CELTA (Certificate in English Language Teaching to Speakers of Other Languages)

Why do CELTA?

The Cambridge Assessment CELTA (Certificate in English Language Teaching to Speakers of Other Languages) is the most recognised initial English Language Teaching qualification in the world. It is a qualification that is trusted by employers, language schools and governments.

Why do CELTA with us?

ELTeach (Cambridge Centre No: 00411) works with a team of international and highly experienced teacher trainers in the field of English Language Teaching (ELT) who are led by our Head of Department, Neil McCutcheon. Neil has been working as a CELTA and DELTA trainer since 2005 and has delivered over 100 courses, both face-to-face and online.

Neil is not only a CELTA trainer but also a CELTA assessor. We understand the pressure that trainees work under, and do our utmost to ensure that you are working in a supportive and encouraging environment. (We won’t promise not to push you outside your comfort zone, but we want you to feel that this is an unthreatening experience.)

Can I afford to invest in this?

Can you afford not to? CELTA provides the knowledge, confidence and hands-on teaching experience you need in order to develop a successful career in teaching English as a Foreign Language.

It is a passport to travel the globe, and will be one of the best investments you ever make. CELTA is highly regarded both nationally and internationally and has been accredited at level 5 on the National Qualifications Framework. It has been given premium product endorsement by NEAS in Australia.

Can I get funding for CELTA?

If you live in Wales, have the right to live and work in the UK, are older than 18 and are under formal notice of redundancy / within 12 months of the date of redundancy / within 12 months of becoming unemployed for reasons other than redundancy, you can apply for React+ funding (up to £1,500) from the Welsh government .

Unfortunately, we can’t currently accept Advanced Learner Loans. However, we accept payment via PayPal, which means that you can use your credit card and/or take advantage of PayPal’s interest-free instalment plans.

Do I have the time?

We realise you may be busy, and aim to fit our courses round the other demands on your time.  If you are in a hurry and want to qualify this summer, we’ll do our best to book you in! If you already have commitments and are only available on certain days, why not try our part-time options? Want to take the course online? No problem – online CELTA is our area of expertise!

Do I know enough about grammar?

This needn’t worry you; we are used to training trainees who start with zero knowledge of grammar. We will assess your level of knowledge at the interview, and help you prepare with some recommended reading and a pre-course task.

You’ll do a lot of learning on the course itself, both by observing lessons and in input sessions (or alternatively on the online units). Even by the end of the course, you are not expected to be an expert, though you’ll certainly feel much more confident in your ability to analyse and describe the language. Finally, teaching English isn’t all (or even mostly) about teaching grammar!

Will it be too intensive?

Our four-week face-to-face or mixed-mode courses are intensive and you will need to dedicate most of your time to the course. Our five-week-long online courses are slightly less intensive because they include a day mid-week (in addition to the weekends) that doesn’t require live online attendance.

With online courses, you’ll be introduced to working on the platform (Zoom) in a low pressure environment (together with other trainees) and you’ll receive practice material related to its effective use once you’ve passed your interview.

In addition to making yourself familiar with Zoom, you’ll also need to have some technical skills (e.g., being able to use Google Drives, Google docs., PowerPoint presentations, etc.).

Course information

CELTA is a Level 5 course on the English National Curriculum.

The Total Qualification Time (TQT) on this course includes 120 Guided Learning Hours.

You should also allow for 80 additional learning hours for pre-course preparation, reading, research, assignment writing, lesson preparation and record keeping.

The course consists of the following components:

• Teaching Practice & Feedback

• Input Sessions

• Observations

• Written Assignments

• Tutorials

The CELTA course covers a range of topics:

• learners and teachers, and the teaching and learning context

• language analysis and awareness

• language skills: reading, listening, speaking and writing

• planning and resources for different teaching contexts

• developing teaching skills and professionalism

The maximum ratio of candidates to tutors is one tutor for every six candidates, and there are at least two tutors on each course.

Assessment

You will be assessed throughout the course and there is no final examination.

The two types of assessment are:

• Teaching practice: You will teach for a total of 6 hours, working with adult classes at a minimum of two levels of ability. Assessment is based on your overall performance.

• Written assignments: You will have to write four assignments (each 750–1,000 words). These focus on:

• analysing and responding to adult learner needs

• analysing language for teaching purposes

• teaching language skills

• reflecting on classroom teaching

Your teaching practice and written assignments are assessed by your trainers during the course. Your trainers will discuss your progress with you, including in at least two one-to-one tutorials, so you should have a good idea of your strengths and areas to focus on.

Results

There are four possible grades for CELTA:

• pass A

• pass B

• pass

• fail

Certificates

At the end of your course you will be sent a report, which will give your provisional grade. Cambridge English will issue your certificate when grades have been confirmed. Cambridge English usually despatches the certificates to us up to eight weeks after the completion of the course.

We then send the certificates to each of our trainees. The certificate will state your name, grade, the centre number where you took the course (which, in our case is 00411) and the date of the award.

Class times and catering for different time zones

When designing the timetables, we have taken the different time zones and needs (e.g., trainees who are free to complete the courses full-time and trainees who have other commitments and can only complete the courses part-time/after work/after school, etc.) into consideration.

• Our four-week-long, face-to-face courses require all-day attendance and have their teaching practice in a classroom in Nottingham.

• Our five-week-long, mixed-mode courses include a blend of online and face-to-face training. On these courses teaching practice includes a blend of online and face-to-face lessons.The mixed-mode CELTA course is full time and takes place live online on Zoom for the first two weeks and in a physical classroom in Nottingham during the final two weeks.  Your teaching practice will be divided between online and offline lessons so that you can get the best of both worlds.

• Our five-week-long, fully-online, full-time courses require attendance live online on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 9:30 am to approximately 3:30 pm (UK times). There aren’t any live online lessons on Wednesdays and at the weekends. These courses cater for students living in Europe, South, Central and North America and Asia.

• Our ten or twelve-week-long, fully-online, part-time courses have their teaching practice, assisted lesson planning and input sessions scheduled between 5:30 pm and 9:00 pm (UK times) on one weekday (typically Wednesday) and between 9:00 am and 3:30 pm on Saturdays. Therefore, these courses also cater for trainees living in Europe.

• Our twelve or fifteen-week-long, fully-online, part-time courses have their teaching practice, assisted lesson planning and input sessions scheduled between 5:30 pm and 9:30 pm (UK times) on two weekdays (typically Tuesdays and Thursdays).

• Our twenty-three-week-long, fully-online, part-time courses have their teaching practice, assisted lesson planning and input sessions scheduled between 5:30 pm and 9:30 pm (UK times) on one weekday, which is Monday.