Not Luxe ☼ Travel
  • ABOUT NICK & RAYCHEL
  • WHY “NOT LUXE”
  • Cambodia
  • Australia
  • Travel
  • Teaching ESL
  • Move Abroad
  • Travel Insurance
Not Luxe ☼ Travel
  • ABOUT NICK & RAYCHEL
  • WHY “NOT LUXE”
  • Cambodia
  • Australia
  • Travel
  • Teaching ESL
  • Move Abroad
  • Travel Insurance

what TEFL course to take

    How to choose a TEFL course

    7 Tips On Choosing The Right TEFL Course

    by Nick & Raychel June 29, 2019

    After moving to Cambodia and starting our YouTube channel, our most frequently asked question was ‘How do you choose a TEFL course?’. Find our tips on choosing a TEFL course below.


    Prefer to watch instead of read? Find our YouTube video on getting your TEFL.


    1. Check the requirements for the country you are going to

    The first step in moving abroad is deciding where you want to go. Many countries such as China, South Korea and Japan require a four-year bachelor degree and a TEFL certificate in order to get a job teaching. When we were deciding to move abroad, we had to take this into consideration as neither of us had a four year university degree.

    A major factor in deciding to move to Cambodia was that Cambodia is a country that does not require a university degree in order to get a legal working visa for teachers. The next step was researching what type of TEFL was required to teach.

    CELTA is an international certificate program that is, by far, the best type of English teaching certificate besides obtaining a full teaching degree. If you go for the CELTA route, you will likely be safe to get an ESL teaching job in almost any country. 

    That said, a CELTA certificate is both the most expensive and the most intensive route to take. In most countries, you can get by on a 150 hour TEFL/TESOL certificate to teach English.

    Our advice? Decide where you need to go and do your research. 


    2. Choose an in-person course if possible

    While doing your research, you will find that many countries prefer that you do an in-person certificate program, rather than an online option. This is because in-person TEFL courses will give you the chance to try out your lesson plans in front of a real class. You will also be able to get feedback on your lessons and get great tips face-to-face.

    We did our TEFL course in a classroom and highly recommend doing the same for those reasons.


    3. Find a course that is accredited

    Don’t be fooled by the stamp of approval you may see some TEFL courses advertising. If a course is $10 and you obtain a “So-and-so Academy Accreditation”, think about what that means. In most cases, it doesn’t mean much.

    We chose a course that was supported by an accredited university in our city.

    Accredited courses should always offer a practicum and a teaching assessment. So, even if it is an online course, there should still be a practicum to pass with students.


    4. Be prepared to spend some money

    Let’s go back to the $10 courses again. If the price sounds too good to be true, it’s probably because it is. We were also tempted to buy the Groupon courses online, but really considered what we would get out of it.

    Remember, the end goal is to teach real students in a real classroom. You want to do a great job and make a real difference. It’s not just about the certificate. It’s about getting an education, learning new and valuable things and becoming the best teacher you possibly can.

    We are not telling you to buy a 5,000.00 course – but what we are saying is that if you find a course with great reviews and end results, don’t turn away from it because you may need to spend a couple hundred bucks. 

    If you are serious about teaching English abroad, you will need to invest. Trust us, it pays off.


    5. Choose a course with job placement guidance

    Good TEFL courses will offer you lifetime guidance on finding a job abroad. If the company doesn’t offer you this, then move along. There are many great companies out there that will assist you in your job hunt after completion.


    6. Read TEFL course reviews

    Read the reviews. Spot any red flags and check that the good reviews are coming from real accounts. Like anything you would buy online, you want to be sure that you are getting the best product.


    7. Once you’ve decided on a course, wait for offers or deals (if you can)

    A couple of weeks after we found our course, a promotion came up. If you recommended a friend, you would both save $100 off of the course. Since we did our TEFL course together, we saved $200.00 by waiting for this promotion.


    We learned some very valuable lessons in our course it made teaching a lot easier. We were prepared for the interviews, demos, and challenges we were about to face. Remember, you want to be a good teacher. So take your time and find the right course. 



