Our Accreditations
OnTESOL courses are accredited by TESL Canada at Professional Standards 1 and 2 — the leading Canadian authority for TESOL/TEFL/TESL teacher training since 2003.
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Earn your TESL Canada certification with OnTESOL
Earn an internationally recognized TESOL/TEFL certification that opens doors to ESL teaching jobs worldwide — including opportunities in Canada, the USA, and online.
Online TESOL/TEFL Accredited by:
TESL Canada
Professional Standards 1 & 2
23+ Years of Leading TEFL/TESOL Training
The online TEFL/TESOL certification courses offered by OnTESOL will provide you with the theory, methodology, lesson planning skills, and recognized credentials you need to pursue a successful international career in the field of English Language Teaching.
A professional-level TESOL/TEFL program equivalent to the UK-based CELTA and Trinity CertTESOL, but without the hefty tuition. Learn through self-paced study supported by personal tutor feedback and live virtual workshops. Develop strong lesson planning and classroom management skills that prepare you for real classrooms worldwide.
New ESL teachers entering the field, experienced teachers seeking a recognized credential, and anyone looking for a certificate valid for ESL teaching jobs worldwide including Canada and the U.S.
Add specialist courses like TEYL, Business English, or Teaching IELTS during registration — bundle and save.
The most comprehensive program for experienced ESL teachers seeking deeper expertise in lesson planning, assessment, and curriculum development. The TESOL Diploma builds on the methodology of the 120-hour certificate and adds extensive training in syllabus design, testing, and evaluation to support your career growth.
Teachers with 1+ years of ESL experience upgrading from a 120-hour certificate, CELTA, or equivalent. Those transitioning into curriculum design, teacher training, or academic management.
Add specialist courses like TEYL, Business English, or Teaching IELTS during registration — bundle and save.
You are starting out, returning to the field, or need a professional-level credential to teach abroad, online, or in Canada. No prior TESOL/TEFL training required.
You already hold a TESOL/TEFL certificate and want a more advanced qualification for senior teaching, curriculum design, or leadership roles.
| 120-Hour Certificate | 250-Hour Diploma | |
|---|---|---|
| Employability & Recognition | ||
| TESL Canada certification level | Professional Standard 1 | Professional Standard 2 |
| Accepted for ESL jobs abroad | ||
| Accepted in Canada, USA, UK, Australia, NZ | ||
| Accepted for online teaching jobs | ||
| Practical Components | ||
| Lab Assignments (CLT-based lesson plans) | 3 | 7 |
| 12-hour Live TEFL Module via Zoom | Included (optional attendance) | Included (mandatory attendance) |
| Learning Theories | ||
| First Language Acquisition theories | ||
| Second Language Acquisition theories | ||
| Semantics and Pragmatics | ||
| Current Approaches | ||
| Communicative Approach | ||
| Integrated-skills Approach | ||
| Task-based Learning | ||
| Lesson Planning Formats | ||
| PPP (Presentation, Practice, Production) | ||
| ESA (Engage, Study, Activate) | ||
| TBL (Task-based Learning) | Introduction | |
| TTT (Test, Teach, Test) | ||
| Linguistics | ||
| Grammar | Foundational | Academic |
| Phonology | Foundational | Academic |
Most English language schools offer their students specialized instruction to meet their specific needs. Topping the list are these four: Young Learners, Business English, IELTS preparation courses, and Online learning. The 20-hour Specialist certificate courses offered by OnTESOL will boost your resume and prepare you for more opportunities.
You can take our 20-hour TEFL specialist courses on their own if you already hold a recognized TESOL, TEFL, or TESL certificate.
Add specialist courses at a 33% discount when registering for a core program so you can graduate with a more complete and competitive certification.
Learn age-appropriate strategies for engaging children and adolescents in the ESL classroom. Covers lesson planning, classroom management techniques, and activity design for young students.
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Master tools, platforms, and techniques for effective virtual ESL instruction. Adapt communicative activities for online delivery and build engaging digital lesson plans.
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Prepare corporate learners with industry-specific English skills. Covers needs analysis, designing ESP materials, and teaching presentations, meetings, and negotiations.
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Develop exam preparation strategies for all four IELTS skill areas. Design targeted practice activities and help students improve their band scores effectively.
View course →For what each path involves — requirements by country, typical pay, where the jobs are — read the career section of our TESOL/TEFL guide.
| Your goal | Recommended | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Teach ESL immersion in Canada or the USA | 120-hr Certificate + Practicum | Private academies and settlement programs ask for TESL Canada Standard 1, which needs the practicum. |
| Entry-level or gap-year job abroad (EPIK, JET, academies) | 120-hr Certificate + 20-hr TEYL | Most first jobs abroad are with children and teenagers; TEYL is the specialist recruiters look for. |
| Licensed K-12 teacher adding an ESL credential | 120-hr Certificate + 20-hr TEYL | Adds the ESL methodology your licence does not cover, in the age group you already teach. |
| Teach English online | 120-hr Certificate + 20-hr Teaching English Online | Platforms want a 120-hour certificate; the specialist covers the tools and lesson formats that work on screen. |
| Teach IELTS preparation | 120-hr Certificate + 20-hr Teaching IELTS | Exam-prep posts are among the best paid; the specialist covers all four papers. |
| Business English, in-company or private | 120-hr Certificate + 20-hr Teaching Business English | Needs analysis and syllabus design are what corporate clients pay for. |
| Senior teaching, curriculum or academic management | 250-hr TESOL Diploma | TESL Canada Standard 2; builds on a 120-hour certificate with curriculum design, testing and assessment. |
Our programs stand out with their hands-on Lesson Planning Lab Assignments, personalized tutor feedback, and engaging virtual workshops. Plus, benefit from lifetime job support and access to a wide range of specialist courses to upgrade your qualifications.
