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Home » Accreditation » Accreditation Application

Accreditation Application

There are two methods available to you to apply for ATESL accreditation.

  1. You can download and print the ATESL PDF Accreditation Application form, complete the form, and mail it to us (address is shown below), along with all supportive documentation and accreditation fee of $52.50 (this includes 5% GST).
    ATESL Accreditation Committee
    c/o 6-102 Education North, University of Alberta
    Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6G 2G5
  2. You can use our online ATESL Online Accreditation Application. You can complete this form online and pay the accreditation fee using our PayPal™ secure online payment services. Please be sure to Email all supportive documentation to us at .

The Application Process

You must be a member of ATESL to be eligible for accreditation. If you are not yet a member, please go to our Membership Application page and apply.

Regardless of which method you choose, you will be asked to complete the following application process.

  1. Provide some personal information including your name, complete mailing address, and email address (if applying online).
  2. Select the accreditation option you wish to apply under. There are three options to choose from: (A) Training and Experience, (D) Individual Consideration, or (Interim) Interim Accreditation. These are described in more detail below.
  3. Indicate the post-secondary education degree(s) you have attained and include supporting documentation.
  4. Specify any post-graduate or upper level undergraduate TESL courses that you have taken.
  5. List your ESL employment history, with confirming letters from your employer.
  6. Pay your accreditation fee of $52.50 (CDN), this includes a 5% GST.

You will receive email confirmation that you have registered and email confirmation once your accreditation application has been processed. The Accreditation Committee meets twice a year. The deadlines for application are the first of May and the first of December. Decisions are usually made within six weeks of the deadlines.

Accreditation Options

The basic option is A. Options B and C have been phased out, as was mandated by the membership when they initiated ATESL accreditation in the early 90s. Those accredited under B or C have been grandfathered in.

Option A: Requirements: Training and Experience

  • a Bachelor's degree
  • a minimum of 250 contact hours of post-graduate or upper-level undergraduate coursework that focuses on specialized training in second-language teaching from provincially recognized post secondary institutions. The coursework must be recognized by a university as equivalent to senior level undergraduate coursework. (Note: this criterion was revised in the fall of 2004 to include upper-level undergraduate coursework.)

    Recognized courses in Alberta:

    • The University of Alberta offers Diploma, MEd, and PhD programs in TESL
    • The University of Calgary offers diploma programs and an MEd, MA, EdD and a PhD in TESL.
  • at least 250 hours of ESL classroom teaching experience, in classes of ESL students only. Teaching hours in TESL degree program practica qualify if the student teacher has full charge of the class, including planning, teaching, and marking. Tutoring and working as an aide do not qualify. Volunteering qualifies if the volunteer has full charge of the class.

Option D: Individual consideration

Option D is a special category for candidates whose qualifications do not fall within the specifications and who wish to be considered on an individual basis. There must be qualifications that are perceived to be, at least, the equivalent of the requirements of option A. The usual applicant for Option D is someone with foreign training in second-language teaching.

Extensive experience does not substitute for post-graduate or upper-level undergraduate training in second-language teaching in this option; nor does training in other fields substitute for training in second-language teaching.

Interim Accreditation leading to accreditation under Option A

The following may apply:

  1. applicants who have completed the formal training for Option A but have not amassed sufficient hours of teaching experience, and
  2. applicants with post-graduate training and experience only in foreign countries.

If, after one year, these interim applicants have not amassed the hours of experience necessary for full accreditation, they may apply for a maximum of two extensions, on condition that:

  1. some teaching experience has been acquired during the year, and
  2. a letter of recommendation from their employer/supervisor accompanies the request for extension.

Supportive Documents

The following documents to be sent to the Accreditation Committee (as required). These can be mailed or Emailed.
Please note that documents will not be returned. However, if the Accreditation Committee asks to see an original document, then the document will be returned.

  1. Completed printed accreditation form with payment of the $52.50 fee (includes GST)
    or
    your email receipt of online payment for the online accreditation form.
  2. If you are not currently an ATESL member, completed printed membership form and send it to us with payment of the applicable fee.
    or
    Email your receipt for the online payment for your online membership application.
  3. Proof of educational requirements: A photocopy of the applicant's Bachelor's degree, or a transcript that shows that the degree was granted, and copies of recognized TESL degrees or certificates the applicant may have (Photocopies of transcripts acceptable).
  4. Transcript(s) of post-graduate or upper-level undergraduate courses that focus on second-language teaching (Photocopies of transcripts acceptable). If the applicant's qualifications are foreign, it may be necessary for the applicant to submit an assessment from IQAS (International Qualifications Assessment Service) to verify the post-graduate or upper-level undergraduate credits.
    See http://www.aecd.gov.ab.ca/iqas/
  5. Signed documentation from the applicant's employer(s) or supervisor(s) that explicitly states how many hours of ESL classroom teaching the applicant has completed (not hours in progress). It need simply state that the applicant has completed in excess of 250 hours of ESL classroom teaching.
  6. Please do not send resumes or teaching evaluations.