How Long Does It Take To Get An Esl Certification

This common question is not easy to answer as it depends on the individual TESOL course you decide to sign up for. There are many different options to choose from, whether it is an online course, an in-class course, or a course that blends the two study methods. Each study method has a variety of courses and each one comes with its own average completion time. By choosing ITTT as your TESOL course provider you will have access to a wide range of courses with varying lengths, level of difficulty, and study method, which means you should certainly find something to suit your individual situation. In general, TESOL courses are classified by how many hours they take to complete on average. A quick online search will reveal a wide range of courses starting from around 50 hours or even...  [Read more]

This question is one of the most common asked by TESOL course trainees and one of the most difficult to answer as there are so many variables that can affect it. The main thing to realise when considering this question is that the vast majority of our TESOL course graduates go on to find a teaching job either at home or overseas within a reasonably short space of time. Your choice of destination is one of the most significant factors as demand for ESL teachers varies from one area to the next. In countries such as China, the demand far outweighs the available teachers in many places which is great news for first-time teachers who have no experience to put on their application form. The simple fact is, if you are TESOL qualified and would like to teach in China, you will have little...  [Read more]

The timeline for becoming an ESL teacher will vary for each individual person. However, the journey always starts with a TESOL certification course that provides all the knowledge needed to plan and deliver high-quality lessons in whatever type of classroom you end up working in. Which type of TESOL course you choose to complete will have a big say in how long it will take you to become an ESL teacher. TESOL courses are usually classified by the average number of hours they take to complete, with some being as little as 50 hours or less. These short-format courses offer the chance to get a qualification very quickly, however, they might not be the best approach if you want to have a wide choice of well paid jobs to choose from. Generally speaking, employers of ESL teachers expect to...  [Read more]

The answer to this question will entirely depend on what course you choose to study. ITTT provides a wide range of course options in an effort to meet the needs of every individual trainee and each one has its own time scale for completion. Short-format online TESOL courses can be a quick way to gain a qualification. However, you should be aware that these courses are aimed at volunteer teachers or those looking for an insight into the world of TESOL. Most employers around the world will expect you to have a certificate of at least 100 hours. To ensure you are eligible for the majority of well paid teaching jobs, we recommend our 120-hour TESOL course. This is a very popular choice as it includes enough content to satisfy most employers and to prepare you properly for your first...  [Read more]

ESL stands for English as a Second Language and refers to non-native English speakers who live in countries where English is not widely spoken. It refers to people who study English as a second language in addition to their native tongue. From Japan to Spain, students all over the world study English as a second language. Teachers from English-speaking countries frequently head abroad to teach English. Popular destinations for ESL teachers include Vietnam, Spain, China, South Korea, Japan, and the United Arab Emirates - but pretty much anywhere around the world is an option! Many schools offer ESL as a subject to students who speak a language other than English. ESL teachers will assist students with their speaking, reading, writing, and listening skills. ESL teachers can be native...  [Read more]

As TESOL courses come in a range of different shapes and sizes, the answer to this common question will vary depending on the one you choose. In order to meet the needs of all our trainees, ITTT has developed a set of unique courses that should cover every situation. As you will see below, each individual TESOL course has its own contents of study and its own overall timescale. If you are looking for the quickest turnaround when it comes to your TESOL certification, a short-format, introductory online course might be the way to go. At ITTT we have a 60-hour TESOL course that provides our fastest and most convenient route towards TESOL certification, although this option does come with caveats. Around the world many employers will expect their job applicants to have completed a...  [Read more]

Teaching English online generally requires all the same skills and knowledge as in-class teaching, although you will also need to be confident with the technology involved. Some online teaching platforms operate their lessons via their own software, while others operate using general communication programs such as Google Classroom or Zoom. If you choose to go down the online teaching route you will find that there are just as many different potential scenarios as there are in traditional classroom teaching. You might find yourself teaching only kindergarten children or only adults, or any other mix in between. Your lessons might be strictly one-to-one or you might have groups of various sizes. Specialized courses such as business English are also a common option. As online teaching...  [Read more]

The main reason why people take a TESOL course is because it is generally expected by employers when applying for most English teaching jobs. People from all over the world and from a wide variety of different life experiences choose to take a TESOL certification course. Some of the other major reasons for doing this are outlined below. Depending on whether you want to teach in a physical center or teach online there is a certain amount of flexibility to ESL teaching which can lead to a whole new lifestyle. Teaching in a mainstream school you may have 30-35 contact teaching hours per week, Monday to Friday, giving you the evenings and weekends free to do as you choose. In a private language center, students come mainly from their jobs, so evening teaching is more common and you have...  [Read more]

If you live in the Northern Hemisphere it is likely that you have endured many years of cold, dark winters. If you would like the opportunity to experience living in a climate that is warm all year round, why not complete a TESOL certification course and start a new life living and working as an English teacher in the exotic tropical zone? Thousands of people every year take advantage of this opportunity and very few end up regretting their decision. All you need to do is decide which tropical country is right for you. Costa Rica is small in size, but it has a very large market for TESOL qualified teachers. Most teaching jobs are found in private language centers that are located in most of the larger towns and cities. Private tutoring of English students is also a popular way to...  [Read more]