After completing your online TESOL/TEFL course with OnTESOL, you will be able to create effective lesson plans that supplement or replace the ESL textbook with authentic materials, integrated skills activities, role-playing, simulations, drama, storytelling, debating techniques, presentations, and many more Communicative Language Teaching techniques.
Accredited by TESL Canada — ensuring you qualify for professional ESL teaching jobs in Canada, the U.S., and worldwide.
Qualify for TESL Canada Professional Standard certification, obtain the work visa authentication to teach English abroad, or qualify for online ESL teaching jobs.
Accepted by language schools, recruiters, and online platforms in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. Your certificate never expires and qualifies for government authentication through Global Affairs Canada when a work visa requires it.
Learn to use the teaching methods and ESL lesson planning frameworks you need for a successful career in English language teaching.
Your tuition covers all materials, tutor support, hard & soft copies of your certification, and career resources.
OnTESOL will teach you the skills you need to become a reflective, adaptive, and independent English teacher — all at your own pace.
Upon registration, you'll receive the Course Activation email within 24 hours. This email contains everything you need to get started, including login details and important information about your course.
At OnTESOL, you can complete your certification at your own pace, making it easy to fit your studies around work, travel, or other commitments.
To complete the course, you will need to pass a variety of multiple-choice tests, reflection questions, and lesson planning Lab Assignments.
Lab Assignments require you to plan step-by-step lessons following major ESL lesson planning frameworks under the Communicative Language Teaching method. These assignments teach the structure behind a standard lesson in an ESL textbook and provide methods to supplement or replace it with engaging real-world materials and memorable activities that enhance language learning and acquisition.
Your success matters to us, which is why each OnTESOL student is matched with a dedicated, experienced tutor. Our tutors provide continuous support to guide you through each step of the course and answer any questions you may have.
Instantly download your certificate and transcript. Receive verifiable digital badges for LinkedIn. Certification is valid for life and can be authenticated through Global Affairs Canada.
Observe experienced ESL teachers and lead your own classes with real students — anywhere in the world, on your timeline. Required for TESL Canada certification (with degree).
A quality TESOL/TESL/TEFL course should give you the credentials that you need to teach English worldwide.
Accreditation by a government-recognized body guarantees that the institution has processes and policies in place to offer quality training. Recognition by an internationally-renowned external certification body such as TESL Canada guarantees that the certificate is valid for life and you will not have to repeat your training with another TESOL/TESL/TEFL/CELTA course provider.
Online TESOL/TEFL Courses Accredited by TESL Canada
A quality TESOL/TEFL certification course should teach you the practical lesson planning skills you need to adapt to different classroom situations worldwide.
Knowing how to plan communicative and task-based ESL lessons is the most important skill you need for a successful English teaching career. Whether you are planning to teach English abroad, teach English immersion at home, or teach English online, the ESL textbook is often outdated and boring. In some ESL programs, there isn’t even a textbook teachers can follow!
For this reason, a TESOL/TEFL certification course that teaches you how to use the major ESL lesson planning frameworks under the umbrella of the Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) method will help you become a better and more successful ESL teacher.
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In general, the minimum TESOL/TEFL certification requirement to start as an ESL teacher is 120 hours of training. However, not every 120-hour TEFL/TESOL course is built the same way. There is a huge difference in quality between foundational and professional-level courses.
Foundational TESOL/TEFL courses offer a quick introduction to the theory and methodology of English language teaching. They evaluate trainees with multiple-choice tests and short essays, and generally fail to teach the lesson planning skills employers expect.
Professional-level TESOL/TEFL courses are more challenging, but far more rewarding long-term. They require real lesson plan projects and are accredited by leading bodies such as TESL Canada, so graduates qualify for professional teaching jobs worldwide, online, or in Canada and the USA.
OnTESOL has led professional-level online TESOL/TEFL training since 2003.
30% of our students came to OnTESOL after realizing their first TESOL course wasn’t enough.
Real, unedited reviews from independent platforms. We don’t moderate them.
I completed the OnTESOL 120-hour Advanced course, and it was absolutely worth every dollar. The course gave me the skills I needed and helped me secure several job offers in Japan. The tutor was exceptionally knowledgeable and supportive.
I completed the 250-hour TESOL Diploma along with 3 specialist courses. Both tutors were excellent and very knowledgeable. I highly recommend OnTESOL to anyone wanting to become a qualified English language teacher without breaking the bank.
There were an extensive amount of lessons and detailed content. The combination of reading, video lectures, online real-time workshops and activities helped me greatly!
TEFL, TESOL and TESL are different names for the same professional certification for teaching English, and employers use them interchangeably. What matters is the quality and recognition of the training. Full explainer: TEFL vs TESOL vs TESL.
The 250-hour TESOL Diploma includes everything in the 120-hour plus advanced methodology, curriculum design, testing, and assessment, meeting TESL Canada Professional Standard 2. The 250-hour requires a previous TESOL/TEFL certificate (120+ hours) and is designed for experienced teachers moving into senior, curriculum, or management roles.
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