Cambridge CELTA Certificate Course: Wellington, New Zealand

Teacher Training in Wellington, New Zealand

Cambridge CELTA Course Information:

The CELTA course (The Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults) is a practical, hands-on teaching qualification. It is administered by Cambridge University ESOL and is the minimum teaching qualification for many language schools worldwide. The CELTA course provides candidates with a mix of hands-on teaching experience, teaching methodology and practical classroom techniques.

It is an initial teaching qualification, so no previous teaching experience is required to undertake the course. CELTA is also popular with teachers who have some initial experience in NZ or overseas, but lack a formal teaching qualification.

CELTA is a standardised course, which means you can take the course anywhere in the world and be assessed by the same criteria and cover the same syllabus. This is an important safeguard for both you as a candidate and also for employers, as a pass on the CELTA course is recognised throughout the world and continues to stand for quality and innovation in language teaching.

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CELTA Entry Criteria

• No previous teaching experience or training is required
• Be 20 years old by the commencement date of the course (Candidates can be accepted over 18 at the centre's discretion).
• Candidates should normally have a standard of education equivalent to that required for entry into higher education, meaning having completed High School at least. However, applicants who do not have formal qualifications may be accepted if the screening tasks suggest that they are likely to complete the course successfully).
• Older candidates who finished studies and schooling some years ago are encouraged to apply as the screening tasks will show their competence and ability to complete the course successfully or not.
• Have an awareness of language and a competence in both written and spoken English which will enable them to undertake the course and prepare for teaching a range of levels
• Please note: Fulfilling entry requirements does not automatically guarantee a place on the CELTA course. Selection of candidates is based on an application task and a pre-course interview. If applicants have been successful, they will receive an offer of a place in the mail.

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CELTA Course Hours

CELTA is a 4 week intensive full-time course (minimum of 120 hours). Candidates need to be onsite between the hours of 9.00 and 6.00pm. CELTA is a highly intensive course which will require most of your time and energy during this month. It is important to keep outside commitments to a minimum during this time.

As well as hours onsite, you can expect to do another 3 to 4 hours each evening and at least one full day in the weekend (reading, lesson preparation and assignments). Many candidates comment that the course takes over their lives for the month. They also generally comment that the course is challenging, but highly motivating and useful.

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CELTA Course Content

Input sessions: These will provide you with many practical ideas for classroom teaching. Sessions include tutor demonstrations of teaching techniques and procedures to assist you in planning your lessons. Input will be interactive, so be prepared to get involved and learn through experiencing techniques and discussing ideas.

• Teaching practice: Each afternoon English language students will come in to the Training Center to participate in English lessons. These students will be interviewed and tested before the commencement of the course and then split into two level groups. Each group will be made up of 10-15 adult students (over 16 years of age) from a variety of different countries. You will be part of a group of trainees (up to 6 trainees per group) who will be responsible for teaching them. An important part of the course will be coordinating with other teaching practice peers.
• Over the course you must complete 6 hours of assessed teaching. Your teaching practice must be at two different levels (E.g. elementary and intermediate level students). After each assessed teaching slot, trainees will be provided with both oral and written feedback on their teaching. Each lesson will be assessed as being “To standard for this stage of the course” or “Not to standard for this stage of the course”. An important part of being a developing teacher is to reflect on your teaching. Self-evaluation of your own lessons forms an important part of the course assessment. CELTA will help you to become more reflective and focus on the areas of your teaching which need further development.
• Observations: During the course you will have the opportunity to observe experienced teachers. You must observe 6 hours in total (2 hours may be from filmed lessons or tutor demo). This is a very useful part of the course as it allows you to see a variety of teaching styles, techniques and approaches, as well as a variety of student levels and classroom situations.
• Assignments: During the course each candidate needs to submit 4 assignments each of which is to be of 750-1,000 words. These assignments are practical in nature and help you synthesise principles and practice from your teaching and learning. Each assignment will receive a pass or fail grade. If an assignment receives a fail grade on first submission, you will be able to resubmit that assignment once again. It is possible to fail one assignment and still pass the course, provided that the assessment criteria have been demonstrated elsewhere in your coursework. topic areas are:
  • Focus on the learner
  • Language-related tasks
  • Lessons from the classroom
  • Skills assignment

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CELTA Assessment and Grading

The CELTA course is assessed in two ways. One by written assignments and the other by ongoing assessment of teaching practice. The assessment relates to 5 syllabus areas:

1. Learners and teachers and the teaching and learning context
2. Language analysis and awareness
3. Language skills: reading, listening, speaking and writing
4. Planning and resources for different teaching contexts
5. Developing teaching skills and professionalism

All aspects of the course (teaching practice and written assignments) are internally and continuously assessed. An external assessor approved by Cambridge ESOL will visit every CELTA course. The role of the assessor is to moderate the course. The final certificate is issued by Cambridge.

The CELTA is a pass/fail course. Final grades are: Pass A, Pass B, Pass and Fail. The certificate at Pass level is awarded to candidates who meet the course requirements and whose performance meets the criteria in all components. Those whose classroom teaching skills reach a level significantly higher than pass-level criteria are awarded Pass B; those whose classroom teaching skills and planning skills are exceptional, are awarded Pass A.

Candidates will receive a course report with a provisional grade within two weeks of completing the course. Candidates can use these course reports when applying for work.

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2013 CELTA - Course Dates, Wellington: