TESL TEFL Differences

What's the difference between TEFL and TESL?

Making the decision to teach English in Japan is one thing. Preparing for the act of teaching English in Japan is entirely another. While the program you teach with will very likely have you go through an intense orientation, there are other things to consider. For example, have you received a TEFL or TESL certificate yet? The TEFL and TESL certificates are very important when it comes to having a successful career teaching English as a second language. Here is an overview of each:

What is TEFL?

A TEFL refers to the Teaching English as a Foreign Language certification and is used to certify people who want to teach English to people who are not exposed to English on a regular basis. The students you teach with your TEFL certification are not likely to speak English outside of your classroom. TEFL is most often used to certify people who will be teaching English as an academic subject instead of as a practical one.

The TEFL test is typically used for people who want to teach English to European, South American, African and Asian countries. Japan, in particular, is a very popular destination for English teachers and having received your TEFL certification will help you do this. In fact, in many countries, having your TEFL certificate is required before you can begin to teach English.

When you sign up for your TEFL course and certificate program, you want to make sure that you sign up for at least a one hundred and twenty hour course, as this is the average amount of time people spend on their certification. Your future employers will want to make sure that you have done more than the bare minimum of work to get certified, so the more hours you have, the better off you will be. Of course, if you take too long to pass your certification course, you run the risk of people wondering exactly why it took you so long to complete the TEFL certification process.

What is TESL?

TESL is the Teaching English as a Second Language certification and is usually required of people who want to teach students who will use English as a part of their daily lives. There are a lot of countries in which the residents do not typically speak English at home, but they might use English in school or in governmental positions. TESL certification may be required if you want to teach in an area where many different dialects or languages might be spoken at home and English is used as an equalizer in business and official settings. TESL certification is for teachers who want to teach people who have recently moved to an English speaking country and who want to learn their new country's major language quickly so that they can effectively communicate with those around them. Unlike TEFL in which English learning is mostly an academic exercise, TESL is used mainly as a practical certification for "every day" English.

The time frame for earning a TESL certificate varies and depends largely upon the institution issuing the certification. TESL hopefuls can take the courses online or through a brick and mortar class system and the process can take as long as two semesters to complete.

Do I need TEFL or TESL certification?

Is it possible to teach English in Japan without a TEFL or TESL certificate? Yes. You can get a job teaching English as both a foreign and a secondary language even if you do not acquire professional certification. However, your desirability as an applicant will largely increase if you are certified in one of these areas. When faced with the choice of someone who has obtained their certification and someone who has not, most employers will choose those who have been certified.

What are TESL TEFL Costs?

How much the TESL and TEFL cost depend upon who is issuing the certification. Many institutions have financial aid available for those who cannot afford the classes they need to take. Some people like to try their luck at finding a job before they obtain their certification and then use the earnings from that job to pay for their courses and tests.

Bottom Line

When deciding to take the plunge and teach English in Japan, your first instinct might just be to sign up with a company and let them teach you what they think you need to know. The problem with this is often that they do not immerse you in the process as thoroughly as the certification courses will. When it comes to teaching English as both a foreign and second language, you want to be armed with as much information as possible before setting foot in the classroom. The coursework will help prepare you in ways that orientations will not.