What Are The Requirements For TEFL Accreditation?

There are multiple organizations that certify individuals and institutions to teach English as a second language. If you want to become certified by a TEFL Accreditation organization, there are a few things that most organizations will require you to do.

First of all, you will need to demonstrate or provide proof of English competency. Depending on the organization, and your own circumstances, this may involve taking exams, and interviewing with a program director. If English is not your native language, you may also need to provide documentation and proof of relevant experience in an English-speaking environment.

Another common requirement for TEFL Accreditation is taking TEFL courses. These courses are offered in many locations worldwide. If you cannot attend a course in person, you may be able to find a course online. TEFL courses may address issues such as teaching for varying learning styles, encouraging student involvement, development of materials and resources, ethics, and special focuses such as English for business, presentations, or secretarial work. Whatever courses you decide to take, make sure that they will count toward your accreditation with whichever organization you are working with.

In order to qualify for TEFL Accreditation, you may also be required to commit to a strict code of conduct. This may involve the ways you promote or advertise your courses, your enrollment and admissions policies, fair treatment policies, transparency, and other ethics issues.

In order to maintain your accreditation, your courses and work will most-likely have to be evaluated periodically to assess whether your courses continue to meet the requirements set forth by the accrediting body. This can include continuing education for instructors. It may also include observation of courses, and reviewing of materials by qualified third-party professionals. You may also be required to demonstrate that you adhere to the ethics principles to which you have committed, in order to maintain your accreditation over an extended period of time.

There are a few things that people often think are required for TEFL Accreditation that are actually not required. One of these things is fluency in a language other than English. Generally, the teaching model adopted by most organizations is an English immersion model, where no other language is spoken in the classroom. Also, the fact that in many classes, there may be ten or more native languages collectively spoken by class members, makes knowing a foreign language a mute point in respect to conducting courses. However, if you are living in a foreign country, it will be to your advantage to know the predominant language of the country you are in. Also, having learned a foreign language will give you a better idea of how to teach a language to your own students.