Teaching English to speakers of other languages can be a highly rewarding career, offering you the chance to live and work abroad. CELTA is a highly regarded qualification which gives you the skills you need to help get a teaching job anywhere.
What are the entry requirements?
Is the course full time or part-time?
Will I need to study outside the course times?
How you can prepare for the course?
Where does the course take place?
What about books and materials?
How much does the course cost?
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What is CELTA?
The Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults (CELTA) is an initial training course in English Language teaching. It is one of the range of Cambridge ESOL certificates and diplomas provided for teachers.
Who is CELTA for?
The course is suitable for people with little or no experience though would also benefit more experienced teachers needing a formal qualification. Trainees who successfully complete the course would be able to seek posts teaching English to non-native speakers within the UK and abroad.
What are the entry requirements?
Ideally applicants should be aged 20+ though we may take applicants aged between 19 and 20. Previous teaching experience is not required but may be helpful. Trainees must have a standard of education equivalent to that required for entry into higher education. Competence in both spoken and written English and good language awareness and for non-native speakers a high level of fluency and accuracy is essential.
Is the course full time or part-time?
At CRC we offer a choice of full-time and part-time. The full time is an extremely intensive 4-week course. The part-time course is run over 21 weeks. At interview you can discuss which course would be more suited to your needs.
Will I need to study outside the course times?
Yes! Trainees will need to spend further time in the evenings and at weekends on pre-session tasks, lesson preparation, completion of assignments as well as background reading and research. The four-week course is very intensive while the part-time course is less so.
What does the syllabus cover?
Overview.
The course involves a minimum of 120 contact hours which includes input of teaching methodology, language awareness, 6 assessed hours of teaching practice and feedback, tutorial time, supervised lessons planning, 6 hours of classroom observation of experienced teachers, and four written assignments.
There are five units of learning:
- Learners and teachers, and the teaching and learning context
- Language analysis and awareness
- Language skills: reading, listening, speaking and writing.
- Planning and resources for different teaching contexts
- Developing teaching skills and professionalism
How is course assessed?
Assessment takes place throughout the course and considers the trainee's overall performance.
There are two assessed components: being able to demonstrate successful planning and teaching and completion of four classroom-related written assignments. All trainees have to log TP, observations and comments from tutors regarding their progress in a booklet called the "CELTA 5" and they must also compile a portfolio as a record of work. Both the "CELTA 5" and the portfolio are handed in at the end of the course. You will need to spend some time on site to keep your booklet up to date ready for tutorials and the final assessment.
All results are approved by Cambridge ESOL with standards monitored by an external assessor. Full attendance on the course is required.
Teaching practise (TP)
You are required to practice teach at two levels for a total 6 hours. The students attending these classes are volunteer adult learners of English. Trainees are divided into two teaching practice groups and will follow a teaching rota. Fellow trainees observe and contribute to the feedback given at the end of the day's teaching. Each TP session is observed by your CELTA tutor who gives written and verbal feedback to the trainees. You are given guidance about what to teach and there is tutor support while you plan and prepare your lessons. Greater independence is encouraged as the course progresses. A lesson plan must be provided for each session and the trainee provides the tutor with written comments once the lesson is finished. In addition to the lesson taught, the plan and the trainee's own feedback are taken into consideration when the tutor assesses the lesson.
Written Assignments
There are four classroom-related written assignments; task one focuses on the learner, task two is a language related task, task three concentrates on language skills, and the fourth is a reflective task to identify your strengths and weaknesses, to show what has been learnt from your own teaching and from the observation of others.
Trainees are expected to use written language that is clear, accurate and appropriate to the task.
Your tutors will give you clear guidance about how to present the tasks and what needs to be included to pass. You may be asked to resubmit your work if it is not up to standard or does not cover all the necessary points. You are given deadlines to meet for completion and resubmission.
What support is there?
Guidance is given for teaching practice and there are individual tutorials to discuss your progress and to offer help where necessary.
How you can prepare for the course?
You will be given ideas regarding preparation at your interview and when you accept your place. It is important that you spend time to complete the pre-course task and consult books on the CELTA reading list.
Where does the course take place?
The course takes place at Cambridge Regional College, Kings Hedges Road, Cambridge, CB4 2QT. Look on the college website for maps and information about our facilities. http//www.camre.ac.uk
What about books and materials?
We will give you a book list recommending core reading and suggesting other titles you will find useful. You will have access to our CELTA library and other material in our Learning Resource Centre.
How much does the course cost?
The tuition fee for 2010/11 for both the full-time and part-time course is ?1,100.00 and includes Cambridge ESOL registration fees and materials. Information regarding payment of your deposit to secure a place on the course, and how and when to pay the balance, will be given when you are offered a place following your interview.
How do I apply for a place on the course?
Please contact our office using the details below. We will send you an application form and pre-interview task. All prospective candidates will be offered an interview so that we can assess your suitability for the course before offering you a place. This will also give you the opportunity to find out more about the commitment you are taking on.
What does the PTLLS (Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector) component consist of?
The life long learning sector refers to "post-compulsory" education (provided for example in community centres and further education colleges) where learners are in receipt of government funded courses. To gain the PTLLS certificate (now mandatory in the lifelong learning sector), CELTA candidates complete some additional input and assessment to meet PTLLS requirements. The benefits are that the CELTA with PTLLS programme gives candidates wider employment choices in addition to working in language schools.
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