If you’re researching TEFL or TESOL courses, you’ve probably seen the terms “accredited” or “internationally recognized” being bandied about and wondered, which ones matter to get hired online or abroad? 🤔
But here’s the truth, as we’ve covered many times, TEFL training is by and large the most unregulated industry, which is quiet concerning. Considering you are teaching children it seems a vast number of courses are popping up daily.
When you have decided which TEFL course provider that’ll give you your money’s worth and in our case a guaranteed Job at the end. Make sure the accreditation meets with approval from higher education approval and one that gets your resume to the top of the pile. And another step closer to landing your dream job teaching English abroad or online.
There are dozens of so-called TEFL accreditation bodies that seem like they are legitimate, but over the last 4 years, I have found many to be useless or even just paid membership bodies. The root of the problem is there is no single one official accrediting body governing TEFL courses in operation worldwide. And in some cases Governments accredit courses in their own countries.
Some sort of accreditation seems to offer some level of quality assurance but one way to check the quality of a TEFL courses from others, is to check that it offers some practical teaching skills. A growing number of countries are now looking at practical teaching skills as part of the course and although some say 6 hours is acceptable, 20 hours is the requirement in others and for you to be able to show you have experience teaching and not just all theory and therefore, gets your CV at least looked at and maybe to the top of the pile.
Here is a list of TEFL/TESL/TESOL accrediting bodies
| Full Name | Country | Accreditor’s Membership Directory | Regulation | Government Directory |
| Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training | USA | ACCET Member Institution Directory | ACCET is recognized by the US Department of Education. | USDE List of Institutional Accrediting Agencies |
| Accreditor | Full Name | Country | Accreditor’s Membership Directory | Regulation | Government Directory |
| ACTDEC | Accreditation Council for TESOL Distance Education Courses | UK | ACTDEC Members | ACTDEC is a UK registered private limited company. | UK Companies House Register |
| Accreditor | Full Name | Country | Accreditor’s Membership Directory | Regulation | Government Directory |
| BAC | British Accreditation Council for Independent Further and Higher Education | UK | BAC Directory | BAC is a UK registered charity. | UK Charity Commission Register |
| Accreditor | Full Name | Country | Accreditor’s Membership Directory | Regulation | Government Directory |
| British Council | UK | British Council Accredited Centres | The British Council is a UK registered charity and non-departmental public body. | UK Charity Commission Register |
| Accreditor | Full Name | Country | Accreditor’s Membership Directory | Regulation | Government Directory |
| Cambridge Assessment English | A division of Cambridge Assessment / University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES). | UK | Cambridge Teaching Centres | Cambridge Assessment is a UK awarding organisation recognized by Ofqual. | Ofqual Register |
| Accreditor | Full Name | Country | Accreditor’s Membership Directory | Regulation | Government Directory |
| DEAC | Distance Education Accrediting Commission | USA | DEAC Approved Providers | DEAC is an American national career-related accrediting organization recognized by CHEA and by the US Department of Education. | USDE List of Institutional Accrediting Agencies |
| CHEA Directory of Accreditors |
| Accreditor | Full Name | Country | Accreditor’s Membership Directory | Regulation | Government Directory |
| IATQuO | International Accreditation of TESOL Qualifying Organisations | UK | IATQUO Accredited Centres | IATQuO is a UK registered private limited company. | UK Companies House Register |
| Accreditor | Full Name | Country | Accreditor’s Membership Directory | Regulation | Government Directory |
| ODLQC | Open & Distance Learning Quality Council | UK | ODLQC Accredited Providers | ODLQC is a UK registered charity. | UK Charity Commission Register |
| Accreditor | Full Name | Country | Accreditor’s Membership Directory | Regulation | Government Directory |
| Qualifi | Qualifi Ltd | UK | Qualifi Qualifications | Qualifi is a UK awarding organisation recognized by Ofqual. | Ofqual Register |
| Accreditor | Full Name | Country | Accreditor’s Membership Directory | Regulation | Government Directory |
| SQA | Scottish Qualifications Authority | UK | SQA’s TESOL page does not list accredited centres. Contact SQA directly. | SQA is sponsored by the Scottish Government’s Learning Directorate and recognized by Ofqual. | Ofqual Register |
| Accreditor | Full Name | Country | Accreditor’s Membership Directory | Regulation | Government Directory |
| TESL Canada | TESL Canadian Educational Foundation | Canada | TESL Canada Recognized Programs | The TESL Canadian Educational Foundation is a charity registered in Canada. | Canada Revenue Agency’s List of Charities |
| Accreditor | Full Name | Country | Accreditor’s Membership Directory | Regulation | Government Directory |
| TQUK | Training Qualifications UK Ltd | UK | TQUK Approved Training Centres | TQUK is a UK awarding organisation recognized by Ofqual. | Ofqual Register |
| Accreditor | Full Name | Country | Accreditor’s Membership Directory | Regulation | Government Directory |
| Trinity College London | UK | Trinity-Validated Course Providers | Trinity College London is a UK awarding organisation recognized by Ofqual. | Ofqual Register |
THESE COURSES ARE NOT ACCREDITED!
