OVERVIEW OF STANDARDS
|
Name of Standard
|
Details of Eligibility
|
|
Professional Standard One
The Professional Certificate: Standard One is intended to recognize ESL/EFL educators who have completed an undergraduate degree and a Standard One TESL Canada recognized TESL training program.
|
The Professional Certificate: Standard One may be granted upon presentation of certified evidence of:
1) Completion of an undergraduate degree at an accredited post-secondary institution, and
2) Completion of a TESL Canada Recognized TESL Training Program which includes:
a) A minimum of 100 hours of theory and methodology and
b) A supervised practicum of a minimum of 20 hours (10 hours of observation and 10 hours of teaching under the supervision of an instructor certified at a minimum of TESL Canada Professional Certificate: Standard One, Two, or Three with at least 2,000 hours of adult ESL/EFL classroom experience or equivalent.)
c) Up to half of the teaching hours may be completed in online synchronous* environments***.
Note: Item (2) may be part of an undergraduate or graduate degree.
|
|
Professional Standard Two
The Professional Certificate: Standard Two is intended to recognize ESL/EFL educators who have completed an undergraduate degree and a Standard Two TESL Canada recognized TESL training program.
|
The Professional Certificate: Standard Two may be granted upon presentation of certified evidence of:
1) Completion of an undergraduate degree at an accredited post-secondary institution, and
2) Completion of a Standard Two TESL Canada Recognized TESL Training Program which includes:
a) A minimum of 250 hours of theory and methodology and
b) A supervised practicum of a minimum of 50 hours (30 hours of observation and 20 hours of teaching under the supervision of an instructor certified at a minimum of TESL Canada Professional Certificate: Standard One, Two, or Three with at least 2,000 hours of adult ESL/EFL classroom experience or equivalent.)
c) Up to half of the teaching hours may be completed in online synchronous* and asynchronous** environments, with no more than 25% of the total teaching hours completely online asynchronously***.
Note: Item (2) may be part of an undergraduate or graduate degree.
|
|
Professional Standard Three
The Professional Certificate: Standard Three is intended to recognize ESL/EFL educators who have completed a Master’s/Doctoral degree in TESL or equivalent with a demonstrated background in adult education from a Canadian institution which is a member in good standing of Universities Canada, and a minimum of 50 hours in a supervised adult ESL/EFL classroom practicum.
|
The Professional Certificate: Standard Three may be granted upon presentation of certified evidence of:
1) Completion of a Master’s/Doctoral degree in TESL or equivalent from a Canadian institution which is a member in good standing of Universities Canada ,
2) Demonstrated background in adult education, and
Completion of a minimum of 50 hours in a supervised adult ESL/EFL classroom practicum (30 hours of classroom observation and 20 hours of teaching under the supervision of an instructor certified at a minimum of TESL Canada Professional Certificate: Standard One, Two, or Three with at least 2,000 hours of adult ESL/EFL classroom experience or equivalent.) Up to half of the teaching hours may be completed in online synchronous* and asynchronous** environments, with no more than 25% of the total teaching hours completely online asynchronously***.
OR
1) The requirements of Professional Standard One or Two,
2) Completion of a Master’s degree or PhD in a related field at an accredited post-secondary institution.
|
* Online synchronous teaching environment are web-conferencing platforms (such as Zoom, Adobe Connect, Google Meet, Blackboard Collaborate, YouSeeU, Big Blue Button) or 3D Virtual Worlds (such as Second Life or VirBELA), where instruction requires participation of learners in real time.
Teaching is an online synchronous environment must include some of the following teaching modalities:
- Teacher-centred lectures/explanations
- Student-centred activities such as pair and group discussions and tasks delivered through a breakout room function
- Screen sharing of various media
- Using audiovisual technology (e.g., for listening and watching comprehension activities)
- Using the digital whiteboard and annotation tools
- Providing feedback in real time
- Classroom management (e.g., giving floor, managing class interaction, elicitation)
- Using external polling and assessment tools (e.g., Kahoot!)
** Online asynchronous environments are Learning Management Systems (LMS, such as Moodle-based LMS like Edulinc, Edmodo, Brightspace, Blackboard, Canvas, Google Classroom).
Teaching is an online asynchronous environment must include some of the following teaching modalities:
- Moderating an online discussion board
- Creating learning objects and assessments and uploading them to an LMS
- Providing asynchronous feedback on written work or recorded videos
- Creating and posting pre-recorded lessons using video or multimedia presentation tools
- One-on-one conferencing with students regarding aspects of their work
*** Until on-site ESL classes/programs reopen, in order to qualify for TESL program certification, all of the required in-class hours may be completed in online synchronous environments with the expected teaching modalities (see above).
April 14, 2020
To TTP Managers and Directors,
After much consultation and discussion, TESL Canada would like to present to you the results of the three motions that were passed at the recent emergent TESL Canada Board meeting. In order to address concerns of TTPs and their current students during this current health crisis, the following decisions have been made to facilitate TTP completion:
- Until on-site ESL classes/programs reopen, in order to qualify for TESL program certification, the minimum number of f2f classroom observation and practice teaching hours for Standards 1, 2, and 3 will be:
Face-to-face/in-class teaching 40%
Online synchronous 20%
The maximum number of online asynchronous hours will be 40% of the total number of observation and teaching hours (see asynchronous options in point #3). The total observation and teaching hours remains the same: 10 + 10 for Standard 1 and 30 + 20 for Standards 2 and 3.
*This would facilitate certification for students whose practicum was interrupted by the health crisis.
- Create a TESL Canada provisional certificate that would be awarded based on coursework completion only (no practicum requirement). This certificate will be valid for 1 year from the time of issue and be exchanged for a full certificate once a candidate submits proof of their practicum completion.
*This would facilitate certification for students who were not able to complete their practicum because of the health crisis. This provisional certification may allow people to secure interim employment or supply teaching.
- The following are acceptable online asynchronous practicum activities:
- Classroom observation: watching recorded classes with reflection.
- Practice teaching: delivery of content (e.g., moderated online discussions related to readings, videos or podcasts, submission of work with feedback loop, prepared voice-over PowerPoint presentations) via online learning management systems such as Moodle, Brightspace, Blackboard, or Canvas; and evaluated micro-teaching demonstrations.
Thank you for responding to the survey and taking part in the zoom consultation sessions. We appreciate your insights and input. All the best to you at this challenging time.
Paula Kristmanson, TESL Canada President
Dmitri Priven, TESL Canada Standards Committee Chair
TESL Canada
Teachers of English as a Second Language - Canada