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EFL Qualifications
The world of EFL qualifications can seem confusing, but it doesn’t have to be. Here’s our explainer!
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With over a billion speakers worldwide, the English language is one of the primary methods of communication around the planet. As the lingua franca of business and the primary language of international communication, having English proficiency is an incredibly useful tool. It means you can easily live and work worldwide, immediately understand over half of the content on the internet and join conversations with all kinds of people.
Being able to teach English is something of a gift, then, and it’s a powerful tool that you can share with people. To do it effectively, you need to attain qualifications in teaching English as a foreign language (EFL).
Why do qualifications matter? What kind of qualifications exist, and how do you choose an EFL course provider? There are a number of pertinent questions when it comes to EFL qualifications. So, one by one, we’re going to tackle all of them, so you can make the most informed choice you can.
What is EFL (English as a foreign language)?
So, what is EFL? EFL stands for English as a Foreign Language and is all about teaching English to people who have some or no prior knowledge of the language. Teaching English as a foreign language can involve teaching English abroad or online. It can start with the alphabet, rudimentary sounds and phrases from its most basic level. As students build their proficiency and vocabulary, their English skills progress to concepts like grammar and other advanced core language skills.
EFL can mean teaching English to people from all around the world in any number of countries and environments. You could teach English to a classroom full of students who all speak the same first language. Or, you could tutor a student online who speaks multiple languages but now lives in an English-speaking country. You could teach English to refugees or asylum seekers, or you could teach Business English to corporate executives in a megacity. The possibilities are endless with EFL.
Everything from teaching the alphabet to kindergarteners right up to putting the finishing touches on a retirement speech - a career in EFL can find you in all sorts of different teaching scenarios!
Why are EFL qualifications important for teaching English internationally?
If you have plans to teach English as a foreign language, you’ll need qualifications. From a learner’s perspective or a parent’s perspective, you would expect that the EFL teacher who works with you or your child is qualified to do so.
Why is that the case? Simply put, it’s because EFL qualifications matter. While there used to be only one or two varieties of certification—the CELTA and Trinty CertTESOL— there is now a range of TEFL courses that can be studied online, in classrooms, or through different types of study.
Qualifications are a mark of quality. In the same way that other professions require qualifications, completion of accredited, high-quality courses is necessary for finding EFL teaching work. This is true whether it’s relatively local or international. Qualifications add legitimacy, and having a TEFL certificate with over 120 hours of study to your name proves you’re serious about teaching English to a professional standard.
While teaching English as a foreign language may have had a reputation as a backpacker’s profession in the past, that is profoundly not the case today. You can’t turn up halfway across the world in a non-English speaking country and hope to secure a job teaching EFL just because you speak English.
Types of EFL qualifications
You want to get into EFL teaching, and you know that gaining a qualification is the way to do it. So, which one do you choose?
There’s no wrong answer here. Different English teachers will tell you different stories about how they got into English language teaching and which qualification they chose. Ultimately, it’s about your personal preferences and circumstances. The “best” course is the one that’s right for you!
TEFL certification courses
Now widely available to all kinds of learners worldwide, TEFL course providers have become an industry unto themselves over recent decades. There are many TEFL course providers, ranging from the highly accredited and internationally admired to slap-dash discount courses and scams.
The best certification courses will be offered by providers with experience in the English teaching profession. Courses should be accredited by internationally recognised authorities with a strong presence in the education sector.
Courses used to be classroom-only. However, over recent years, remote learning has opened up the field, allowing prospective EFL teachers from all walks of life to become fully qualified.
120 hour
In short, 120 hours is the industry standard for EFL certification. It is perhaps the most common form of certification today due to its many advantages. In a relatively short timeframe, a high-quality 120-hour course should provide anyone with the theoretical and methodological foundation to teach English to speakers of other languages.
We recommend a 120-hour course if you hold a BA degree in any discipline, have some previous teaching experience, are a native English speaker, and are looking for EFL work somewhere with a high demand for teachers.
Diploma
An increasingly common type of EFL course, the Level 5 Diploma might be worth choosing if you require a more in-depth study of English language teaching. Typically lasting 200 hours of study, diplomas are a particularly good choice if you do not have a bachelor’s degree, have no previous teaching experience, English isn’t your first language, or you’re aiming to work in a country with a competitive job market. Alternatively, they’re great if you want to teach online but don’t quite have the confidence to get started yet.What TEFL course is right for you?
Not sure which TEFL course is right for you? Take our quiz to find your perfect course!
Requirements for EFL qualifications
What do you need to study an EFL teacher course and become an EFL teacher?
