ACCREDITED. COACHED. CAREER-READY.

TEFL Certification & Training for English Teaching Careers

Join 70,000+ graduates teaching in 140+ countries. Accredited training, a real coach, and a credential that works anywhere you do.

Rated 4.6 out of 5 on Trustpilot from 1,200+ reviews. Accredited by ACCET. University credit recommended by ACE.

70,000+

Graduates Worldwide

140+

Countries Taught In

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ACCET Accredited Institution

Institutional accreditation recognized by the U.S. Department of Education – a full evaluation of Bridge as an educational institution, not a course-level curriculum review.

Recommended for University Credit by ACE

The Global TEFL Certificate is recommended for 9 undergraduate credits by the American Council on Education, an evaluation uncommon among TEFL providers.

Credly-Verified Credential

Your certification is issued as a Credly digital credential - permanently accessible, instantly verifiable by any employer, shareable on LinkedIn.

What Is TEFL Certification?

TEFL certification is the professional qualification for teaching English to speakers of other languages.

TEFL stands for Teaching English as a Foreign Language. TESOL, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, describes the same training, and employers treat the two as equivalent. A TEFL certificate shows a school or an online teaching company that you have been trained in how languages are learned, how to plan and deliver a lesson, and how to manage a classroom.

Most employers abroad and online ask for a certificate of at least 120 hours from an accredited provider. Some destinations also require a bachelor’s degree or a background check, but those are hiring requirements, not enrollment requirements. You do not need prior teaching experience to begin, and you do not need to be a native English speaker.

Teacher holding a Bridge TEFL certificate

Why accreditation matters

TEFL courses are not standardized, so the value of a certificate depends on who stands behind it. Three questions tell you what an accreditation claim is worth: whether the institution itself is accredited, whether the accrediting body is recognized by a government authority, and whether the accreditation can be checked on a public register.

Bridge is accredited by ACCET, the Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training, which is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. This is institutional accreditation: a full evaluation of Bridge as an educational institution, not a review of a single course.

The American Council on Education (ACE) has also evaluated Bridge courses and recommends the 120-Hour Global TEFL Certificate for 9 undergraduate credits and IDELTOnline™ for 6 graduate-level credits. Both can be verified on the public registers.

See Bridge’s TEFL accreditation.

How to choose a TEFL course

Start with your goal, then match the course to it.

Teaching abroad or online for the first time
The 120-Hour Global TEFL Certificate is the standard employers recognize, and the course most Bridge teachers begin with.
Teaching online from the start
The Comprehensive Certification Bundle adds specialized training for the online classroom to the 120-hour foundation.
Already certified
A Specialized Certificate in Business English, Young Learners, Teaching English Online or CLIL builds depth in one area.
Seeking graduate-level training
IDELTOnline™ is an instructor-led, cohort-based diploma for teachers pursuing the most competitive positions.

Whichever you choose, check the hours, the format (online, in person or blended), whether a qualified tutor reviews your work, and how the certificate can be verified once you have it. You can compare all accredited online TEFL courses side by side, or download the full course catalog.

What a Bridge TEFL certification includes

Every Bridge course is delivered by an accredited institution and coached by a real teacher-trainer; your work is reviewed by a person, not graded automatically. The 120-hour course is self-paced, and most people finish in six to twelve weeks. On completion, your TEFL certification is issued as a Credly digital credential that any employer can verify, that you can share on LinkedIn, and that does not expire.

Where TEFL certification leads

A TEFL certificate opens classrooms in language schools and public schools abroad, online teaching platforms, and private tutoring in your own country. Bridge graduates teach in 140+ countries. Graduates also have access to the Bridge Job Board of pre-approved employers, and IDELTOnline™ credit can be applied toward graduate programs with university partners. Learn more about teaching English abroad and teaching English online.

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October Specials

Sharpen Your Teaching Craft

All featured micro-credentials $25, featured 40-hour certificates $99.

Teaching TOEFL Prep
20-Hour Micro-Credential

enroll for $25 through Oct 31.

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Start Where You Are

Choose your path — abroad, online, or both — and start with the course built for it.

New to teaching English?

Find the right course for where you want to teach – abroad, online, or both.

Find Your Course

Already a teacher?

Specialize, get noticed, and stay current with Specialized Certificates and Micro-credentials.

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A school or organization?

Train and certify your teachers, or join the Bridge partner network of universities, training centers, and distributors worldwide.

Partner With Bridge

The Course That Starts Most Careers

Students participating in a TEFL classroom

Recommended for 9 University Credits The flagship 120-Hour Global TEFL Certificate

The 120-Hour Global TEFL Certificate

The accredited foundation. Rebuilt in 2026 with an interactive learning platform, Teaching Practice Scenarios, and a personal tutor coaching you throughout.
Recommended for 9 university credits by ACE.

Explore the Global TEFL Certificate

The Course Is Just the Start

A certificate starts your career. Everything around it at Bridge keeps it moving – training, jobs, news, community, and graduate pathways, from one accredited institution.