ABOUT CELTA
Teaching English as a foreign language could allow you to pursue a career that sees you travel the world, make friends across continents and help your students achieve their life goals. It is a thoroughly rewarding and life enhancing experience.
If you would like to develop a successful career in teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) then becoming CELTA qualified with International House is the first step. The CELTA is an intensive, initial TEFL qualification designed for people with little or no previous English language teaching experience or training.
The CELTA is certified by Cambridge English Language Assessment and as a result is highly regarded internationally and recognised by OFQUAL at level 5 on the Qualifications and Credit Framework.
Taking a qualification such as the CELTA is essential if you want to pursue a career in TEFL, the course is very practical and will give you the confidence and skills you need to teach English to adults effectively.
- Did you know?
The CELTA as it is known today was actually born from an initial teacher training course called the IH Certificate that International House first ran in 1962. This course rapidly set the standard for teacher qualifications in TEFL, with thousands of teachers worldwide becoming IH-trainees and teachers.
Nearly half of all CELTA courses are run by International House centres each year.
- Who takes the CELTA?
You might be a graduate who wants their first job to be teaching overseas or someone who has worked in a different career for several decades and is looking for a change. Some people use the CELTA as a way to travel the world; others teach students in their home country.
English teachers from all over the world take the CELTA, the entry requirement is that you are Proficient English language user (between CEFR Level C1 and C2 or above) and educated to the standard required for entry into higher education.
- Do I need to speak the language of the country that I would like to teach in?
No, you will learn how to teach English without using the students’ native language. This means you can teach students of different nationalities in the same class and teach in countries all over the world. (Though we would always encourage teachers to learn a language themselves, it will give you a very important insight into the challenges your students face).
- How long is the course?
You can either take the course intensively over 4 weeks or 5 weeks or part-time, with attendance on a weekly basis. Our Centre also offers a blended version with some input delivered online.
- What does the CELTA involve?
Standing up in front of a class for the first time is a daunting prospect, so you need to make sure you have the skills you need to teach effectively. The CELTA course has the following core components to prepare you for the classroom.
- The course is 120 hours in total and you will receive a lot of input from your tutors on teaching methodology, lesson planning, language analysis and language skills.
- You’ll have the opportunity to observe experienced teachers in a real life language classroom situation and learn about the different skills and techniques they use.
- You will teach real language students throughout your course and by the end you will have had 6 hours of observed and assessed teaching practice. This practical experience is invaluable when you start your first job.
- As well as being assessed in the classroom, you will complete four written assignments based on the input you receive. There is no final exam, you are assessed throughout the course; so you can learn and improve as your progress.
Every course is moderated by an external assessor, appointed by Cambridge English, so you will receive a certificate from Cambridge English, part of the University of Cambridge. International House Torres Vedras|Lisbon will also provide you with a report where we highlight your specific strengths and weaknesses.
Schedule
A typical day on the 4-week intensive CELTA:
| 9.00 – 10.00 | Assisted lesson planning |
| 10.00 – 12.15 | Teaching Practice |
| 12.15 – 13.15 | Feedback on Teaching Practice |
| 13.15 – 14.15 | Lunch |
| 14.15 – 16.00 | Input session 1 |
| 16.00 – 16.15 | Coffee break |
| 16.15 – 17-15 | Input session 2 |
On 5-week courses, you will often have Monday mornings and Friday afternoons free. This schedule suits those who would prefer to have slightly longer weekends and more time for reflection and preparation.
Part-time face-to-face courses have the same daily schedule, over 20 weeks.
Online/Blended courses are as follows:
| 9.00 – 10.00 | Assisted lesson planning |
| 10.00 – 12.15 | Teaching Practice |
| 12.15 – 13.15 | Feedback on Teaching Practice |
| 13.15 – 14.00 | Administration and additional input |
All input sessions take place online.
FAQS
This is what some of our recent trainees have said about the course:
- “Because tutors are so amazing and highly qualified. They are available to deal with your queries. They listen to you. They know how to deal with stress. It’s people that make this centre the right choice for the CELTA course”
- “The Centre is conveniently located in terms of public transport. It’s a pleasant area, with food options and if you choose to buy lunch, it’s nice to have outdoor areas to sit and enjoy lunch with colleagues.”
- “Well, it’s one of Europe’s prettiest cities! The 5 week course is at a nice pace! The tutors are extremely knowledgeable.”
“Amazing, enthusiastic tutors. Great premises; nice atmosphere.”
Yes, an excellent one. The CELTA is a pre-service course and at least half of our candidates have never stood in front of a group before.
Most of our trainers have worked in ELT contexts for 15 years or more. They are aware of what schools expect from teachers and ensure that this expertise is shared with CELTA trainees throughout the course
Many candidates who have taught, find the course a very rewarding experience as it’s a chance to hone their skills as well as developing new ones together with the opportunity of getting a qualification that is widely recognised around the world.
Portugal is an amazing country and increasingly, a popular destination with people from other countries. Many cities in Portugal, such as Lisbon, thrive on tourism, so locals are very keen to improve their English. This means that there is often a lot of work available although most of the full-time positions start in October and end in June. Most trainees find that they are able to pick up some work throughout the year, although it may not be full-time initially.
The Centre has good ties to the Portuguese ELT community and schools often let us know when they have vacancies coming up. We have an online group for current and past trainees where we post job vacancies.
Unfortunately, not. Having the CELTA will definitely give you the edge over other candidates for jobs as most reputable language schools around the world would usually prefer to interview CELTA graduates rather than someone with no experience or training.
You will meet trainers and teachers throughout the course who will share their knowledge of the industry. There will be many opportunities on the course for you to ask questions about jobs and different contexts. We will also give you information on the recruiting service run by the International House World Organisation.
A CELTA course aims to ‘create’ a teacher from scratch in 120 hours so yes, it’s very true that it requires a lot of hard work and commitment. Sleepless nights are not essential, however. The long days are often the norm as most candidates are excited by their learning, want to do as well as possible and because they are professional and dedicated.
The timetable is designed in such a way that trainees have time to cover everything. It is, however, fundamental that you have good organisational skills or failing that, that you keep up with the pace of the tasks set by the tutors.
We don’t teach you grammar or vocabulary but will help you develop your general language awareness. You will learn a lot about the English language but most of it will come from your experience of teaching. In other words, each time you teach, your awareness of how language works will improve.
We ask you to prepare for the course thoroughly and to develop your language awareness. While the ability to teach grammar is important, you will also get opportunities to learn more about how to teach other aspects of language such as lexis
