What Certification is best?
English teaching acronyms like TESOL, TESL, TEFL, CELTA, etc. that can be difficult to navigate if you’re new to the game. In short, TESOL/TESL/TEFL are generally interchangeable. They are ESL certifications that can come in different lengths such as 50, 100, 120 hour courses.
- TESOL – Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
- TESL – Teaching English as a Second Language
- TEFL – Teaching English as a Foreign Language
CELTA (Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages), is similar to the certifications above in that it equips an individual with some of the essential understanding of grammar and teaching English as a Second Language (ESL).
In addition, there is the all mighty teaching certificate from your home country. This certifies you to teach in the public school system back home. In other words, you’re an employable teacher back in your home country. Not that you can’t work as an ESL instructor with TESOL and CELTA certifications, but the teaching certificate is what permits one to teach in public schools.
More and more employers are looking for ways to confirm that the people they are recruiting are prepared to teach their classrooms. Certification helps to do this. You also have the choice of earning your certification online or in a classroom. The classroom certification can be done in your country or sometimes in the foreign country. Classroom certification usually costs about 4 times as much as online certification. It also takes a minimum of 4 weeks.
You also have the choice of earning your certification online or in a classroom. The classroom certification can be done in your country or sometimes in the foreign country .
Certifications earned online are sometimes disregarded by some of the larger employers, especially those in the Middle East. This is something to keep in mind. That said, there are countless employers who do accept online certifications. It’s still a certification and an indication of a meaningful effort to improve myself in the teaching profession.
The most involved certification, in general, is the teaching certificate from your home country. In America, one generally needs to take a preparatory course that meets minimum educational requirements of the Office of Education of that given state. Additionally, each candidate must sit for 3 state-level exams at the end of it all. In order to obtain the teaching license, all 3 exams must be passed.
The long and short of it is each employer is different. Their opportunities are different, and the requirements they establish differ as well. Getting certified will only help you in your search for employment as an ESL instructor.
