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What is a CELTA Course?

It's easy to think of all those different course names as just a load of mumbo jumbo; but, in fact, the different qualifications can be used for different things. Let's take a look at CELTA...

It’s a simple enough question, so here’s the equally simple answer! CELTA is the acronym for a Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults.

Why do a CELTA course?

If you’re looking to do English Language Teaching (ELT) or teach English as a foreign language (TEFL) to adults (which amount to the same thing - all these acronyms are merely here to confuse us!), then a CELTA course could be for you. It will equip you with all the skills you need to teach English to students across the world.

Who can do a CELTA course?

Anyone over the age of 18, providing you can speak English. Even if English isn’t your native language - if you can speak it, you can learn the skills to teach it.

What if I don’t have any teaching experience?

The truth is that you don’t need any teaching experience to do a CELTA course - you’re fine as a novice. However, this course is very demanding and requires 100% commitment, so if you have a little teaching experience already, this is an excellent course to continue your development as a teacher. The CELTA courses train students from all walks of life and lay the foundations for a secure career in ELT and many students take the course on this premise.

So what does a CELTA course involve?

Seeing as a CELTA course is made for newcomers to the world of TEFL, it will whip you through all the basics while giving you enough skills to build a proper career in teaching English as a foreign language - if this is what you fancy.

A CELTA course will help you to develop the principles of effective teaching as well as harvesting practical skills that will prove invaluable when you roll up at a teaching job with nothing more than a piece of chalk and a class full of eager students!

You’ll also get some teaching practice under your belt, observe experienced teachers in the classroom and complete practically-focussed written assignments.

How long is a CELTA course?

It depends which course you take. If you’re in a hurry to get qualified, you can do the intensive full-time CELTA course that typically lasts for 4-5 weeks, or if you’re too busy to learn full-time, you can take the 12-week part-time CELTA course which can be taken in a few months or over a year.

Where can I do a CELTA course?

All over the place! CELTA courses are run at 280 approved centres spanning 54 countries. Over 900 courses take place each year so you shouldn’t struggle to find one. You can get a full list of CELTA centres from the Cambridge EFL website.

How is a CELTA course graded?

After you’ve completed a CELTA, you’ll be awarded an A, B or pass. How well you do will depend on how you perform in your teaching practice and in the written assignments.

Is a CELTA internationally accredited?

Yes! A CELTA is one of the elite teaching qualifications as it’s accredited by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA). It is considered to be on par with a Trinity College TESOL (QCA), making it one of the most widely-recognised teaching certifications in the world.

What’s a Cambridge CELTA?

If you’ve been snooping around TEFL sites you might have come across the ‘Cambridge CELTA’. Don’t worry - it’s not a superior version of the CELTA! It’s actually because the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES) award the CELTA. This affiliation with a world-famous university adds an extra shine to its international reputation.

Can I teach children with a CELTA?

There’s no reason why you can’t apply the teaching skills you’ll learn from a CELTA course to teaching English to a range of students. However, it's intended to prepare you for teaching adults. So if you are thinking about teaching kids or a mixture of student age groups, then you may want to consider an all-round teaching qualification such as an internationally-accredited TEFL certificate. Or if you purely want to teach children, then you can take the Certificate in English Language Teaching to Young Learners (CELTYL).

What can I do after a CELTA course?

What can’t you do after a CELTA course would be an easier question to answer - the words 'world' and 'oyster' spring to mind! As soon as you have a CELTA you have the golden ticket to a world of teaching adults in your back pocket. So whether you fancy teaching as you admire mangroves in China or on the idyllic archipelago of Indonesia, the sky’s the limit.

Take it further�

If you want to develop your English teaching career further and you have gained a minimum of two years' teaching experience (1,200 hours of full time teaching), you can take the next-level qualification DELTA (QCA) (Diploma in English Language teaching to Adults).

The DELTA focuses more on the theory of teaching alongside written assignments and observed teaching practise, which is also offered via distance learning. Many centres offering this course may ask that candidates hold a degree before doing this course, however there may be centres that don't ask for this.

For more information, follow this link: http://www.cambridgeesol.org/exams/teaching-awards/delta.html

www.celta.org.uk/

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Add Your Comment!

Hey Cherogoth,

Thanks very much for the comments! You know that, as the TEFL articles section on Chalkboard is a wiki, any user can make changes to the articles to make them better - just hit 'edit this article' at the bottom of the text.

Enjoy!

Is there a way (assuming it's worthwhile) of upgrading a TEFL 140 course certificate to a CELTA or DELTA certificate. Some say one is as good as the other but I know for a fact that CELTA teaches 14 tenses while TEFL has only 13. Clearly, CELTA is better!
Maybe someone out there knows someone who knows someone...who could tell me.
Thanks,
Steve Ingham

Hi Steve,

There's not no - the CELTA is a totally different qualification, so you'd need to start from scratch. I'd say though that unless you're wanting to make a long-term career out of teaching abroad, your 140 hour course should be enough to help you find work in most places all over the world - where are you thinking of teaching?

Thanks i-to-i for your input. So what makes CELTA so different? Maybe Chile but it's all a bit iffy at present. Still awaiting the certificate in the mail!

Hello aliciabab. They say that you sent a comment but I'm new to this chalkboard thingie and can't find it. Thanks anyway.

I am concerned also. Upon reading a lot of information on the forum and chalkboard here it seems people's basic of opinion of i-to-i is that is not accredited or internationally recognized. It was also stated that the TEFL certificates have no meaning or appeal to abroad employers. Is this true?

@Inghams The main difference of the CELTA course is that it's a residential course and includes six hours of supervised teaching practice with real students. This makes it a much more expensive option. There's more information here: http://www.onlinetefl.com/tefl-faq//content/8/54/en/celta-vs-i_to_i-tefl-which-is-better.html

@Kristn That's not true at all - almost all the people on Chalkboard who are teaching abroad at the minute have done i-to-i courses, not CELTA courses. Our courses are accredited by an independent, third party called the ODLQC and are recognized all over the world. You might want to check out the groups to chat to people who are teaching abroad at the minute and get the lowdown on which courses they did and how they found them: http://www.onlinetefl.com/tefl-chalkboard/groups

Good luck!

Thanks very much. I do think that I need a little positive direction. I will check them out!

bravo
I LOVED YOUR EXPLANATION
URIEL

Ok, say i get a degree in teaching english as a foreign language, and then a masters, it's obvious that i want to make teaching a career at this point, which should i do a TEFL or a CELTA? I would love to go and teach in Japan and from what i've heard a 120h course would do it but what if i want to stay longer than two or three years? I mean as long as i can work there in a school renewing my visa every year i should be ok shouldn't i? After all i would have the degree and master for teaching english as a foreign language, is it really necesary to get the CELTA instead of the TEFL?

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