subject: General Information About The World Tefl Accrediting Commission (wteflac) [print this page] Most teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) students mistakenly assume that a unified system of accreditation exists for TEFL courses. There is not a singular regulating organization whose accreditation of TEFL courses is universally regarded as authoritative. For students, this can result in having inadvertently taken a TEFL course whose certification will not be honored in every country or by every international employer.
As TEFL students are greatly motivated to open their horizon with the TEFL certification, they should take great care to receive certification from a course that is accredited by an organization whose accreditation is generally accepted worldwide. The World TEFL Accreditation Commission (wteflac) is just such an organization. Based in New York City, it has been actively accrediting quality TEFL course providers for 20 years. Their accredited TEFL course providers are 200 strong and exist in over 20 countries across the globe.
The World TEFL Accreditation Commissions organization came into creation for the purpose of setting a bench mark of excellence for TEFL courses and the industry in general. Founded by a conglomerate of experienced and respected TEFL course providers, wteflac has earned a strong international respect, and its accreditation is recognized generally by international TEFL employers. The World TEFL Accreditation Commission creates the opportunity for cooperation amongst TEFL industry leaders, and enables them to develop and promote standards and principles that are common to all.
The World TEFL Accreditation Commission is solely independent from any other TEFL organization or course provider. The organization operates according to a stringent code of practice, standards that any TEFL course provider must adhere to in order to receive wteflac accreditation. This code of practice mandates that TEFL courses provide a true representation of their offerings in any promotional material they provide, that they provide adequate information for prospective students to make informed decisions regarding their course, and that course fees are communicated in an honest and forthcoming manner.
Their code of practice also touches on selection and admission of students as well as course delivery. Admissions policies must be straightforward and clear, with entry requirements that clearly include English competence, and which provide equal opportunities to all prospective students. Course delivery must follow intuitive methodological principles and include extensive peer to peer teaching, while course leaders or teachers must have a minimum of three years practical TEFL teaching experience.
The World TEFL Accreditation Commissions code of practice also enforces strict quality standards on TEFL course providers. It is required of their course material to include content that will provide a solid knowledge foundation, allowing students to achieve professional TEFL goals. Modules must be coherent and sequential in nature, and the pace at which students pass through the course must be realistic and manageable.
The code of practice also touches on assessment practices, staff placement and development, quality assurance and course evaluation. This specific and extensive code of practice has led to international respect and recognition of the wteflac accreditation.
