If you’re thinking about taking a CELTA abroad, Seville is one of the most popular destinations. The city offers sunshine, culture, and a vibrant lifestyle. However, choosing the right training centre is just as important as choosing the location.
So, what is it really like to take a CELTA course in Seville? And how can it shape your teaching career?
To find out, we spoke with Claire Potter, Head of the Teacher Training Centre in Seville, Spain. In this interview, she answers 12 key questions about the centre, the course, and what trainees can expect.
A well-established CELTA Centre in Seville
Could you tell us a bit about the history of the training centre?
The Training Centre in Seville has been running CELTA courses for almost thirty years – the first courses were held in our old Santa Ana building in 1998, and since then we have offered up to 14 courses a year.
How the CELTA in Seville has evolved over time
How have the CELTA programme and your centre evolved?
We have evolved well I think! As well as following the current trends in teaching on our training courses, including a range of approaches to teaching, such as Task-based Learning, we have very much developed as a centre. We ran the first DELTA course in 2002, and now offer the most recent Modular format both online and also as a blended course in the case of Module Two, and we run the Certificate in Teaching Younger Learners and Teens to help teachers with their kids classes.
Meet the CELTA Seville training team
Tell us about your training team.
Here in Seville we have Mike Carter, Hannah Beardsworth, Emily Reid, and myself, Claire Potter. Between us we have many years of experience working as teachers and teacher trainers, We all originate from the UK (Wales and England), but have all been living in Andalucia for many years on and off. Between us we have also worked in countries like Greece, Japan, UK, Ireland, Thailand, Brazil, Mexico….to name a few. There are also qualified Primary school teachers amongst us. We are all very dedicated, motivated trainers and teachers, who love our jobs!
Stories from the CELTA in Seville trainees
Do you have any memorable trainee stories?
We have had so many wonderful trainees from all over the world – I remember one course of 12 with 10 different nationalities, ranging from Australian to Japanese to Uruguayan to Ireland. We have trainees who have gone on to do voluntary work in developing countries, or have moved on to taking the DELTA and then become teacher trainers themselves, either with us or at other centres. CELTA has proven to be a basis for long term friendships between the course participants after the course, but we are also aware of a few marriages between CELTA candidates, and trainees and students, and our own trainer Scott Donald and his lovely wife Becky, who did a CELTA course with us – please note that the romance started a while after the course had finished!!
From CELTA Trainee to Teacher
Do trainees stay on to work at the centre?
Many of the teaching staff at Seville first came to the centre to complete their CELTA or DELTA course, and previous tutors like James did their CELTA and DELTA qualification with us, before training up to be a tutor at our Centre.
Why choose taking the CELTA in Seville? Location matters
Where is the centre located?
The Training Centre is situated in the very heart of the city – just off Plaza Nueva, where the City Hall is located. You can walk here from neighbourhoods like Triana, the Macarena or Santa Cruz, and you will pass by many famous Seville landmarks on the way. We are very close to the main shopping streets too, so you can either eat in our very nice canteen and patio at lunch time, or pop to one of the local bars for a tapa. There are many cultural events like flamenco shows or visits to museums or monuments which the candidates can enjoy….although we recommend coming a few days before the course, or staying on afterwards, as we will keep everyone very busy during the four weeks of the course itself!
Accommodation options for the CELTA in Seville trainees
What accommodation is available?
There are a variety of accommodation options – shared flats, the residences with other students studying at our Centre, living with a host family, the high standard apartment option. All accommodation is within walking distance of the school, and is located in a range of sought after districts like the Alameda, Triana or Santa Cruz. You can find out more about the accommodation options during the interview that is part of your application process for the CELTA in Seville.
Support for career changers
How do you support new teachers?
We have many candidates who want to change their career path and embark on a journey of English language teaching – on the course, we offer each candidate personalised support, tutorials, and focus clearly on different areas of Professional Development and teaching in different contexts, to help the trainees in their future career
Job support after the CELTA in Seville
What happens after the course?
We offer input sessions on finding work, and as mentioned above, on working in different contexts. The candidates will become part of our Job Information Service, with all working opportunities which are sent into us by academies at local, national, and even international level, sent on to them for the two years after they have completed the course.
You can also explore teaching roles on TEFLwork, a platform dedicated to CELTA-qualified teachers.
Teaching Practice in the CELTA in Seville courses
What are the students like?
Our English language learners who come in for the Teaching Practice classes love us, and we love them! They are delighted to receive lessons from such a range of teachers on each course, with their different accents and styles, and we have many repeat students who come course after course. We often get more mature students in the lower level A2 group, studying English in their retirement for pleasure and to travel, and in the higher B2+ level group we have a range of ages and motivations in the group.
What makes the CELTA in Seville unique?
What makes your centre stand out?
All Cambridge CELTA centres offer quality courses, which are moderated by a Cambridge assessor. I would like to think that our centre is special as it offers quality training and development delivered in a very positive, enthusiastic manner, and in a unique environment, both in terms of our lovely school buildings with their Sevillano patios, and in terms of the beautiful, historic city with its unique atmosphere, which is Sevilla.
Final advice: Is the CELTA course worth It?
What is your advice for future trainees?
Do it! I took a course in 1992, went to Japan to teach….and never looked back. With a CELTA qualification, the world is your oyster, and hopefully you will enjoy English teaching, which is such a varied, satisfying career.
Start your CELTA in Seville
In conclusion, choosing to take the CELTA in Seville means combining professional training with cultural immersion. You gain practical teaching skills while living in one of Spain’s most exciting cities.
Ready to begin? Explore the StudyCELTA Seville courses and take the first step toward your teaching career.
Do you have any questions about taking the CELTA course via Seville? Get in touch with a member of our team today!