How much does a CELTA or TESOL course cost?

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The price you pay to qualify as an English teacher will vary enormously from course to course and country to country, so what is the average CELTA or TESOL course cost?

As a general rule, you will pay more for the two most prestigious courses, the Cambridge CELTA and the Trinity CertTESOL, as these are the key qualifications recognised by the British Council and reputable English language schools worldwide. If you intend to make your living out of teaching English abroad, you should aim for one of these two qualifications.

Prices for the Cambridge CELTA and Trinity CertTESOL vary substantially from school to school, according to:

  • The location of the centre
  • The facilities available to trainees
  • The level of prestige associated with the school

There are also equivalent TEFL courses (e.g. TESOL and SIT TESOL) that do not hold the prestige of the Cambridge CELTA or the Trinity CertTESOL, but which are usually cheaper.

It pays to do your research as prices can vary even within the same city: in London, for example, a 4-week TESOL in Bloomsbury Square costs just £845, while a 4-week CELTA in Covent Garden is almost double the price, at £1,635. Don’t just take the prices at face value, though: if you really want to train in a particular city, look at all the courses available and you may see why some are more expensive than others. Depending on your preferences, it might be worth paying a little more. If budget is important to you, it’s useful to know that there is sometimes a cheaper option, even in the bigger cities.

Sample prices of ELT courses worldwide

Course / Location Price
4-week CELTA in Sydney, Australia £1,755
4-week CELTA in Covent Garden, London, UK £1,635
4-week CELTA in Manhattan, New York, US £1,604
4-week CELTA in Barcelona, Spain £1,314
4-week TESOL equivalent in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica £1,188
4-week Trinity CertTESOL in Prague, Czech Republic £1,129
4-week TESOL equivalent in Phnom Penh, Cambodia £1,042
4-week Trinity CertTESOL in Eastbourne, UK £997
4-week CELTA in Chiang Mai, Thailand £952
4-week TESOL equivalent in Quito, Ecuador £893
4-week CELTA in Buenos Aires, Argentina £857
4-week TESOL in Bloomsbury Square, London, UK £845

NB. Prices valid at time of publication and are subject to change. Please note that there may also be alternative options in these locations.

Cactus TEFL enables you to compare courses and prices of CELTA, Trinity CertTESOL, equivalent and online courses in over 90 locations across 36 countries. We offer free, impartial advice every step of the way, and you can trust us to help you choose the right English language teaching course for you. Visit Cactus TEFL or call us on 0845 130 4775 to discuss the options available.

Where is the best place to take TEFL?

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The world is your oyster when it comes to training and teaching English, but where is the best place to take TEFL?

With ELT (English Language Teaching) or TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) courses available in locations ranging from London and New York to Buenos Aires and Shanghai, your teaching qualification really is your passport to a new life elsewhere, if that’s what you wish. The question is, where?

If you don’t already have a strong preference for a particular country, location or course, a good starting point is to think about where you eventually intend to teach. There are various advantages to taking your ELT course in the same place you hope to teach, as follows:

  • You will be perfectly placed to start looking for a job before you have finished your course, with good access to local job vacancies
  • Schools prefer to see teachers face-to-face, so you will be able to visit and attend interviews in person
  • Some training centres guarantee you a job if you pass your ELT course with them
  • It makes sense logistically and financially
  • You will meet people on your course who also planning on staying in the city/area, meaning that you have a ready-made network of people; this is particularly helpful if you are venturing on your own

If you speak a foreign language, you might naturally gravitate towards a location where that language is spoken; this will enable you to keep up the language and it will prove incredibly useful when it comes to settling in to a new place.

Whatever stage you’re at, visit Cactus TEFL or call 0845 130 4775 for advice about any aspect of ELT courses or jobs.

Cactus TEFL is an admissions and advice service for quality teacher training courses worldwide. We work with the majority of well-known course providers to offer CELTA, Trinity CertTESOL, equivalent and online courses in over 90 locations across 36 countries. Cactus TEFL also offers free post-course careers advice and support, as well as access to our very own TEFL jobs board and job alerts.

What is the difference between CELTA and TESOL?

