Bridge Education Group – Online TEFL Teacher Training – USA

Bridge Education Group is a global leader in TEFL and offers some of the most popular online teacher training courses in the world. One of their signature courses is an innovative Practicum in Teaching English Online course, delivered using Off2Class. In 2021, this unique program was shortlisted for an IMS Learning Impact Award. The award nomination recognized that Bridge’s program is effective in preparing teachers for the online classroom.

Bridge Education Group

More than 35 years ago, Bridge Education Group started as a normal English school.  Unfortunately, like many schools, they quickly realized that lesson quality was lacking. They needed more and better teacher training! To address this problem, Bridge developed an in-house TEFL certification program and started training their own teachers. Furthermore, they saw the opportunity to offer Online TEFL Teacher Training to teachers across the world.

In 2019, Bridge launched the Practicum in Teaching English Online course. This course uses Off2Class to offer teachers a unique hands-on experience in the online classroom. Bridge graduates come out of their TEFL course with actual teaching experience, setting them apart in the job market.

Using Off2Class in Online Teacher Training

To create the online Practicum, Bridge needed an online lesson and student management system that could integrate with video conferencing programs like Zoom. Off2Class provided the perfect solution to meet Bridge’s needs. Every teacher who participates in the Practicum receives an Off2Class account from Bridge, and they use it to teach real learners. At the end of the course, teachers create a portfolio with recordings of five, 25-minute long lessons using the Off2Class platform. Teachers can share the portfolio with prospective employers to demonstrate their online teaching proficiency.

Bridge and Off2Class shortlisted for an IMS Learning Impact Award

In 2021, the teams at Off2Class and Bridge were ecstatic to learn that this innovative program was nominated for an IMS Learning Impact Award! Off2Class and Bridge received an honorable mention for the category “Scaling Pedagogical Knowledge and Practice”. You can read more about the nomination here.

The nomination recognizes that Bridge’s Practicum in Teaching English Online was the first of its kind. Since the onset of the Covid 19 pandemic, the specific skills required to be an online teacher have become increasingly relevant for ESL teachers. This course not only supports new teachers, but also allows experienced teachers to transition to online teaching. Teaching online is a skill in and of itself, and it is fantastic to see that recognized by the IMS awards.

For teachers interested in a TEFL certification from Bridge, we recommend bundling the online TEFL Practicum with the Foundations and Advanced Methods in Teaching English Online courses. This will result in a 180-hour certification in Teaching English Online. With this package, you would start by learning the theory of online EFL teaching, then build on what you’ve learned in Advanced Methods. To finish it off, you would then apply your learning by teaching real students in the Practicum, using Off2Class.

How Does Online Teacher Training Work?

All of Bridge’s courses include:

• videos of real teachers.
• interactive quizzes and exercises to check comprehension.
• discussion boards to connect with other trainees.

For teachers interested in a TEFL certification from Bridge, we recommend bundling the online TEFL Practicum with the Foundations and Advanced Methods in Teaching English Online courses. This will result in a 180-hour certification in Teaching English Online. With this package, you would start by learning the theory of online EFL teaching, then build on what you’ve learned in Advanced Methods. To finish it off, you would then apply your learning by teaching real students in the Practicum, using Off2Class.