Formal qualifications

Find out more about formal teaching qualifications and the list of British Council centres offering courses.

If you are looking for an internationally recognised teaching qualification, we offer a number of courses from Cambridge Assessment English and Trinity College London. Find out more below.

Cambridge CELTA

The Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults (CELTA) is an introductory course for candidates who have little or no previous English language teaching experience. It may also be suitable for candidates with some experience but little previous training. Our CELTA courses are validated by, and certificates are issued and awarded by the Cambridge English Language Assessment, part of the University of Cambridge.

This teacher training course aims at providing a solid, practical foundation for teaching, classroom management skills and a range of effective English as a Second Language (ESL) / English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instructional techniques. Candidates who complete the course can successfully begin working in a variety of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teaching contexts around the world.

The course enables you to:

acquire essential subject knowledge and familiarity with the principles of effective teaching
demonstrate your ability to apply your learning in a real teaching context

Teaching practice starts from day two of the course and as a course participant, you will have the opportunity to observe experienced teachers at work and you will be given formal written assignments. The course emphasises a student-centred approach and requires extensive, supervised teaching practice in actual classes with adult learners at different levels.

Entry requirements

Candidates should be:

at least 18 (It is generally recommended that candidates should be aged 20 or over)
have a good awareness of language and an advanced competence in both written and spoken English
have the potential to develop the necessary skills to become effective teachers and to complete successfully the teaching practice and written assignments

The British Council offers CELTA courses around the world at its teaching centres, including the following locations:

Trinity CertTESOL course

The Trinity Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CertTESOL) is a TESOL or TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certificate designed for those with little or no experience of teaching English, and for those with experience who require an internationally recognised initial teacher education qualification. It equips candidates with the basic skills and knowledge needed to take up their first post as an ESOL teacher. It gives an introduction to the theory and practice of English teaching and an insight into the challenges facing the learner and the role of the teacher.

The CertTESOL is rated at Level 5 on Ofqual’s Regulated Qualifications Framework, a comparable level to the second year of an undergraduate degree, and comprises a minimum of 130 hours, with an expected minimum of 70 hours further study required (Total Qualification Time: 200 hours).

Entry requirements include:

minimum age: 18 although some course providers specify 20 or 21.
educational background and qualifications: enough to allow trainees to enter higher education in their own countries.
excellent competence in spoken and written English. Speakers of English as a second or additional language should have a minimum overall ability at C1 (CEFR). All applicants are assessed on their language skills at interview equally.
demonstrate an ability to learn how to explain the relevant features of English to learners and teach these in a communicative context.
willingness to work cooperatively as a member of the training group and respond constructively to feedback on personal performance.
potential for combined study including language description and analysis, and also rigorous practical training" - not an entrance requirement but a feature of the course.

The British Council offers the Trinity College London CertTESOL course in the following locations:

Taiwan

Other qualifications

Our centres also offer other internationally recognised qualifications, such as the Cambridge Assessment English DELTA (Diploma in English Language Teaching to Adults), the Trinity College London DipTESOL (Diploma in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages), and the Trinity College London TYLEC (Teaching Young Learners Extension Certificate).