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Do I need teaching certificate to teach English in non-English speaking countries?

To teach English in non-English speaking countries, applicants need a teaching certificate most of the time. If you had found out about teaching certificates, you might have confusion due to various certificates. To clear up this confusion, we will tell you about each other’s meaning and recommended programs by Seoul ESL.

TEFL stands for teaching English as a foreign language.
TESOL stands for teaching English to speakers of other languages.
CELTA stands for Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of other languages.
ESOL stands for English for Speakers of Other languages.


To apply for EPIK, having one of the teaching certifications is a must. For Private Institutions, having a teaching certificate is not required, but strongly recommended as this will be a great addition to your resume. We strongly suggest embracing yourself with one of the teaching certificates as this will get you ready for teaching English as a second language environment. Any of the English certificates (TEFL, TESOL, CELTA, or ESOL) is okay but with COVID and with your busy schedule, in-person classes have been uneasy. To work with your busy schedule with the limited time that we have, online classes can be great alternatives. We have a great partnership with myTEFL which offers 35 % discount.

We strongly recommend the TEFL certificate as your first choice. The TEFL is a program that recognizes various programs and everywhere. Also, a TEFL certificate course will give you the skills, knowledge, and tools need to deliver an effective English lesson. If you want to apply for an EPIK program in Korean public schools, you must have more than 100 hours of TEFL certificate. Moreover, most private institutes prefer teachers who have TEFL certificates. Seoul ESL recommends a discount of 35 percent for 120 hours of online TEFL course. Please visit (https://www.eslcon.com/tefl/) for more information. Additionally, due to the effect of the Covid-19 situation, the demand for online lectures is increasing. So we also recommend 140-hour online classes that help you to prepare for the online lectures. We offer a special discount of 35 percent on this course too.

We hope this certificate will help you with your job application. SEOUL ESL recruiters are always working hard to find the perfect fit job for applicants.