For some people, teaching English at home or overseas is just a short-term plan to try something new or to earn some extra cash during a gap-year adventure. If this applies to you, then a standard 120-hour TESOL certification course should be sufficient to get you the jobs you need. However, if you are planning to make teaching English a long-term thing or you simply want to have a more thorough understanding of life in an ESL classroom before you start, then one of our extremely popular TESOL course bundles could be the answer. ITTT has several course packages to choose from and each one offers a more in-depth introduction to the world of English language teaching, as well as great value for money. The two courses that make up this bundle offer the perfect introduction to ESL...  [Read more]

You may or may not be aware that TESOL courses are often assigned to a certain level that reflects their position in the global scheme of ESL teacher training. Thanks to this classification it is much easier for teachers to compare all the options available to them and hopefully pick the best one to suit their personal situation. However, it is also necessary to know that there is not one set of TESOL course levels to be aware of as many countries and teaching organizations use their own system when setting course levels. While this might seem a little confusing, the good news is that they are all generally designed using the same criteria and are usually very similar. The main areas that are used to decide the level of a course include the type of study involved, the number of study...  [Read more]

TESOL stands for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. As well as the actual act of teaching English, the acronym TESOL is also used to refer to the courses that teachers take and the certification they receive upon completion of their training. In order to be eligible for most sought after teaching jobs, teachers with or without previous experience generally require a TESOL certificate. In this sense, a TESOL is most certainly a teaching certificate. There are generally three standard ways to obtain a TESOL certification: In-class courses, online courses, and combined (hybrid) courses. Any of these options will result in a TESOL qualification that is widely recognized by employers around the world, provided it is supplied by a reputable course provider such as ITTT....  [Read more]

Many people decide that an in-class TESOL certification course is the best way to prepare for life in a foreign classroom, however, is it best to take it within your home country or once you arrive at your ultimate teaching destination? Either choice has its pros and cons, but on this page we focus on the reasons why taking a TESOL course before you leave home might be the best option for you. If you are planning to head to one of the most popular teaching destinations there is a good chance that you can secure a job before you get on the plane. In areas where demand for teachers is particularly high, employers routinely advertise vacant positions online via job boards and recruitment companies. If your application is successful you will typically have an interview over a webcam...  [Read more]

When it comes to choosing the best online TESOL certification course you need to consider all the main options, what you want the qualification for, and what you hope to achieve with it once certified. First we will look at all the main online course options. The different types of online courses are easily separated by the average number of hours they require to complete them. Weekend courses: These are often marketed as “taster courses” and are done mainly at weekends to give those who are already employed a chance to see what TESOL is about. Due to time constraints (they usually last about 10 hours in total) there is limited material covered in terms of teaching and learning, but they can be useful to help you decide if doing a full course would be worthwhile for you. Short...  [Read more]

The Diploma in TESOL course is the highest ranked individual course currently offered by ITTT. This advanced-level course is rated as a level 6 on our course framework, which is a level that opens up a wider range of potential job options, many of which may include a higher level of pay and greater responsibility than most entry-level positions. However, if you choose to take the diploma course as part of our 550-hour Expert Package, your overall level of certification will be raised to level 7, the highest rating we have to offer. The Diploma in TESOL is an advanced course that has been specifically designed to follow on from the subjects covered in our standard 120-hour TESOL certification course. The good news is that the diploma course also includes this initial training course,...  [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]

  Whichever TESOL course you choose, your certificate will be sent to your chosen address via registered post as soon as you complete all the required tasks. However, it is very hard to say exactly how long the certificate will take to arrive as individual postal systems vary considerably. In most cases this should not be an issue, but if you would rather not wait it is possible to arrange an express delivery option via DHL that will get your certificate to you much quicker. As this is an optional service, it does include a small extra charge. For the majority of graduates this option will not be necessary. However, if you are in a real hurry to land a job and need to prove you are TESOL certified to potential employers or government offices, it might be a small price to pay to get...  [Read more]

English language teaching is awash with acronyms and unfortunately this can lead to a fair amount of confusion amongst new and experienced teachers. Anywhere you look for information regarding teaching English abroad you will find acronyms such as TEFL, TESOL, and CELTA. So what is the difference between these terms? This common term stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language. TEFL does not apply to any one singular program, certification, or provider, but is just a catch-all term used for training courses and certification aimed at people who plan to teach English overseas. There are many TEFL course providers that offer a wide range of TEFL certification that vary in length, price, and overall quality. This is another common term that stands for Teaching English to Speakers...  [Read more]

The English teaching world is famous for its love of acronyms and TESOL and CELTA are two common ones that you are sure to have come across when researching English teaching overseas or online. Although these are both well known within the teaching community, they can still cause some confusion among new teachers in particular. So what do they stand for and which one is better? TESOL stands for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. The term is used to refer to any training course or certification that is aimed at English speakers who want to teach English in their own country, overseas, or online. It does not refer to any individual course or certificate. A quick bit of research will reveal there are many different TESOL course providers out there and they offer a wide...  [Read more]

  Zouhaier just completed his 120-hour online TEFL certification. He enjoyed working closely with his tutor who guided him along the way. He also recommends this course to anyone wanting to teach abroad or enhance their professional portfolio in teaching. 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. In unit 2, I learned about all the different parts that make up a sentenc. These are things I learned a long time ago and it is great to refresh my memor. It...  [Read more]