Education · 1 of 5

The path, school board route

Become a certified teacher first, then add the language specialty.

1. 1

   High school

   Grades 11 and 12

   Take a second language to Grade 12. Knowing what it feels like to learn one is the whole job.

2. 2

   Bachelor's degree

   3 to 4 years

   Linguistics, English, modern languages or education all fit. For high school you need two teachable subjects.

3. 3

   Bachelor of Education (B.Ed)

   1 to 2 years

   Four semesters in Ontario, 1 to 2 years elsewhere, with classroom placements.

4. 4

   Provincial certification

   A few weeks

   Register with your regulator, for example the Ontario College of Teachers.

5. 5

   Language qualification courses

   1 to 3 years, part time

   In Ontario this is a three-part Additional Qualification (AQ) in teaching English language learners. Part 1 needs only your certificate; later parts need teaching experience.