As a TEFL teacher applying to work with a Chinese-owned teaching platform, you need to be able to verify your TEFL certificate online. No need to panic, we’ve got you covered! If you are not yet teaching English online but plan to in the future, then read on – this is important for you too.
Why do I need to verify my TEFL certificate?
The regulations for teaching English online with Chinese companies recently changed. So what does this mean for you?
Prior to this year, the legal requirements to teach English online with Chinese companies were pretty vague. Online platforms had their own policies when it came to hiring. In turn, this led to an influx of teachers who didn’t necessarily have an accredited TEFL certification or teaching experience.
However, that all changed at the turn of the year when the Ministry of Education in China introduced new rules following a crackdown on “after-school classes”. Complaints showed there had been issues with the quality of these lessons.
As part of the new regulations, employers need to be able to verify your TEFL certificate online. This is to ensure the authenticity of your certification and that you’re qualified to teach English online; believe it or not – some fakes actually exist.
Requirements to teach English online for a Chinese-owned platform
Regardless of whether you are in China or working from home, you will need to have completed a TEFL course to be legally employed. This is relevant to anyone who is working for a Chinese-owned company, no matter where you are in the world.
So if you are teaching English online while country-hopping across the world, you will need a TEFL certificate. If you are working a full-time job at home and making extra money through online English teaching, you will need a TEFL certificate.
Not only do you need a minimum of a 120 hour TEFL course, you will also need proof. Verifying your Premier TEFL certificate is simple.
Chinese companies will also require a degree qualification (in any subject), you don’t necessarily need to have an education degree. A background check is the last piece of the puzzle to becoming an online English teacher with a Chinese-owned company, which can typically be sent digitally.
It’s your responsibility to provide these documents to your employer. If you find a Chinese-owned company that doesn’t require these documents, then you need to take a step back. If something seems too good to be true, it usually is. Ignoring this might land you in hot water and restrict you from being able to enter China for travel, so be careful.
How do I verify my Premier TEFL certificate?
To verify your Premier TEFL certificate, and guarantee its authenticity, you will be awarded a unique identifier code. You will find this printed on the bottom of your certificate. Find it underneath the date of issue, in a combined sequence of letters and numbers.
If you completed your course prior to March 2019, our team can manually verify your certificate authenticity by email to a potential employer or Notary Public. Contact us here to make this request.
After inputting your unique identifier code, you will see your TEFL verification results. These results will display your name, the qualification awarded and the number of teacher training hours completed. This tool allows employers to verify that your certificate is valid and meets industry standards.
With a quality Premier TEFL course behind you, you will be able to take on the world of teaching English online. But don’t forget, being able to verify your certificate is becoming more important than ever. Many may follow suit after Chinese companies, so ensuring you have a recognized and verifiable certification is crucial.
Make sure that if you want to teach English online for a Chinese company, that you do it the right way.
