Some chains of private language schools offer their own ‘in-house’ training courses and certificates. As a general rule, if these are free and likely to lead to employment or promotion within the organisation, they may be well worth considering. If, however, fees are payable, it is not really advisable to accept any, often vague, assurances that the certificate is internationally-known or respected or that it is equivalent to a CELTA or Cert.TESOL.

Ask to see a list of employers who accept the qualification and contact them to ask if they really do consider this to be a full equivalent of an independent, mainstream certificate.

The best private language school TESOL courses leading to in-house certificates tend to be offered as a supplement to mainstream qualifications (for example, a refresher course) rather than as an alternative.