The Essential Need For Fully Accredited TEFL/TESOL Status
The Essential Need For Fully Accredited TEFL/TESOL Status, written by Christopher Haines — Head of Accreditation Office | ACTEFLC
TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) and TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) accreditation refers to the process of evaluating and approving the quality and standards of English language teaching courses, programs, and institutions.
TEFL/TESOL accreditation ensures that the course or program meets specific standards in terms of curriculum, teaching methodology, teacher qualifications, and overall quality of instruction. Accreditation also ensures that the institution or organization offering the program is reputable and reliable.
Accreditation can be granted by various organizations, including governmental bodies, professional associations, and private accrediting agencies. It is important to note that accreditation is not mandatory for TEFL/TESOL programs, but it can be beneficial for both the program providers and students seeking quality English language instruction.
In addition, there are two main types of accreditation for TEFL/TESOL certification programs: Fully Accredited and Accredited.
Fully Accredited
Fully Accredited status is the highest form of accreditation as it encompasses all of the requirements that TEFL and TESOL course programs must adhere to in order to accomplish and maintain the five main reasons why accreditation is important for TEFL and TESOL courses. ACTEFLC — Accreditation Council for Teaching English as a Foreign Language Courses — provides those TEFL and TESOL certification course programs that are applicable for the process with Fully Accredited status.
ACTEFLC — Accreditation Council for Teaching English as a Foreign Language courses — offers Fully Accredited status to eligible TEFL/TESOL programs.
Accredited
Accredited status is a bit of a grey area in the accreditation industry as any person or any organisation can set themselves up as an accreditation body. That isn’t to state that all Accredited Status bodies are inferior, but the vast majority of them tend to be rubber-stamp private companies that offer accreditation status for an annual fee and without any of the strict ongoing verification processes that you would associate with a Fully Accredited organisation.
With so many TEFL and TESOL certification course programs offered online, in a largely unregulated environment, it is, therefore, unsurprising that there are so few official organisations that offer Fully Accredited status.
10 benefits of gaining Fully Accredited status for your TEFL/TESOL program:
- Credibility: Full Accreditation is an indication that the TEFL/TESOL company meets certain standards and has undergone a rigorous evaluation process. This can enhance the credibility and reputation of the company in the eyes of students and employers.
- Marketability: Full Accreditation can give the TEFL/TESOL company a competitive advantage in the market. Fully Accredited programs are often preferred by students and employers, which can lead to increased enrolment and job placement rates.
- Quality assurance: Full Accreditation provides a framework for quality assurance and continuous improvement. Fully Accredited programs are required to meet certain standards and undergo regular evaluations, which can help ensure that the company is providing a high-quality education.
- Transferability: Fully Accredited TEFL/TESOL programs are often recognized by other institutions and organizations, which can make it easier for students to transfer credits or credentials.
- Compliance: Full Accreditation can help ensure that the TEFL/TESOL company is complying with relevant laws and regulations, such as those related to education and immigration.
- Professional development: Full Accreditation can provide opportunities for professional development and networking. Fully Accrediting bodies often offer resources and training for educators, which can help the TEFL/TESOL company stay up-to-date on best practices and industry trends.
- Access to funding: Fully Accredited TEFL/TESOL programs may be eligible for certain funding opportunities, such as government grants or private scholarships.
- Accountability: Fully Accreditation provides a mechanism for accountability. Fully Accredited programs are held to certain standards and are subject to regular evaluations, which can help ensure that the company is fulfilling its obligations to students and stakeholders.
- International recognition: Full Accreditation can help the TEFL/TESOL company gain international recognition and expand its reach. Fully Accredited programs are often recognized by other countries and can provide a credential that is respected around the world.
- Student satisfaction: Full Accreditation can help ensure that students are satisfied with the quality of education they receive. Fully Accredited programs are required to meet certain standards and undergo regular evaluations, which can help ensure that students are receiving a high-quality education that meets their needs.
ACTEFLC (Accreditation Council for Teaching English as a Foreign Language courses) Full Accreditation is highly regarded in the field of continuing education and training for 4 main reasons:
- Quality assurance: ACTEFLC Full Accreditation is a voluntary process that involves a rigorous review of an institution’s educational programs, policies, and procedures to ensure they meet high standards of quality. Institutions that are ACTEFLC Fully Accredited have demonstrated a commitment to providing high-quality education and training to their students.
- Recognition: ACTEFLC is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a reliable authority on the quality of continuing education and training programs. Full Accreditation by ACTEFLC is recognized by employers, licensing agencies, and other educational institutions as a mark of quality.