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The Cambridge CELTA and Trinity CertTESOL are the two key qualifications recognised by the British Council and reputable English language schools worldwide.

They are the most prestigious English language teaching qualifications you can obtain, and will enable you to teach English almost anywhere in the world you choose.

In reality, there is little to differentiate the CELTA from the CertTESOL. Both courses can be done over 4 or 5 weeks full-time, or 12-20 weeks part-time, and the overall aim is for you to become a confident, competent teacher of English.

CELTA Trinity CertTESOL
Certificate of English Language Teaching to Adults Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
Min 120 hours over min 4 weeks Min 130 hours over min 4 weeks
Min 6 hours’ teaching practice Min 6 hours’ teaching practice
Accredited by the Cambridge University examining board Accredited by Trinity College London
Includes a component that teaches you a new language

Teaching practice is a very important component, as this takes place in front of your peers and/or real students, and gives you a real feel for what it’s like to stand up at the front of a classroom and deliver a class.  Whilst 6 hours is little time to actually spend teaching, the preparation involved in planning the lessons, as well as time spent watching your peers in action, ensures that you firmly grasp the process of lesson planning and gain the confidence and ability to teach in real life.

Your CELTA or CertTESOL will also work on your language (grammar) awareness. If you would like to brush up your English grammar and gain confidence in the language you are teaching, the Cactus online English Language Awareness has been specifically created to prepare teachers with the grammar they need to teach English. Normal price £95 / reduced price £50 when you book your 4-week course with Cactus TEFL.

Unless you are already set on a particular course, your decision as to CELTA versus TESOL may well boil down to factors such as location and price. For advice on these and other English Language Teaching qualifications, visit Cactus TEFL or call 0845 130 4775 to discuss the options available to you.

Cactus TEFL is an admissions and advice service for quality teacher training courses worldwide. We work with the majority of well-known course providers to offer CELTA, Trinity CertTESOL, equivalent and online courses in over 90 locations across 36 countries. You will receive free, impartial advice every step of the way, and you can trust us to help you choose the right English language teaching course for you.

Do I need TEFL?

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An ELT qualification is your passport to teach English anywhere in the world, and this is why you need TEFL.

If you want to teach English abroad and earn any kind of living from it, you will need an English Language Teaching (ELT) qualification – otherwise known as Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) or English as a Foreign Language (EFL). This will certify that you have trained to be a teacher and understand at least the basics of lesson preparation, class management, language work and activities. These skills will also give you the confidence to stand in front of a group of expectant English learners and deliver a lesson that’s rewarding for both you and them.

As for the level of training you need, that depends on where you want to work. Language schools in popular countries where competition is high – such as the UK, Spain and Italy – will normally require teachers to hold either the Cambridge CELTA or the Trinity CertTESOL, which are the two most prestigious and internationally recognised teaching qualifications. Both of these provide a minimum 120-hour course with valuable teaching practice. If you intend to make a proper living from teaching, this is what you should aim for.

In other countries where demand for jobs is low, in more remote areas or if you only wish to teach on an informal or voluntary basis, you might consider an equivalent or an online TEFL course. These courses are often cheaper and shorter, but they do still prepare you to teach English and may be entirely sufficient for your teaching goals. Note that online courses do not include teaching practice, so these are better if you already have teaching experience.

In summary, you do need to take an ELT course if you want to teach English at home or abroad, but do some research and try to establish what your overall aims are – how long you want to teach for, where you want to teach, how much money you wish or need to earn – and that will help you decide what kind of course you need. Otherwise, the best bet is to take a CELTA or CertTESOL from the outset as this is the highest qualification you can obtain and will enable you to find work anywhere you choose.

Visit Cactus TEFL or call us on 0845 130 4775 to discuss the options available to you and get yourself off on the right footing. 

Cactus TEFL is an admissions and advice service for quality teacher training courses worldwide. We work with the majority of well-known course providers to offer CELTA, Trinity CertTESOL, equivalent and online courses in over 90 locations across 36 countries. You will receive free, impartial advice every step of the way, and you can trust us to help you choose the right English language teaching course for you.

