OnTESOL

OnTESOL

Why choose OnTESOL?

We offer professional-level online TESOL/TEFL certification courses valid for teaching English abroad, online, and career advancement opportunities in Canada or the United States.

OnTESOL is accredited by the leading organizations from Canada and the USA. We are institutionally accredited by ACCET (U.S. Department of Education Recognized Agency). Our online TESOL/TEFL courses are recognized by TESL Canada on completion of a separate 20-hour Practicum, undergraduate degree, and ELP requirement.

Website
ontesol.com
Founded
2003

Reviews

Default avatar
Roberto
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Very complete course

I just completed the 120-hour TESOL course, and I am very satisfied with the experience. The course covered a wide range of topics, from language learning theory to practical teaching methodologies.

The instructors were highly skilled and shared valuable insights into teaching English to non-native speakers. The classes were interactive and encouraged active participation, creating a rich learning environment.

Additionally, the course included practical activities that allowed me to apply what I learned in real situations. The teaching practice sessions were particularly helpful, as I received constructive feedback from my peers and instructors.

The flexibility of the online format was also a great benefit, allowing me to study at my own pace while balancing my other responsibilities.

By the end of the course, I felt prepared and confident to begin my career as an English teacher. I highly recommend this course to anyone seeking to obtain TESOL certification.

Default avatar
Sylvette
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Amazing Program

The content is plentiful. The resources section has loads of useful websites to add to the course content. The expectations are clear and detailed info is given before each assignment, to help students succeed. Teachers are prompt with their replies and always eager to assist students to learn as much from the program as possible! They make sure that each level of the course is paired with teachers who excel at that level. I have taken many other programs online, and this one is the best ever! I highly recommend this program!

What would you improve about this program?
Nothing! It was perfect!
Default avatar
Yanyan
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Good Program

I recently completed a 120-hour Advanced TESOL Certificate program, and the experience was incredibly rewarding. The course was well-structured, covering all the essential aspects of teaching English to speakers of other languages. It provided a solid foundation in language acquisition theory, lesson planning, classroom management, and practical teaching techniques.

One of the highlights of the program was the comprehensive nature of the content. It wasn't just theoretical; it included plenty of real-world applications and examples that helped bridge the gap between knowledge and practice. The modules on teaching grammar, listening, speaking, reading, and writing were particularly useful, offering strategies to tailor lessons to diverse student needs and learning styles.

The interactive nature of the course, with quizzes, assessments, and opportunities for peer feedback, kept me engaged throughout. The instructors were knowledgeable, responsive, and always available to answer questions, which made the learning process smooth and enjoyable. I also appreciated the emphasis on cultural awareness and how to adapt teaching methods for learners from various backgrounds.

Overall, I feel much more confident in my ability to design and deliver effective English lessons. The TESOL program not only enhanced my understanding of language teaching but also equipped me with practical tools that I can immediately apply in the classroom. I highly recommend this program to anyone looking to start or advance their career in teaching English as a second or foreign language.

If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?
If I were to do the 120-hour Advanced TESOL Certificate program all over again, one thing I would change is dedicating more time to practicing live teaching scenarios. While the course provided a solid theoretical foundation and great practical tips, more opportunities for live, interactive teaching practice would have been beneficial. Having more real-time feedback on my teaching techniques from experienced instructors or peers could further enhance my confidence and classroom management skills. Engaging in more hands-on teaching experiences earlier in the course would make the transition to real-world teaching even smoother.
Pros
  • Comprehensive and Practical Content: The program covered a wide range of topics, from language acquisition theory to practical teaching strategies for grammar, reading, and speaking. The balance between theory and practice helped me feel well-prepared for
  • Flexibility and Self-Paced Learning: The online format allowed me to complete the course at my own pace, which was great for managing my schedule. I could revisit lessons as needed and work through the material without pressure, making the learning experi
  • Supportive Instructors and Feedback: The instructors were always responsive, providing timely feedback and answering questions. Their guidance made the learning process smooth, and I felt supported throughout the course.
Cons
  • Limited Live Teaching Practice: While the course content was rich, there was a lack of live teaching practice or real-time interaction with students. More opportunities for hands-on teaching with direct feedback would have been valuable for gaining practi
  • Interaction with Peers: Although the course had forums for discussion, the interaction with peers felt minimal. More structured peer collaboration or group work could have enhanced the learning experience by allowing us to share ideas and learn from each
  • Cultural Context Depth: While cultural awareness was covered, I felt that more in-depth exploration of how to handle various cultural challenges in the classroom could have been helpful. Additional case studies or examples of teaching in diverse environme
Default avatar
Dariia
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

120-hour Advanced TESOL - Excellent Course

Even though I've been teaching English for 4 years, this course was exceptional. All the materials were incredibly useful, including the additional videos and resources. I especially enjoyed the Phonology Module; my knowledge in this area had become rusty, and it was great to refresh it. The Methodology Module was the highlight for me. I took great pleasure in creating lesson plans, and with Margaret's help, I had the opportunity to refine key points. I loved that I could work at my own pace, which allowed me to balance this course with my main job.

