Trinity College London CertTESOL in Hong Kong

Yes, the Trinity CertTESOL is an approved qualification and is recognized all over the world.

Both are internationally recognized Level 5 qualifications. The key difference is the awarding body – the CertTESOL is awarded by Trinity College London, and the CELTA by Cambridge.

Yes. The Trinity College London CertTESOL is a certificate accepted by schools and learning centres catering to young learners. In addition, our unique blended course was one of the first in the world to offer a practical teaching component to include young learners as well as adults, giving you the opportunity and experience to teach to both levels and acquire different skills.

No, the course is designed for those with or without teaching experience.

English does not have to be your first language, but you must be able to demonstrate a high level of English language skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing (IELTS Level 7+ or equivalent). Your language skills will also be assessed during the interview process.

You should hold a qualification that enables you to apply for higher education, so at least of University entrance level. The course is interview entry only, so if you are unsure whether your qualifications and experience will be accepted please contact us.

We try to ensure as high a pass rate as possible by making the entry process on to the course stringent. Course applicants are first required to do a pre-course task which will demonstrate their existing levels of language awareness. As this task is open book, those who complete the task successfully will then be invited for an interview (face to face where possible, or via Skype/WhatsApp/WeChat video call) where their understanding of the task will be further explored. It will also be determined as to how individual applicants will cope with the intensity of the course and its workload, their ability to work as part of a team, and their suitability in the classroom.

Some applicants underestimate the strenuous nature of the course, which is highly intensive, with a demanding workload. In addition to lesson planning, trainees will also have various assignments to complete over the duration of the course (see Syllabus), as well as study for the Language Awareness Exam. Therefore, good time-management skills, as well as a resilient nature, are required to deal with the amount of work required and to meet deadlines. Trainees should free themselves as much as possible from all other non-essential commitments during the course period.

The course is for trainees to use communicative language teaching in the classroom, and they cannot pass if these principles are not adopted. In addition, applicants must have a good level of language awareness if they are to meet the standard required to pass the course. While the Language Awareness Exam assesses this factor, the applicants’ own use of the language (whether during teaching, or as is evident in their written assignments) will also be scrutinised.

If you are looking for a qualification that will help you find a teaching job with a good employer, you should look for a certification that is widely recognized internationally and, if you want to add value to the certification, choose trainers that have a strong reputation internationally.

Cost is an obvious factor when choosing a TESOL/TEFL course. The more expensive courses such as the Trinity College London CertTESOL and the Cambridge CELTA are the ones that carry the most weight with future employers and offer thorough, high-quality training, a sound foundation in all areas of EFL teaching, and better prepare you for a career in the TEFL industry. You should also bear in mind that schools and learning centres will look for applicants who have done six hours of observed and assessed teaching practice, including self-reflection as well as tutor assessments, and so those with online TEFL certificates are usually not eligible for many teaching positions.

The tutors at Train The Teacher are all highly experienced, have a long-standing association with Trinity College London, and have been training on the Trinity CertTESOL course in Hong Kong for almost ten years with a very commendably high pass rate. The trainers have received excellent feedback from previous TESOL graduates (you can read the Train The Teacher Testimonials from alumni here), who have often referred others to our CertTESOL courses.

Trinity College London also has a 'Guide to choosing your 1st TESOL or TEFL course' on their website. You can refer to this if you need further information on what you need to consider when choosing which course to take.