The 6 Best TEFL Courses in Prague According to Our Experts

Pursuing a TEFL in Prague is a dream for a lot of teachers – sitting in the heart of Europe, the city is full of historical charm and beauty. Nicknamed “the City of a Hundred Spires,” it’s famed for its colourful baroque buildings and medieval architecture. Enrolling in a TEFL course in the Czech Republic’s culturally enriching capital is a great opportunity to get your international teaching career underway.

Whether you plan on teaching in Prague after your course, or somewhere else in the world, these international accredited TEFL certificates will enable you to start your ESL teaching journey. As part of the program, all of the providers here offer support and guidance within both the local job market and worldwide, to help you get into your first classroom.

The following guide breaks down the various TEFL programs Prague has to offer to help you find a course that suits you and leads to that dream ESL teaching job!

How We Evaluate the Courses

Curriculum – we have looked into the modules and sessions each TEFL program provides to make sure their curriculum will fully prepare you as an ESL teacher.

Support – we have read up on the support each TEFL program provides. TEFL courses can be intense so good support is vital to your success both on the program and once the course is complete.

Reputation – we want you to receive the best TEFL experience Prague has to offer so we evaluated the programs on the above and the overall package they provide.

In a hurry? Here are our top picks:

The Top TEFL Certificates in Prague

TEFL Hero – Best Online Option

Globally accredited and valid anywhere, TEFL Hero is the perfect online option for anyone looking to get TEFL certified in Prague. This 120-hour course was developed, created, and in maintained by current ESL teachers with years of experienced – it provides a robust for anyone looking to get their start in teaching Englsih.

Curriculum – Comprised of 11 modules, each with an evaluation, as well as a final assessment, TEFL Hero really does have it all. Expect lessons on grammar, classroom fundamentals, lesson planning, and everything in between. There’s even a section specifically on teaching young learners for teachers who might be working online or in kindergartens.

Support – TEFL Hero prides itself on support and every course offers unlimited tutor support with all questions answered by real teachers within 48 hours. This means any questions about the material, post-certificate support, or teaching advice are answered quickly by experienced educators.

Reputation – TEFL Hero is definitely a “new kid on the block” but the course speaks for itself – it’s hard to get such a comprehensive curriculum for such a low price.

Course Details

• Location: Online
• Time commitment: 120 hours
• Observed teaching hours: None
• Rigor score: 6/10
• Price: $99 with regular discounts offered
• Housing: N/A
• Guaranteed job placement: No, but their staff is more than willing to help assess job opportunities for students

The Good

• Incredibly affordable
• Unmatched online support
• In-depth curriculum

The Bad

• Online only
• No observed teaching

Best for: Students looking for an affordable and flexible option that won’t break the bank.

The Language House

Ranked as one of the most popular onsite TEFL certification courses in Prague and fully accredited through IATQuO (International Accreditation of TESOL Qualifying Organisations), the Language House offers almost twice the amount of real teaching practice hours compared to similar TEFL courses worldwide. They are all about the real, hands-on teaching, as well as modern EFL methodology.

Curriculum – During the 4 weeks training, you will learn about different types of teaching methodologies, ranging from classroom management to the 4 main teaching skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing).  There are also guided lesson planning sessions where students create their own materials from scratch, participate in grammar workshops (including grammar teaching, grammar homework, and grammar tests) and observe experienced teachers teach. Then there is all the teaching practice hours, all 14 of them! Aside from teaching group classes, trainees also complete 3 hours of teaching practice with a private student.

Support – The Language House has a large staff of about 12 teachers, dedicated to helping students succeed throughout the course. As well as support from the trainers, the community of graduates are available for help and networking round the world years after graduation.

Reputation – This Prague TEFL course comes highly recommended by former students, with a great reputation within the Czech Republic and worldwide. The popularity stems from the high number of teaching hours provided and the supportive community both during and post-course.

Course Details

• Location: Prague
• Time commitment: 4 weeks, 120 hours
• Observed teaching hours: over 14 hours
• Rigor score: 8/10
• Price: regular fee is 1,350 euros, but there are some discounts available on their website, including 125 euros off in March, April and May 2019.
• Housing: not included, but the school can provide accommodation at an additional cost.
• Guaranteed job placement: no, but they provide a personalized job and guidance package for jobs worldwide.

The Good

• Almost double the amount of real teaching practice hours compared to other TEFL courses in Prague.
• Vibrant community of postgraduate support.
• They have a stellar track record of finding graduates employment in Prague and worldwide.

The Bad

• Larger class sizes than other courses in Prague, with up to 16 students.

