Why is 120 hours the industry standard TEFL certificate?

There are plenty of options when it comes to TEFL certification. When you’re considering a course, the choice can be overwhelming, with so many names and providers, but there’s one key thing you need to know: to be a TEFL teacher, you must study for 120 hours or more. 

120 hours is the benchmark, the absolute minimum required before teaching English abroad or online. With 120 hours of TEFL training, you’ll find a range of teaching jobs worldwide and opportunities online - it’s expected that, in that timescale, you’ll have developed the key skills for a first TEFL job.

But what makes 120 hours the gold standard for qualification, and can you study for longer?  In this article, we’ll examine what 120-hour TEFL certification means, why it’s the industry standard, and what other course choices are available.

A brief history of TEFL certification

In the not-too-distant past, only two recognised TEFL certificates were the CELTA (Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) and the Trinity CertTESOL (Trinity Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). Both were, and still are, hugely respected courses.

If you wanted to teach English (mainly overseas, at this point), you needed to head to a CELTA/CertTESOL-approved centre, take the course full-time over four weeks, and you’d end up with an internationally recognised certificate. All in, you’d put in 120 hours of intense study across four weeks. That’s why 120 hours is still today’s benchmark - these courses carry weight and have long been recognised by employers, since so many talented TEFL teachers took these courses and had successful careers.

Eventually, TEFL course providers emerged, offering time-flexible qualifications that could be studied online, in person, or a combination of both. TEFL courses took CELTA's lead - clearly, 120 hours works - and started offering high-quality courses lasting the same length of time. However, the delivery of these courses changed, introducing remote learning options, and they became more widely available. Providers gave students more time to complete their course, allowing students to work around their existing commitments.

Not every course is 120 hours long. There are longer courses, like a Level 5 Diploma, and on the other end of the scale, there are discount courses on Groupon that say they’re 120 hours (or thereabouts), but only take a day or two to finish. But if you’re looking to start in TEFL, an accredited 120-hour course is ideal preparation, a baseline level of training that’s worked for decades.

Why 120 hours can set up a TEFL career

So you’re looking for a career in TEFL; why does a high-quality 120-hour course make a difference?

An internationally recognised 120-hour TEFL course should teach concepts including:

• Understanding teacher and student roles
• Teaching methodologies
• Lesson planning structures
• Classroom management
• Teaching vocabulary and functions
• Key grammar elements
• Teaching key English skills: reading, listening, writing, speaking and more

120 hours of quality teaching, whether through a TEFL certificate, a CELTA or a Trinity CertTESOL, will convince employers that you’re ready to teach English. Once you’re qualified, you can teach English abroad (especially if you also have a degree), teach English online through various online companies and platforms, or explore different career paths outside a classroom environment. 

120 hours of training is considered a credible baseline due to the history of TEFL certification, specifically the CELTA. Anything shorter than the established 120 hours isn’t worth taking. From an employer’s point of view, throwing an underprepared teacher into a classroom is a significant risk, and for students online, paying for lessons from a teacher who hasn’t studied enough is a gamble. 

Taking a Groupon course that doesn’t have accreditation - and doesn’t actually last 120 hours - indicates to employers that you don’t take training as seriously as other teachers. TEFL is competitive, and without the right preparation, it’s hard to land rewarding jobs.

What to expect on a high-quality 120-hour TEFL course  

On a 120-hour course, you should expect support from experienced TEFL teachers, who can teach you about the industry and the essential teaching skills you need to succeed. 

Today’s high-quality TEFL courses have assessments after key learning stages, so you know what to work on. Assessments aren’t to catch you out; they help tutors understand what you need and where you can improve. 

A course isn’t just for becoming employable - that’s a given - it also allows you to find out what kind of teacher you will be. During a course, you might find that you want to teach adult professionals, or your skills are more attuned to teaching young learners, for example. A 120-hour certificate is meant to prepare you for a career in teaching, so it’s essential to think about what your ideal teaching role will look like.

You should receive a physical and digital certificate once you complete your course. This can be shared on LinkedIn, added to your CV/Resume, and used in your job applications, and it’s a qualification you can use for the rest of your career. Then, it’s onto destinations and TEFL jobs .

Is it worth taking a Level 5 TEFL Diploma?

A 120-hour TEFL certificate isn’t the only option. Level 5 TEFL Diplomas have emerged over recent years, competing with 120-hour TEFL courses. Level 5 courses can offer more comprehensive training, which can boost CVs/Resumes, and they’re especially popular with non-native English speakers and teachers without degrees who want to stand out in the job market. Level 5 courses usually last 200-240 hours, depending on delivery. 

What does Level 5 actually mean? A course's level indicates difficulty; a Level 8 qualification is a doctorate, while an honours degree in the UK is Level 6. 

Like 120-hour courses, regulated Level 5 courses are recognised and respected by employers. However, it’s also worth pointing out that in the most competitive TEFL markets, Level 5 diplomas can stand out a little more. 

You might choose a Level 5 Diploma over a 120-hour course if:

• You have no teaching experience
• You don’t have a passport from an English-speaking country, or English isn’t your first language
• You want to teach in a competitive environment
• You aren’t confident about teaching yet, and want more time to learn about TEFL

Is there a  “better” option out of 120-hour TEFL certificates and Level 5 Diplomas? Well, provided they’re both from reputable providers, the answer is ‘no’. It’s more about what you want from a course, your circumstances, and whether you want to pay more for a Level 5 qualification. Both courses meet the qualification requirements of most employers.

Tip : There’s a myth that taking a Level 5 course will help you earn more . It isn’t necessarily true - multiple factors affect a TEFL teacher’s salary .

120 hours: the gold standard for TEFL certification

As we’ve covered, 120 hours of TEFL training is the gold standard, and for good reason. Of course, 120 hours is the start - you can take advanced TEFL courses in specialist areas like teaching young learners or Business English . You could also take a certificate like a DELTA or Trinity DipTESOL , or even a TEFL/TESOL degree, for advanced training and the chance to explore career paths like lecturing and curriculum design.

The TEFL industry has seen plenty of changes, but 120 hours of dedicated training is still what employers expect, and it’s a great starting point in a TEFL career. If you have dreams of teaching English as a foreign language, 120 hours of high-quality training will meet typical international requirements and give you the confidence you need to teach. 

Are you passionate about English teaching, but don’t know where to start? Take our TEFL Org Course Quiz , and discover the right path for you.