TESL Ontario Accreditation and Certification Levels

OCELT: Generally, public funded Adult ESL and LINC programs in Ontario require OCELT (Ontario certified English Language Teacher) certification*.

ICTEAL: This is an additional certificate that is awarded to all successful OCELT applicants. ICTEAL (Internationally Certified Teacher of English as an Additional Language) may be accepted by some international employers as proof of TESL training and professional certification.

CTESOL: The TESL Ontario CTESOL certification may be accepted by some Canadian and international employers as additional proof of initial TESL training and professional certification. CTESOL certification is not required by any employers in Canada or abroad. However, CTESOL certification is eligible to upgrade to OCELT certification through an accredited provider offering Part 2 separately for the remaining OCELT course requirements .

*Note: OCELT requirement is exclusive for Ontario public funded programs. Generally, public funded Adult ESL and LINC programs in other Canadian provinces require a minimum of TESL Canada Professional Standard 1 certification. Furthermore, ESL teaching jobs in private language academies approved by Languages Canada, including those in Ontario, generally require a minimum of TESL Canada Standard Professional 1 certification.

Is OnTESOL Recognized by TESL Ontario?

TESL Ontario recognized the Coventry House International-OnTESOL Advanced TESOL Certificate program (140 hours) into CTESOL accreditation in 2018. The accredited program comprises 120 hours of instruction on TESL theory and methodology, 10 hours of observation, and 10 hours of supervised practice teaching (The 20-hour Practicum).

Candidates must complete the Advanced TESOL Certificate training (120 hours), the separate Practicum (20 hours), and meet the TESL Ontario university education and English language proficiency requirements to be eligible for the TESL Ontario CTESOL certification.

Note: OnTESOL did not apply with TESL Ontario for accreditation of the 168-hour Hybrid TEFL Certificate course, but the 168-hour bundle (35% OFF) includes the online 120-hour Advanced TESOL Certificate course that leads to TESL Ontario CTESOL accreditation; therefore, 168-hour graduates who complete the separate 20-hour Practicum will receive the 140-hour Advanced TESOL Certificate with Practicum that is eligible for TESL Ontario CTESOL certification with proof of completing all other accreditation requirements (university degree and ELP).

Graduates of the 140-hour Advanced TESOL Certificate with Practicum program who wish to apply for TESL Ontario OCELT certification can upgrade their credentials with another TESL Ontario accredited organization offering Part 2 of the training. Part 2 must comprise at least 150 hours of instruction in TESL theory and methodology, at least 20 hours of observation, and at least 10 hours of supervised practice teaching. Please be aware that some TESL Ontario accredited Part 2 programs do not include all instructional, observation, and practice teaching hours specified above.

How Does the Online Course and Practicum Offered by OnTESOL Work?

The 140-hour Advanced TESOL Certificate program accredited by TESL Ontario CTESOL requires completion of 120 hours of online-asynchronous instruction in TESL theory and methodology and the 20-hour Practicum offered separately.

120 hours online: The benefit of taking a self-paced online course is that you can take the time you need to ask questions to your online tutor and complete the assignments at your own pace. The 120-hour Advanced TESOL Certificate program can be completed between 4 weeks (full-time) and 6 months (part-time). Students pass through the course as they submit assignments for feedback and marking.

Note: Students enrolled in the 168-hour Hybrid TEFL Certificate course start with the 120-hour online course and have access to the live lesson planning workshops when they reach the methodology module. OnTESOL recommends the 168-hour bundle with $400 in total discounts for extra training in ESL lesson planning frameworks, teaching English to young learners, teaching ESL online, and using resources with foreign learners.

20-hour Practicum: Candidates must complete the 120-hour online course before starting the separate Practicum module. There isn’t a deadline to complete the separate 20-hour Practicum after the online course. Candidates can start this module when they are ready to qualify for CTESOL accreditation by contacting our Director of Studies to approve the Stand-Alone Practicum or provide them with a list of Canadian ESL schools that offer this module. TESL Ontario requires 10 hours of observation and 10 hours of supervised practice teaching. As per TESL Ontario’s practicum standard, at least 50% of the required observation hours and 50% of the required practice teaching hours are offered in in-person physical classrooms in Canada. The rest of the observation and practice teaching hours may be completed in online-synchronous classes that follow a Canadian curriculum.

How Does the Separate Practicum Work for OnTESOL Graduates?

For an extra fee, you can complete the Practicum in the Great Toronto Area (Average $600) with a Languages Canada-approved ESL school.

Another option is to complete the Stand-Alone Practicum. This option is popular with experienced and volunteering ESL teachers who are able to set up the Practicum at the school they work.