Accreditation you can actually verify

ACTDEC accreditation

Global English's TESOL courses are accredited by ACTDEC - the Accreditation Council for TESOL Distance Education Courses - an accreditation body dedicated to maintaining and improving professional standards in TESOL distance-learning programmes. ACTDEC is audited by IATEFL, the British Council and, from time to time, independent reviewers.

All Global English courses, including Christian TEFL and TEFL Global courses, are covered by our ACTDEC accreditation, except the 10-hour Enter English introductory course. The main ones are the 120, 150 and 250-hour courses. Certificates are moderated by ACTDEC.

We have been assessed and accredited at Levels 2, 3, 4 and 5, and Global English has agreed to abide by the ACTDEC Code of Practice in full. See our full course listing for details of what each accredited level covers.

ACTDEC looks at the course content, the hours of study, and the standard of tutor support behind the certificate. That last part matters: a 120-hour course that nobody marks is not the same product as a 120-hour course a tutor actually reads. Our assignments are tutor-marked, which is one of the things the accreditation is there to hold us to.

What Levels 2, 3, 4 and 5 mean

Employers rarely ask for an acronym. They ask for hours and a level they recognise:

• Level 2 (70 hours) covers our 70-hour course.
• Level 3 (120 hours) is the industry-standard first TEFL/TESOL certificate. It is what most classroom jobs abroad and most online platforms treat as the minimum.
• Level 4 (150 hours) adds advanced grammar, phonology and lesson planning. It is the step that puts you ahead of the standard-minimum crowd.
• Level 5 (250 hours) is our deepest qualification, for people who want teaching as a career rather than a first experiment.

If you already hold a 120-hour certificate, you can upgrade or take a specialist course instead of repeating the same hours.

UK Register of Learning Providers

Global English is registered on the UK Register of Learning Providers (UKRLP) under UK Provider Reference Number UKPRN: 10056745. The UKRLP is the official UK government register of organisations that provide education and training.

Registration does not replace ACTDEC accreditation. It is a separate, official listing that employers, visa officers and other providers can look up. Together with the certificate verification page, it is how a school can check we are a real UK provider and that a named certificate is one we issued.

What we do not claim

Anyone can print a badge. We do not invent awards, and we do not describe our courses as Ofqual-regulated or as a CELTA equivalent. CELTA is a four-week Cambridge classroom course; Ofqual regulates a different family of UK qualifications. Our claim is narrower and checkable: ACTDEC accreditation at Levels 2, 3, 4 and 5, UKRLP registration, tutor-marked assignments, and a certificate you can verify online.

If a job advert asks for CELTA or a Trinity certificate, say so honestly. Those are different qualifications. For the large majority of TEFL jobs abroad and online teaching platforms, a 120-hour accredited TESOL certificate with a named tutor is what the advert actually means by "TEFL required".

Why accreditation matters when you apply

Anyone can print a certificate. What matters to employers - and what should matter to you - is whether an independent body has actually assessed the course content, the hours of study, and the standard of tutor support behind it. That's what ACTDEC accreditation and UKRLP registration genuinely verify, and it's why we've held ACTDEC accreditation since 2004.

When you apply for a classroom job or an online platform, you will usually be asked for a PDF of your certificate and sometimes a way to confirm it. Send them the verification link. If a code ever shows no result, the certificate is not one we issued - contact us and we will say so.

Common questions

Is ACTDEC the same as Ofqual or CELTA?

No. ACTDEC accredits TESOL distance-education courses. Ofqual regulates a different set of UK qualifications, and CELTA is a Cambridge classroom course. We do not claim Ofqual regulation or CELTA equivalence. We claim ACTDEC accreditation at Levels 2, 3, 4 and 5, which is what our courses have been independently assessed against.

How do employers check a Global English certificate?

Every recent certificate carries a verification code. Anyone can enter that code on our verify page to confirm the holder, course, level, hours and issue date. Certificates for our sister brands TEFL Global and Christian TEFL are issued by Global English under the same accreditation.

What do Levels 2, 3, 4 and 5 mean in practice?

Level 2 covers our 70-hour course. Level 3 is the 120-hour first qualification most employers and online platforms treat as the minimum. Level 4 (150 hours) adds advanced grammar, phonology and lesson planning. Level 5 (250 hours) is our deepest course, for people who want teaching as a career rather than a first experiment.