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I did CELTA the course in Cape Town because I… Read more “I would recommend this course to anyone considering teaching abroad”
Doing a CELTA is a very intensive experience. So be… Read more “Doing a CELTA is a very intensive experience”
In my opinion, the teacher training centre in Budapest was… Read more “Although the CELTA was intense, I still found time to explore this great city”
Review for Dublin (Dame Street), Ireland I did my CELTA… Read more “My tutors were phenomenal and an excellent resource”
Review for Bristol, UK A fantastic course. Thank you so… Read more “Great tutors and an unforgettable experience”
Review for Mexico City, Mexico I enjoyed the course every… Read more “I enjoyed the course every step of the way”
Review for Manchester, UK Though this was meant to be… Read more “Relief and a sense of accomplishing something momentous”
TEFL, ESL, ESOL, TESOL, it's all the same! Candidates take CELTA courses because the CELTA is the most highly recognised TEFL in the world.
These are all generic terms for any course which prepares you to teach English to people whose first language isn't English. The CELTA Certification is the most highly regarded course in this category and is accredited by the University of Cambridge.
'TEFL' or 'TESOL' are general terms sometimes used to refer to qualifications for English language teachers. CELTA is the best known and most widely taken initial 'TESOL/TEFL' qualification of its kind in the world. It has also in the past been known as CTEFLA. You may also hear mention of the 'RSA certificate'. Again people are referring to CELTA courses, as Cambridge ESOL took over RSA certificates and diplomas for teachers in 1988. CELTA is a 4-week full time or 10-12 weeks part-time qualification with face-to-face compulsory components with some online options.
To prepare for your CELTA we recommend that you check out the reading list for the course here.
Additionally, you may consider taking an online preparation course from ELTcampus to better prepare you for the course. You can find more information on the course here.
Yes! You can take the CELTA online. This is a temporary measure that has been approved by Cambridge English Assessment so candidates can take the course from the safety of their own home while the Covid-19 disruptions are ongoing.
Many of our accredited CELTA providers are offering the course worldwide. If you do not see a course in your country, we can find a course that is suitable for your time zone. Our online CELTA courses are broken up into four time zones. For more information on dates, times, and fees, see the Online CELTA page.
'TEFL' or 'TESOL' are general terms sometimes used to refer to qualifications for English language teachers. CELTA is the best known and most widely taken initial 'TESOL/TEFL' qualification of its kind in the world. It has also in the past been known as CTEFLA. You may also hear mention of the 'RSA certificate'. Again people are referring to CELTA courses, as Cambridge ESOL took over RSA certificates and diplomas for teachers in 1988. CELTA is a 4 week full time or 10-12 weeks part time qualification with face-to-face compulsory components with some online options.
You can take CELTA full time (typically 4 weeks), or part-time (typically 12 weeks). Your chosen course will teach you the principles of effective teaching and a range of practical skills for teaching English to adult learners. You will have hands-on teaching practice, observe experienced teachers in the classroom, and complete four practically focused written assignments. There are five main units of learning:
Unit 1: Learners and teachers and the teaching and learning context
Unit 2: Language analysis and awareness
Unit 3: Language skills: reading, listening, speaking and writing
Unit 4: Planning and resources for different teaching contexts
Unit 5: Developing teaching skills and professionalism
You will be assessed throughout the course, with no final examination. An external assessor, appointed by Cambridge ESOL, moderates each course.
There are two components of assessment:
To be accepted for the CELTA course, applicants must fulfill the following criteria:
A minimum age of 20* at the start of the CELTA course
A good standard of education* (e.g. having gained university entrance qualifications, completed High School)
Awareness and a high level of competence in written and spoken English in order to be able to follow the course and prepare for teaching a range of levels
For non-native speakers, the required command of English is that of Proficiency (CPE) or C1 within the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR), i.e. close to native speaker's competence.
No previous teaching experience required
*Applicants who are not at least 20 years old or who have not gained university entrance qualifications may be admitted at the discretion of the Course Coordinator.