What kind of people teach EFL?

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The reasons why and when people choose to teach EFL can be loosely categorised, but not really the people themselves. They come from far and wide, from a variety of age groups and from a huge assortment of professional and academic backgrounds.

Perhaps this is due to the fact that every native, or near native, English speaker possesses a proficiency in the main skill that needs to be imparted – English. Granted, this doesn’t mean that everyone will be a great teacher, but the basic skill that they will be required to teach is there, and the rest can be improved.

There are lots of reasons why people choose to teach EFL, but there tend to be four main groups of people: people taking a gap year, people taking a career break, people who want a retirement or second career option and people who want a full-blown career in TEFL.

A gap year activity

So-called ‘gappers’ tend to be in the 18-25 bracket, and are normally taking a year out just before or after they have finished their studies. Sometimes the main impetus for them to train in TEFL is so that they can spend a year abroad in a specific country in order to hone or learn foreign language skills.  For others, it is simply a way for them to see new parts of the world and learn more about different cultures. Other gap year TEFLers may be teaching as part of wider volunteering type-projects, normally in developing countries around the world. TEFL can certainly be a ‘worthwhile’ project to undertake in this type of year off from work or study, and skills that are learnt through teaching will be a welcome addition to the CV of anyone trying to get onto the career ladder.

A career break option

Teaching TEFL as part of a career break is similar to teaching on a gap year in terms of its length and appeal -many people who take gap years or careers breaks have the same reasons for wanting to do so and are only looking to be away for a year or two at the most. Career breakers tend normally to be a little older – between 25 and 35 in general. Although sometimes both career breakers and ‘gappers’ train in TEFL with a specific goal in mind – to find a job in a certain area of the world and stay there for a set amount of time – others train in TEFL more as a ‘back up’ option. There is usually casual work available on the travelling route, and having a TEFL certificate in your back pocket will certainly come in handy if you come across informal teaching work and want to top up your funds along the way.

A second career, or retirement project

It’s interesting to note that one of the first questions asked by the majority of potential TEFL course applicants over the age of 45 is ‘am i too old’? This must mean, I suppose, that TEFL is still largely associated with this kind of gap-year/career break travel. The answer to the question of course though, is no. Trends over the last 10 years or so (admittedly before the recession struck) have been that people retire from their main profession earlier, and consider relocating to the likes of France and Spain to enjoy their retirement in warmer climates. Both of this things have encouraged far more people within this stage of life to consider TEFL, either as a way to ‘give something back’ via voluntary work in the UK, to make a bit of extra money via private tutoring, or for those who relocate abroad, as a way to integrate into the local community.

A long-term career

Often people who start off teaching TEFL as a gap year or career break option enjoy it so much that they end up making a career out of it. Other people, although less abundant in number, know right from the start that TEFL is the career path they want to follow and train for this accordingly. They may also choose to study for an MA in TESOL. It could be that they have permanent plans to relocate to a country and set up a school, or simply that they want to remain in the UK and teach or train within language schools, or the lifelong learning sector.

In short, there really is no one type of person who teaches TEFL, and one reason for why people choose to do so. The industry comprises a mix of short-term teachers and long-term teachers, those who are doing it for money and those who teach on a voluntary basis, those who teach in the UK and those who teach abroad. The good thing about TEFL is that there are opportunities and suitable courses for everyone, irrespective of what capacity they hope to teach in.

More about TEFL courses worldwide

More about TEFL in different countries around the world

Which countries have the most TEFL jobs?

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When it comes to TEFL, it is often assumed that you can teach anywhere in the world that you want, and to a certain extent this is true…

You could, visa permitting, arrive anywhere your heart desires and offer your services as a TEFL teacher. It pays to do a little research beforehand, however, to maximise your chances of finding work.

Europe

When it comes to finding paid work in private language schools there do seem to be certain countries where there is much more work on offer than others. Long-standing hotspots in Europe include Spain, Italy, Greece and Portugal. The Eastern European countries of Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary all offer ample opportunities for work too, as, more recently, do Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. Russia is also a plentiful source of work for today’s TEFL teacher.

