TEFL or CELTA: Which is Best?

The TEFL or CELTA question almost always comes up for anyone looking into studying for and obtaining a TESOL certificate. So which is best? TEFL certification or CELTA certification?

Similarities in CELTA and TEFL

Both CELTA and TEFL courses prepare you to teach English to speakers of other languages (TESOL).

The broader term of "TESOL certification" includes three different types of certificates:

1. CELTA (Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults),


2. TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language), and


3. TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language).

These names can be a little misleading in their terminology and specificity. CELTA courses will also prepare you to teach children; and TEFL courses will not only prepare you to teach English as a foreign language, but also prepare you to teach English as a second language and vice versa.

The best TESOL, TESL, TEFL or CELTA courses will all be at least 100 hours and have a teaching practice component. The teaching practicum is a requirement for all CELTA courses. Click here for more information about what to look for in a TESOL certificate course.

Differences and Considerations for TESOL or CELTA

About CELTA

CELTA stands for Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults. It is for people with little or no previous teaching experience and it is awarded by Cambridge ESOL, part of the University of Cambridge. Only programs approved by Cambridge can offer the Cambridge CELTA certificate.

A full-time CELTA course will take four to five weeks, while a part-time course can take from a few months to over a year. There are nearly 300 CELTA course locations in over 50 countries world-wide.

The CELTA course syllabus and assessment criteria should be the same at every teaching center. The amount of work you have to do should also be the same. Although the syllabus and other criteria are the same, individual teaching centers are permitted some leeway in how the material is organized and taught.

Because course locations can vary in their approach, it is highly recommended that you sit in on a class, if possible, and do whatever you can to get information about the particular school you are thinking of attending. This recommendation also applies to TESOL courses.

You can get more information about CELTA by visiting the Cambridge website.

About TESOL, TEFL and TESL Certificates

There are tons of independent TESOL, TEFL and TESL certificate courses all over the world. There is little to no distinction between TESOL, TEFL or TESL certification per se; and you should consider programs with any of these designations if you are looking for something other than CELTA.

TEFL certificates are also for people with little or no previous teaching experience. Unlike CELTA, there is no single body that determines the syllabus or what is to be taught in these independent programs.

Finding the best TEFL course may be a little more challenging since there is no single proscribed syllabus. A good TEFL course will have at least 100 hours of instruction as well as six hours of teaching practice.

Online Certification Courses

The one objective fact in the TEFL or CELTA debate is that CELTA online certification is not possible. The Cambridge CELTA certificate is simply not offered online.

So if you need a distance learning course to study for and obtain your certification, you will have to look for a TESOL certificate course online.

So Which is Best, TEFL or CELTA?

Unfortunately, there is no clear cut answer to this question. It is true that CELTA is probably the most widely recognized ESOL teaching certificate. However, this does not mean that it is the best for all circumstances.

Many people in the ESL/EFL teaching field will have an opinion and preference for one or the other. In my personal opinion, it does not matter which certificate you earn. The quality of the education you receive will vary from institution to institution, even from CELTA course location to CELTA course location. The cost, convenience, job placement assistance, etc., are all factors that I would also consider.

If you think it may matter to future employers whether you have a CELTA or other TESOL certificate, then contact the potential employers to ask them.

Otherwise, make your decision in choosing the best course for you using the CELTA or TEFL distinction as only one of the factors you consider.

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