The Cambridge CELTA is the number one TEFL course in the world and there is a reason why it is number one. It is an extremely intense teaching course and it cannot be compared to an online TEFL certificate, and I can say this for sure because I have completed both. In 2016 I completed an online 150 hour Master TEFL course, and while it did have some useful information, I definitely did not feel prepared to go into an ESL classroom afterwards to begin teaching. I knew I wanted to take the CELTA as an investment for my future and for my teaching career. If you are planning to take the CELTA, I would suggest starting the journey at least one year before you plan to attend the course, and I will explain why.
The CELTA is not easy, and it is quite expensive. The more time you have to prepare, the more success you will have in your course.Â
I began my CELTA journey one year before my course began. First I made a plan to save money because the CELTA costs $2300 CAD, and it needs to be paid in full one month before the course begins.
The next step was to decide where I wanted to take the CELTA. You can basically choose anywhere in the world and that is what is great about it. You can make an adventure out of it. Originally I had wanted to take my CELTA at the International House in Dublin, but in the end I decided to take it at the International House in Belfast.
Once you have decided where, the next step is to request an application from the school. There will be a link to do this on the website of the school you have chosen. I made the request and had the application sent to me on the next business day.
The application is daunting. Try to work through it slowly anyway.
The first part of the application is easy. It is basically copying your CV onto the application. They want to know all about you: your nationality, how many languages you speak, the qualifications you have, your level of education, and your work experience.
The second part of the application is tedious. You must showcase your understanding of English verb tenses, identify grammatical functions, and correct mistakes. This part of the application should not be rushed. Take your time, and then check and double check it. Do not get discouraged though. While this section of the application can seem intimidating, it just requires some patience.
The final part of the application is writing about the qualities of a good teacher, and how you would teach certain lessons. Read the questions carefully and take the time to think about your answers.
When you have read over your application and have decided you are satisfied with it, you can then email it to the school and wait for their reply.
The International House in Belfast did not take long to reply to my application. My application was accepted and I was invited to do the next step of the process which is choosing an interview time, and completing an interview task which was to be completed before the interview begins. I had one week to work on my task and prepare for my interview. I was feeling stressed, but I found a lot of videos and websites with tips on how to succeed in your CELTA interview. My interview was set for 6am Vancouver time. I woke up, made a coffee, and waited with my Skype open.
Do not feel stressed about the interview. It is an enjoyable experience and it is important to be relaxed and to be yourself.
My interview was about 45 minutes in total and it was a lot of fun. They begin by asking a few personal questions about why I want to take the CELTA, why I chose Belfast, and what type of teaching career I expect to have afterwards. This was the fun part of the interview because I knew how to answer all of these questions and I was able to talk enthusiastically about it.
After the personal questions, they give you a short grammar quiz to complete, and the questions appear on your Skype screen. There is no way to fully prepare for this part of the interview because it can be any grammar question and you have no idea which ones they will ask. Just review verb tenses and whatnot beforehand and you should be okay. This was the most stressful part of the interview but it was also the shortest part, so at least there is that.
The next part of the interview will be going over your answers from the interview task and they will walk you through some of the corrections. They are kind about it.
The last part of the interview is when they explain the course to you and what you should expect. They really want you to know how intense it is, and will ask you if you plan to work while taking the course. They do not recommend this, and as someone who has completed the CELTA, I would not recommend this either. The CELTA will take over your life for 4 full weeks and you will not have a spare minute for anything not CELTA related. I was lucky because I was on my summer holiday from my teaching job in Canada when I took this course.
Once they are satisfied with your understanding of the intensity of the course, they will hopefully offer you a place for your chosen dates. They told me I passed the interview and was invited to join the course for July/August 2019. I was then sent an email with my letter of acceptance, a reading list of books to read before the course, and a 10-15 hour pre-course task that is to be completed before the course begins.
You must also pay a deposit to hold your place in the course for your chosen dates. Do not forget to do this. I would suggest doing it directly after your acceptance to the course.
I would also recommend buying at least one of the books on the reading list and reading it. I bought How to Teach English by Jeremy Harmer, and it was useful during the course as well. I used it for a few of my assignments so it was definitely worth the money and effort. Also, the pre-course task really does take 10-15 hours to complete so do not save it until the last minute.
My CELTA course began on July 29th 2019 and I was very nervous going into the school on that first day. I do not know why, but I often lack confidence in these situations and think I do not have what it takes to succeed, even though I always end up doing quite well. I need to work on this.
The first morning was nice. We introduced ourselves and I met the instructors and the other students. We talked about what to expect, how the course would be organized, and we were placed into our teaching groups.
The CELTA day is organized like this: the morning is in the CELTA classroom learning how to teach English, and the afternoon is in a real ESL classroom teaching real students.
Our class was split into 2 groups. Group A and Group B. Group A would spend the first two weeks teaching the beginner level English class and Group B would spend the first two weeks teaching the intermediate level English class. After 2 weeks the groups would switch classrooms. This was so we would have the experience teaching the different levels.
To pass the CELTA you must complete 8 teaching practices, and 4 assignments.Â
A typical CELTA day looks like this:
5 am: Wake up, prepare for your day, drink coffee, eat breakfast.
7 am: Finish the final bits and pieces of your lesson.Â
8 am: Commute to the school.
9 am -12 pm: In the CELTA classroom learning how to teach English.
12 – 1 pm: Guided lesson planning (an opportunity to go through your lesson with your CELTA tutors).
1 – 2 pm: “Lunch Break” (only not really because you will be working on the computers, or photocopying, or making flashcards etc..).
2 – 4:15 pm: Teaching Practice (teaching your own lesson and filling out teaching feedback forms for the other teachers in your group).
4:30 – 5:15 pm: Feedback from your classmates and tutors.
5:30 – 6:30 pm: Commute home from school.
6:30 – 7 pm: Eat dinner.
7 pm – 1 am: Preparing your next lesson.
And repeat for 4 weeks.
And do not think you will have a weekend…
Weekends during the CELTA will be spent doing the assignments because there is one due each week of the course. I tried to get ahead of the assignments and worked on them throughout the week so I would have less to do on the weekend. I would try to have Saturday free for me to do non-CELTA related stuff and I would spend all day Sunday preparing for the next week of classes. This plan worked well for me.
In the end I passed the course with a Pass B which is a very high grade for the CELTA and not easy to achieve. I was surprised to receive a Pass B because the majority of CELTA students receive a Pass without a letter grade. This helped boost my confidence and I started to believe that I could be a really good English teacher.
It has been years since I completed the CELTA course, and my life has completely changed. I left Canada and began a successful teaching career. I have lived in Poland and Italy. I have taught English online, taught English in a bilingual school, and tutored many students privately. I was able to do this because of the CELTA. If you are seriously thinking about a career in teaching ESL, I highly recommend the CELTA course. It is life changing and you will not regret it.