Several options are available to become certified to teach English to speakers of other languages (TESOL). Your education path will vary depending on where you want to teach and what type of students you want to have. Investigate the education requirements carefully for the type of English teaching you want to do to avoid wasting time and money on education you do not need. Research is also important to ensure that you have the right type of education to get the job you want.

Earn a regular teaching certificate in your state, and then take classes at a college to get a TESOL endorsement on your certificate. This will enable you to teach children in public schools in your state. (See Reference 3.)

Obtain a TESOL teacher certificate from an independent organization that offers TESOL training courses. Some of these can be taken online, at weekend conferences, or at on-location trainings. Most of these programs equip teachers to teach overseas, not in the United States. Take at least 100 hours of training in order to be the most qualified you can get through these programs. Also enroll in a program that offers a supervised teaching component. Talk to other TESOL teachers to find out which programs offer the best training. No one body accredits online TESOL programs, so be sure that it is at least accredited as a distance learning program by a reputable institution.

Earn a college degree or certificate in TESOL. Undergraduate, master's, Ph.D and graduate certificate programs are available from universities around the United States. Some of these programs can also be completed online. If you are looking for a more theoretical underpinning to your TESOL education, get a doctoral degree in TESOL. Check the content of a master's program before you enroll. Some may offer practical or more theoretical courses. Certificate programs offer more practical training. These types of programs can equip you to teach in adult education TESOL programs in both the U.S. and for TESOL jobs overseas.