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Studies & Degrees in English for Teacher Certification

English for teacher certification covers the courses and exams that qualify a person to teach English. Two different routes carry this name. The first leads to a certificate in teaching English as a foreign or second language, known as TEFL, TESOL or ELT, and is aimed at language schools and private teaching in many countries. The second leads to a licence to teach English in the state school system of one country, which normally requires a university degree followed by teacher training.

In both routes students learn how languages are learned, how to analyse English grammar and pronunciation, how to plan lessons and choose materials, and how to manage a class. Supervised teaching practice with real learners is the core of the recognised certificates.

Qualifications and levels

  • Initial certificates. CELTA, awarded by Cambridge English, includes at least 120 hours of contact between candidates and tutors and six hours of assessed teaching practice, and Cambridge advises candidates to allow 80 additional hours for preparation and assignments. It can be completed in as little as four weeks and is offered face-to-face, online or as a blend of both. Candidates must be at least 18, have the education required for entry into higher education and have English at a high C1 level of the CEFR or above. The Trinity CertTESOL is at Level 5 on the Ofqual Regulated Qualifications Framework in the United Kingdom, with a total qualification time of 200 hours, at least 130 guided learning hours and at least six hours of teaching practice. It takes a minimum of four weeks full-time.
  • Knowledge tests. The Cambridge TKT (Teaching Knowledge Test) is a series of modular tests on areas of English language teaching. It has three core modules and two specialist ones, on content and language integrated learning (CLIL) and on young learners. It is open to teachers with English at level B1 or above, which makes it accessible to many teachers who are not native speakers.
  • Advanced diplomas. DELTA, also from Cambridge, is for teachers who have taught for at least one year and want to move into senior roles such as head of English or teacher trainer. It consists of three modules. Trinity places its Diploma in TESOL at Level 7.
  • State school teaching. A TEFL certificate is not a state teaching licence. Trinity itself advises teachers who hope to work in mainstream primary, secondary or tertiary education to check the requirements of that sector in each country. In the United States all states require public school teachers to be licensed or certified, which generally involves a bachelor's degree and a student-teaching programme. In Spain, teaching in secondary education and in official language schools requires a university degree and a specific official master's degree of one year (60 credits), according to the Spanish Ministry of Education.

Many private schools also offer their own TEFL certificates of 120 hours or more. Their recognition varies, so ask the school which body accredits the course and how many hours of observed teaching practice it includes.

Where to study

SpainExchange lists 8 active schools for this subject: four in Spain, two in the United States, one in the United Kingdom and one in India. In Madrid, Canterbury Consulting Spain SL runs Canterbury TEFL, a 120-hour TEFL course given in four-week sessions through the year at a listed price of €1,275; the school states that its certification course received full accreditation at International TESOL Level 5 in 2009. The list also includes the language academy Ya Hablas in Alicante and two American universities, the University of North Carolina at Pembroke and Abilene Christian University.

CELTA is given by more than 280 authorised centres in over 65 countries, and the CertTESOL by providers validated by Trinity in the United Kingdom and worldwide. The courses are taught in English.

Careers

Holders of an initial certificate usually start in private language schools, in company classes or in online teaching, and later move on to posts as senior teacher, director of studies or teacher trainer, often after a diploma such as DELTA. State schools are a separate labour market with their own licences.

In the United States, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment of adult basic and secondary education and ESL teachers will decline 14 percent from 2025 to 2035, with about 3,800 openings a year, and that employment of high school teachers will show little or no change. These figures apply to the United States only.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to be a native speaker to take CELTA or the CertTESOL?

No. CELTA asks for a high C1 level or above, and Trinity states that English does not have to be the first language of a trainee, who should normally show C1 ability.

How long does a TEFL certificate take?

The CertTESOL takes a minimum of four weeks full-time, or between three months and a year part-time. CELTA can be completed in as little as four weeks.

Can I teach in a state school with a TEFL certificate?

Usually not with the certificate alone. State systems set their own requirements: a teaching licence in the United States, and a degree plus a 60-credit official master's for secondary education in Spain.

Do I need teaching experience before the course?

No. Trinity describes the CertTESOL as designed for people with little or no experience of teaching English. DELTA, by contrast, is for teachers with at least one year of experience.