Can you be an ESL teacher with a level 5 TESOL?
Yes, a level 5 TESOL should be more than enough to get your teaching adventure underway as courses at this level far exceed the minimum qualification standards expected by most international employers. However, navigating the different levels of TESOL certification can be a bit tricky, which is why we take a closer look at this area of ESL teaching in more detail below.
How are the different levels of TESOL certification determined?
The first thing to make clear when it comes to the different levels of TESOL is that there is not a single system that is used throughout the ESL teaching world. Individual countries, regions, teaching organizations, and TESOL course providers are all free to introduce their own system and many have. Despite there being multiple course level frameworks out there, most are based on the same factors: the type of certification, the number of study hours, whether practical training is involved, and whether it is a full or part-time course. In order to allow simple comparisons between our different courses, ITTT has also developed its own framework based on the same common themes.
Check out our course levels page for full details of our framework.
What are the different ITTT TESOL certificate levels?
The ITTT course level framework runs from level 3 to level 7.
Courses at level 3 on our framework are generally not considered to be enough to secure standard entry-level teaching jobs as they do not have the time to cover all the most important areas of ESL teaching. Courses at this level are mostly aimed at trainees who are planning to work as teaching assistants, teaching volunteers, or who are simply looking for an insight into English language teaching. At ITTT we also offer three courses at level 3 that are additional, specialized courses that can be added to your initial TESOL qualification to further increase your knowledge and job prospects. These courses are the course in teaching English online (CTEO), the course in teaching English to young learners (CTEYL), and the course in teaching business English (CTBE).
At level 4 we have our 120-hour TESOL certification course which is a very popular option as it more than meets the criteria expected by employers in most parts of the world. With this level of qualification you can expect to find a suitable teaching job at a reputable school or language center, where you can get your teaching journey underway and start to gain the experience you will need if you want to climb further up the employment ladder.
If you want to start your teaching career with a bang and open up a wider choice of jobs for now and further down the line, then a level 5 certification might be the right option for you. ITTT has two options at this level, both of which provide a fantastic platform for launching a teaching career. Our 170-hour TESOL course with online specialization includes the standard 120-hour course that will give you all the basic knowledge required in any form of ESL classroom, plus the 50-hour CTEO that covers all the unique areas involved in teaching English online. At level 5 we also offer the 220-hour Master Package, a great value for money bundle that includes two specialized courses: the CTBE and the CTEYL.
What is a level 5 TESOL qualification?
Qualifications at this level are considered to be equivalent to a CELTA certification or a foundation degree. At this level you will need to have a good understanding of English to get through your studies, however, it is not necessary to be a native speaker as there are plenty of jobs out there for every TESOL qualified teacher regardless of their background. With a level 5 TESOL qualification you will be in a strong position when applying for most entry-level jobs and you will also be ready to move up the ladder once you have gained some classroom teaching experience.
