What’s included
- 30 hours of accredited TEFL/TESOL training
- A dedicated personal tutor from start to finish
- Personal marking and written feedback on every assignment
- Free digital certificate on completion (ACTDEC accredited)
- Access to our interactive online learning platform
- Study at your own pace, 100% online
- Access to our online teacher resource library
- Optional hard-copy ACTDEC certificate available
- 14-day money-back guarantee
Course overview
Ages 3 to 17: the full school-age range, from kindergarten to teenagers sitting exams.
A 30 hour specialist course in teaching English to young learners, in 15 interactive modules and 339 pages, studied entirely in your browser. Quick knowledge checks mark themselves as you go; your written tasks, reflections and a full assessed lesson plan are marked personally by a qualified tutor. Most students finish in 3 to 4 weeks and you have 6 months of access.
This course is for you if you want to:
- teach children and teenagers, not just the youngest learners
- plan lessons that hold a class through stories, songs, games and movement
- manage a young classroom, and know how to keep the children in it safe
- add a named specialism to an initial TEFL/TESOL certificate
Teenagers are the part most young-learner courses leave out, and they are the hardest group to teach well, so they get proper coverage here rather than a footnote. If you know you will only be working with kindergarten and primary children, our 20 hour Teaching English to Kindergarten and Primary Learners course covers ages 3 to 11 for less.
This is a specialist course rather than a first qualification, so it assumes you already hold an initial TEFL/TESOL certificate or are taking one alongside it. Open to native and non-native speakers with good written and spoken English.
What is the difference between the 120, 150 and 250 hour courses?
| Course | Level | Hours | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 120-hour TEFL / TESOL | Level 3 | 120 | First certificate. The hours most schools and platforms ask for. |
| 150-hour Advanced TEFL / TESOL | Level 4 | 150 | The 120-hour core plus extra grammar, phonology and online teaching. |
| 250-hour Level 5 TEFL / TESOL | Level 5 | 250 | Our deepest qualification: phonetics, IELTS teaching, inclusion. |
Not sure? Take the 2-minute course quiz.
A 30 hour online TESOL course specialising in Teaching English to Young Learners (TEYL).
This course is for teachers who already hold an initial TESOL qualification.
Interactive: PC/Mac/tablet compatible. Work on our interactive platform. Good internet access required.
KEY FEATURES
- 30 hours of course materials and video
- Covers ages 3 to 17, from kindergarten to teenagers
- Personal, dedicated tutor support + 6 months for completion
- Access to student forum and online teaching resources
- Assistance with CV and access to our jobs board
- Free 30 hour TEYL certificate (PDF) on completion, plus an assessed lesson plan
IDEAL IF:
- You are already TESOL qualified and seeking to specialise in TEYL
- Especially interested in teaching English to primary or teenagers
How it works
This course is for teaching English abroad or online. Already qualified, or want observed teaching practice? See our specialist TESOL courses.
- Enrol onlinePay securely by card and get instant access.
- Study the modulesWork through the 30 hours at your own pace, on a computer or tablet.
- Submit work for feedbackSend assignments to your tutor and use the comments to improve.
- Download your certificateFinish the course, collect your TEFL/TESOL certificate, and start applying.
The interactive course runs in your browser on a computer or tablet: shorter modules, assignments marked by your tutor, and a student forum.
Course syllabus
What you’ll study
15 interactive modules on teaching ages 3 to 17 (learners, first lessons, teenagers, resources and an assessed lesson plan).
