If you’re considering teaching ESL you may have noticed that there are a range of certification options available: TEFL, TESOL, CELTA, DELTA, 100 hours, 120 hours, online, in person and a combination of the two. What do these acronyms mean? How are they different?How do you pick which one is right for you? Let’s talk what they mean and a couple of things to keep in mind when choosing your certification.
Meanings
If these certifications have different names, do they mean different things? Generally speaking no, they all kind of mean the same thing. TEFL = Teaching English as a Foreign Language. TSEOL = Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. These two certifications do focus more on young learns than CELTA or DELTA certifications do. CELTA = Certificate in English Language to Adults. DELTA = Diploma in English Language Teaching to adults. There is also a course called CELT-P = Certificate in English Teaching - Primary, which is just as intense as the CELTA, but geared towards teaching younger learners.
Desired Age
There are a variety of ages that you can teach. From very young learners (Kindergarten) to adults of any age. The biggest demand for teachers is for very
young and young learners(elementary/middle school) and these jobs often have higher salaries (this is especially true in Asia). University jobs can be quite cushy depending on the country and often offer higher salaries (in some countries university teachers have lower salaries) and less teaching hours. However, they will often have a higher standard of certification requirements and standards for teaching. The salary for adult classes varies widely by country, in some countries it is quite high and in others it is quite low unless you are tutoring freelance and setting your own rates.
Your Destination Country
What country or countries would you like to teach in? Different countries have different
requirements for teachers. In south America and in Europe they prefer for teachers to have a CELTA over a TEFL or TESOL. In China the government has recently decided that all teachers must have a TEFL or CELTA certificate that is 120 hours and must have a classroom component, so they cannot be online only. An exception will be made for teachers with 2+ years of teaching experience. Want to teach in the Middle East? You’ll need a CELTA plus a teaching license or a masters.
How long do you want to teach?
Different certifications come with different price tags (and different quality of content), if you only intend to teach for one year than you’re probably not looking to spend as much as someone who is thinking of turning ESL into a career. I’m not an advocate of cheaper certifications, but if teaching is going to be a one-year thing spending around $2000 on a certification might not be your first choice. If you want to teachong-term or be a career EFL educator, making that investment in your certification is worth it.
Workload and Content
Different certifications have different
workloads and quality in the content taught. When I first started teaching, I had a TEFL certificate which was a combination of online and classroom time on the weekends for a month. After a few years of teaching, I completed the CELTA certification which is done in person and is basically like having a full-time job for a month. While the TEFL course taught me the basics of writing lesson plans, teaching styles, and classroom management, it was easy to fit in with working full-time and having a social life. The CELTA course on the other hand left little free time as we were in class from 9-3, constantly writing lesson plans and working on projects. I don’t think I went to bed before midnight for the whole month and I’m the kind of girl who likes to be in bed by 10pm at the latest. However, the payoff from the CELTA course was well worth the lack of sleep.
Price Tag
As I mentioned the CELTA course is more expensive than any of the TEFL/TESOL courses I’ve seen. The CELTA course will
run you around $2000 USD depending on the country where it is offered, if you’re not doing it in your home country you will also have to factor in airfare, accommodation, meals etc., so it’s definitely an investment. However, you can often take it in the country you would like to teach in, which means the certification center may have resources for where you can get a job. On the flip side a TEFL course can run from $20 with a groupon (yes, you can get one on groupon) to a few hundred for one that includes an in class component.
I haven’t mentioned the DELTA certification, this is because in the DELTA is a masters level EFL certification and you need to have your CELTA plus 2 years of teaching experience in order to take. So it’s more for career EFL teachers who are looking to further their education and teaching skills. Having taken both a TEFL/TESOL course and a CELTA course, my personal recommendation is for the CELTA course as it provides better instruction and will give you a solid foundation for teaching.
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