Can I Get A Teacher Certification Without A Degree

The main entry requirement for many ESL teaching positions is a 120-hour certificate. Generally speaking this certification is available to anyone who: Having this certification does not guarantee that you can get a job however, as most employers have specific requirements depending on the country, job specifics and local employment laws. We will now look at the additional requirements and some further relevant details. 1. They may only employ citizens of certain countries: 2. They are sometimes only looking for native English speakers: This is linked to the previous point, in that you may need to be from a country where the first language is English. There are more countries than the previous list in this category, as it now includes India, Pakistan and Nigeria for example. (Note:...  [Read more]

Although there are several countries around the world that require teachers to have a degree in order to qualify for a work permit or visa, there are still many other great destinations where employers are happy to take on teachers without one. Often the key is to be flexible about your destination and to go where the demand for your services is high. Whether you have a degree or not, completing an internationally accredited TESOL certification course before you start applying for jobs will undoubtedly help you in your job search. The vast majority of employers worldwide now expect their potential teachers to have undergone some form of formal teacher training before they set foot in the classroom. Unfortunately, the regulations have been tightened in China in recent times,...  [Read more]

With a population of 1.4 billion people spread throughout a huge geographic area, China always has a vast amount of opportunities for foreign ESL teachers. However, there is one question that teachers continue to ask: The answer to this question would have been yes until quite recently. Although individual schools are still not concerned with whether their teachers have a degree or not, it is government restrictions that have made the difference. It is now an official requirement for teachers to have a degree in order to be eligible for a Z (work) visa. As every teacher needs this visa to work legally, the answer is no, you cannot teach legally in China without a degree. If you don?t qualify for a Z (work) visa, you can visit China on another type of visa such as an L (tourist) visa...  [Read more]

Spain is popular with foreign ESL teachers for many reasons including the consistently booming job market, the easy going culture, the warm climate, and the great food. Jobs can be found all year-round in many areas, but are you eligible to work there legally? The simple answer is no, you do not require a degree in order to legally teach English in Spain. There are no government requirements for teachers to have any kind of academic background and the demand is so high in many areas that employers are equally unconcerned about your degree status. Generally speaking, schools in Spain prefer native English speakers in their classrooms as this is what most local students are looking for. However, they will not simply hire you on that basis without having completed some form of teacher...  [Read more]

To contact ITTT simply fill out the form below and select an enquiry type to enable us to reply as soon as possible. If you are an existing student who has already purchased one of our courses you can use the form below to ask for additional help or information. Please specify the issue and help you require by filling out the subject and text fields. You should also include your user ID if you have signed up for an online training course. We will respond as quickly as possible; typically within 12 hours on working days but often within 2 hours. If you are undecided on which course would suit you best it is natural to have a few questions you would like answering. The best place to start is our FAQ page where you will find answers to many of the most commonly asked questions. If your...  [Read more]

The simple and straightforward answer to this question is: No, you do not need a degree to take a TESOL course or to land a teaching position abroad. While it is true that having a degree means you will have a wider choice of job options, those without one still have plenty of great options available in a wide range of countries across the world. Whatever your academic background, teaching English in your home country, overseas, or online is still a very realistic option. Whether a degree is required to teach English is usually determined by the authorities of each individual country. Some countries where ESL teaching is very popular have imposed restrictions on foreign teachers that insist they have a degree in order to qualify for an official work permit. In these situations,...  [Read more]

Online English teaching is a very popular way to earn a living, either full time from home, or part time while traveling the world. The qualifications for becoming an ESL teacher online vary from one platform to the next, but will often include things like a TESOL certification, a university degree, prior teaching experience, and certain technical equipment. Continue reading to learn everything you need to know to land the ideal online teaching job! To become an online English teacher you will typically need a 120-hour TESOL certification from an internationally recognized and accredited institution. If you want potential employers to take your qualifications seriously and consider you for an online teaching position, you must ensure that your certificate comes from a reputable...  [Read more]

This is one of the most common questions asked by our TESOL course trainees and the answer is quite simple. Yes, you can teach ESL without a bachelor’s degree. Anyone who is TESOL qualified will have a wide array of destinations to choose from all over the world, regardless of their previous educational record. If you have a degree in any subject you will certainly have a few more options, but non-degree holders are in no way excluded from ESL teaching in many parts of the world. In recent years some countries have made it compulsory for foreign teachers to have a degree if they want to obtain a work visa that allows them to work legally as an ESL teacher. This is most noticeable in Asia where some of the biggest markets for teachers such as China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan...  [Read more]

If you are TESOL qualified and you have a university degree you will have a huge choice of options for teaching English all over the world. For those without a degree, the options are more limited but still plentiful. Recently, some of the more popular countries for teaching English abroad have begun to demand that teachers have a degree in order to qualify for a work visa. In particular, some of the big Asian markets for teachers such as South Korea, Japan and Taiwan now require a degree to obtain the necessary paperwork to stay and work long-term. Most of the high-salary Middle East countries are also difficult to crack without a certain level of formal qualifications. Despite these examples, there are still many options open for non-degree holders if you are flexible in where you...  [Read more]

Japan is often regarded as one of the major world destinations for teaching English abroad due to the large number of potential jobs on offer and the large number of people who want to fill them. People come from all over the world to live and work in this most unique of environments and you can join them providing you meet the criteria necessary to gain a work visa. Whether you are drawn by the history and culture, the safe and friendly atmosphere, or the sheer number of things to see and do, Japan is unlikely to disappoint. If you think Japan could be the right choice for you, read on to see what requirements you need to meet. The following represent the basic requirements for teaching English in Japan. However, it is important to know that some of these requirements are not set...  [Read more]

