We recently compiled a list of the 20 Best Online ESL Courses and Programs and in this article we will talk about the best online ESL course.
What is ESL and Why is it Important?
ESL or English as a second language refers to programs, courses, or certifications designed specifically for non-native speakers willing to learn English. English is one of the fastest-growing languages. According to an article by Tomedes, the number of English speakers in the world increased from 1.05 billion in 2011 to 1.30 billion in 2021. A growth rate of 23.31% was observed in the number of English speakers in just a decade. English has been the fastest-growing language over the past 100 years as well. Based on the historical evidence, the number of English speakers can be expected to further increase over time.
Countries with English as an official language in the world are logically inclined towards employees who can speak and understand English. For this reason, the demand for ESL courses and programs is also increasing. According to an article by Eurostat, in 2021, almost 88% of all students in the European Union were learning English as a second language. The numbers were as high as 99% in many countries including Spain and Malta for learning English as a foreign language. 97% of the students were enrolled in general programs for learning English in the EU and 79% were enrolled in vocational programs in 2021. Therefore, ESL courses can help a person in various ways from landing a better job, moving to a new country, or communicating with people in a country you are traveling to.
Online Language Learning
Online language learning platforms provide an easy and accessible way to enhance language skills from the comfort of your home. According to a report by Spherical Insights, the global online language-learning market was valued at $15.24 Billion in 2023. The market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.68% from 2023 to 2033 and reach $54.95 Billion by the end of the projected period. The global online language learning market is expected to grow significantly due to trends including tourism, increased job opportunities, and the focus on bilingual education. Globalization is also expected to fuel the growth of the market. Europe is predicted to be the fastest-growing region in the global online language-learning market throughout the forecasted period.
Duolingo Inc (NASDAQ:DUOL) is one of the most prominent online language learning industry names. It offers a mobile app and a website that allows users to learn a new language free of cost. On December 4, 2023, the company published a report noting the trends in language learning based on learner behaviors. English was the most popular language among learners in 122 countries marking an increase of three countries compared to 119 in 2022. 40% of the users from India and 54% from China mentioned that their motivation for learning English is for education. Duolingo Inc (NASDAQ:DUOL) has incorporated several immersive features into its design to create a more engaging experience including experience points and in-app currency.
The popularity of English has led to Duolingo Inc (NASDAQ:DUOL) offering almost twenty English language courses for ESL students. The rationale for having more than one English language course is to cater to the unique needs of ESL students based on their country of origin. Here are some comments from the company’s earnings call:
“We have an English course for Chinese speakers and that’s a different course than the English course for Spanish speakers, etc. So we have about 20 English courses. And, if you look three years ago or so, they got you to different levels of proficiency, each one of these courses, and none of them got you to a very high proficiency. What we have done over the last couple of years, and this is one of the major achievements of this company, is we’ve made it so that our English courses, in particular 18 of our 20 English courses now, get you pretty high proficiency. So that’s the first thing we needed to do is get people to more advanced levels because English, in particular, English learners usually are at more advanced levels than other languages.”
Apart from online websites and mobile apps, online courses from universities and professionals are also available. These courses use proper techniques for teaching English as a second language and often offer certification on completion. People seeking to learn English for formal endeavors and career progression are likely to enroll in online ESL courses. With that, let’s take a look at the best online ESL course or program available.
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Our Methodology
To make our list of the 20 best online ESL courses and programs, we initially sifted through ten sources that listed or ranked them and compiled an initial list. We then looked up the number of reviews and average ratings for each of these programs. For the programs available on more than one source, we aggregated the number of reviews and took averages of ratings across platforms. The average ratings have been used as the secondary metric and the number of reviews have been used as a primary metric. For our list, we have only considered programs that had an average rating of more than 4.0 and the number of reviews greater than 100. For the programs with the same number of reviews, we have used the ratings as a tie-breaker.
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The Best Online ESL Course
TESOL Professional Certificate by Arizona State University
Average Rating: 4.9
Total Number of Reviews: 19,000
The TESOL Professional Certificate is offered by Arizona State University. It is the best online ESL courses and programs using the methodology discussed above. Upon completion, graduates receive an official ASU TESOL Certificate. It is to help the ESL teachers further develop their skills enabling them to better help their students learn English.
To learn about other top online ESL courses and programs, you can check out our detailed report 20 Best Online ESL Courses and Programs. At Insider Monkey, we delve into a variety of topics, ranging from the best online ESL courses to business aspects; however, our expertise lies in identifying the top-performing stocks. Currently, Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology stands out as one of the most promising fields. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than NVDA but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published on Insider Monkey.