TESOL / TEFL Practicum Module
Complete a Supervised Teaching Practice Module with Real ESL Students After the Online TESOL / TEFL Course
Upgrade your credentials and qualify for ESL teaching jobs that require the completion of a supervised Practicum module with real ESL students.
The Practicum is intended for OnTESOL graduates looking to upgrade their TESOL/TEFL certification with class observation and teaching practice hours. You can choose whether or not to take this module after the online TESOL/TEFL course with OnTESOL. We advise you to take this module since it is a very important aspect of teaching a language. However, there are many OnTESOL graduates who already have teaching experience and others who are planning to teach abroad where teaching experience or the Practicum are not required. For this reason, the Practicum is an optional and separate module.
To become eligible for TESL Canada and/or TESL Ontario certification, all OnTESOL graduates must complete the separate Practicum module. OnTESOL does not grant Practicum credits for previous ESL teaching experience or qualification. All graduates must complete the Practicum for TESL Canada and TESL Ontario certification. However, it is possible for active adult ESL teachers to complete the Practicum with their employer. See Stand-Alone option below.
There isn’t a deadline to complete the separate Practicum module, so you can receive the 120-hour Advanced TESOL Certificate, the 168-hour Hybrid TEFL Certificate, or the 250-hour TESOL Diploma without the Practicum and upgrade your credentials at a later stage in your career.
Who is the Practicum For?
Read More: Online TESOL Certification with Practicum Equivalent to CELTA
How the Supervised Practicum Works:
On completion of the online TESOL / TEFL course and approval of the Practicum, candidates can take the Practicum module in any country, whether at an ESL school, community center that offers ESL classes, LINC program, or TESOL/TEFL institute.
Number of Hours Required:
- TESL Canada Standard 1: 10 hours of class observation and 10 hours of teaching practice with adult ESL students of different levels.
- TESL Canada Standard 2: 30 hours of class observation and 20 hours of teaching practice with adult ESL students of different levels.
For the class observation part, you will have to observe the supervising teacher and write reports on his or her performance.
For the teaching practice part, the supervising teacher will set up your classes and tell you about the topics you have to teach. You will be required to create a lesson plan and submit it before the start of your class. Your supervising teacher will mark you on your lesson planning skills and your teaching skills and you will get feedback after each class.
OnTESOL will moderate all the reports and lesson plans after you complete the Practicum.
Read More: Graduate Review: How The Practicum Will Make You a Better Teacher
TESL Canada Practicum Requirements:
The Practicum must be completed with adult ESL students (17+ years old. Minimum 5 students per class). The Practicum must be supervised by an ESL Teacher with more than 2000 hours of teaching experience and a TESOL certificate with at least 120 hours and a Practicum module such as TESL Canada, CELTA, or Trinity CertTESOL.
OnTESOL’s Director of Studies must confirm that the Practicum you complete at another school meets TESL Canada’s requirements (even if it is completed at a recognized TESL Canada course provider), as it is OnTESOL which will issue the Practicum certificate and transcript.
Please do not arrange the Practicum without the approval of Ontesol’s Director of Studies, as TESL Canada may require you to re-do the module if they deem that not all required administrative and academic procedures were followed correctly.
Where Can I Complete the Practicum?
You can take the Practicum anywhere in the world! If you are already teaching English, it is possible to take the Practicum for free at the school you work. Below is more information about the two options our graduates can choose for the Practicum:
OnTESOL offers graduates a list of Canadian language schools we recommend. The benefit of taking the Practicum with a recommended school is that other OnTESOL graduates have already successfully completed this module in these locations. Our contacts meet TESL Canada requirements consistently and it is much faster to approve a Practicum Supervisor who already supervised other OnTESOL graduates. These schools charge a fee and cost depends on location:
20-hour Practicum for 120-hour Graduates: CA$450-CA$1,000 depending on location.
50-hour Practicum for 250-hour Graduates: CA$750-CA$1,500 depending on location.
Practicum options include Edmonton, Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, and online.
This option is popular with teachers already employed or volunteering in an ESL program because it is much more affordable or even free for them.
Those who are currently teaching in Canada: Your employer asked you to obtain TESL Canada accreditation and will arrange your Practicum.
Those who are seeking employment in Canada: You can obtain a temporary contract with the Advanced TESOL Certificate or the TESOL Diploma under the condition that you obtain TESL Canada accreditation in the near future, so your employer will help you with the Practicum in order to grant you full-time employment status.
Volunteering: A community centre or LINC Program that offers ESL classes to new immigrants and international students is a perfect place for new teachers to complete their practicum and get some extra hours of teaching experience.
Those who are teaching abroad or will travel abroad: There isn’t a deadline to take the Practicum after completing our accredited online TESOL / TEFL course, so you may take the Practicum at any ESL school in the world with the help of a qualified supervisor before returning to Canada.
Does OnTESOL Charge Any Fees for Moderating and Certifying the Practicum?
For both Options 1 and 2, OnTESOL will approve the supervising teacher, provide the Practicum booklet with guidelines, moderate the reports and lesson plans, and issue the Practicum certificate at no extra cost.
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