read online but most of that is going to go in one ear and out the other.
If you got access to watching other experienced teachers teach then do that. Video is a way to supplement that.
And that's why I created ESLinsider. Teaching was not easy for me, but with time I improved and learned from other teachers about what works and how to make teaching more fun.
I've always been an artist of some sort and that is what I studied in college. I like to make things and ESLinsider is just one of the things that I have made or am making as it's a work in progress.
Learn more about ESLinsider.