Home / Egypt / Alexandria

Explore the history of an ancient civilization while living in a modern, diverse community. Alexandria is a beautiful tree-lined city on the Mediterranean (great diving!) and home of the ancient and modern library. A magnificent location for a TEFL course, Alexandria is just over two hours from Cairo and the pyramids.

Explore the Ancient egyptian, Greek, Roman, Coptic, Islamic and Arab civilizations all in one place.

Alexandria was established by the mighty Macedonian Alexander the Great in 331 BC when he selected a small fishing village on the Mediterranean coast as his new capital.

The modern city is oriented around Midan Ramla and Midan Saad Zaghoul, the large square that runs down to the waterfront. Alexandria once had a great library that contained more than 500,000 volumes, and at its peak the city was a great repository of science, philosophy and intellectual thought and learning. With a tefl international course in Alexandria, this may well still be the case!

The Greco-Roman Museum contains relics that date back to the 3rd century BC. There's a magnificent black granite sculpture of Apis, the sacred bull worshipped by Egyptians, as well as an assortment of mummies, sarcophagi, pottery, jewellery and ancient tapestries.

Another highlight is one of the few historical depictions of the Pharos of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The only Roman Amphitheatre in Egypt was rediscovered in 1964. Its 13 white marble terraces are in excellent condition and excavation work is still under way, although the dig has shifted a little to the north of the theatre.

Pompey's Pillar, a massive 25m (82ft) pink granite monument measuring 9m (30ft) around its girth, is a sight well worth seeing, as are the Catacombs of Kom ash-Shuqqafa. This is the largest known Roman burial site in Egypt, and consists of three tiers of burial tombs, chambers and hallways. The catacombs were begun in the 2nd century AD and were later expanded to hold more than 300 corpses.

Experts are hoping to discover Cleopatra's Palace under the sea bed off Alexandria; columns were found in 1998, and recently archaeologists raised a beautiful statue of Isis from the depths. Cleopatra's Library was destroyed by the Crusaders.

In addition to living in the charming city of Alexandria you will get to visit some of the most famous tourist attractions in Egypt.

For January and February courses in Alexandria, we offer a free, three day trip after the course. This includes visiting Cairo to see the Pyramids, Sphinx, the Pharaoh monuments in the Egyptian museum, and a Nile cruise. You’ll also spend time in Sharm Elsheikh or Hurghada, some of the most beautiful sites in the world for scuba diving, snorkeling, swimming, sunbathing and safaris.

Accommodation on the trip will be in a five-star hotel including breakfast, and all free!

The School

The Alexandria TEFL International training center and accommodation are located at a beach resort area 15 kilometers to the west of Alexandria's city center. You will enjoy the laid back green surroundings of the campus with easy access to a private beach most of the year. Some classes will also take place in our TEFL school, in the Stanley area of Alexandria's city center.

Optional extra: Arabic Language Course

Should you want to learn some Arabic during your time in Egypt, you could attend an Arabic language program either before or after your TEFL course. This TEFL course/language program offers you the opportunity to become TEFL qualified with an internationally recognized TEFL certificate and immerse yourself in the local culture, improving your language skills.

Accommodation

Alexandria TEFL course accommodation in al-Agami, a seafront suburb of Alexandria, consists of a shared two-bedroom apartment on our private campus. TEFL course classes for the first two weeks as well as lesson preparation occur on this campus. Each apartment has a furnished sitting room, a bathroom with hot water and a kitchen equipped with a refrigerator, a cooker, and cooking utensils. All apartments are clean, comfortable and adequately furnished, but you’ll need to bring sheets and towels. Optional free cleaning services are available once per week upon request; also, cleaning materials are available for trainees’ use.

Al-Agami itself is approximately 30 minutes by cab from the Alexandria city center at a cost of around 20 Egyptian pounds; public transportation is also available for around 5 Egyptian pounds. Free private transportation from the campus to the city center will be provided twice a week outside school hours. Transportation will also be provided to and from schools during teaching practice.

Al-Agami is a popular resort area with supermarkets, restaurants, and other stores containing all the items you may need to live comfortably. Paradise beach, a popular local beach to which TEFL has private access during the summer, is located within a hundred yards of the campus. Although the area is much quieter in the off-season (October to May), you will still find plenty of shops and restaurants open and busy. For further information about your living and learning arrangements, please ask to have photos or information about the campus emailed to you.

Course dates

Course fees

The total price is divided into: deposit and balance.