Learners & motivationIntro · M1–M4 · CR1
| Module | Topic | What you’ll cover |
|---|---|---|
| CI | Course introductionGetting started with young learners. | Getting started with young learners. |
| M1 | Introduction to teaching young learnersWho young learners are, and keeping children safe. | Who young learners are, and keeping children safe. |
| M2 | Characteristics of a young learnerThe four age stages and turning each into a lesson plan. | The four age stages and turning each into a lesson plan. |
| M3 | Motivating primary-aged learnersWhat motivates a primary-aged child: praise, games, variety. | What motivates a primary-aged child: praise, games, variety. |
| M4 | Motivating teenage learnersWhy teenage motivation collapses, and how to hold it. | Why teenage motivation collapses, and how to hold it. |
| CR1 | Reflection · Learners ReflectConsolidating young learner characteristics and motivation. | Consolidating young learner characteristics and motivation. |
First lessons & resourcesM5–M8 · CR2
| Module | Topic | What you’ll cover |
|---|---|---|
| M5 | Getting started with kindergarten and primaryFirst lessons, classroom routines, and the shape of a lesson. | First lessons, classroom routines, and the shape of a lesson. |
| M6 | Managing resources: teaching the skillsTheme-based kindergarten work; listening, speaking, reading, writing. | Theme-based kindergarten work; listening, speaking, reading, writing. |
| M7 | Teaching English to teenagersThe first teenage lesson, and ground rules that survive the term. | The first teenage lesson, and ground rules that survive the term. |
| M8 | Course books, realia and exam classesChoosing a course book, using realia, and working with less. | Choosing a course book, using realia, and working with less. |
| CR2 | Reflection · Resources ReflectConsolidating teenagers, resources and exam classes. | Consolidating teenagers, resources and exam classes. |
Classroom & assessmentM9–M11 · Conclusion
| Module | Topic | What you’ll cover |
|---|---|---|
| M9 | Classroom management and disciplineWhy students are disruptive, and what prevents it. | Why students are disruptive, and what prevents it. |
| M10 | Your lesson ideasIdeas for kindergarten, primary and teenage groups. | Ideas for kindergarten, primary and teenage groups. |
| LP1 | TEYL final lesson plan Lesson planPlan and submit your assessed young-learner lesson. | Plan and submit your assessed young-learner lesson. |
| CC | Young learners course conclusionCertification and survey. | Certification and survey. |
Certificates
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.
Frequently asked questions
Is this 30-hour course accredited?
Yes. Global English was established in 1997 and has been ACTDEC-accredited since 2004. Every certificate carries a unique student certificate number and the logo of our accrediting body, ACTDEC. An optional hard-copy ACTDEC certificate is also available on successful completion.
How long does the course take, and how long do I have to complete it?
The 30-hour course is fully self-paced and studied entirely online, so you can work as quickly or as gradually as you like. Most students finish in a few weeks of part-time study, and you have several months of access. If you need more time, low-cost time extensions are available.
Do I need a degree or teaching experience to enrol?
You do not need a degree. This is a specialist course rather than a first qualification, so it assumes you already hold an initial TEFL/TESOL certificate, or are taking one alongside it. If you are starting from scratch, begin with our 120-hour TESOL Premier certificate and add this course to it.
What ages does this course cover?
Ages 3 to 17, which is the full school-age range. It starts with kindergarten and pre-school children who cannot yet read or write, moves through primary, and finishes with teenagers preparing for exams. Teenagers are the part most young-learner courses leave out, and they are the hardest group to teach well, so they get proper coverage here rather than a footnote.
How is teaching children different from teaching adults?
Almost everything changes. Children do not learn grammar by being told the rule, so you teach through stories, songs, games and movement, and the language arrives with the activity rather than before it. Attention spans are short, so lessons run in several brief stages instead of one long one. Classroom management matters far more than it does with adults, and so does safeguarding. This course covers all of that, and it assumes you already have an initial TEFL/TESOL certificate covering the adult-teaching basics.
Should I take this or the 20-hour Kindergarten and Primary course?
Take this 30-hour course if you want the whole school-age range, or if you do not yet know which age group you will be teaching. Take the 20-hour Teaching English to Kindergarten and Primary Learners course if you know you are working with the youngest children only, ages 3 to 11, and want a shorter, cheaper qualification focused there. This course covers those ages too, and adds teenagers on top.
Is there a real tutor, or is everything automated?
