A TESOL/TEFL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages/Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certificate allows you to experience the world not as a traveler but as a global citizen, working and living in foreign cultures and giving back as much as you receive. Obtaining a certificate is fairly simple; most programs take about a month to complete. You just have to commit to a bit of research first.

Get Informed

The first step to learning TESOL is to find out where TESOL is taught. You can get your certificate locally or abroad. With the Internet at your disposal, the choices are practically endless. Let's explore them further.

Learn TESOL locally: Certification programs are offered at most colleges and universities. Find out whether one near you is available. As a matriculated student, you should be able to add on the necessary courses and complete the certification program before you graduate. If you are not matriculated, you should be able to complete a certification program as a continuing-ed student.

Learn TESOL abroad: Certification programs are offered all over the world as well. There's no rating system for which country/school offers the better education, so the place to start would be choosing the country you want to visit. Then, find a TESOL certification program there. Usually these are offered at private English schools, and they are easily accessible via the Internet.

Research TESOL abroad: There are a couple of comprehensive websites that may prove very useful in your search for the perfect fit in a school, including: Teach Abroad, Oxford Seminars, and the Education page on the TESOL site. There is a link to each in the Resources section.

Obtaining a TESOL certificate will allow you to teach ESL at private language schools, or in some countries, public schools. If you wish to teach ESL locally, most U.S. schools and universities will require that you have a higher degree in education.