TEFL, TESL, CELTA or DELTA, Which one is right for you?

When you first decide to get into English teaching, all the acronyms that are thrown around regarding certification can be a little confusing. Does Japan require the same certificate as Korea? Will a TESL get you a job in Thailand? What the heck is a CELTA!? Do I even NEED any of these?

Hopefully those questions and more will be answered as we dive into the world of ESL and decipher just what exactly all these letters mean.

TEFL-Teaching English as a Foreign Language

This one is the most common certification for teachers looking to teach abroad. It is widely recognized and in some countries, required to work legally as a teacher. It is designed for countries where English is NOT the native language.

To make it even more confusing, there are many different types of TEFL available on the market! The easiest and fastest TEFL option would be to obtain it online from a huge selection of schools. Be careful when taking this route as not all online TEFL certs are recognized everywhere! Be sure to choose a reputable website that has a reputation for providing a worthwhile certificate.

The other option would be to physically go to an ESL school that offers a TEFL program and earn it that way. This is the best option in my opinion, as most schools will offer a hands on practicum where you get to actually step into a classroom and teach!

TESL- Teaching English as a Second Language

This one is generally asked for most in western countries, where English is the native language. Its more focused on teaching people who have left a non native country and are now residing in an English speaking nation. Its very similar to TEFL and in most cases they are interchangeable in the employers eyes.

Same as above, make sure you choose a reputable institution to get your TESL, there are scams abound and you don't want to fork out your hard earned money on a worthless certificate.

Choose this is you are planning to teach in a country such as Canada or Australia.

CELTA-Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults

CELTA is an internationally accepted option very similar to TEFL. Its seen by many as a step above TEFL and TESL certification, and some employers do in fact prefer CELTA teachers if given the option.

CELTA doesn't have the same problem that TEFL and TESL certificates have had lately, where the market was flooded with institutions offering watered down versions of the cert. CELTA certs are issued by the University of Cambridge, and any school offering one must be authorized by the Cambridge itself.

As far as I know, there is no online option for this, and it is slightly more expensive than TEFL or TESL.

Choose this option if you want to get a better job in one of the higher paying EFL destinations, or if you want to set yourself apart from the regular TEFL crowd.

DELTA-Diploma in English Language Teaching to Adults

This is the grand daddy of the EFL certs, this is the next step after you have taken your CELTA and taught for a few years. It's generally taken by those who are very dedicated to the profession and by those who want to teach certification courses.

Take this one if you want to turn teaching English into a long term career.

Do you REALLY need a certificate?

Well, yes and no. Its easy to go to almost any country with a big EFL industry and find a job that wont require much of anything except a pulse from its teachers, but for the most part, if you want to be taken seriously and you want to have all your doors open from the beginning, take the time and get a certificate. At the very least your going to learn things that you will probably use throughout the duration of your EFL career.

Yes, there are many good teachers out there without certifications, and yes they are successful....but there are also many teachers out there who's contracts aren't being renewed or who are on a lower pay grade simply because they don't possess one little piece of paper. All I'm saying is give yourself the best chance at success right from the get go.

I hope this article has been helpful, I know when I first started I was a little overwhelmed by all the options available to me. But remember! the most important aspect of teaching, regardless of what certificate you possess is to just enjoy yourself!