    Thinking of moving to Cambodia? Find our blog How to move to Cambodia & teach English

    Wondering how much we made in Cambodia? Full breakdown here

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Nick & Raychel
Nick & Raychel

In 2018, we sold everything we owned and moved to Cambodia to teach English.

Let’s make this clear: this journey didn’t start with money. This journey started with a desire to see the world and to do something different for a change.

We’re not going to fool you with photos of floating breakfasts and private jets. We know what it’s like to be on a budget. Although we like to take pretty pictures, we aren’t going to wake up at an ungodly hour to give you unachievable travel jealousy. We aren’t going to censor ourselves or lie to you.

What we are going to do is stay in cheap hostels, find ways to make money, give the advice that we would want to hear, and share our experiences with you honestly.

Are you in?

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ABOUT NICK & RAYCHEL

About Us Hi! We’re Nick & Raychel, the Canadian travel couple behind the brand ‘Not Luxe’. Far before we were married (and on a mission to see the world), we were working…

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  • Full-time travel: rapid-fire answering the most common questions about having no fixed address (PART 2) 

* Language Barriers: English is our first language, but we learn key phrases before visiting a new country, use language apps, and rely (pretty heavily lol) on Google Translate for help.

*Bank Accounts: Our primary bank account is in Canada, and we open accounts in other countries if we stay for more than 6 months. We use WISE for fund transfers.

*Safety Overseas: Yes, we feel safe by using common sense, learning local laws, and staying informed about local news.

*Budgeting and Saving: We work on the road, choose affordable accommodations, and keep travel costs low.

*Routine: We’re still figuring this out, ngl. 

*Belongings: Sold everything in 2017, traveled with just a backpack, upgraded to a van, downsized AGAINA and now have a $100/month storage locker (!!!) 

*Handling Change: Honestly? Online therapy and staying connected to friends help, but we’ve learned to embrace the constant change of our nomadic lifestyle.

Any questions about living on the road? 
Drop ‘em here.

➟ follow @nickandraychel // slow travel & alternative living

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  • It’s official – we’ve quit our jobs once more as our journey takes us abroad again. Over the past 5 years, we’ve been travelling & working temp gigs along the way. 

With just 5 weeks until we touch down in New Zealand, we’ve checked off step 2 on our to-do list. Selling our trusty van, quitting our jobs, securing visas, booking flights, snagging travel insurance, updating resumes, job hunting, finding accommodation, packing our bags, and saying our goodbyes.

This marks our third move to a foreign land without ever setting foot there before. There’s no turning back now, but we’re ready for the adventure. 

So here’s to another wild ride.

➟ follow @nickandraychel // slow travel & alternative living

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  • I think I’ve found my people on this side of the pond. 

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  • Suddenly you’re in a tiny floating cabin in Europe and everything makes sense? 

📍 @paekaldapuhkekeskus 

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  • One of the biggest misconceptions about affordable travel is that it has to be uncomfyBUT there are ways to *actually* enjoy economy - so let’s chat about it. 

Here are our main tips for enjoying saving money on travel:
Follow @porterairlines and sign up to their email list (link in bio) to get first access to their biggest sale of the year so far.
Off season travel. Trust us. It doesn’t hurt the bank account and guess what - travelling in the off-season means shorter lines, more affordable accommodation and less crowds.
Add some spontaneity into your life & be flexible (if possible). 
Porter Airlines has had our backs as savvy travellers for YEARS and we absolutely love them for elevating economy air travel. 

If you haven’t had the chance to experience Porter’s Actually Enjoy Economy experience - Now is your chance.
 Free, fast WiFi (included for all on the new Embraer E195-E2 aircraft)
 No middle seats
 Free beer, wine and cocktails served in glassware
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+ more (!!)

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  • Travelling in comfortable silence >>>

On long travel days, we love being together but we definitely don’t want to talk lmao. There is something amazing about being *with* your person, but not needing to say anything at all.

Anyone else?

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