BC TEAL 2025 Annual Conference

In the early 21^st-century, the proliferation of unregulated programs purporting to offer ESL teacher training led to the development of provincial and national standards in adult ESL teacher training, most notably through TESL Canada (Thomson, 2004; Sivell, 2005; Chafe & Wang, 2008). While this led to important quality assurance improvements, the prominence of TESL Canada certification has led to some organizations requiring “their instructors to have it…as a prerequisite for employment” (TESL Canada, 2015).
 
This, combined with the loose ways in which “TESL,” “certificate,” and related terms are used in both public and private educational institutions, can make ESL teaching credentials confusing to teachers, employers, and the general public, and the commodification of TESL certification (Bernstein, 2023) continues to be a problem.
 
One area in which we have seen this is in TESL-focused graduate programs. At the program we will discuss in this presentation, faculty frequently field questions about the program’s role in future employability, whether the program’s name confers legitimacy and/or eligibility for certification (see Murray & Chrichton, 2010), which outside accreditation bodies should be sought, and whether a practicum is available or necessary. 
 
This presentation will offer perspectives from a faculty member, program assistant, and current students regarding the students’ pursuit of TESL Canada certification. There have been both internal and external challenges involving recognition of international credentials, funding for programs, availability of practicum supervisors, differences in TESL Canada standard levels, and a host of related issues. 
 
In this presentation, we each narrate our experience of the place and importance of professional accreditation in relation to masters-level teacher education in ELT and suggest changes that can make the connection between professional accreditation and graduate-level academic programs clearer and smoother in the future, particularly for international graduate students beginning new careers in Canada.