Both, and deliberately so. The quick knowledge checks as you work through each module mark themselves the moment you answer, so you find out straight away whether something has landed. The work that actually shows your teaching ability – the written tasks, the reflections and the final lesson plan – goes to a real, qualified personal tutor who reads it and writes you individual feedback. A machine can tell you that you picked the right answer; only a tutor can tell you whether your lesson would work with a real class.
How is the course assessed?
Assessment is continuous and coursework-based. You complete written assignments and practical tasks that you submit online for your personal tutor to mark. There is no final exam and no fixed exam date – you progress at your own pace.
What certificate will I receive, and is it recognised?
On successful completion you receive a Global English digital (PDF) certificate free of charge, showing your unique student certificate number and the ACTDEC accreditation logo. Employers can check it online at global-english.com/verify/. A prestigious hard-copy ACTDEC certificate can be ordered as an optional extra.
Will this qualification help me get a teaching job?
A recognised TEFL/TESOL qualification is the standard entry requirement for teaching English abroad and online. This course adds a specialist qualification to your CV that employers value; most schools look for a minimum of 120 hours of core TEFL training alongside it.
How do I pay, and is there a guarantee?
You can enrol securely online and start straight away. We accept payment by card (Visa and Mastercard) through Stripe, as well as valid discount and Groupon voucher codes. Every online course is covered by our 14-day money-back guarantee, so you can begin completely risk-free.
What do I need to study this course?
A reliable internet connection and a PC, Mac or tablet. The course runs in your browser on our online learning platform, and your place is saved as you go, so you can stop mid-module and pick up later on a different device. There is nothing to install and nothing to post back to us. This course is studied online only – there is no downloadable offline version of it.
Is this specialist course enough on its own to get a teaching job?
No. Most schools and online platforms still screen for a 120-hour (or longer) accredited TEFL/TESOL certificate. This course is an add-on that names a specialist skill on top of that core certificate.
What our students say
★★★★★
I completed this online course for teaching English to non-native speakers and found it excellent. The materials are practical and well-structured, the tutor provided personalized guidance throughout, and responses to questions were consistently prompt. I feel confident applying the methods in my own classes — highly recommended for aspiring ESL teachers.
Left by verified Global English graduates of this course, published with their permission.
The tutors and staff are genuinely excellent - knowledgeable, responsive, and encouraging at every step.
I feel that my teaching has improved greatly through this course and feel ready to progress in my teaching.
Their timely feedback and support were invaluable. They were always available to answer my questions.
Read Global English reviews TEFL Course Review
This is the 4th online course that I have done with Global English – I completed the Cert.(ES)TESOL in February 2008 and have since done the Business English course, the new English Grammar course and now the Teaching English to Young Learners course. I chose to do the TEYL course with GE as it includes teaching teenagers – many online TEYL courses only deal with teaching young learners up to age 12, but teaching teenagers is my area of particular interest.
I find the add-on courses that GE offers are a good way to continue my professional development – just reading a book isn’t the same because you don’t have to answer questions, don’t get any feedback, and don’t always remember the subject very well! I know that I can rely on a GE course to give me a good grounding in the subject, together with thought-provoking exercises and questions,and helpful comments on my written work. I have grown a lot as a teacher since I started my first course with GE in 2007, and have enjoyed all the courses that I have completed with them.
All the tutors at GE are very professional, answer queries quickly, and mark written work quickly. My thanks go particularly to my tutor for her help and support during this course and the Grammar course – thanks, Kerry, you’ve been an inspiration.
Carol King
I commend the school and course appraisers unreservedly. A very 'adult' approach, solid content and both, expedient in operation and supportive in execution. Anyone wishing to gain an English Language Teaching certificate - could not get greater value for money anywhere on the internet; in my opinion... and believe me, I looked!
William Hammes
I found the course excellent in the classroom management area with lots of helpful tips (that seem to have come from an experienced teacher). Thanks a lot, I really enjoyed this course.
Daniel Cregg
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