In the United States, many schools and private companies require that their teachers have a bachelor's or master's degree in English as a Second Language in order to gain employment. Schools with these programs often require students to take courses such as pedagogy of ESL and the study of the English language, its origins and nuances. Most of these programs will also offer a practicum that involves teaching ESL alongside a seasoned teacher in the community. Many ESL programs cooperate with their state in order to ensure that graduates are also certified to teach in their state upon graduation. Minimum requirements for these programs will vary, and typically are determined by the university apart from the department.
Gaining practical experience is an important aspect of any ESL certification, whether you are working online or in person to obtain your certificate. Contact your local community college, adult education department or a community center to see if you can observe and possibly help out with teaching lessons on a volunteer basis. Most teachers will be very happy to have the help and you will gain experiences that are impossible to have from simply studying.
Many companies offer ESL certification online. Because of the broad range of companies in existence, it is important to speak to a seasoned ESL teacher or gain a recommendation from a place you would like to work. Schools that utilize ESL teachers, especially in foreign countries are better equipped to tell you which programs have been most and least effective for them. Some may also have a preference for you to take longer or shorter courses.
If you'd prefer to learn in a traditional manner without committing to receive a degree, you can still do so in a variety of settings. Once known as the apex of ESL certification, the Cambridge course (also known as CELTA, or Certificate in Language Teaching to Adults) provides an in depth foundation. This course is taught at centers worldwide and takes anywhere from a few weeks to a year, depending on the intensity of your course. Other large companies, such as i-to-i, offer different intensities of ESL certificate courses in person in countries around the world (in Los Angeles and New York in the United States).