Pros
  • Useful materials and resources.
  • The mentor was really fast in checking my lesson plans.
  • Flexible pacing to fit around my main job.
Cons
  • Some content might feel repetitive for experienced teachers.
Default avatar
Oxana
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

120-hour Advanced TESOL certificate

The program of the course is well-structured. The videos were a helpful component in each module. I do recommend watching them as well as reading the materials. Also, practice tests are a great way to improve your chances of getting a better score on the final exam, particularly in Grammar and Phonology modules.
The lesson planning module was a bit challenging but very useful.
I would probably expand the section on lesson-planning to give students more opportunities to practice.
Overall, it is a great course. I do recommend it.

Programs

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Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Lucas Diaz Molaro

Job Title
CEO
Lucas Diaz Molaro has over 15 years of experience in the TESOL/TEFL industry. His passion and dedication for quality Post-Secondary Education, data analytics, and innovation helped OnTESOL implement new technologies, develop new courses, start job services, enter new partnerships, and gain accreditation from the leading Canadian and U.S. organizations in the field.
Lucas Diaz Molaro

Interview

What is your favorite travel memory?

My favorite place in the whole world is Costa Rica. I went to visit friends in 2010, when the movie Avatar had just come out, and I remember walking through the jungle and thinking how everything was so surreal like in the movie.

Back then Costa Rica wasn’t as popular as it is today, so places like Rio Celeste and Santa Teresa were rogue and off the beaten path. Today there is a paved road to Rio Celeste with a waterfall that receives thousands of tourists to visit the National Park daily by bus. There is a big parking lot that includes facilities for tour guides, washrooms, and lunch to be purchased on-site. Today, when you get to the waterfall, you take a picture and keep trekking to the next site. Back then you arrived to a farm, trekked to the waterfall, and spent the afternoon swimming with your friends.

I also learned to surf in Costa Rica and it changed my life because I wasn’t following a healthy lifestyle at the time. Surfing connected me back to sports, myself, and to the great outdoors, so when I returned to Toronto I started mountain biking, kayaking, and skiing.

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

I started at OnTESOL as a Marketing Assistant in 2007, when I finished my business degree and the institute was barely a start-up, almost unable to keep the lights on, and only one out of five co-founders were putting in the work to keep it running. With a new partnership structure in 2010, I was promoted as General Manager to help OnTESOL through several scale-up stages over the years, including course development, accreditation, new services, and technology implementation. In 2023, I became the CEO.

I grew a lot over the years thanks to the freedom OnTESOL gave me to take new courses and pursue other career opportunities.

In 2007, I was just finishing my business degree and didn’t want to work for a big, harmful corporation. But I really didn’t know what else was out there at the time. OnTESOL was appealing because it gave me the freedom to travel, continue my education, and figure out what I wanted. I remember driving back from Rio Celeste in Costa Rica and thinking, what if, instead of accepting and normalizing all the poverty that exists on our gem of a planet, we lived in better harmony with nature. This led me to take on new studies and career opportunities, including:

-Masters degree in Economic Development and Innovation.

-Three years working for a Canadian federal government agency that gives loans to business scale-up projects in priority sectors such as High Tech, Clean Teach, Life Sciences, AI, IoT, and Advanced Manufacturing.

-Economic Development research projects related to priority sectors.

-Circular Economy research projects to understand why clean energy and recycling goals are promoting more environmental destruction and how government innovation agencies can support businesses to make products more durable and repairable to save the energy and materials that go into replacing broken or obsolete products with new ones.

During the 3 years I worked for the federal government, I stayed as a consultant for OnTESOL while I learned new skills and took new courses in financial and data analytics. I also learned from working on hundreds of business applications in various industries how to properly scale-up an organization.

This work experience taught me to implement a 5-year scale-up plan for OnTESOL, which concluded in 2023 and included new technology implementation, data analytics related to student progress, interactive features, a greater variety of pre-recorded videos, new practical live courses via Zoom and ACCET accreditation. The talent who joined us and the new processes we implemented significantly grew the capacity of OnTESOL to continue at the forefront of TEFL/TESOL innovation in the next 5 years.

What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

I believed that OnTESOL was for real and wanted to make a difference when students would come back thanking us for how the lesson planning skills helped them to get a great job or to open their own school. I noticed how many online providers were ill-preparing people to teach abroad with a quick TEFL course or charging hefty internship fees for a paid travel experience, all at the expense of people learning English. Sadly, this kind of experience has forced so many teachers to repeat their TESOL/TEFL course with us to get the training and accreditation they need to advance their career.

