The TESOL certificate at Renison University College is your way to qualify for professional certification and gain the basic tools, strategies, skills, and knowledge to be successful as an English language teacher in Canada and abroad.
Our certificate program:
- Emphasizes practical teaching skills by integrating the following course methodology: pair work, small group work, class discussions, teaching demonstrations, and micro-teaching to enhance each participant's learning experience.
- Updates curriculum annually to reflect industry changes and to incorporate current language learning research.
- Offers highly experienced, professional, and energetic trainers to facilitate and motivate participants' learning.
- Provides a professional, internationally recognized English as a Second Language (ESL) teaching credential - from TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language) Canada for Standard One Professional Certification and TESL Ontario for CTESOL Professional Certification.
Program Entry Requirements
- Undergraduate university degree (in any field) is required for certification, but is not required for enrolment.*
*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.
- 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
Winter 2025 (online)
Winter (online)
January 14 - April 29, 2025
Application deadline: January 7, 2025 or until we reach full enrollment (18 fee paying participants).
Registration is limited to the first 18 fee paying applicants. Any additional applicants will be given priority registration for the next program offering.
*Participants may begin practicum placements as early as Spring 2025 term, depending on the availability of placement spots. Placements may carry over into the Fall 2025 term.
16 weeks of classes held on Tuesday nights from 6:30pm to 8:30pm ET on Zoom, on nights where microteaching is scheduled participants can expect class to be completed by 9:30pm ET.
For further information about the schedule, please contact Kimberly Burrell.
Fall 2025 (online)
Fall (online)
September 3 - December 17, 2025
Application deadline: August 27, 2025 or until we reach full enrollment (18 fee paying participants).
Registration is limited to the first 18 fee paying applicants. Any additional applicants will be given priority registration for the next program offering.
*Participants may begin practicum placements as early as Winter 2026 term, depending on the availability of placement spots. Placements may carry over into the Fall 2026 term.
16 weeks of classes held on Wednesday nights from 6:30pm to 8:30pm ET on Zoom, on nights where microteaching is scheduled participants can expect class to be completed by 9:30pm ET.
For further information about the schedule, please contact Kimberly Burrell.
Course information
Classroom component
The classroom component consists of 100 hours. The delivery of the 100 hours is divided into 32 hours of synchronous (LIVE virtual) class sessions and 68 hours of asynchronous (Individually guided online) modules of instruction and covers the following content:
Learning
- learning theory
- speaking
- writing
- listening
- reading
Teaching
- methodology
- lesson planning
- classroom management techniques
- language assessment
Language
- grammar
- vocabulary
- pronunciation
Practicum component
There are two practicum options. Both practicum options are completed in authentic ESL classes (and could be either fully online, blended or face-to-face depending on availability).
- Option one - 20 hour practicum: 10 hours of observation and 10 hours of supervised teaching. The ACE-TESOL Certificate with 20-hour practicum, combined with an undergraduate degree (in any field) may be submitted for TESL Canada Certification.
- Option two - 10 hour practicum: 6 hours of observation and 4 hours of assisting an ESL teacher. The ACE-TESOL Certificate with 10 hour practicum may not be submitted for TESL Canada Certification.
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:
- an observation report based on observing six hours of real ESL classes
- progress test
- achievement test
- lesson planning task
- evaluated micro-teaching
- lesson plan portfolio
This course is based upon Intellectual Property from the ACE TESOL Certificate from Advance Consulting for Education, Inc. Used and adapted with permission.
How to Apply
Applications must be submitted through our student portal. Follow these steps to apply for the TESOL certificate 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 2025 application deadline: January 7, 2025
Fall 2025 application deadline: August 27, 2025
Please contact Kimberly Burrell with inquiries about the program application procedures.
Fees, how to pay, Cancellation, Withdrawal & Refund Policy (TESOLC)
Fees
| Non-refundable deposit* | $300.00 |
| Remaining tuition (excluding practicum fee) |
$1,900.00 |
| Total program fee (excluding practicum fee) | $2,200.00 |
| Practicum Fee | $350.00 |
| Total program fee (including practicum fee) |
$2,550.00 |
*A convenience charge applies for fees paid via online credit card payment and has been included in the non-refundable deposit
NOTE: In order to confirm your spot in the program, we require you to submit your full tuition payment ($2200 [includes $300 non-refundable deposit + $1900 remaining tuition]) by:
-
Fall program: September 2, 2025
Early payment will help to secure your spot in the program.
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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If the program is cancelled, the deposit and tuition will be refunded to students in full or they may defer their registration to a future term.
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The deposit of $300.00 CAD is non-refundable unless the program is cancelled OR if you defer your application to the next term after your original program is cancelled.
-
You can only defer your application and tuition deposit once - to the next course offering scheduled. Should you defer more than once, you must complete the application process from the beginning and submit an additional $100 tuition deposit/application fee.
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Students may withdraw from the program up to the application deadline for a full tuition refund. After the application deadline, students may withdraw up until 9am ET the day before the second scheduled class for an 80% tuition refund. After this date, refunds will not be issued.
TESL Canada Certification
The requirements for the TESL Canada Professional Certificate Standard One are:
- completion of an undergraduate degree at an accredited post-secondary institution;
- completion of a TESL Canada recognized TESL training program or equivalent which includes:
- at least 100 hours of theory and methodology and;
- a supervised practicum of at least 20 hours
ACE-TESOL Diploma Program
Both successful completion of the 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.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
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?
The TESOL Certificate at Renison 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 (CTESOL) Membership.
To maximize ESL teaching options to adults in Canada, you may need to combine the TESOL Certificate at Renison and the ACE-TESOL Diploma program.
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:
-
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 course work requirements of the ACE TESOL Certificate program and/or Diploma 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.
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.