Unaccredited certificate
Free online courses or training, such as Certificate of Achievement, Certificate of Participation, or Certificate of Accomplishment.
Examples, courses from: https://support.italki.com/hc/en-us/articles/206352058-How-do-I-become-a-Professional-Teacher-What-are-the-requirements-for-certificates
Unaccredited certificate
Free online courses or training, such as Certificate of Achievement, Certificate of Participation, or Certificate of Accomplishment.
Examples, courses from: https://support.italki.com/hc/en-us/articles/206352058-How-do-I-become-a-Professional-Teacher-What-are-the-requirements-for-certificates
Unaccredited certificate
Free online courses or training, such as Certificate of Achievement, Certificate of Participation, or Certificate of Accomplishment.
Examples, courses from: https://support.italki.com/hc/en-us/articles/206352058-How-do-I-become-a-Professional-Teacher-What-are-the-requirements-for-certificates
To start with it is a Chinese site, that should be your first giveaway so it isn’t internationally recognised, with an address in Chicago ( I’ve seen this somewhere else?) A couple of other red flags is there is no accreditation body and a statement saying ‘Inquire For Business To Business Bulk Buying’
Unaccredited certificate
Free online courses or training, such as Certificate of Achievement, Certificate of Participation, or Certificate of Accomplishment.
Examples, courses from: https://support.italki.com/hc/en-us/articles/206352058-How-do-I-become-a-Professional-Teacher-What-are-the-requirements-for-certificates
The lack of a website should be a giveaway! So its impossible to see if its accredited which I highly doubt as there is no website and it looks like its just another free course wasting your time! Based in South Africa
Unaccredited certificate
Free online courses or training, such as Certificate of Achievement, Certificate of Participation, or Certificate of Accomplishment.
Examples, courses from: https://support.italki.com/hc/en-us/articles/206352058-How-do-I-become-a-Professional-Teacher-What-are-the-requirements-for-certificates
If I never have to write another response about TR again, I’d be happy, its completely a scam, it is a tick box course, offers zero practicum and is not accredited at all! They claim the iaTEFL is their accreditation but its just a membership body that they are not even a member of now.
Another one claiming to be Internationally Recognized Accreditation through ACCREDITAT they also claim to be registered on the UKLRP (10089441) list of registered learning providers. But this isn’t a recognised TEFL Learning Accreditation. Started in 2020, it seems to be one of the better Cheap Courses and people do find employment with it, but again a cheap course, with not much support or training!
Another Accredited by Accredtat it looks a good course with lots of information, but no practical and its a paid for membership
Another FREE Course! It claims it is accredited by Accreditat, but this is a paid membership.
You get what you pay for, and this course give you zero training, just tick box course you will be left wondering why you wasted your time, possibly get disillusioned when no one comes back to you with job offers.
Unaccredited certificate
Free online courses or training, such as Certificate of Achievement, Certificate of Participation, or Certificate of Accomplishment.
Examples, courses from: https://support.italki.com/hc/en-us/articles/206352058-How-do-I-become-a-Professional-Teacher-What-are-the-requirements-for-certificates
Just going onto their website should tell you to stay clear of this TEFL
‘[vc_row][vc_column][vc_message]Visions TEFL course accreditation, licensing, recognition, and endorsements are through organizations here in Thailand where our center is located which are themselves recognized and accredited by governments to perform those roles. We do not seek accreditation from self-appointed accreditation organizations, or any organizations that do not have accrediting functions, and which can only provide peer endorsement’
The above was copied direct from their website. Stay away! No accreditation – very poor marketing.
World TESOL Academy says its accredited by ACCREDITAT & CPD. But when I looked further into the CPD it was last updated in March 2021 and not been updated since.