Take our eligibility test to see if you can apply to do a CELTA
CELTA Certification is accepted throughout the world by organisations which employ English Language teachers. The Cambridge CELTA course has been accredited by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) at level 5 on the National Qualifications Framework. Cambridge ESOL also works with international ELT organisations to ensure the acceptance of CELTA globally.
The Delta is a flexible Modular Post-CELTA (or TEFL equivalent) course for further professional development, giving credits in some cases to Masters Programmes. The course is intended for practising ELT teachers with substantial experience (at least 1 year to a variety of levels and ages). The most widely given reason for taking the Delta is to open up career avenues to more senior ELT posts for which the Delta is invariably required. Jobs include DOS, teacher trainers, and so on. The most common reaction to the course itself, however, is that candidates find it tremendously stimulating and rewarding on the level of personal development. More often than not, it provides a new direction and impetus in their classroom teaching as well as in their present and future professional lives. The Delta offers you the opportunity to:
The Delta course is aimed at experienced English teachers who want to advance their careers into direction and management, or even teacher training.
To apply for any of the DELTA Modules, you need to meet the following requirements:
Delta is accepted throughout the world by organisations which employ English Language teachers. The Cambridge Delta has been accredited by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) as a Diploma in Teaching ESOL at level 7 on the National Qualifications Framework. Delta is also integrated into some MA programmes. Cambridge ESOL also works with international ELT organisations to ensure the acceptance of Delta globally.
You can take Module One and Module Three online. Module One will help you prepare for the Delta M1 exam which can be taken at an accredited centre local to you. These exams are taken twice a year (in June and December).
Module 3 can also be taken completely online as you are assessed through a long-form written assignment.
For more information on the online Delta modules, see our online Delta page.
At a regional and national level demand may fluctuate but globally and overall there has been sustained high demand for English language teachers. CELTA certification is the very best choice to enhance a new teacher’s employability. Our CELTA/DELTA graduates have consistently found teaching work worldwide. The course includes workshops dedicated to helping you find the kind of work that you want, which includes providing you with names and addresses of schools, resources for job search and skills development on the Internet, and interview preparation. To see our current job vancancies, please visit our sister site: www.teflwork.com
Many English teachers find that they teach a lot of children's classes. They can be fun but also exasperating if you don't have the tools to manage younger learners. The Young Learners (YL) course is a post - CELTA training programme that equips you to teach children effectively and have fun! We offer a YL course through our sister site ELTcampus. This certificate gives you all of the tools you need to make your YL lessons fun, but also informative and engaging, leaving you prepared for whatever is thrown at you. Please visit here for more information.
Due to the ongoing pandemic, the CELTA can now be taken completely online. This means all aspects can be done from the safety of your home. The new online format of the CELTA will mean that you take the course through a video conferencing platform, such as Zoom or Skype, and through the Cambridge English learning platform (Moodle).
When looking at different online CELTA courses on the StudyCELTA website, check the school's timetable as each school will be rolling out the online CELTA differently. This ensures that more people can find an Online CELTA that will suit them.
Just like the face-to-face CELTA, you will be assessed through:
The latter is one of the most important components of your CELTA. Most schools are assessing students via Zoom for their teaching practice. You will be teaching a class of English language learners from across the world and you will be assessed by your CELTA Tutor and observed by your CELTA classmates (don't worry, you will also be able to observe them while they teach).
You will then need to be online for feedback sessions where you will receive constructive feedback from your CELTA Tutor which will develop your teaching skills.
No, you certificate will not disclose how you took the CELTA. It will be the same certificate a student would get if they completed the CELTA in a face-to-face setting.
We recommend that you know before enrolling onto a CELTA course that you can attend all of the online sessions as participation is crucial to your overall grade.
We understand that life can get in the way and one of the issues you may face while taking the CELTA Online are technical difficulties. The Tutor may be able to reorganise your teaching practice if this happens and some schools will be recording seminar so you can catch up on them.
Whether it's Skype or Zoom that is needed for your course, many schools are offering inductions so you feel comfortable and at ease. You may find that most of the CELTA courses are a little longer than four weeks. This is so all candidates can have a little "breathing room" at the start so they are confident with the new software that is needed for the course.
Also - don't worry, Zoom and Skype are both free to install and use very little computer memory. So, don't be afraid - go for it!