- Continuous improvement: Institutions that are Fully Accredited by ACTEFLC are required to undergo regular reviews and evaluations to maintain their Fully Accreditation status. This process encourages continuous improvement and helps ensure that accredited institutions are keeping up with industry standards and best practices.
- Credibility: ACTEFLC Full Accreditation is a widely recognized and respected credential in the field of continuing education and training. Institutions that are ACTEFLC Fully Accredited have demonstrated their commitment to providing high-quality education and training, and this can help build credibility and trust with students, employers, and other stakeholders.
Overall, ACTEFLC Full Accreditation is considered highly valuable because it demonstrates an institution’s commitment to quality and continuous improvement, and it is widely recognized and respected in the field of continuing education and training within the field of TEFL and TESOL.
It is also essential to know that there are fraudulent companies out there that offer fake TEFL/TESOL accreditation. These companies claim to provide legitimate certifications but do not have the necessary credentials to do so.
To avoid falling prey to such fraudulent companies, it is advisable to conduct thorough research before enrolling in a TEFL/TESOL certification course. Some red flags to look out for include:
- Lack of accreditation: Legitimate TEFL/TESOL certification providers are accredited by recognized accreditation bodies. If the company you’re considering is not accredited, it’s probably a fake.
- Unusually low prices: Be wary of companies that offer certification courses at prices significantly lower than those offered by established and reputable organizations. It could be a sign of a fake company.
- Poor-quality website: A legitimate certification provider should have a professional-looking website that contains all the necessary information, including accreditation, course details, and pricing. If the website is poorly designed and lacks essential information, it could be a sign of a fake company.
- No contact details: A legitimate TEFL/TESOL certification provider should have a physical address, email address, and phone number listed on their website. If you can’t find any contact information, it’s probably a fake company.
Rules 3 and 4 also apply with regard to fake accreditation companies, of which there are many.
It isn’t unusual for a TEFL and TESOL program to create its own accreditation website and to then claim that the program is “Accredited” or “Fully Accredited”.
As well as looking out for poor-quality website design, as well as a lack of contact details, you can spot a fake TEFL and TESOL accreditation website from a mile away by their use of stock images which usually feauture businesspeople looking very serious about some grand issue and all standing around a business conference table.
A typical accreditation representative looks more like a teacher than a businessperson.
It is essential to do your research and due diligence before enrolling in a TEFL/TESOL certification course to avoid falling prey to fraudulent companies.
And this leads us onto our final point:
One such bad actor TEFL and TESOL certification course program is ESLinsider.
ESLinsider applied for ACTEFLC Fully Accredited status a few years ago and had its application denied at the first hurdle because it was unable to provide the basic company details for its ESLinsider TEFL and TESOL program, such as a company address.
We have since learned that ESLinsider has been banned from Facebook (since 2017) for spreading misinformation online, and this is how ESLinsider proceeded when it became clear that its program would not be gaining ACTEFLC Fully Accredited status.
ESLinsider spent a chunk of its time spreading false allegations online with regard to the ACTEFLC organisation; claiming that we are fake, we are not legitimate, etc.
We see now, though, that many of ESLinsider’s online content has been deleted by moderators of the websites that were used for its misinformation campaign.
The TEFL and TESOL industry is highly competitive and some companies will go to extraordinary lengths in order to project a professional image and claim Full Accreditation status.
At the time of writing this article, there are just five official organisations providing Fully Accredited status to TEFL and TESOL certification programs:
- ACTEFLC — Accreditation Council for Teaching English as a Foreign Language courses — https://www.acteflc.com/
- ACCET — Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training — https://accet.org/
- OISE — University of the Toronto Faculty of Education — https://www.oise.utoronto.ca/
- TESL Canada — https://tesl.ca/
- University of Cambridge’s English Language Assessment — https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/
Any other accreditation body that claims Fully Accredited status, is piggybacking off the ‘Fully Accredited’ term and will be (in the majority of cases) offering subpar accreditation services.
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Christopher Haines
Head of Accreditation Office | acteflc.com
The Accreditation Council for Teaching English as a Foreign Language Courses (ACTEFLC) does not charge or request payment from individuals for information associated with accreditation. Verification of a TEFL/TESL/TESOL program’s ACTEFLC accredited status is available to the public upon request. Please disregard any unauthorized requests and report such activity immediately to the ACTEFLC office. enquiries@acteflc.com
Additional resources:
- The Accreditation Guide: https://trustedteflreviews.com/tefl-accreditation-guide/
- ACTEFLC Reddit Article: https://www.reddit.com/user/ACTEFLC/comments/12wgvce/acteflc_the_importance_of_accreditation_for_tefl/