Asia

Competing with Europe for the title of most popular teaching destination is Asia. There are thousands of jobs here, especially in China, where it was estimated last year that around 80,000 more English teachers are needed! Taiwan, South Korea and Japan all offer teaching opportunities aplenty too, and it is often in these countries where you can stand to earn some of the highest wages in the industry.

The South East Asian countries of Thailand and Vietnam are becoming veritable magnets for TEFL teachers – with their low cost of living and exotic nature it’s no wonder really.

Middle East

The Middle East is another area of the world where English teachers are in high demand, especially Saudi Arabia and the UAE it seems. It’s worth bearing in mind that requirements can sometimes be quite strict though, not only in terms of qualifications and experience but also in terms of gender.

Australia

Interestingly, Australia is a country that is always in need of teachers as well. The English-learning industry here is big business, and there is a wealth of private language schools English which need qualified teachers. They seem especially keen, apparently, to employ people working on working holiday visas.

South America

South America is another area of the world where it is relatively easy to find TEFL work, with Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and Chile seemingly top of the list for jobs. This part of the world can be a good option for teachers who want to teach fairly short-term, or in a variety of countries, especially as a lot of the work is ‘casual’.

Africa

Africa as a continent offers fewer opportunities for paid work in language schools, as is probably to be expected. Exceptions to this are the Northern countries of Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt and Libya where you sometimes see jobs advertised. South Africa also has options for anyone able to get a visa.

North America

Notably missing from the run-down thus far are Canada and the US, where unless you are able to get a green card it is unfortunately almost impossible to get work.

UK

A good number of Brits who train in TEFL actually want to stay and teach in the UK, and there are certainly opportunities to be had. Britain has thousands of language schools that need English teachers, although competition for these jobs can sometimes be high. As with anything though, a lot of how successful your job hunt is depends on how well you market yourself, and to a certain extent, being in the right place at the right time. Doing your TEFL training course in a school you’d be interested in working for, or securing work at one of the thousands of summer programmes held at schools across the country can both be good ways of getting your foot in the door.

Aside from working in a private language school, there is also the option for anyone hoping to make money from teaching English to register as a freelance trainer with language training agencies such as Cactus, to advertise locally and offer private English tuition, or to work within the lifelong learning sector.

Volunteering opportunities for teaching EFL are always abundant too, whether in the UK or abroad. To do this abroad you would need to search out a specific programme with a volunteering organisation (of which there are hundreds), but possibilities in the UK are easier to source and arrange. The majority of this will be teaching immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers as part of council or charity-led schemes.

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What is teaching English abroad really like?

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TEFL is often cited as a great way to travel the world and experience new cultures – does it really allow you to do so, though?

One of the great things about TEFL, it is often assumed, is that it will give you access to one of those very glamorous-sounding carefree existences, where you can hop from country to country, visiting exotic places, experiencing new cultures and embarking on new adventures.

Of course, there are people who stay in the UK and teach, but many would-be TEFLers are attracted by this idea of providing a ‘ticket to ride’.

And sometimes it does.

In honesty though, most schools will want you to sign a contract for the whole school year, meaning that doing a few months here, and a couple of months there is not always as easy as it sounds.  In addition, it is not always a ‘given’ that you will find good jobs in decent schools where you will be well-looked after, adequately remunerated…and given enough free time to make the most of being in these far-flung, exotic places.

The working conditions and salaries for TEFL teachers vary enormously from country to country, and even from school to school. This is principally a result of the unregulated nature of the industry, and the lack of uniformity that ensues.

When it comes to teaching EFL abroad, the majority of jobs are to be found in private language schools. In short, there are good language schools and there are bad language schools. If you’re lucky, you will find a job in a well- run school, where teachers and their professional development are valued. There, you would hopefully be offered a decent wage and in-house development sessions. If you’re unlucky, you’ll find yourself working for an unscrupulous employer who charges over the odds to their students of English, and pays their teachers a pittance!

TEFL is not a well-paid profession, and no wage will ever be hugely substantial in Western terms, but some salaries are much better than others.

