What is CELTA?

CELTA is Cambridge ESOL's Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults, one of the world's foremost initial qualifications for people who wish to become professional teachers of English language. It is accepted throughout the world by organisations which employ English language teachers.

Cambridge ESOL Teaching Awards have been accredited by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority QCA at level 4 on the National Qualification Framework.

Cambridge ESOL also works with international ELT organisations to ensure the acceptance of CELTA globally.

More than 10,000 candidates complete a CELTA course each year.

Where can I take CELTA?

CELTA courses are run at 286 approved centres in 54 countries. Between them, these centres run well over 600 courses every year. 

Contact the centre or centres at which you are interested in studying for more details of the courses they run, the dates and prices of courses, etc.

The course combines methodology and teaching practice; it is therefore not possible to take CELTA via correspondence.

Who is CELTA for?

Candidates come from all walks of life. Many are recent university graduates, but others are already qualified as teachers of other subjects or are professionals in other fields looking for a change of career or a career break.

Most candidates see CELTA as the starting point of a long-term career in English language teaching. CELTA is suitable for those who wish to work in the field of ELT either within or outside their own country. Some candidates may have a short-term motive for teaching English and enrol on a CELTA course to gain the confidence and skills to teach English professionally.

CELTA is also suitable for students working on gap year programmes which include teaching English to adults.

We recommend that candidates should have a standard of education equivalent to that required for entry into higher education. Centres may at their discretion also accept candidates who do not have formal qualifications at this level but who can demonstrate that they have appropriate language competence, skills and experience. It is generally recommended that candidates should be aged 20 or over, but candidates aged between 18 and 20 can be accepted at the centre's discretion.

Applicants do not need to have English as their first language, but must have a standard of English which will enable them to teach at a range of levels.

What do the courses cover?

CELTA courses are designed for people with no previous teaching experience. During the course, candidates develop familiarity with the principles of effective teaching and a range of practical skills for teaching English to adult learners. The course includes teaching practice, observation of experienced teachers in the classroom and completion of a range of practically focussed written assignments.

The course programmes are designed by individual centres, based on specifications produced by the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations (Cambridge ESOL).

Courses can be either full time, sometimes referred to as intensive, (typically 4-5 weeks) or part time, (ranging from a few months to over a year). Centres decide which mode to run.

How are candidates assessed?

Candidates are assessed continuously during the course and there is no final examination. An external assessor, who is appointed by UCLES, moderates each course.

There are three components of assessment:

• Assessment of Teaching Practice
  Candidates teach for a total of six hours, working with classes at two levels of ability. The assessment is based on the candidate's overall performance at the end of the six hours.
  
  
• Written Assignments
  There are four written assignments. Two assignments explore aspects of teaching and learning English at adult level, one involves work on the language system of English and one is a reflection on classroom teaching.

Professional Development

This is based on a candidate's overall performance on the course.

To be successful, candidates must pass all components. There are three grades - Pass, Pass 'B' and Pass 'A'.

Successful candidates receive a Certificate awarded by the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate. The centre also provides a report on performance and achievement for each candidate.

What is the relationship between CELTA and the 'RSA' and 'TEFL' certificates?

Cambridge ESOL is a division of The University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES). UCLES took over the RSA certificates and diplomas for teachers in 1988. Some people still refer to the 'RSA certificate' but they mean CELTA, which is now one of the Cambridge ESOL Language Awards. (Cambridge ESOL Teaching Awards is the English language teacher-training unit at UCLES).

'TEFL' is a general term which is sometimes used to refer to qualifications for English language teachers; CELTA is by far the best known and most widely taken initial qualification of its kind.

Quality and fairness

Cambridge ESOL places great importance on the quality of all its examinations and assessment services. To help ensure that all CELTA courses are run to the same standard

·         all CELTA centres are approved by Cambridge ESOL;

·         all courses are moderated by an external assessor;

·         Cambridge ESOL holds regular standardisation meetings for centres and assessors.

CELTA courses are run in accordance with an equal opportunities policy to ensure that they are accessible to all candidates who meet the entry requirements.

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