One of the most common questions that we get asked at i-to-i is “Do I need a CELTA to Teach English Abroad?”
Put simply, the answer is no. In most cases, you don’t need a CELTA qualification to teach abroad. There are some TEFL jobs that require a CELTA level course to teach abroad and they’re usually the best paid TEFL jobs in the top destinations like Saudi Arabia and The UAE. If you’re not planning on teaching in the Middle East then an accredited TEFL Course will be absolutely fine. If you are planning to teach English in the Middle East then you will need a level 5 qualification, of which you have a few options; the CELTA course, or the Trinity CertTESOL course.
To find out if you need a level 5 TEFL Qualification or if a TEFL course will do the job, you’ll first want to consider these few questions!
Are you planning on teaching English to adults or children?
If you’re planning on teaching English to children you won’t need to complete a CELTA qualification. CELTA specifically stands for Certificate in English language Teaching to Adults so if you’re not planning to teach business English or to tutor adults then CELTA is unlikely to be right for you!
Will TEFL be a career for you?
If TEFL is something you’re just planning to do for just a year or two then an accredited TEFL course will be sufficient to find you a good job. Plus, our Level 5 300 hour TEFL course is CELTA-level! If you’re planning on teaching for more than that or you’re thinking of making TEFL a permanent career, then a CELTA level qualification would be a good investment.
