In addition to the certificate program, we also offer the ACE-TESOL diploma, which is your way to be eligible to become an Ontario Certified English Language Teacher (OCELT) with TESL Ontario, and/or TESL Canada Standard 2 certified. This teacher training program is comprised of 150 hours of online delivery and a 30-hour supervised practicum placement. The ACE TESOL certificate program or other TESL Canada Standard Level One course (or equivalent) is a prerequisite for admission.
Our diploma program:
- Emphasizes developing enhanced knowledge, understanding and application of teaching theory as an English language teacher.
- Advances your teaching ability and confidences as an educator.
- Updates its curriculum annually to reflect industry changes to incorporate current language learning research.
- Offers highly experienced, professional, and energetic trainers to facilitate and support participants’ skill development.
- Leads to a professional, internationally recognized English as a Second Language (ESL) teaching credential – TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language) Ontario – Ontario Certified English Language Teacher (OCELT) certification* and/or TESL Canada professional standard 2 certification*.
Successful completion of both the ACE TESOL Certificate program and ACE TESOL Diploma program as well as supporting documents and requirements are needed to apply to become OCELT certified and/or TESL Canada Standard 2 certified. For more information, please view the TESL Ontario website (www.teslontario.org) and/or the TESL Canada (www.tesl.ca) website.
Program Entry Requirements (ACE-D)
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Satisfactory completion of the ACE TESOL Certificate program (70% on all coursework and a pass on the practicum). Candidates with an equivalent TESL Canada Standard One qualification (as listed on www.tesl.ca) may be considered for entrance to the ACE TESOL Diploma. These candidates may be required to complete additional reading prior to starting the ACE TESOL Diploma in order to demonstrate understanding of key principles from the ACE TESOL Certificate.
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Undergraduate university degree (in any field) is required for certification, but is not required for enrolment.*
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Strong proficiency in English; applicants whose first language is not English must demonstrate proficiency in English by providing a recent score on a standardized English language proficiency test that exceeds the score required for undergraduate admission to the University of Waterloo's Faculty of Arts.
*Those in their final year of university studies may apply; however, once they have successfully completed the ACE-TESOL program, they may only seek TESL Canada Certification upon graduation with their university degree.
Dates (ACE-D)
Fall (online)
September 15 to December 15
Application deadline: September 6, 2024
Each of the 100 modules in the ACE TESOL Diploma course are comprised of Lecture Notes and a Task Journal. Students submit observation notes on an ongoing basis for feedback and assessment. Students are also assessed on the completion of an Observation Report and three Term Exams.
The delivery method of this course is fully asynchronous with the opportunity to participate in 1 hour / week of office support from your assigned course mentor virtually (on Zoom).
Winter (online)
January 15 to April 15
Application deadline: January 5, 2024
Each of the 100 modules in the ACE TESOL Diploma course are comprised of Lecture Notes and a Task Journal. Students submit observation notes on an ongoing basis for feedback and assessment. Students are also assessed on the completion of an Observation Report and three Term Exams.
The delivery method of this course is fully asynchronous with the opportunity to participate in 1 hour / week of office support from your assigned course mentor virtually (on Zoom).
Spring (online)
May 15 to August 15
Application deadline: May 6, 2024
Each of the 100 modules in the ACE TESOL Diploma course are comprised of Lecture Notes and a Task Journal. Students submit observation notes on an ongoing basis for feedback and assessment. Students are also assessed on the completion of an Observation Report and three Term Exams.
The delivery method of this course is fully asynchronous with the opportunity to participate in 1 hour / week of office support from your assigned course mentor virtually (on Zoom).
For further information about the schedule, please contact Kimberly Burrell.
Course information (ACE-D)
Classroom component
The classroom component consists of 150 hours. The delivery of the 150 hours is divided into 100 modules of asynchronous (Individually guided online) class content. The following toipcs will be covered:
Learning
- Language acquisition
- Influence of L1 on L2 acquisition
- Learning styles
- Learning strategies and motivation
- Language learning and culture
- Language learning and society
- The ESL classroom and culture
- Adult ESL in Canada
Teaching
Advanced skills for teaching:
- Listening
- Speaking
- Reading
- Writing
- Vocabulary
- Pronunciation
- Current teaching methodologies
- Principles of adult education
- Curriculum and course development
- Language assessment theory and practice
Language
- History and nature of language
- Introduction to linguistics
- Phonology
- Morphology
- Pedagogical grammar
Practicum component
Students will complete 30 practicum hours, of which 20 will be spent in classroom observations and 10 in practice teaching under the supervision of a Practicum Supervisor
The practicum component is NOT included in the Program Fee.
Participants who would like to complete their practicum within the limited in-person practicum placement opportunities available in English language programs offered at Renison University College must express interest by the deadline (indicated within each course schedule) and meet all eligibility requirements. Participants will be provided with additional information and details once the practicum placements are to begin.
To be eligible for a Renison hosted practicum placement, participants must:
- Be available to attend and complete the placement in person at Renison University College during the time offered for placement
- Demonstrate a language proficiency of IELTS 8 or equivalent
- Successfully have completed all coursework requirements of the ACE TESOL Certificate program
- Complete and submit documents and payment to support the practicum placement by the deadlines indicated within each course schedule
All other participants must find their own practicum placements. The ACE TESOL program coordinator will provide guidance to participants to help locate a suitable placement but will not be arranging or actively searching for a placement for participants. Participants are responsible for coordinating their own practicum placement.