Best for: Students who want a really practical, hands-on teaching course.

TEFL Worldwide Prague

This leading TEFL course is accredited by IATQuO (International Accreditation of TESOL Qualifying Organisations) and the Czech Ministry of Education. Both theoretical and practical in nature, this course offers supportive teaching practice with real students at all levels, leading to an internationally recognized certificate.

Curriculum – the course consists of daily input sessions based around teaching methodology (ranging from classroom management to teaching reading and writing skills); language awareness (grammar focused, where students are expected to do a grammar presentation and pass a grammar test); and lesson planning. In addition, there are 8 – 10 hours of teaching practice, a one-to-one learner profile, observations of experienced teachers and Czech survival lessons.

Support – Former students say that the trainers motivate you to improve, as well as pushing you in all the right ways. They’re focused on helping you succeed and impart the skills necessary for you to do so, supporting you both during the course and after completion.

Reputation – with a strong focus on the practical classroom teaching experience, alongside experienced and knowledgeable instructors, this course gets a great write up from its graduates, who felt well prepared to ease into the ESL world post course.

Course Details

• Location: Prague
• Time commitment: 4 weeks, 125 hours
• Observed teaching hours: 8 to 10 hours
• Rigor score: 7/10
• Price: regular course price is 1,200 euros. There are also discounts available on their website, including a current winter warmer special for certain 2019 dates for only 995 euros, early bird payments and a bring a friend/partner discount.
• Housing: not included, but the school can help arrange accommodation.
• Guaranteed job placement: no, but continued job guidance worldwide is provided.

The Good

• Gaining experience teaching real students, from basic learners to advanced speakers.
• Their website states that their graduates are teaching within 1-2 weeks after graduation, many times sooner.

The Bad

• Some former students wished the course had included more information on working with young learners (there is a young learner workshop one weekend each month that students can attend at an additional price), business English and exam preparation.

Best for: Students wanting to ensure teacher-readiness through exposure to real life classroom experiences, as well as those wanting continued support after graduation.

International TEFL Academy (ITA)

The ITA has locations worldwide and is accredited through the Training Qualifications UK Centre (TQUK). All their TEFL courses meet or exceed international standards. They’re on of the most well-known providers in the industry and their Prague course offers expert-led training and personalized job placement assistance for both the Czech Republic and worldwide.

Curriculum – the course includes various sessions on the basic principles of teaching, grammar, classroom management, error correction, lesson planning, use of visual & audio aids, teaching group classes of different abilities, teaching the 4 main skills (listening, speaking, reading, writing), language awareness, private tutoring, teaching business English as well as live teaching practice with local ESL students.

Support – the course is taught by highly experienced university-level instructors, all of which are available and accessible throughout the course. Even beyond the course, the support is in place for alumni and students can expect one-on-one guidance from your ITA Advisor to help you create a plan for teaching English abroad.

Reputation – being a world leader in TEFL certification and graduating 6,000 people a year form their courses, ITA is beyond reputable. Former students felt prepared and competent and the resources provided for job placement increased confidence to reach out into the TEFL marketplace.

Course Details

• Location: Prague
• Time commitment: 4 weeks, 120 hours
• Observed teaching hours: minimum of 6 hours
• Rigor score: 7/10
• Price: regular course price is 1,350 euros. There are usually discounts available on their website for course dates.
• Housing: not included, but the school can help arrange accommodation.
• Guaranteed job placement: no, but lifetime job guidance worldwide is provided as well as hands-on job placement assistance.

The Good

• Gaining experience teaching real students, from basic learners to advanced speakers.
• Classes are capped at 12 students per TEFL course.
• It’s widely recognized and accredited.

The Bad

• One of the more expensive TEFL courses available in Prague.

Best for: Students who want to gain an internationally-recognized certificate with real-life value from a well-known and established provider.

Live TEFL Prague

Accredited through the IATQuO (International Accreditation of TESOL Qualifying Organisations), this balanced, comprehensive 4-week intensive TEFL course combines a mix of theoretical and practical sessions, including the chance to teach real students. They ensure small class sizes to maximize personal and individualized tuition and guidance to their trainees.

Curriculum – the course comprises of four basic theory modules; language awareness (a grammar focus module with an assessed exam); teaching skills (reading, writing, speaking and listening); teaching methodology (classroom management and key teaching methods); lesson planning. On top of these modules, there are 8 – 10 teaching practice lessons followed by individual feedback sessions and 1 hour of senior teaching observation. The course also includes survival Czech lessons – a way to learn some basic Czech vocabulary and experience how it feels to be a language learner.

