CELTA Certificate
The Cambridge Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CELTA) is the most widely recognized TESL/TEFL certificate in the world.
It is an initial certificate, typically for people with bachelor's degrees but also for people with advanced degrees that are not English teaching degrees.
The CELTA is highly regarded around the world because of its high standards and rigorous assessments. It is one of the few certificate programs that includes teaching practice.
Program Details
CELTA is an intensive 4-week program, with 8 hours per day of classes, lesson planning, and teaching practice. The UT CELTA is given at The University of Texas at Austin campus.
Each day is divided into four main areas. During input sessions, trainees learn about various aspects of language teaching, including lesson planning; teaching skills such as writing, grammar, pronunciation, speaking; looking for jobs; and how to give feedback to students.
The rest of the sessions are purely practical. During guided lesson planning, trainees plan an ESL lesson with the assistance of a tutor. During teaching practice, trainees give their lesson to a group of ESL students. Finally, the tutor gives the trainees feedback after the training session.
Topics
- Learning and teaching contexts
- Language awareness and analysis
- Teaching language skills: listening, speaking, writing, and reading
- Planning and resources for different teaching contexts
- Developing teaching skills and professionalism
Assessment
You are assessed throughout the course. There are no exams; rather, you are evaluated based on your ongoing performance as a teacher. There are two means by which you are evaluated:
Teaching Practice
You will complete 6 hours of teaching practice spread over approximately 10 different lessons, which you will plan and implement. You are given feedback on each practice teaching session.
Written Assignments
You will complete a total of 4 written assignments during the course: one on classroom skills, one on the system of the English language, one on language skills, and one on adult learners.
An independent assessor appointed by Cambridge comes near the end of each course to consult on grades. Each student is awarded either a 'Pass,' a 'Pass B,' a 'Pass A,' or in some cases, a 'Fail.' Please note that 'Pass B' and 'Pass A' are not analogous to the American system of 'B' and 'A,' and a simple 'Pass' is considered very good.
More Information
For more information about our program, please email celta@austin.utexas.edu or call our office at 512-471-2480.
More information about the CELTA, including a detailed course description and curriculum, is available from Cambridge University.