TESL Training and Certification

If you know that teaching English is what you want to be doing, then it is worth your time and money to invest in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) training.

Having even some basic credentials will go a long way towards getting your foot in the door and putting you back on even ground with Europeans vying for the same jobs. There are all kinds of TESL training courses and schools in the US, Canada, and Europe, so it is very easy to enroll.

There are generally two types of TESL courses; the standard 6 month course, and a 4 week, 120 hour intensive course. Both types of courses are fine in terms of what you will learn and you will also get valuable on the job practice teaching sessions as well.

The online TESL courses that many courses offer will not have the practice teaching sessions, and are not as highly regarded in Europe. A TESL course will cost anywhere from $1,000 to $2,500 depending on the quality and length of the course.

In most of Europe, the most common TESL training course is the Certificate for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CELTA), also known as the RSA program, which is a program developed by the University of Cambridge.

For people who want a more advanced degree in TSEL training, there is the Diploma in English Language Teaching to Adults (DELTA) also developed by Cambridge. Both of these programs are available through training centers worldwide. While the Cambridge courses will be the most widely recognized, There are many other TESL programs that are just as useful and worthwhile.

Since an on-site course is going to be better for you in the long run than an online course, you have two choices. The first is to take the TESL training in your home city. This will certainly be the cheapest option. Your other alternative is to go to the country you want to work in to take the training. While this will be a more expensive option, it does allow you to get a feel for the country and hopefully some job contacts while you are still training.

• University of Cambridge Teaching Programs
  – University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations, 1 Hills Road Cambridge, CB1 2EU, United Kingdom
• TESL Canada
  – List of certified Canadian TESL training programs
  408 – 4370 Dominion St., Burnaby, B.C., V5G 4L7, Canada, (604) 298-0312
• TEFL Schools
  – List of TEFL schools in the US
• Transitions Abroad
  – List of US TESL training centers