Assessments
Throughout the program, participants complete the following assessments:
- Task Journals
- Observation Report
- Term Exams
- Evaluated Solo Teaching (practicum)
How to Apply (ACE-D)
Applications must be submitted through our student portal. Follow these steps to apply for the TESOL diploma program:
Step 1: Visit the student portal to submit your application; if you are not signed in to or signed up for a portal account, you will be prompted to do so now.
Step 2: Once signed in, you will be directed to the Program Applications page; select the blue ‘Submit Program Application’ button.
Step 3: Proceed with preparing and submitting your application.
Step 4: You will receive confirmation of your application through e-mail to the e-mail address attached to your account.
For questions about TESOL, please contact cape@uwaterloo.ca.
If you run into issues with the application, signing in/up, or have questions about portal, please contact renison.sace@uwaterloo.ca.
Winter 2024 application deadline: January 5, 2024
Spring 2024 application deadline: May 6, 2024
Fall 2024 application deadline: September 6, 2024
Please contact Kimberly Burrell with inquiries about the program application procedures.
Fees, How to Pay, Cancellation, Withdrawal & Refund Policy (ACE-D)
Fees
| Fee | |
|---|---|
|
Non-refundable deposit* |
$300.00 |
| Tuition (per term; x 3 terms)* | $978.50 |
| Practicum placement (hosted at Renison) | $500 |
Non-refundable deposit is not required for past Renison TESOL participants.
NOTE: *A convenience charge applies for fees paid via online credit card payment and has been included in the non-refundable deposit and the tuition payment
How to pay
You will receive invoice(s) for your fees; once your invoice is available, you may sign into portal to pay via online credit card payment.
NOTE: alternative payment options may be available, please contact cape@uwaterloo.ca for more information.
Cancellation, Withdrawal, and Refund Policy
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Course fees are due at least 5 business days before the term starts.
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Refunds will not be granted to any participant for any reason once they have been placed into the online course learning management system and the course begins.
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Participants can request (in writing) a deferral of participation. A student may defer their participation in any of the 3 ACE-TESOL diploma terms, equivalent to a 3-month session, a maximum of 2 times without penalty. If a participant requests to defer a third time, they must pay a deferral fee.
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Practicum placements for the ACE TESOL Diploma with a Renison University College English language course is $500 (30-hour practicum). Note that practicum placements are limited and very competitive. Placements are based on application and approval by the coordinator.
TESL Canada Certification (ACE-D)
The requirements for the TESL Canada Professional Certificate Standard Two are:
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completion of an undergraduate degree at an accredited post-secondary institution;
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completion of a TESL Canada recognized TESL training program or equivalent which includes:
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at least 250 hours of theory and methodology and;
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a supervised practicum of at least 50 hours
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is ACE?
ACE (Advance Consulting for Education) is Canada’s premier provider of English Second Language (ESL) teacher training. Renison University College is an ACE partner institution, offering ACE teacher training programs.
TESL/TESOL - What's the difference?
Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) is used mostly in Canada. Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) is used mostly in other countries. Often these acronyms are used interchangeably.
ESL/EFL - What's the difference?
English as a second language (ESL) teaching refers to teaching English in an English-speaking country. English as a foreign language (EFL) teaching refers to teaching English in a non-English-speaking country.
How can I teach ESL to adults in Canada?
To teach ESL to adults in Canada, you may need to combine the ACE-TESOL Certificate and the ACE-TESOL Diploma program to maximize your teaching options in Canada.
The ACE-TESOL Certificate will provide you with the skills and training required to teach in most private sector language schools, private career colleges, privately funded ESL programs provided by community colleges and universities in Canada. With the Certificate you may choose to apply for TESL Canada Certification Standard 1 (interim) and/or apply for TESL Ontario Standard Membership.
Building on the Certificate program, the Diploma examines the theory that underpins the practice of ESL teaching and offers opportunities to master the practical skills you developed in the Certificate. The Diploma program will permit you to teach in both government-funded programs (LINC, OSLT, School Board ESL, etc.), and private schools in Canada. With the Diploma, you may apply for TESL Canada Standard Two (interim) and/or TESL Ontario-Ontario Certified English Language Teacher (OCELT) professional designation.
For more information on TESL Canada Certification Standards please visit the TESL Canada website. For more information on TESL Ontario Teacher Accreditation please visit the TESL Ontario website.
When does the observation and practicum take place?
Observations will take place in authentic English language classrooms through the first half of the program. There is some flexibility when scheduling your observation attendance, but it is important to note that most language classes take place during the regular daytime working hours and some may even take place during the evenings. In addition, as Renison continues to transition its classes to in-person delivery the majority of English language classes are now offered in person rather than online. Be aware that minor adjustments to your schedule may be required to accommodate and complete the observations efficiently.
Participants who would like to complete their practicum within the limited in-person practicum placement opportunities available in English language programs offered at Renison University College must express interest by the deadline (indicated within each course schedule) and meet all eligibility requirements. Participants will be provided with additional information and details once the practicum placements are to begin. Be aware that minor adjustments to your schedule may be required to accommodate and complete the practicum efficiently.
Selected participants will be required to pay an additional Practicum Placement Fee.
To be eligible for a Renison hosted practicum placement, participants must:
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Be available to attend and complete the placement in person at Renison University College during the time offered for placement
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Demonstrate a language proficiency of IELTS 8 or equivalent
-
Successfully have completed all course work requirements of the ACE TESOL Certificate program and/or Diploma program
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Complete and submit documents and payment to support the practicum placement by the deadlines indicated within each course schedule
All other participants must find their own practicum placements. The ACE TESOL program coordinator will provide guidance to participants to help locate a suitable placement but will not be arranging or actively searching for a placement for participants. Participants are responsible for coordinating their own practicum placement.
