What is CELTA?

What is CELTA?

What is the Cambridge CELTA?

If you are seeking to gain a qualification in TEFL which is recognised by the British Council and by reputable English language schools worldwide, we advise you to take the Cambridge CELTA. We offer the Cambridge CELTA in Brighton, London Central and London Highgate.

Other TEFL courses will not have the same credibility and therefore may not be as effective in helping you to start your career as an EFL teacher. Here at St Giles, we only employ teachers with either the Cambridge CELTA or the Trinity CertTESOL to work in our own English language schools.

The table below explains more about the structure and entry requirements of the course

  Cambridge CELTA
Who is the accrediting body? Cambridge English Language Assessment (formerly Cambridge ESOL)
How long does the course take? The course must last for a minimum of 120 hours over 4 weeks. 
How much teaching practice must trainees do during the course? 6 hours
Who can take a course?

To take a CELTA applicants should:

- be aged 20+ (some centres, including St Giles, will consider applicants aged 18+)

- have a university degree or a standard of education equivalent to that which is required for higher education

- have a good level of language awareness and of spoken and written English 

Do applicants have to be native English speakers?

No. The level of English required is set by the course providers but is usually at least a CAE Pass or IELTS 7.0 in all four papers.

What are the components of the course?

The CELTA has five units of learning:

Unit 1: Learners and teachers, and the teaching and learning context

Unit 2: Language analysis and awareness

Unit 3: Language skills: reading, listening, speaking and writing

Unit 4: Planning and resources for different contexts

Unit 5: Developing teaching skills and professionalism

Note: There is often an input session on an Unknown Language as well.

How are trainees assessed?

There is no final exam. Instead, your trainers will assess you continuously throughout the course for two components - Teaching Practice and Written Assignments. An external assessor from Cambridge English will moderate each course as a whole. You must pass both components to be awarded the certificate. There are three grades: Pass, Pass A and Pass B. 

Read our CELTA FAQs to find out more about these two courses.

If you have any questions about TEFL courses, please do not hesitate to Contact Us and we will be happy to help.

We also run regular TEFL Open evenings at our centres in Brighton, London Central and London Highgate - please do join us at one of these to meet our trainers and find out more about what the courses will be like.