Online Learning FAQs

Yes, you can study with us anywhere in the world.

Yes, you can study from home, work, on your commute, while travelling abroad, or wherever suits you. Oxford School of Advanced TESOL Studies offers online courses and qualifications where students read course materials, participate in group discussions and complete tasks entirely online via a dedicated virtual learning environment (VLE). All you need is access to an internet connection when completing online tasks or submitting your work.

Once you have registered on your course or qualification, you will get access to your student account with links to your module and learning resources. Please note that our School offers tutor-led online professional education; we do not sell ready made online courses that could be downloaded immediately after the purchase. The course or qualification you will enrol in will become available for study only after the beginning of the next term.

Our School’s terms begin in October, February and June, with each module opening three days before the official course start date to be announced in the next week following the beginning of the term. You will get more information about your chosen course from your tutor shortly before the module opening.

To secure a place in your chosen course or qualification, be sure to enrol on your module before the cut-off date. If you want to study several courses simultaneously, you have to register on each module separately before the cut-off date. Late applications may be processed in exceptional circumstances only.

Your Student Home page is your personal account which links you with the VLE and various online study resources, including the library.

When you log into your Student Home through the School’s website, on there you can:

• see all the courses and qualifications you have studied or are studying with us;
• access your module website and online study resources;
• submit your assignments and collect tutor’s feedback;
• make notes in your Learning Journal for study or CPD purposes;
• plan your further studies by choosing and enrolling on your next module;
• pay tuition fees, view payment history and download invoices;
• read general School’s messages to students;
• order a Letter of Good Standing as proof of your studies with our School;
• view issued certificates and diplomas; and
• contact our Student Support team.

You get access to your Student Home shortly after registration on your first course or qualification.

Online education has recently gained popularity with professionals all over the world due to faster access to relevant knowledge and skills, greater flexibility for studying alongside work and family commitments, and a bigger emphasis on personal, academic and professional development through independent learning.

While a lot of course work in online learning is to be done independently, you will also take part in collaborative group work organised through online forums. In addition, you will get support from a tutor who will guide you throughout the study process and mark and comment on your written work and progress. You will communicate with your tutor and group mates mainly via email and online forums.

As soon as you get access to your module website three days before the official course start date, you will be able to plan your studies. On your module website, you will see a week-by-week study plan and assignment deadlines.

All programme topics are studied on a weekly basis. Your tutor will open module sessions every week or every two weeks to help you gradually progress through the study materials at your own pace, while covering study themes and submitting assignments in time together with your group mates.

Since all our students are from different regions and different time zones, there are no live online tutorials or lectures set at a specific time. You can study course materials and complete tasks at any time comfortable for you, but you will be guided through the learning process by your tutor to ensure that you can meaningfully contribute to group work and do not fall behind your group mates.

While most modules are taught through entirely online study, some modules rely on a combination of online and printed materials. Our teacher training materials have been developed based on the latest research findings in the ELT/TEFL/TESOL field and equip students with the theoretical knowledge, research skills and practical teaching tools and techniques that underpin successful English language teaching practice today. Unless your chosen qualification recommends that you buy set literature, all study materials (including Microsoft Office presentations and Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) versions of selected study materials) are provided on the module website.

Course work usually includes online practice tests, tutor-marked assignments and end-of-module assessment. You must use the online VLE-system to submit your tutor-marked assignments and end-of-module assessment.

We practise different types of assessment with our students. Assignments may include essays, reports, group forum discussions, reflective diary, portfolio of evidence and materials, glossary compilation, research, peer-to-peer assessment and so forth. Our tutors are constantly engaged in the latest TESOL methodology research and practices and try to share their findings with our students who themselves are experienced teachers and use the knowledge and skills gained while working on the assignments in their immediate teaching practice. Each assignment is balanced in terms of theoretical base expansion, practical application and planned workload, requiring students to spend 10-15 hours per week on their studies.

Our School does not run exams with a fixed date and time. Instead, students submit end-of-module assessments, for the preparation of which they are given plenty of time. For some qualifications, end-of-module assessment includes a research paper on a chosen theme. We strongly believe that English teachers should have more opportunities to mindfully reflect on newly acquired knowledge, latest research findings as well as on their learning journey and teaching practice rather than merely demonstrate the wonders of terminology or actual fact memorisation and output under immense time pressure.

The Pass mark for each module is 50%. If you are not successful in passing your module, you may be able to submit another end-of-module assessment within two months.

Upon successful completion of your course or qualification, you will be issued a certificate of completion or a diploma from Oxford School of Advanced TESOL Studies.

A personal computer with broadband internet access and the latest version of a browser is required for each module. Functionality may be limited on mobile or tablet devices.

There must also be an email account to communicate with your tutor and to receive newsletters from the School.

If you have a disability or particular study requirements, please tell us as soon as possible.

Course participants are generally encouraged to relate the content of the course to their own professional experiences when working on their assignments and qualification papers. Therefore, access to formal or informal educational settings will be needed to apply the ideas in practice and carry out observations.

Nevertheless, there is no requirement to have minimum teaching work experience – our courses and qualifications are suitable for both novice and experienced English language teachers.

All our current students and alumni obtain lifetime premium membership with the Oxford TESOL Forum.

Our alumni holding advanced diplomas can get a 20% discount on all our TESOL courses and qualifications if they decide to continue their studies with us. They also get a 50% accreditation fee waiver. Moreover, fully funded research scholarships are now open for our School’s alumni holding advanced diplomas who wish to continue their studies with us and obtain the Oxford Advanced Diploma in TESOL Research: if you are interested in carrying out research in the TESOL field, apply for a fully funded research scholarship by 31 July 2024 via Student Home to join our research team in September 2024.

You can pay for your studies by debit or credit card during online registration. The payment must be made in full; no instalments are available.

Please note that course fees are non-refundable unless you withdraw your application within a cooling off period of 14 days (10 working days) from the date your enrolment is processed by our School’s administration team. If you decide to withdraw your application, please contact us at: office@oxford-tesol.org.uk.

If you have any queries about short courses or qualifications offered by Oxford School of Advanced TESOL Studies, please do not hesitate to contact us at: office@oxford-tesol.org.uk.

The School’s staff and your tutor will communicate with you mainly via email. Please note that the School is closed during weekends, meaning that all students’ enquiries can be processed only from Monday to Friday. We aim to reply to enquiries within 1-2 working days, but it may take longer during busy times.