The newly updated Teaching One-to-One course will equip you with the skills to teach individual students both online and face-to-face. One-to-one instruction is increasingly popular as learners appreciate flexible scheduling and personalised attention.

About this course

One-to-one instruction differs significantly from group teaching. Simply reusing group lessons proves ineffective, and sessions risk becoming casual conversation without adequate grammar focus or learning objectives.

For teachers, investing in this Teaching One-to-One course could be your passport to independent or freelance work. Schools also benefit from cost-effective one-to-one options that expand their market reach without consuming classroom resources.

Prices

The standard course fee is £347 including the certification. If you have completed a course with IH OTTI in the previous 12 months, we can apply a 10% loyalty discount, and the price for teachers working in an IH school is £295. We also have discounts for members of national or international teaching organisations — just let us know on your application form if you would like to claim these discounts.

Please note — if you will be taking this course in the UK, or your employer is a UK-based company, there will be 20% VAT to pay on top of these prices. Discounts cannot be used in conjunction with each other.

Who is this course designed for?

You should consider this course if you:

• have existing one-to-one teaching experience and want to improve
• lack experience but wish to develop the appropriate skills
• have a level of English of C1 or above
• can allocate approximately 5 hours each week to coursework

It will be helpful if you are teaching one-to-one at the time of study, but it is not absolutely necessary. Participants join a worldwide cohort for idea-sharing and collaboration.

Entry requirements

To take this course you should:

• have experience in EFL/TEFL teaching
• have a level of English of C1 or above
• be able to dedicate approximately 5 hours each week to studying

Please note that online applications close on the Wednesday before the course starts. However, we sometimes have late availability, so please get in touch with the admissions team at ihotti@ihworld.com and we will see if there are any last-minute spaces.

Course content

The course addresses these key topics:

• Getting to know you activities for one-to-one classes
• Understanding student motivation and needs
• Face-to-face and online classes
• Differences between group and one-to-one teaching
• Online platforms and tools
• Materials — adapting and creating
• Making a course, and planning the lessons
• Correction and feedback techniques

How is the course delivered?

This is a blended online course combining synchronous and asynchronous elements, welcoming participants from around the world.

Each week starts with a live (synchronous) session lasting 90 minutes. This will be recorded for anybody who can’t attend, but we strongly recommend that you try to make each live session.

Live sessions are provisionally scheduled for Mondays at 1 pm UK time, but the exact time for each course will be agreed between the tutor and course participants.

During the rest of the week, you access the course materials flexibly and complete the weekly tasks in your own time. Your tutor will provide feedback, and the discussion forums allow you and your peers to explore and discuss the topics together.

Duration and time commitment

We advise you to spend 3–5 hours each week studying, as well as the 90 minutes for the weekly live session.

You need to maintain consistency throughout the course — no mid-course breaks are permitted, as the collaborative group dynamic requires all participants to be working through the material together week by week.

Assessment

There are four assessments which you must complete during the course. These will be marked and graded by your tutor. Participation is also an essential part of this course. The final grade will be Pass or Fail.

Your verified digital certificate

On successful completion of this course you will receive a digital certificate. This is stored securely on a verified site, so everybody can be confident that it is authentic and real.

It will look like the image below:

You can share this with a prospective employer, client, or anybody else that you choose. A digital certificate is more safe and secure for you than paper — it won’t get lost in the post, it won’t get damaged over time, and it is always available. You can share it in just one click, or print as many copies as you like. And it’s better for the environment.

Click here for a short video about verified digital certificates from our partner Accredible.