Cambridge CELTA Certificate: Barcelona, Spain
CELTA Course Information
The CELTA is a one-month initial training course. It is aimed at people with no previous teaching experience or those who are already working but with no previous training. This highly regarded certificate enables newly qualified teachers find their first teaching position. It is intended for native English speakers or non-natives of near-native proficiency.
The Cambridge CELTA is the best known and most widely taken initial certificate of its kind. It is accepted throughout the world by most organisations which employ English language teachers. CELTA is also recognised by the British Institute of English Language Teaching (BIELT). Every Centre is approved by Cambridge ESOL and every course is moderated by an external assessor. This, in addition to regular standardization meetings, ensures quality and fairness in assessment.
Entry Criteria
According to Cambridge regulations, if you want to apply for a CELTA course you must:
- be at least 18. It is generally recommended that candidates should be aged 20 or over, but candidates between 18 and 20 can
- be accepted at our discretion
- have an awareness of language and a competence in English, both written and spoken, that enables them to undertake the course
- have the potential to develop the necessary skills to become effective teachers and to successfully complete the written assignments and the assessment of practice teaching
There is no formal academic entry requirement for CELTA. However, the recommended minimum entry requirement is that candidates should have a standard of education equivalent to that required for entry into higher education. We may accept candidates who do not have formal qualifications if we feel confident that they would be likely to complete the course successfully.
CELTA Course Content
The course is designed to enable candidates to:
- develop an initial understanding of the contexts within which adults learn English, their motivations and the roles of the teacher and the learner
- develop an awareness of language and a knowledge of the description of English and apply these in their professional practice
- develop familiarity with the principles and practice of effective teaching to adult learners of English
- develop basic skills for teaching adults in the language classroom
- develop familiarity with appropriate resources and materials for use with adult learners of English for teaching, testing and for reference
- identify opportunities for their own future development as professionals in the field
CELTA Course Length and Structure
The CELTA course is an intensive course that runs for four weeks. The course time is divided between input sessions, teaching practice and feedback, supervised lesson preparation, observation of experienced teachers and tutorials. There are 120 contact hours during the month. The practical nature of the course and the emphasis placed on teaching practice is reflected from day one. On the first day you are divided into small teaching practice groups and you teach on the second day. Each group works closely with one of our tutors and is assigned a practice class of students. These students are mainly Spanish but can be any nationality. During the course you work with at least two different levels of students and often three.
| Input Session 1 | 09.30 - 10.45 |
|---|---|
| Break | 10.45 - 11.15 |
| Input Session 2 | 11.15 - 12.30 |
| Lunch | 12.30 - 14.00 |
| Assisted Lesson Preparation | 14.00 - 15.30 |
| Teaching Practice | 15.30 - 17.45 |
| Break | 17.45 - 18.00 |
| Feedback | 18.00 - 18.30 |
After 18.30, trainees undertake continued lesson preparation (on your own or with fellow trainees), written assignments and observation of experienced teachers. N.B. The work done after 18.30 is not included in the 120 contact hours, but forms an integral part of the course.
CELTA Course Teaching Practice:
Our aim is to make you a confident English teacher.
The tutors give you lots of help at the start of the course, and while continuing to support you during the month, you become more and more autonomous. They will help you to develop the skills to become independent in your classroom preparation and confident in the execution of the plan. This reflects the real world of language teaching.
You start by teaching a short slot on the second day and during the month teach different periods of time up to an hour. You teach different areas of the English language systems and skills.
The feedback sessions are designed to help you build on your successes and learn from your classroom experiences.
The aim of your tutors is not to prescribe one way to teach a class, but to guide you and give you exposure and practice in different ways. At the same time, you will be informed about what is at the cutting edge of teaching practice these days. With experience and further professional development, you can make informed choices about what to do in the classroom.
Observation of Experienced Teachers
During the month you observe different experienced teachers in real classrooms teaching different levels of students. You are given an observation task to do to help you focus on particular aspects of the class, the teacher and the students. In addition to this, you always observe your colleagues teaching in your teaching practice group.
Written Assignments
Over the month you do a number of written assignments according to the Cambridge CELTA syllabus.
- The areas covered are:
- the language systems of English
- reflections on classroom teaching
- adult learning and learning contexts
- teaching materials
All of these assignments tie in closely with the input sessions and reflect the developmental nature of the course. You have access to the school library and your tutor is always available to help you.
In the afternoons:
- Free time for private studies, leisure activities, recreation or work!!
CELTA Course Assessment
The assessment is continuous and integrated. Continuous here means that assessment takes place throughout the course. Integrated here means that each assessed component contributes to the overall grade and any one assessed component can cover a number of topics and objectives in the syllabus. There is no final written exam.
The three components of assessment are Teaching Practice, Written Assignments and Candidates' Professional Development.
Candidates whose performance meets the specified criteria are awarded a Pass. Those who demonstrate a significantly higher level of achievement in their classroom teaching skills may be awarded a Pass (Grade B). Candidates who, in addition to this, demonstrate a significantly higher level of achievement in relation to their lesson planning and awareness of teaching and learning processes may be awarded a Pass (Grade A)
Employment Prospects & Work Placement Service
At a regional and national level demand may fluctuate but globally and overall there has been a sustained high demand for English language teachers. CELTA certification is the best choice to enhance your employability. The CELTA course includes workshops dedicated to helping you find the kind of work that you want, although in any case the Training Center guarantees job vacancies for its CELTA graduates.
The Training Center has exclusive agreements with several organisations that regularly provide employment for trainees that have completed their CELTA course at the Center in Barcelona.
Most of the jobs are TEFL summer jobs in locations within Spain or the UK, although there are jobs available throughout the year as well. For some of the jobs both, European and non-European applicants are welcome, CELTA is the minimum qualification required.
The work placement service offered by the Teacher Training Center in Barcelona is for students enrolled on one of their CELTA courses only. This scheme is not a guarantee of employment.
CELTA Dates and Prices for 2010
| Barcelona |
|---|
| 10% discount on the September CELTA course if you enrol and pay before July 31st, 2010. |
| July 5 – July 30 |
| August 2 – August 27 |
| September 1 – September 29 (starts on a Wednesday) |
The CELTA course typically runs for four or five weeks. That's 20 working days. Some courses will therefore be a little longer to allow for public holidays (when the school is closed).
CELTA Course Fees 2010
= 1,550€
This is the TOTAL cost
(i.e. no other exam fees , administration costs , etc.)
Accommodation Fees (optional service):
Accommodation price: 423 EUROS for 4 weeks in single room in a shared apartment
+
Accommodation arrangement fee: 45€
Accommodation is from the day before the course starts until the day after the course finishes.
Extra night cost: 14.10 EUROS
Enrolment Procedure and Cancellations
After receiving an invoice from StudyCELTA, the deposit (500Euros) must be paid within 7 days of the place being offered in order to secure your place. On receipt of your deposit the CELTA tutors will send you a pre-course task, answer key, and reading list to help you prepare further.
Payment Procedure
All payments need to be done in Euros via bank transfer, free of charges, into the StudyCELTA bank account in Spain. (bank account details will be provided in the invoice, once the application has been successful). Alternatively, Paypal payments can also be accepted (see www.paypal.com) 4% extra charge applies on Paypal transactions.