Support – The key trainers have more than 50 combined years of teaching experience and have taught all around the world. Former students have praised the trainers on their helpful and hands-on teaching approach, offering encouragement, support, and advice throughout the course.

Reputation – The reviews are really good with most students feeling confident and ready to begin their teaching career post-course, especially due to their first-hand experiences teaching real students in a language school as part of the program.

Course Details

• Location: Prague
• Time commitment: 4 weeks, 130 hours
• Observed teaching hours: 8 to 10 hours
• Rigor score: 7/10
• Price: 1,050 – 1,200 euros depending on the time of year. There are also discounts available on their website, including early bird payments and bring a friend/partner discount.
• Housing: not included, but the school can arrange accommodation.
• Guaranteed job placement: yes, they offer a full-time teaching job in Prague with salary guarantee to all Live TEFL trainees who finish the course with Pass 1 and employ most graduates with Pass 2.

The Good

• Planning and delivering lessons to real students at the partner language school.
• Small group sizes – a maximum of 9 trainees per class.
• Successful Live TEFL graduates are offered a full-time teaching contract, with salary guarantee.

The Bad

• The course is 130 hours (most TEFL courses are about 120 hours). Some former students have said this makes the course more intense as there are more hours to fit into the 4 weeks.

Best for: Students wanting a guaranteed job in Prague upon successful completion of the course.

Oxford TEFL

If you’re after a CELTA (Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages), Oxford TEFL in Prague is the place to go. Their 134 hour CELTA course is fully accredited by Cambridge English Language Assessment and is recognized internationally throughout the ESL profession as one of the most prestigious TEFL qualifications.

Be prepared for an intensive and rigorous 4 weeks, but if you plan on making a career out of ESL teaching, this could be a strong option for you. You can be sure that wherever you go in the world, having a CELTA will enable you to find teaching work.

Curriculum – There are five main assignment focus areas; the teaching and learning context; language analysis and awareness; language skills (reading, writing, speaking and listening); planning and resources for different contexts; developing teaching skills and professionalism. There is also 6 hours of observed teaching practice, completion of 4 written assignments and the maintenance and completion of a coursework portfolio. Observations of experienced teachers and preparation for finding work are also included.

CELTA’s rigorous program expects trainees to spend at least 3 hours per evening on lesson preparation, homework, research, reading and writing assignments. Brushing up on your grammar pre-course is also expected.

Support – Oxford TEFL’s website states that their CELTA course is run by world-class, experienced tutors qualified up to DipTESOL/DELTA level. Former students say that staff is friendly, kind and supportive, working extremely hard to help in any way possible, and providing direct and honest feedback.

Reputation – As the leading credential for ESL teachers, the CELTA course is highly regarded. Oxford TEFL’s CELTA qualification is recognized by reputable organizations worldwide. Reviews are positive and students felt that were fully equipped and competent to begin their career as an ESL teacher.  

Course Details

• Location: Prague
• Time commitment: 4 weeks, 134 hours
• Observed teaching hours: minimum of 6 hours
• Rigor score: 9/10
• Price: 1,200 euros early bird offer if you pay at least one month before the course starts. Regular price is 1,300 euros.
• Housing: not included, but the school can provide accommodation at an additional cost.
• Guaranteed job placement: no, but they provide lifetime TEFL careers support.

The Good

• It’s considered to be one of the best TEFL certificates that a teacher can hold.
• CELTA courses are usually at the higher end of the pay scale, but the regular price of this course is similar to other TEFL courses in Prague. And the early bird discount actually makes it cheaper than some of the other options!

The Bad

• CELTAs are renowned for being more rigorous than their other TEFL counterparts. It’s a tough course and it will take over your life for the full 4 weeks.
• If you’re planning on exploring Prague and various other Czech landmarks while studying, you may want to think again. Lesson planning, homework, reading and assignments take up most of your out of class time.

Best for: Students who plan on making a career out of teaching abroad.

Conclusion

With a vast market of TEFL courses in Prague, choosing the right one for you can be tricky. Before making a decision, it’s important to work out what your priorities are for a provider, whether they’re well known and established, offer a really hands on practical course and if they provide guaranteed job placement. At the end of the day, it comes down to individual preferences.

Before rushing into anything, do your research. Read up on what former students have to say – they’re often your best source of inside information.

By offering an insight into the various TEFL/CELTA courses available in Prague, we hope that we make your decision that much easier! We wish you the best of luck as you make your first steps on your journey to becoming an ESL teacher!