Fluency in English is the only real technical requirement for an EFL course. No course provider is going to turn you down because you don’t have a bachelor’s degree or you lack teaching experience. If you can speak English fluently, you can help others to start learning English. It’s that simple. Non-native speakers of English can become English teachers, provided they’re fluent in the English language (later on, certificates like IELTS and TOEFL will help to prove an individual’s English language skills). It doesn't need to be your primary language, but as long as you're fluent, EFL teaching could be for you.
Beyond any academic qualifications, an EFL teacher should be able to demonstrate a range of emotional and people skills. Traits like empathy, confidence and organisational skills are extremely useful skills for any aspiring EFL teacher.
How to choose an EFL provider
When you’re first navigating the world of EFL teaching, it can be hard to choose between course providers. Which is the best route to becoming an EFL teacher? Is it so simple to know?
Here are the most important factors to consider when choosing an EFL course provider:
Accreditation
Accreditation is something like a quality control stamp for course providers. External accreditation bodies review a provider's course content, teaching standards, and overall practices. If these meet specific quality standards, the provider is awarded accreditation. It’s all about making sure that a course provider is held accountable and actually offers students what they say they do.
For any aspiring EFL teacher asking a course provider what accreditation they have, you’re looking for them to be accredited by reputable, well-established authorities. A provider might tell you they are “fully accredited”, but that’s a meaningless phrase. There is no one EFL accrediting body, so look out for specific examples that you can verify.
Reputable accreditation comes from a nationally or internationally recognised accreditation body. A reputable accreditor should have a strong online and offline presence, with examples of course providers or educational institutions whose courses have met their standards. Disreputable accreditors will have none of this - there’ll be little presence within the education sector as a whole, no brand name recognition, or no examples of other organisations who’ve successfully applied for accreditation.
Course duration
EFL courses should have a specific timeframe for completion. While reputable providers clearly display this information on their website, you may need to inquire directly if it's not immediately visible.
It's crucial to ask about the course duration because some less reputable providers set artificially short deadlines. This tactic pressures prospective EFL teachers into purchasing costly course extensions, increasing the overall cost of the qualification.
Hidden costs?
Talking of overly expensive course extensions, beware of course providers that offer very cheap courses. You’ll find they often pack their courses with other expensive hidden costs. Did you want to actually get a copy of your EFL certificate? Too bad, you’ll have to pay. Materials? That’ll cost extra. So on and so on.
Reputable providers will typically charge more, but they try to squeeze every penny out of a hopeful EFL teacher until they’re so disillusioned they give up entirely!
Course teaching
This might sound ridiculous on its face, but less reputable EFL course providers - especially if they’re online - won’t provide you with an actual teacher. Cheap courses are often made by people with no background in education, and there might be no tutoring involved whatsoever. So, no tutor support, just a load of multiple-choice questions.
This means no assessments or just one big, meaningless, arbitrary exam at the end. Whether you pass or fail is largely inconsequential. If you do pass, you’ll have to buy the certificate. Seems a bit unfair, doesn’t it? That’s why reading reviews and speaking to a tutor before committing to a course is so important. Additionally, properly accredited course providers will have actual tutors and proper assessments!
Support
Perhaps the most important question of all is how will your EFL course provider treat you. Do they want you to become a successful English teacher? Will they provide support and answer your questions? Will they mark your work fairly and offer the feedback you need to consistently improve?
If you have any doubts about the answers to these questions, then you’re best avoiding a course provider. However, if you can confidently say yes to each question, you’ve got yourself a reliable provider. What’s more, it’s not just about being on the course - are there services provided afterwards, like job application assistance? Is there ample customer support?
You need to feel like you’re being backed for success as a teacher. If not, then it’s right to ask questions.
What is the salary for an EFL teacher?
The amount you can earn to teach English can vary greatly. Typically, your salary will be based on experience, qualifications, and the platform you choose. Newer teachers with EFL qualifications tend to earn US$10-$20 / £8-£16 per hour. Experienced teachers with specialised skills earn around US$30-$40 / £24-£32 or more per hour, depending on demand from EFL learners.
Teaching English abroad can also pay very well. There are important variables, including the type of school (public, private or international) or institution (company, university) you work for, as well as your academic background, level of experience and where you’re based in the world. East Asia and the Middle East offer some of the best wages worldwide, with a massive audience of EFL learners.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How much do EFL qualifications cost?
EFL qualification costs depend on the provider, location and the level of qualification. For quality qualifications, you can spend anywhere between $250-$3,000 / £190 - £2,300. Be wary of unaccredited, discount courses which are often full of hidden fees.
Q. What's the difference between EFL and ESL?
The difference between ESL and EFL is that ESL stands for English as a second language, and EFL stands for English as a foreign language. In essence, the differences are negligible, as it’s the same practice - you’re teaching English to people who don’t speak it as a primary language.
Q. Is EFL the same as TEFL?
Yes, EFL and TEFL are the same thing.