The issue of EFL teachers’ salaries has long been contentious, and it does seem unfair that in Western Europe certainly, they are not generally comparable to those of teachers in mainstream education. Anyone looking to forge a long-term career in TEFL would probably struggle to earn enough to get by without ascending to the position of Director of Studies, Teacher Trainer, Academic Manager or School Principal after their initial stint as a classroom teacher.

For those who use TEFL as a way to go abroad for a couple of years and “see the world” the argument tends to be that the experience is more intended to enrich in terms of cultural and international awareness, rather then financial gain. Granted, this is a concept that is often exploited as a convenient excuse for low-wage brackets and antisocial working hours, but to a certain extent it is true.

My stint as a teacher abroad certainly didn’t make me megabucks, but it did give me a bona fide experience of living and working in a foreign country. Yes, I worked some antisocial hours (and wasn’t always gushing in my accounts when talking to friends and family at the time!) but I met nice people, learned some of the local language, and learnt some new skills that genuinely have helped me professionally.

More about TEFL courses worldwide

TEFL courses – which one is right for me?

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There is little more disheartening than deciding on a specific short-term project or long-term change, only to find that there is no concrete information available to you on how you can make it happen.

I imagine that this is often the case with people whose projects and life changes centre around teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL).

There are so many different courses available, and so much conflicting information on which are best and which will get you where you want to be, that it’s extremely difficult to know which one you should choose.

Included amongst the myriad of options, are four-week TEFL courses, weekend TEFL courses, online TEFL courses, combinations of online and weekend TEFL courses..the list goes on and on.

As is the general rule in life, the bigger the investment you can make, the bigger the reward will be. Anyone who is able to invest the time and money in doing a month-long (or part-time equivalent) course that will lead to either a Cambridge CELTA or Trinity Cert TESOL qualification is certain to have the most flexibility when it comes to where they can work and in what capacity. These qualifications have traditionally been the most widely recognised qualifications internationally, and are the only to feature within the UK national framework of qualifications (at level 4).

Anyone who is thinking of making a career in TEFL, of teaching in a range of different countries, or of teaching in the UK at any point would be advised to try to get one of these two qualifications if at all possible.

There are plenty of other, good-quality, four-week courses around that would provide you with a TEFL certificate too, but as a result of being moderated and examined in-house, they would not give you a Cambridge ESOL or Trinity College ‘stamp of approval‘. In many places, these would count as equal to the CELTA/Trinity qualifications, but amongst the more prestigious and traditional establishments you may still need to be prepared to justify your choice of course.

For those that cannot afford the time or expense of doing one of these month-long courses, the good news is that despite the general overriding preference for Cambridge CELTA/Trinity Cert TESOL or equivalent-length courses, the huge demand for teachers worldwide, and the lack of any real overseeing authority to dictate specific rules and regulations within the TEFL industry worldwide means that all is not lost. There are plenty of other options that will get you work.

Although online learning in the TEFL sense has its drawbacks in that no actual teaching practice is possible, there are definite advantages to doing your training this way. If you can couple this type of course with a weekend or short course to allow you some experience of standing up in a classroom, even better.

A lot of people who choose to take online, or weekend-type courses tend to be looking for a way to ‘dip their toe’ into TEFL waters, and for this purpose they are great. Starting off with a shorter and more flexible course to give you some basic knowledge will also give anyone hoping to do a more comprehensive course such as the CELTA/trinity Cert TESOL a definite head-start, and can be great for helping to achieve a really good grade on your final qualification.

Another category of people to be suited to courses like these, involves those whose TEFL plans are very short-term, and possibly even secondary to another project such as travelling or volunteering abroad for a few months. Weekend TEFL certificates and the like can be a great tool to carry abroad with you, just in case you need to top up funds along the way.

Although some TEFL courses are obviously more comprehensive than others, all will provide you with a variety of skills that will be useful not only within the TEFL sphere but in a more general context too. As long as you have the time, the money and the inclination, it’s also worth remembering that you can start with the basics and work your way up. The great thing about the range of courses out there means that you don’t have to take the leap and invest your savings in a comprehensive course until you know that it’s definitely for you.