What is TESOL? How is it different to TEFL? How does this relate to my funding?

What is TEFL?

The TEFL sector can be a little confusing! Some people do a degree in TEFL and others do a one-hour groupon course!

FYI: Like FYI, TEFL is just an acronym, it means 'Teaching English as a Foreign Language'. There are thousands of different TEFLs out there - with no overarching or official provider of TEFL! The acronym simply refers to a broad array of English teacher training and certification schemes, of varying quality and value.

CertTESOL, CELTA or Gatehouse l3-5?

In the TEFL sector, there are two leading entry-level qualifications, these are the Trinity CertTESOL and the CELTA, they are roughly equivalent in terms of quality and prestige and are both Level 5 qualifications under Ofqual (UK). These have the highest standing around the world of entry-level TEFL qualifications, and are accredited by well-respected institutions globally. Our favourite is the Trinity CertTESOL, most of our team have done it. We currently offer it to all candidates on our India programmes.

For candidates on our other programmes, we offer alternative courses that are broadly equivalent to the above - these are the Gatehouse Ofqual Level 3 or 5 course. We offer these as they are UK government (Ofqual) recognised courses covering equivalent topics to the Trinity/Celta and are readily achievable within the constraints of our short, intensive work placement programmes.

Please note, any course that meets the three criteria below can be considered to be broadly equivalent to the CertTESOL/CELTA:

1.is externally validated by a reputable examination body (usually a university or recognised examination board) and/or accredited by a national accrediting body such as Ofqual in England

2. contains at least six hours’ supervised teaching practice (i.e. teaching practice where a qualified and standardised assessor observes the trainee teacher teaching real students and gives feedback on his or her performance)

3. contains at least 100 hours of TEFL/ELT/TESOL input

TEFL Flagship Course

In-house at Gotoco, we also offer a standard TEFL course (TEFL Flagship Course), this is lower commitment than the options above. This TEFL is designed to prepare you well for your time abroad, while making you eligible for entry-level TEFL jobs.

You are usually offered the basic TEFL by default on all programmes and you can then graduate to our add-ons such as the L3-L5.