FAQs

CELTA Mixed-Mode was introduced by Cambridge in 2021 due to the increased demand for online teaching. EC London have been running these successful courses ever since. The mixed-mode CELTA provides you with training and practice in both online and face-to-face teaching. There are clear advantages to this as you will experience both modes and gain a deeper understanding of how these work. You will see your tutors and peers teach in these modes, as well as doing this yourself. Having experience, training and feedback in face-to-face and online teaching will strengthen your CV.

Yes, you can take your online CELTA course from any location. You will need to participate in live (synchronous) classes throughout the whole course, so do consider the time difference from your location.

Yes. All three courses cover the same syllabus and assessment criteria. On passing the CELTA course, you will be issued with a CELTA certificate from Cambridge English.

Yes. This is a stipulation from Cambridge English and will be the same for any provider. It is important that a centre ensures the course is suitable for you. It is also a great opportunity for you to ask any questions about the course.

No. Your assessment on the CELTA course is continuous which means that assessment takes place throughout the course. Assessment is based on teaching practice and written assignments, according to the Cambridge English assessment criteria.

No. CELTA is an initial teacher training qualification, so you do not need any previous experience. The course is also suitable for those who have some experience but wish to enhance their practice and who would like to add the Cambridge English CELTA qualification to their CV.

TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) is an umbrella term for English language teaching. CELTA (Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) specifically refers to the course and qualification provided by Cambridge English. You will find lots of TEFL courses on the market and should do research about these to ensure you choose the right course.

Every CELTA course consists of a minimum of 120 hours built into the course timetable. You will then need to allow time to complete reading, written assignments and lesson plans outside

of these hours. Cambridge states that you will need around an additional 80 hours of study time in total throughout the course.

All our CELTA courses at EC London are part-time. You will need to attend classes on Monday and Wednesday evenings and most Saturdays during the 12 weeks. The first two weeks consist of sessions on teaching methodology and language. You will then start teaching your students in week 3 of the course and each candidate teaches once a week (on Monday or Wednesday). On the day you are not teaching, you will be observing and then participating in the feedback discussion. Saturdays will continue to consist of sessions with your tutors and peers on teaching methodology, language and lesson planning.

The four written assignments are spaced out throughout the course and, although they are assessed, they are developmental and will complement what you are learning in the teaching practice sessions.

The part-time course is suitable for people who are currently working and want to fit the CELTA around their working hours, or who are not working and would like to study at a pace that is less intense than a full-time course.

No, you’ll need to attend on Monday and Wednesday evenings and on the scheduled Saturdays for that course.

Once you have been accepted onto the course, we will send you a pre-course task to do. The aim of this is to help you feel ready for the course. It is not an assessed task. It includes questions to get you thinking about learners, language, resources and developing teaching skills. It also includes a list for further reading should you wish to do more.

Yes. This part of the course is called Teaching Practice (TP). We recruit students from our existing student population at EC and we advertise on social media. The students know that the teachers are in training and so they are cooperative and enthusiastic about learning English. This part of the course is often the most valuable and rewarding for our trainee teachers.

This depends on where in the world you would like to work. The Cambridge CELTA qualification is the gold standard of TEFL courses and is recognised across the world. In some countries, you can’t get a job without it, so having the CELTA certification is definitely the right start for finding work.

Towards the end of your CELTA course, we will include a session on finding jobs and give you advice on your CV and job interviews. Our trainers have experience in different contexts and countries and may be able to advise you if there are particular countries in which you are interested in working. Other recruiters also provide us with information about current vacancies in teaching which we can share with you.

As well as our adult centres around the world, EC English also run the popular Embassy Summer courses for young learners in the UK, US and Malta. Both Embassy Summer and our adult schools regularly hire newly qualified teachers, especially in the run up the summer when our student population increases significantly. Candidates who complete their CELTA course at EC London will receive information on any upcoming posts, guidance on how to apply and will be given a chance to interview for any summer teaching position they are eligible for, which could lead to a permanent position with EC English.

The course fees are £1,300 in total (including the Cambridge English entry fee). You are also required to buy two books. There are no other additional costs.

You can complete the application form found on this page and send it to eclondoncelta@ecenglish.com or send us an email with any questions you have before applying.

 

If your question is not answered here, please feel free to get in touch with our team: eclondoncelta@ecenglish.com