Meet The TEFL Academy's Sabrina Moris

The TEFL Academy is a Leading Provider of Regulated and Internationally Recognized Online and Blended TEFL Certification Courses.

We recently met up with Sabrina Moris, the Marketing Assistant at The TEFL Academy, who gave us some insight into the company’s roots and mission. During this interview, Sabrina also shares some information about The TEFL Academy’s course offerings, and the steps it took to put together a TEFL certification its graduates can feel proud of.

Note: Due to a poor internet connection, there were a few moments during the video interview when Sabrina’s signal cut out. Still, there’s a bevy of useful information she shares during the video interview, and just to be sure, she was gracious enough send us her written responses, which we have shared with you below. We hope you will enjoy this interview and find the information useful in helping you decide on the right TEFL certification for you. You can also check out our review of The TEFL Academy 168-hour Level 5 TEFL Certification.

Watch Our Interview with The TEFL Academy's Sabrina Moris

When was The TEFL Academy founded? Can you tell us a little about the company’s history, founders and what inspired them to offer TEFL certifications?

Founded in 2012, The TEFL Academy started in Brighton, UK. Our founders wanted to provide a more affordable, accessible and internationally recognized qualification. Since then, we have expanded internationally with course locations all over the world. We were the first TEFL course provider in Europe, the UK, and Ireland to offer a level 5 qualification. We launched a level 5 course in 2017, and we can see now that the industry has followed our path and level 5 qualifications are now becoming the international standard for teaching positions and offer the best job opportunities with the most competitive packages.

What do you believe are the most important skills a TEFL teacher should possess, and how do TEFL Academy’s courses help teachers develop these skills?

I think it’s really important for teachers to feel comfortable creating interactive and level appropriate lessons. Understanding your students and their individual needs, and taking this into consideration when creating lesson plans, will prepare teachers for any situation. Our course covers lesson planning, teaching materials, and classroom management, so teachers can enter the classroom with the best tools available and be fully prepared to teach effectively. Students in our course will be able to select and formulate lesson aims while utilizing effective teaching materials. They can put this into practice during their written assignments and our tutors will provide detailed feedback.

How did you design your courses? What were the qualifications of those involved in the course design?

The QUALIFI Level 5 Certificate in TEFL has been approved and developed in partnership with Qualifi (an awarding Organization recognized by The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual), a UK government department).

The content of the course was written and designed by industry professionals with at least a DELTA (Diploma in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) qualification, as well as several years of teaching experience, and then peer reviewed.

You offer both online and blended courses. Can you give us a breakdown of the different courses and certifications, and what type of candidate should enroll in the different courses you offer?

We offer a 168-hour, Level 5 TEFL course. You can choose to study our course completely online, or combined with 20 hours of face-to-face classroom training. The course is broken down into 10 units, covering everything you need to know to start teaching English, and is assessed with a mix of short tests and coursework.

The 20-hour classroom training covers all of the practical aspects of teaching, there is plenty of group work, and the sessions are very interactive.

All enrollments in the Level 5 TEFL certification course include one top-up course with no additional fee. Our top-up courses have been designed to build upon the knowledge already gained from completing our main Level 5 TEFL course. Enrollees in our Level 5 course can choose from one of these top-up courses: Teaching Young Learners, Teaching Business English, or Teaching Online & 1-to-1.

Can you tell us about the accrediting bodies that have recognized your TEFL courses, and what they mean for someone interested in enrolling in one of your courses?

We are the world’s only TEFL course provider that has received official recognition from government regulated awarding bodies both in the US and the UK. Our course is regulated by Ofqual (UK government department) and awarded by Qualifi, a UK government recognized awarding body. Our Level 5 TEFL Course is DEAC-approved as meeting the criteria for Approved Quality Curriculum (AQC) status. DEAC is a U.S. Department of Education National Accreditor. After successful completion of our TEFL course, you’ll be presented with an internationally recognized Level 5 TEFL Certificate (168 hours), so it’s the only qualification you need!

Choosing to study a regulated qualification is your guarantee of quality. Course providers offering regulated qualifications must comply with very rigorous quality assurance rules and procedures.

Do you offer placement services or assistance do to graduates of your TEFL courses?

We can provide students with a CV and cover letter template to use for preparing their job applications, and we are very happy to review these documents once they have written them. In addition, we will show students jobs boards they can use to find and apply for ESL teaching positions.

We also have a wide range of fantastic internships and volunteer placements around the world that are open to our graduates. These are great ways for graduates to learn on the job.

What success story comes to mind about one of your course graduates?

All of our alumni are inspiring. Everyone has come from different backgrounds and are at all stages of life. It takes courage to move abroad or make a career change.

One graduate that does come to mind is our brand ambassador Sarah. Sarah sold her house and all of her belongings to travel and teach English online. Not only does she share gorgeous pictures from traveling and videos of teaching online, but she also speaks out about mental health. I think Sarah is an inspiration for others who are going through a similar experience, but she shows us not to let it hold you back from following your dreams. Some days, things won’t go the way you want them to, while other days will seem perfect.

What advice would you give to someone who is contemplating a career as a TEFL teacher and exploring TEFL certification courses?

Take the leap! Don’t let the fear of change discourage you.

Also do lots and lots of research and ask questions, so you will be prepared to invest in a course and move abroad. There is so much information out there about teaching and living abroad. Give our student service team a call and they will be happy to answer any questions about the course and teaching abroad.