What’s The Difference Between TESOL and CELTA?

Acronym

The acronym CELTA stands for the Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults. This is used to describe a very specific certificate course, rather than a general term. It is most widely recognised in the UK, where the issuing authority (Cambridge) is located. The nominal study hours of this certificate are 120 contact hours and another 80 hours of expected reading, research, pre- and post-session tasks, assignments and lesson preparation, so 200 hours in total.

The acronym TESOL stands for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. This general term can be used to represent the industry and multiple courses or certificates, from industry courses to nationally accredited courses by the Australian government underneath the AQF (Australian Qualifications Framework). At TESOL Australia, we have a range of fully integrated courses with practicum that meet the required standards to teach overseas, online, and in Australia:

• International TESOL Certificate (200 hours)
• International TESOL Diploma with IELTS (600 hours)
• Certificate IV in TESOL (700+ hours)

Certificate IV in TESOL Course Depth

In Australia, the CELTA is viewed as a course with less depth, as it’s still only comprised of 200 nominal study hours (approximately 12 weeks study).

Whereas the Certificate IV in TESOL is is a more comprehensive course with 700+ nominal study hours across 12 months of study. It’s also the most up-to-date course that is aligned with latest Australian VET/AQF/ASQA standards. The Certificate IV in TESOL also includes specific units for: teaching children, using technology in the classroom, and basic proficiency test preparation (IELTS), which the CELTA lacks.

Minimum Requirements

If you want to teach in Australian ELICOS schools you will need a Certificate IV in TESOL and a bachelor’s degree to meet the minimum standards here. This can be a degree in any field.

When applying for a job overseas or online, the main thing HR departments want to avoid are cheap certificates that consist of only online readings and quizzes, which do not provide an integrated learning environment (teacher contact time, tutorial videos, assignment and assessment work, practicum). For the vast majority of job advertisements online they will usually state a minimum requirement of ‘120hr+ TESOL Certificate or equivalent’.

Price

Another consideration for many prospective students is price. The CELTA, depending on where you study, with its Cambridge branding will typically be much more expensive than a TESOL Australia course. As a result, you can pay up to 3 to 4 times more for a particular brand name.

Summary

The Certificate IV in TESOL is a more in-depth course, costs less, and meets all the minimum requirements to teach ESL around the world.