By Cindy Chin, 3 July 2025
Two years had passed since I graduated with my Bachelor’s degree in English in the US (Buffalo, New York) and moved to the Netherlands. I was at a crossroads – should I pursue a Master’s degree or a TEFL certification? I wasn’t sure what to study for my Master’s, but I had always dreamt of travelling and teaching in Asia, especially in China, where my parents are originally from.
During college, I had some experience tutoring English and I didn’t want to waste more time debating my next step. So, at the beginning of 2019 I enrolled in an online TEFL certification course while working a restaurant job with irregular hours.
What TEFL is
TEFL stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language, and it’s a certification that allows you to teach English to non-native speakers. TEFL programmes can vary in length, but a typical certification course requires around 120 hours of training. The content includes lesson planning, classroom management, and language acquisition techniques. Many programmes are available online, making it accessible to people all over the world, and they often allow you to study at your own pace, though some set completion timelines. Costs for the certification can vary, but a 120-hour course typically ranges from €200 to €500, depending on the provider. Once certified, you can teach English in a variety of countries and continents, from Asia and Europe to Latin America and the Middle East, or even teach online.
Struggles at the beginning
I didn’t expect that two years out of school would make studying so difficult. It was my first time juggling work and self-paced learning, and I struggled to stay motivated. The course was designed to be completed in six months, but if you exceeded that time, you had to pay a €150 reactivation fee to continue. Unfortunately, I ended up paying this fee twice – spending an extra €300 – because I kept putting off my studies.
Then, just as I was thinking about teaching in China, Covid-19 hit, closing that door completely. Without travel as an option, I started looking for local teaching opportunities to stay motivated. That’s when I found on Superprof, an online tutoring platform, a Dutch student who wanted to learn English.
My first experience teaching English in the Netherlands
This student, a Dutch high-schooler, was unmotivated and frequently skipped our lessons. When she did show up, she often asked me to do her assignments for her, which I refused. Though this first experience was discouraging, it pushed me to finally complete my TEFL certification in the summer of 2020.
Shortly after, I landed my first proper job as an online English teacher for young learners in China. I taught small groups (two to four students) on weekdays and weekends, and while I loved working with them, I only taught for six hours per week, so I needed more work.
Teaching Dutch high school students online
I found another online teaching job through Indeed.nl, working ten hours a week for an after-school organization based in Hoofddorp. My role was mainly tutoring Dutch high school students via Microsoft Teams, helping them with English homework and preparing for their exams.
Unlike my first tutoring experience, these students were motivated – they needed to pass their English classes to avoid being held back a year. However, keeping their attention was a challenge. Many of them would ask to end the lessons early or got distracted by their phones.
One major challenge was the language barrier. They refused to speak English, and many expected me to simply give them the answers. Some would ask, ‘What is a verb? What is an adverb?’ – but then insisted that I explain in Dutch, a language I was still learning myself. Google Translate became my best friend!
Challenges
Looking back, my TEFL journey was not what I expected. I initially pursued it with dreams of travelling and teaching abroad, but life had other plans. Instead, I found myself teaching online in the Netherlands, facing language barriers and unmotivated students.
A few years later, I applied for an English teaching position at another Dutch after-school programme. This programme, affiliated with Erasmus University, aimed to help high school students pass their final exams and gain admission to the university. During the interview process, I was given five minutes to prepare a lesson plan before the interviewer returned and pretended to be a student. Though she praised my engaging and interactive approach, I ultimately didn’t get the position because my Dutch skills weren’t strong enough. I hadn’t realized that, just like in my previous teaching job, I would be expected to teach English using Dutch.
This reinforced an important lesson: that many English teaching positions in the Netherlands require fluency in Dutch, something I wasn’t prepared for. While I believe immersion in the target language is the best way to learn, the Dutch education system often takes a different approach. I found that fluency in Dutch was a common requirement outside of international schools.
Lessons learnt
Despite the challenges, I learnt valuable lessons:
- Self-discipline: Completing a self-paced course while working was tough, but it taught me to be persistent.
- Adapting to different teaching styles: I had to adjust my approach depending on whether I was working with young Chinese students or Dutch teenagers.
- The reality of online teaching: It’s not just about teaching – it’s about keeping students engaged, dealing with distractions, and sometimes even handling difficult behaviour.
Would I recommend getting a TEFL certification? Yes – but only if you’re truly passionate about teaching. Otherwise, it can be a frustrating and costly experience.
For me, teaching was a stepping stone. While I’m still figuring out my next career move, I’ve started gaining experience as an English editor and proofreader. My TEFL journey helped me develop skills in communication, adaptability, and perseverance – skills that I’m now applying as I explore new opportunities.
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Blog post by: Cindy Chin |
