The Cambridge Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CELTA) is recognised by the British Council and by a large number of employers and governments worldwide. As a teacher trained by St Giles you will acquire your new skills with one of the industry's most respected and longest established English language schools.
Maybe you are re-thinking your future because of recent world events. Successful completion of a CELTA course will enable you to begin a new professional career after just 4 weeks. Our CELTA trainees are from all different walks of life. Your opportunities are unlimited and we are committed to helping you on your way.
No previous teaching experience or knowledge is needed but candidates should have a university degree or a standard of education equivalent to that which is required for entry to university.
Non-first language speakers of English are very welcome provided they have a high level of competence in English: at least C1 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and preferably C2. Good language awareness is essential.
Our CELTA trainees are of all ages and walks of life but candidates must be at least 18 years old.
When you apply you will be sent a pre-interview task which will test your awareness of the English language. You will also be asked some questions on the process of teaching and learning. Candidates who complete this task to an appropriate standard will be invited to an interview (face-to-face or online). During the interview a St Giles teacher trainer will assess your suitability for the course and you will be asked to complete an additional short written task.
The CELTA course is a structured and practical introduction to teaching: it will equip you with the professional knowledge, practical skills and confidence you need to start your teaching career. The course will show prospective employers that you:
On successful completion of the course, you can immediately seek work as a teacher in a wide range of countries across the world, including in the UK and the US.
The CELTA course consists of a minimum of 120 hours of attendance and additional hours of self-study. You will observe qualified teachers at St Giles, you will have teaching practice with groups of students every day from day 2 of the course (on which you will receive feedback from your tutors) and you will complete four written assignments.
The CELTA course has five units of study:
The CELTA course has two components of assessment:
Component One – Teaching Practice
You will be expected to teach for a total of six hours, working with classes at two different levels of ability. Assessment is continuous and is based on your overall performance during the six hours.
Component Two - Written Assignments
You will be asked to complete four written assignments; one focusing on adult learning, one on the language system of English, one on language skills and one on classroom teaching.
The certificate is awarded to candidates who meet the course requirements and whose performance meets or exceeds the criteria for both components of assessment: your progress will be monitored by your tutors throughout the course. Successful completion is graded as: Pass, Pass ‘B’, Pass ‘A’.
“The CELTA course that I took at St. Giles London Central was well worth the money spent. The tutors are extremely knowledgeable and experienced and they did a great job equipping us during our time as trainee teachers. The input sessions gave a great foundation on which to base our teaching practice”.
Deborah Chew“I took great pleasure in studying at St Giles London Central. Despite the fact that the course itself was quite intense, our tutors did their best to make it enjoyable and useful. They made me feel well-supported and confident”.
Kanwaljeet Kaur“Doing a CELTA course at St. Giles London Central was one the most rewarding experiences of my life. Though I taught for 8 years before the course in my country, it revealed methods and strategies of teaching English language which were new to me. It changed my way of teaching and gave me a lot of confidence”.
Ekaterina Bondarenko