Our Accreditations
OnTESOL is accredited and recognized by the leading Post-Secondary Education and TESOL/TEFL/TESL training organizations from Canada and the United States.
Learn moreEarn your TESL Canada and ACCET accreditation 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 Recognized by:
TESL Canada
Professional Standards 1 & 2
Institutionally Accredited by:
U.S. Department of Education
Recognized Agency
20+ Years of Leading TEFL/TESOL Training
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 ACCET and recognized 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.
Qualify to teach English abroad, online, and in the United States and Canada with an ACCET-accredited online TEFL/TESOL institute. Earn CEUs to maintain your U.S. teaching licence.
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.
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 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 teachers entering the field, experienced teachers seeking a recognized credential, and anyone looking for a certificate valid for 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 2+ 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 |
| Continuing Education Units (CEUs) | 12 | 25 |
| 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 →Different teaching goals call for different course combinations. Find the path that matches where you want to go.
Canada and the United States have a large industry of private ESL academies that offer ESL immersion classes to international students. The minimum requirement in the United States is a BA degree in any area and an internationally recognized 120-hour TESOL/TEFL certification. In Canada, TESL Canada Professional Standard 1 is required, which means a BA degree, a recognized 120-hour TESOL/TEFL certification, and a Practicum. All OnTESOL courses come with the option of completing a separate Practicum module.
Teaching English to young learners is the largest job market for gap-year and entry-level ESL teachers who go abroad for 1 year. Teach English abroad in public schools and after-school ESL programs in programs such as EPIK (South Korea), JET (Japan), and TFETP (Taiwan). You don’t need a teaching license or Bachelor in Education — all you need is a BA degree in any area and an accredited TESOL/TEFL certification of at least 120 hours.
A recognized TEFL/TESOL certification is a valuable credential for licensed K-12 teachers in Canada and the United States who teach to a large group of international students and newcomers. It is also an additional requirement for high-paying TEFL jobs in International Schools worldwide or public-school programs in lucrative destinations such as the United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong. Save when you add the 20-hour TEYL specialist to the 120-hour Advanced TESOL/TEFL certification course.
Set your own hours to work full-time or earn extra income. Teaching English online is perfect for university graduate students, stay-at-home parents, semi-retirees, and expats looking for a remote job that allows them to teach and travel the world. A BA degree is not required, but those who have a BA degree and an accredited 120-hour TEFL/TESOL certification qualify for the best paying jobs. There are more than 10,000 teaching jobs available with online ESL companies from all around the world.
IELTS is the largest examination program in the world and offers the best paying and most reputable positions for experienced ESL teachers. Earn up to $50/hour with an accredited TESOL certification as an IELTS examination or preparation teacher. Combine the 120-hour Advanced TESOL/TEFL Certificate with the 20-hour Teaching IELTS Specialist Certificate for the strongest qualification.
In-company, private, and online Business English teaching positions offer lucrative and flexible job opportunities for experienced ESL teachers all around the world. The countries with the most jobs are South Korea, Japan, Germany, Italy, France, and the Czech Republic. In general, Business English teachers earn twice as much as General English and after-school ESL teachers. Save when you add the 20-hour Teaching Business English Course to your TEFL/TESOL certification with OnTESOL.
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 such as ACCET 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.
Accredited by ACCET (U.S. Department of Education Recognized Agency) · Online TESOL/TEFL Courses Recognized 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 ACCET and 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 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 all refer to the same type of professional certification for teaching English. In modern teacher training and job postings, the terms are used interchangeably. There is no standardized difference in methodology, assessment, or qualification level between them.
What employers actually care about is the quality and recognition of your training. Regardless of the term on the certificate, schools look for:
All OnTESOL courses are built on Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), the global standard in ESL education, and include practical lesson planning frameworks used in advanced, professional-level programs.
OnTESOL is accredited by ACCET (a U.S. Department of Education recognized agency) and recognized by TESL Canada. This means your certificate is accepted for teaching jobs in Canada, the U.S., overseas, and online, with no need to complete a second TEFL, TESOL, or TESL course later in your career.
Yes. In most countries, a 120-hour TEFL/TESOL certification is the standard minimum requirement for entry-level teaching positions. A fully online TESOL/TEFL course is widely accepted for teaching jobs across Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East.
If you want to teach in a native English-speaking country such as Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, or New Zealand, you will also need a supervised 20-hour Practicum to meet local hiring requirements. A Practicum is also preferred by select programs in Hong Kong and the Middle East. Graduates of OnTESOL’s advanced TESOL/TEFL certificates may add the optional Practicum after completing their online coursework.
For jobs that require a work visa, especially in South Korea, China, Vietnam, and the UAE, employers often ask for authenticated TEFL/TESOL documents. Because OnTESOL is accredited by TESL Canada, our certificates can be officially authenticated by Global Affairs Canada, which helps ensure your credentials are accepted by employers and immigration authorities worldwide.
From US$460. Self-paced. TESL Canada recognized. ACCET accredited. Tutor support and job assistance included.
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