Dear Joshua,

1) Is there any detriment to obtaining an online certificate as opposed to participating in a classroom course?

We would recommend taking a course that requires a minimum 120 credit hours. We have never had an employer that gave preference to one method over the other; online or classroom course. Having a TESOL certificate can look good on your resume, however, this will usually not affect your compensation.


2) What, if any, differences are there between TESL, TEFL, and TESOL certificates? Would you recommend one program over the others?

Key TEFL terms explained
The world of TEFL is a minefield of terms and acronyms. Depending on where you learn and where you teach, the practice of teaching English as a foreign language can be referred to in many different ways (TEFL, TESOL, EFL, ESD, and sometimes even ELF!). In the end many of these terms mean exactly the same thing.

TESL means “Teaching English as a Second Language.” This is the term more commonly used when learners of English are studying within a community in which most residents speak English, for instance in programs for new immigrants to English-speaking countries. However, there is a lot of overlap between TESL and TEFL. Many people with TESL certificates are teaching successfully in TEFL environments, and vice versa.

TEFL stands for “Teaching English as a Foreign Language.” Programs that use this label usually place emphasis on teaching English to people living outside of English-speaking countries.

TESOL is a more general term, meaning “Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages.” TEAL is also broad: “Teaching English as an Additional Language.”

There are two major TESOL course providers that graduate about 5000 students each, per year.

The companies we can safely recommend would be:

TEFL Int'l: www.teflintl.com
Global TESOL: www.globaltesol.com

Sincerely,
Park English Team