The deposit may be paid via a) credit card b) Paypal c) wire transfer d) Western Union.

The balance of the course fee must be paid by cash, PayPal or bank transfer directly to the training center on the first day of the course.

Accomodation Fees

The accommodation fees are not part of the course price and you are free to choose whichever accommodation option you prefer.

If you choose to use our accommodation, it should be paid for either by cash, PayPal or bank transfer directly to the school at the start of the course.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What are my payment options?

  Expand

  Course deposits must be paid to our administrative center. Credit/debit card payments are the fastest and cheapest way to pay, but we also accept payments via Western Union, Pay Pal and bank transfer. While there are no deadlines for a deposit, courses can fill up quickly and your seat will only be reserved after the deposit has been paid. Once you make your deposit, you will receive an email with an informational packet that provides detailed information about the course and Alexandria itself.

  Please pay the balance of the course fees in Alexandria directly at the school on the first day of the course. Payment can be made in cash (US dollars or Egyptian pounds) or via Visa, Master Card, Maestro or JCB credit/debit cards. If paying by credit card you must have the actual card with your name on it for processing. Payment via bank transfers or checks should be arranged with the school prior to arrival.

  Course fees are all-inclusive so you won’t be asked to pay additional costs for course related materials or services. This also includes course moderation and accreditation fees, airport pick-ups*, lifetime job assistance, a welcome dinner and daily refreshments.

  * Airport pick-ups are available at 3:00 p.m. on the Friday before the course begins.

• What are my accommodation options?

  Expand

  Shared Apartment (US$ 100): The accommodation is located in a seafront suburb of Alexandria and consists of a shared two bedroom apartment on our private campus. Each apartment has a furnished sitting room, a bathroom with hot water and a kitchen equipped with a refrigerator, a cooker and cooking utensils. All apartments are clean, comfortable and adequately furnished. Free cleaning services are available once a week upon request. This option is available from the Wednesday before the course begins and the price covers the four week stay. If you would like to choose your accommodation independently, you are welcome to do so.

  What travel documents will I need for egypt?

  You will be required to get a tourist visa (our course is registered as a seminar in Egypt, not as a school) from the nearest Egyptian Consulate or Embassy. This process takes about one week. You can also obtain your visa upon arrival in Cairo. However, we recommend getting your visa before you leave your home country so you do not have to waste time at the airport.*

  * As this information is subject to change at any time, we advise you to contact your local consulate for current travel regulations prior to planning your trip.

• What is the course schedule?

  Expand

  The first class will take place on Sunday morning at 9:30 a.m. Classes run from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. There is a lunch break from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. in addition to appropriate breaks between sessions. Classes run from Sunday through to Thursday, a typical school week in Egypt. The first two weeks are input sessions where trainees acquire skills related to teaching techniques, classroom management, grammar, phonology, Arabic language and culture and other components of the course.

• What can I expect during teaching practice?

  Expand

  We use local Egyptian students for the trainees’ teaching practice and all practice sessions are held in real classrooms.

  Teaching practice starts in the last two weeks of the course. It includes live teaching observation, shared teaching practice and six teaching practice classes. In a typical day our trainees go to the teaching practice school to give their lesson in the morning (transport is provided) and in the afternoon they prepare for the next teaching practice class with the assistance of the trainers at the center.

  Lessons are based upon real teaching resources found all over the world and you will have the chance to create your own materials as well. You will receive the aid of your course trainer throughout lesson planning and receive immediate feedback on your lesson after it’s been delivered. Practicum is assessed and a satisfactory assessment is required to earn your TEFL/TESOL certificate.

• Who usually attends the course?

  Expand

  We average eight trainees on each course. The majority of trainees are native English speakers but we also get some fluent English speakers from the local region training with us. Trainees must be 18 years of age or older and the age range varies greatly depending on the course.

• Is there a dress code?

  Expand

  During trainees’ lessons, casual attire is allowed. Egypt can get rather hot so this means sandals, shorts, t-shirts and other loose fitting clothing, cotton attire is best. During teaching practice you will need to dress in trousers/skirts and closed-toe shoes. Men need collared shirts, while women need to wear conservative tops that will cover their shoulders. Men also need to shave or keep facial hair neatly trimmed. No visible tattoos or facial piercings are allowed while teaching local students.

• What should I bring for course studies?

  Expand

  Please be sure to arrive on the first day of the course with a notebook and a pen. We also encourage you to bring a laptop as we have Wi-Fi at the training center. We will provide all course materials for you so there is no need to bring anything else for the course itself.