What is the difference between CELTA, TEFL, TESL and TESOL?

The CELTA certificate is the most widely recognised English language teaching certificate in the world and is internationally recognised and accredited by the University of Cambridge. The CELTA certificate is awarded after successful completion of the CELTA course. Many other so-called ‘TEFL certificates’, whether achievable online or face-to-face, are often not monitored or unaccredited by large, independent organisations. Then, once you get out into the workforce, you’ll find that it’s not a globally recognised course.

TESL, TEFL, TESOL, it’s all the same… TESL, TEFL and TESOL are all generic terms.

TEFL is not the name of any one specific course, in fact, it’s a concept. It stands for ‘Teaching English as a Foreign Language’ and is often found written in many other variations such as TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) or TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language)

You will also come across ESL (English as a Second Language) and EFL (English as a Foreign Language) when looking into teaching English to people who have a different language as their first language

Remember CELTA, however, is ‘the’ TEFL qualification, and it’s what most employers are looking for when they request it on their job advertisements. Candidates take CELTA courses because the CELTA is the most highly recognised TEFL course in the world. This is a certificate that is sought by reputable employers in English language schools around the world.