CELTA Face-to-Face
The face-to-face CELTA is the original format of the CELTA course. The entire course is done on location at a training centre. Teaching practice is done face-to-face in the classroom. This is the best way to experience the life and energetic vibe of a language school.
Taking the CELTA face-to-face
The CELTA face-to-face course is taken in a classroom where you will need to be at the CELTA centre for the duration of your course. It’s important that you can commit to the required time of the course at the centre, whether is it a full-time or a part-time CELTA course.
Full-Time Face-to-Face CELTA
The intensive full-time courses last 4 – 6 weeks, depending on the training centre e.g. Monday – Friday, 9am to 5pm.
You need to be completely free to do this course. Make sure you are free from work and family commitments for four to five weeks to complete this course successfully. You will have full days of training plus preparation and assignments in the evenings. The CELTA is very strict about attendance and you will fail the course if you do not attend 100%.
Part-Time Face-to-Face CELTA
Part-time courses can last between 2 – 4 months, depending on the training centre. This means fewer class hours per week e.g. Tuesday and Thursday evenings.
This course is a better option if you have to work around family commitments and a job.
What are benefits? A100% Online CELTA or Face-to-Face CELTA Course?
Travel
Traveling to the destination where you plan to teach is a good reason for taking the CELTA in a location face-to-face. You get a few weeks to explore somewhere new and get a feel for what a language school is like in that place. it is an exciting time of transition and transformation. Other candidates wish to stay in their current location. This will be because of family and other commitments as well as avoiding the added cost of travel and accommodation.
Screen Time
The intensive face-to-face CELTA is more manageable than a full-time online CELTA. The second option requires that you be online for many hours a day for four or five weeks. This intensity isn’t for everyone.
Format
If you plan to be an online teacher and work from home, then an online CELTA will model for you what your teaching experience is going to be like, as well as the tools that are useful to make lessons meaningful and engaging. However, if you want to get a feel for a physical classroom, dynamic language school environment, and real students in front of you, then the face-to-face will be a better fit. However, either way, your CELTA qualification is the same and qualifies you to teach in any format.
Cost
The cost of an online course is lower because it doesn’t involve the training school blocking out and reserving classrooms for your use. You don’t have to pay travel, insurance and accommodation costs, etc.