The mission at OnTESOL has always prioritized the delivery of quality teacher training courses backed by world-renowned accreditations. However, when I began at OnTESOL, I didn’t know what that really meant until I started the TESOL Expert program for our graduates to share their experiences.

I was really happy with the initial response from graduates, who shared how the teaching methods and lesson planning frameworks they learned with OnTESOL helped them to succeed. It wasn’t just the teachers earning a great salary in the UAE or Hong Kong who were benefiting from our TESOL/TEFL courses. OnTESOL graduates in rural and remote regions of the world, where schools didn’t have any ESL textbooks, were thriving using authentic materials and task-based lessons. Our graduates were actually making a real impact in the world with their original lessons. For example, one graduate in Papua New Guinea explained how teaching English abroad has to be specific to the needs of the student. She worked for a program that employed displaced farmers as scuba diving tour guides. Learning about traveling and cultural experiences in North America or the UK, as is the case with most ESL textbooks teaching beginner-intermediate ESL, was not of interest to her students, so she taught them grammar and vocabulary lessons related to directions and time in a way that was meaningful for their job as scuba diving tour guides.

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

I would recommend the 168-hour Hybrid TEFL Certificate. This is a discounted course that combines the 120-hour Advanced TESOL Certificate course with the live 10-hour Lesson Planning Workshop and three of our most popular specialist courses. This online TEFL course is always at a 35% discount because it’s a bundle package to reduce the tuition fees of the additional live workshops and specialist modules.

The most important part of this course is the four live sessions related to the advanced lesson plan assignments in the course. For years, many people were asking us for a live experience to ask a tutor questions in a live format and participate in group activities in preparation for the lesson plan assignments.

During the initial application to ACCET accreditation, we were required to develop a synchronous live component. After 1 year of surveying students, we developed a live course with practical and interactive elements, resulting in trainees completing better assignments and finishing the online TESOL/TEFL courses faster.

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

OnTESOL is one of the few online TESOL/TEFL institutes capable of adapting an in-class course originally recognized by TESL Canada and Trinity CertTESOL into an academically equivalent online program. I’m especially proud of the team’s ability to continue to improve the online courses, stay updated with the latest technologies, and continue to strive for new accreditation by the leading Post-Secondary Education and TESOL/TEFL organizations from Canada and the USA.

But more importantly, none of this would have happened if the senior management team wasn’t able to become vulnerable to receive feedback from students who were struggling in the course and needed a more interactive experience.

In the beginning, offering the in-class experience in an online format wasn’t easy. The technology to offer synchronous training was either too expensive or inaccessible to students. To be honest, 20 years ago the online course consisted of a PDF textbook with links to PowerPoint video presentations and tutor support via e-mail. This wasn’t specific to OnTESOL. I remember taking a variety of online courses at different colleges and universities, and the general online learning experience was self-paced and asynchronous. Some online courses I took in university didn’t even offer tutor feedback or support, so they would grade my assignment without giving me any room to understand the improvements I need for real life situations.

When we implemented the new LMS platform in 2020, it gave us a greater ability to study the data of students struggling in the course, including surveying those students about their struggle and the features that would help them learn better. This resulted in a much larger library of pre-recorded videos, new interactive features, the new live 10-hour Lesson Planning Workshop, and ACCET accreditation.

Our innovation strategy did not culminate with ACCET accreditation. In fact, one of their accreditation requirements is to regularly perform surveys, data analytics, research projects, and educational reviews for ongoing updates and improvements.

After 20 years in the industry, it’s easy to sit back and enjoy the ride. I’m particularly proud at how our team continues to be determined to lead the TESOL/TEFL industry with innovation and a mission to make online teacher training both more effective and more affordable than the in-class experience. Stay tuned for more updates in 2024!

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

The biggest factor in our success is that we never stopped learning. We challenged ourselves to pursue certificates and degrees that complement the skills we need to grow OnTESOL. Even those highly intimidating courses, such as accounting and statistics, were crucial in building our capacity to finish challenging projects. The live workshops and ACCET accreditation would have never been concluded without the skills I learned in courses I didn’t want to study.

It’s funny how I always struggled with math-based courses in university until I started to work for OnTESOL and learned about the communicative methods. While taking my bachelor degree, I used to barely pass or I would even fail accounting and statistics. I figured my mind was blocked from learning. Yet, I think it was because I was given examples of businesses I would never want to work for. Working for OnTESOL opened the doors for a new way of learning about any subject, so it became easier to learn when I studied in the context of the career objectives I wanted to accomplish.