TEFL Certification

What does TEFL mean?

TEFL is the acronym for Teaching English as a Foreign Language and generally refers to an industry people choose to work in.

There are many TEFL qualifications available. However, the two qualifications that are unique in terms of international recognition are:

CELTA (Certificate of English Language Teaching to Adults) issued by University of Cambridge ESOL

Trinity CERT TESOL (Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) issued by Trinity College London

What TEFL certification does Wall Street Institute recommend?

Wall Street Institute recommends that teachers hold a Cambridge ESOL CELTA qualification or equivalent. In line with IATEFL (International Association for Teachers in English as a Foreign Language) recommendations, an investment in CELTA or equivalent ensures:

1.  You will feel more confident and relaxed about the job, knowing that you are trained to help your students learn.
2.  The better jobs are not usually open to those with no qualification.
3.  You will become part of a professional community of English teachers with access to many useful resources.

 

We strongly recommend that people avoid TEFL courses that are not externally accredited and claim that TEFL skills can be obtained in a weekend or week long course.

Reputable employers worldwide recognize certificates such as:

Cambridge ESOL CELTA

Trinity CERT TESOL

SIT TESOL

ACELS CELT

TESL Canada accredited courses that meet Professional Certificate Standard One Guidelines

An accredited University TEFL program

The benefits of the Cambridge ESOL CELTA and the Trinity CERT TESOL is that these certificates are recognized worldwide and are the only certificates on the market that are externally accredited and externally moderated. These certificates can also be used as credit on some University programs.

Minimum guidelines for a quality TEFL course outlined by the TEFL Board Accreditation are:

120 or more hours in a minimum four week program

Group sizes no larger than 6:1 trainee to trainer ratio

Minimum of 6 hours observed and evaluated teaching practice with real students

Qualified trainers holding a university degree and TEFL certificate and a minimum of 8 years of international teaching experience in at least 2 countries

Written and teaching assessment of trainees

Curriculum should include:
 

Grammar

Methodology

Phonology

Classroom management

Activities

Practice with at least three different ESL textbook series

Practice working with ESL audio visual aids and materials

Introduction to international exam series or one business English textbook series

I am already an experienced teacher; how would I benefit from doing a CELTA or Trinity CERT TESOL?

CELTA and Trinity CERT TESOL courses are run frequently and as a result are constantly revised and updated with recent teaching methodologies and techniques. A CELTA/Trinity can enhance, consolidate or extend practical techniques you may have acquired on the job.

I had taught ESL for 6 years before taking the CELTA. During those six years, I learned a great deal from trial and error and became a competent teacher, but the CELTA course made me realize how much I was still lacking in both theory and practical techniques. Without the kind of focus, substance and systematic approach that a CELTA course provides, language instruction runs the risk of being random, ineffective and even detrimental to students??

Before taking the CELTA, I could call myself an English teacher, but after the CELTA I could call myself a professional. Having a professional qualification makes me a hot commodity in booming ESL markets like China. It also means respect among my colleagues, opportunities at the best companies, and a higher salary. A CELTA is definitely the way to go.

–Michael Rolufs, Service Manager, China