There are always thousands of ESL teaching jobs vacant around the world at any one time, which ensures their are potential opportunities for almost every English speaker who wants to take advantage of them. So what qualifications, background and characteristics are necessary to take a TESOL course? The most important things you need when taking a TESOL certification course are enthusiasm, motivation and determination. These are all essential as the training requires a significant amount of commitment in terms of both time and effort. As long as you are fully committed to teaching in your home country or overseas, you should have no problems working through the course and becoming a qualified ESL teacher. The bottom line is that to be an effective English language teacher you need to...  [Read more]

We understand how difficult it can be to sort through the various TESOL certification courses on the market. That is why we are here to explain the various TESOL course levels. The general characteristics of the frameworks are frequently linked to a variety of elements, such as the total number of study hours, the type of certification, whether or not the program includes a practical component, and the study technique used (full-time or part-time study). A level 6 TESOL course is near the pinnacle of the framework, making it one of the most advanced TESOL credentials available. An undergraduate or bachelor's degree is equivalent to a level 6 TESOL qualification. Better-paying teaching jobs, whether online or abroad, are easier to find with this level of TESOL certification. A level 6...  [Read more]

TESOL courses vary in length from a few hours over the weekend all the way to the pinnacle of educational certification, which is the doctorate level. Here we will briefly describe the different courses available, their content, and why you may wish to take them. Typical course duration: Five to fifteen hours Typical study components: An overview of TESOL. What a typical 120-hour certification involves. Employment opportunities by country. Introduction to teaching skills and language awareness. Use of certification: Can be used as ‘Continuing Professional Development’ (CPD) credit. Useful to get an idea of what TESOL involves without paying out for a full course. Typical course duration: Forty to sixty hours Typical study components: There are three generally recognized...  [Read more]

  Tanja comes from Croatia and has completed the 120-hour online course with tutor support and videos. In her TESOL review she recommends the course for the content which she found interesting, useful and easy to read. Tanja won her course through a competition on ITTT’s Facebook page and is now a qualified English teacher hoping to work abroad. ITTT provides lifetime job placement guidance for all course graduates. Below you can read feedback from an ITTT graduate regarding one section of their online TEFL certification course. Each of our online courses is broken down into concise units that focus on specific areas of English language teaching. This convenient, highly structured design means that you can quickly get to grips with each section before moving onto the next. ...  [Read more]

You are prepared to start teaching ESL online, but is a TESOL certification necessary to get a successful online teaching job? In general, a TESOL certificate is required if you want to earn good money teaching online. Even if it might not be necessary for all online teaching platforms, having TESOL certification will increase your salary and attract more students. The confidence and skills required to teach someone a foreign language, which is no easy task, come from completing a TESOL course. We will go over a few other prerequisites for teaching English online, other than a TESOL certificate. To teach English online, you will often need to fulfill the following requirements: Even without a university degree, there are various platforms where you can work as an English instructor....  [Read more]

Obtaining a TESOL certification is frequently a requirement set by employers worldwide when applying for English teaching positions. While there might be teaching opportunities available in lesser-known destinations without specific qualifications, a TESOL certification from a reputable institution is crucial for securing ESL teaching roles with competitive salaries and optimal working conditions. Many of the most popular countries for teaching English also now mandate a TESOL certification for work permit or visa purposes. Without this certification, you could find you are barred from legally working in these countries, many of which offer the most rewarding opportunities in the TESOL sector. By joining an ITTT-accredited TESOL program, you will gain the essential skills and expertise to...  [Read more]

To begin a journey in teaching English overseas, what is primarily needed is an eagerness to delve into unfamiliar terrains and a valid teaching certification. The TESOL certificate stands out as the universally acknowledged qualification in this field. These courses often have few entry requirements, ensuring they are open to a broad spectrum of people from all different backgrounds. A foundational prerequisite for enrolling in a TESOL certification course is a proficient command of the English language. This standard holds true for both native and non-native English speakers. If you demonstrate a thorough comprehension of English in its written and spoken forms, you are well-positioned. The global demand for English language teachers is considerable, often exceeding the supply of...  [Read more]

Just when you thought that choosing the right TESOL course would be simple, you realize there are various different levels to choose from! In fact, TESOL certification comes in a variety of levels, including TESOL level 4, TESOL level 5, and TESOL level 6. Before selecting a TESOL course, it is critical to understand what each of these TESOL levels entails. This will assist you in evaluating what level is best for you to achieve your goal and what courses you need to get the teaching job you want. It is important to understand that TESOL certification levels are based on the UK credentials framework. This framework is categorized in levels 0 through 8. See the diagram below to see what kind of qualification each level relates to: The AS and A levels in the United Kingdom are equal...  [Read more]

A TESOL certification is typically one of the main requirements when it comes to applying for English language teaching jobs as it provides the teacher with all the basic skills and knowledge needed to plan and deliver quality lessons. Although the ESL world is largely unregulated, TESOL certification has become widely regarded by governments, schools, language centers, and individual employers as the standard qualification needed by educators in this specific part of the education industry. The best news is that TESOL is accepted by employers as a sign of competence in almost every country where ESL teaching takes place. Wherever you plan to live and work, it is almost certain that your TESOL certification will be accepted and welcomed by employers of all shapes and sizes. Although...  [Read more]

TESOL certification is a vital credential for those looking to teach the English language, as it is a prerequisite for most teaching positions. Yet, with no standardized regulations overseeing TESOL certification, choosing the right course can become a daunting task. Any online search will unveil a myriad of options, each varying in study duration and cost, adding layers of complexity to the decision-making process. A practical way to differentiate TESOL certification courses is by the average number of study hours they offer, often highlighted in the course title. On the shorter end, you will find economical courses that can be wrapped up in as little as 20 hours. While these might seem attractive due to their quick turnaround, they often fall short for many mainstream TESOL...  [Read more]