TESL Canada Certification Standards
TESL CANADA FEDERATION NATIONAL CERTIFICATION STANDARDS FOR INSTRUCTORS OF ENGLISH AS A SECOND OR FOREIGN LANGUAGE IN ADULT PROGRAMS
Purpose
To promote excellence in the teaching and learning of English as a Second Language across Canada by
promoting professional certification standards that are recognized in all provinces.
Benefits
The TESL Canada National Professional Certification Standards benefit educators by helping ensure that:
- TESL training and ESL teaching experience are recognized as main professional measures of Canadian ESL educators
- teaching credentials are recognized not only from province to province but by virtue of their national status, from country to country
- credentials are recognized by international students when they compare faculty at post-secondary schools and language institutes across Canada before their arrival in Canada. As a result, programs which hire qualified professionals will attract more students
- qualifications are valued appropriately by government and non-government funders when educators request financial support for awards, scholarships, and projects
Developed through participation and feedback across the ESL field, these standards address the professional context of Canadian ESL educators. TESL Canada recognizes that Canadian ESL delivery varies widely in structure and specifics and looks forward to the continuing development of these standards through feedback and the appeal process.
TESL Canada national standards will provide a national focus on standards for all ESL educators and encourage high levels of participation in an accreditation system that recognizes and values the diversity of approach to ESL instruction in its many settings. Since their implementation in May 2002, the TESL Canada National Professional Certification Standards are continuing to be the authoritative base for evaluation and comparison of ESL teacher training in Canada.
The TESL Canada National Professional Certification Standards represent a teacher-driven initiative to create basic, minimum national standards. Some provinces currently have professional certification systems in place. The TESL Canada professional certificate does not replace provincial professional certificates where they exist. Professionals can choose to hold both TESL Canada and provincial organization certificates.
The full document can be found at www.tesl.ca/Asset51.aspx