English, being the lingua franca has necessitated the English language teaching programmes all over the world. These language programmes are captioned in different phrases and abbreviations and are available both for teachers of English language as well as for the persons whose first language is not English. The nature and the purpose of these language programmes are almost similar with a little difference of emphasis on the basic skills of English language. TESL, which stands for Teaching English as a Second Language is one of these English language programmes and is regarded as a programme designed and developed particularly for the teachers of English language. TESL programmes point to many certifications, diplomas and degrees in the subject of teaching English as a second language or as a foreign language.


There are many accredited certifications are available in TESL both as full-time and part-time programmes. The time length for these certifications is quite moderate. Most of the full-time programmes are only four-week long courses. As a part time programme, TESL certifications may prolong to one-year. If you complete any of these courses successfully, they may consolidate chances of employment for you as potential teachers of English language. If you are already employed, these courses enhance your career and can introduce new opportunities. The popular certifications in TESL are CertTESOL, Certificate in TESL, TESL/TEFL Certificate, TESL/TEFL Certificate with Teaching Practice, CALL Certificate course etc. Side by side with the traditional institutions, many of the online institutions also offer accredited online programmes in TESL. The online institutions are a great feast for the persons employed already as teachers and find it difficult to attend classes at any regular institution.

The TESL certifications, courses and degrees train the prospective teachers about many important aspects of language. The academic contents of these educational programmes can be epitomized into two major divisions i.e. the classrooms skills and language system. The classrooms skills correspond with history of language, classroom management, teaching monolingual, and multilingual classes. The language system part of the TESL education contains components like grammar, vocabulary, and phonology of English language. The eligibility to these certifications and courses may be restricted. Some of the TESL programmes do require age limit, qualification, and language proficiency for admission. These TESL certifications are unique professional qualifications and are thought to be the benchmark for excellence which ensures enormous future prospects for you.

In online certifications, you get a chance to grasp modern techniques of teaching English as a second language under the guidance of experienced and highly-qualified group of professional teachers. These online certification programmes are approved by the higher education authorities and accrediting agencies such as the British Association of TESOL Qualifying Institutions (BATQI) the British Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA). The TESL certificates and diplomas are recognized and accepted by the educational organizations all over the world.

Many of the online TESL institutions provide useful material on their websites for the help and guidance of TESL learners and teachers. Some of the organizations have online TESL journals as well. The most prominent journals in this regard are The Internet TESL Journal, Journal of the Institute for Second Language Development, and TESL-Electronic Journal.