CELTA

The CELTA course (The Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults) is a practical, hands-on teaching qualification. It is administered by Cambridge Assessment English and is the minimum teaching qualification for many language schools worldwide. The CELTA course provides candidates with a mix of hands-on teaching experience, teaching methodology, and practical classroom techniques. It is an initial teaching qualification, so no previous teaching experience is required to undertake the course. CELTA is also popular with teachers who have some initial experience in, but lack a formal teaching qualification.
CELTA is an internationally recognised course with clearly defined assessment standards and a set syllabus. This is an important safeguard for both you as a candidate and also for employers, as a pass on the CELTA course is highly regarded throughout the world and continues to stand for quality and innovation in language teaching.

CELTA course 
● Fulltime:

4 week course 

The fulltime CELTA is offered as a 4week intensive course (120+ hours on-site).

CELTA is a highly intensive course which will require most of your time and energy during this month. Do not try to do any other work during this time. It is important to keep outside commitments to an absolute minimum. As well as the onsite hours, you will need to spend every weekday evening and the weekends doing course related work (reading, lesson preparation, and assignments). The level of planning for assessed teaching is detailed and timeconsuming as it gives you the tools to analyse language and structure different types of lessons. Many candidates comment that the course takes over their lives for the month. They also generally say that the course is challenging, but highly motivating and useful.

The CELTA syllabus and assessment
The CELTA course is assessed in two ways: written assignments and teaching practice.

The assessment relates to five syllabus areas:
● Learners and teachers and the teaching and learning context
● Language analysis and awareness
● Language skills: reading, listening, speaking and writing
● Planning and resources for different teaching contexts
● Developing teaching skills and professionalism
Input sessions
These will provide you with many practical ideas for classroom teaching. Sessions include tutor demonstrations of teaching techniques and procedures to assist you in planning your lessons. Input will be interactive, so be prepared to get involved and learn through experiencing techniques and discussing ideas.
Teaching practice English language students will come to the Oxford School of English to participate in English lessons.
These students will be interviewed and tested before the commencement of the course and then split into two level groups. Each group will be made up of 10 – 15 adult students (over 18 years of age). You will be part of a group of trainees (up to 6 trainees per group) who will be responsible for teaching them. An important part of the course will be coordinating with your teaching practice peers.
Over the course you must complete 6 hours of assessed teaching. Your teaching practice must be at two different levels (E.g. elementary and intermediate level students). After each assessed teaching slot, trainees will be provided with both oral and written feedback on their teaching. Each lesson will be assessed as being “To standard for this stage of the course” or “Not to standard for this stage of the course”. An important part of being a developing teacher is to reflect on your teaching. Selfevaluation of your own lessons forms an important part of the course assessment. CELTA will help you to become more reflective and focus on the areas of your teaching which need further development.
Observations
During the course you will have the opportunity to observe experienced teachers. You must observe 6 hours in total (3 hours may be from filmed lessons). This is a very useful part of the course as it allows you to see a variety of teaching styles, techniques and approaches, as well as a variety of student levels and classroom situations.
Assignments
During the course each candidate needs to submit 4 assignments each of which is to be of 750 – 1000 words. These assignments are practical in nature and help you synthesise principles and practice from your teaching and learning. Each assignment will receive a pass or fail grade. If an assignment receives a fail grade on first submission, you will be able to resubmit that assignment once again. It is possible to fail one assignment and still pass the course, provided that the assessment criteria have been demonstrated elsewhere in your coursework.
Assignment topic areas are:
● Focus on the learner
● Languagerelated tasks
● Skills assignment
● Lessons from the classroom.

Assessment
All aspects of the course (teaching practice and written assignments) are internally and continuously assessed. An external assessor approved by Cambridge English Assessment visits every CELTA course.
The role of the assessor is to moderate the course. The final certificate is issued by Cambridge.
The CELTA is a pass/fail course. Final grades are: Pass A, Pass B, Pass and Fail. The certificate at Pass level is awarded to candidates who meet the course the criteria in all components. Those whose classroom teaching skills reach a level significantly higher than passlevel criteria are awarded Pass B; those whose classroom teaching skills and planning skills are exceptional, are awarded Pass A. Candidates will receive a course report with a provisional grade within two weeks of completing the course. Candidates can use these course reports when applying for work.
Support
Each CELTA course must be staffed by two CELTA tutors. This provides a high staff/trainee ratio which allows a very good level of support and individual attention on the course.

Entry requirements
● Applicants must be at least 18 years of age.
● Applicants must have an awareness of language and a competence in both written and spoken English (C2 or high C1 – Grade A or B, on the CEFR) which will enable them to undertake the course and prepare for teaching a range of levels.
● Applicants must have the potential to develop the necessary skills to become effective teachers and to complete successfully the written assignments and the assessment of practice teaching.
● Candidates should have, as a minimum entry requirement, a standard of education equivalent to that required for entry into higher education.

Candidate selection will be carried out as follows:
● The candidate’s identity will be authenticated by checking official documents (e.g. passport or identity card).
● Whenever possible, interviews will be conducted at the centre in suitable surroundings. If this is absolutely not possible, a skype or telephone interview will be arranged. (All applicants will submit a written task before being accepted.)
● The interview will include a language awareness task and an extended writing task to ensure that applicants are able to meet the demands of the course.
● All successful applicants will complete a precourse course task.
Other
● Candidates being interviewed for an intensive course will be made aware of the demands of the course and the need to be able to commit time and energy to it.
● Candidates will be made aware that completion of a course does not guarantee that they will be successful.
● Candidates will also be aware that due to the integration of theory and practice throughout the course, no exemptions or recognition of prior learning can be accepted.

If you wish to stay in Padova during the duration of the course, we can arrange for accommodation in self-contained appartments in the same building as the school for €40 per night (if booked for a full month).

Located right in the heart of the city centre, the apartments come equipped with kitchen, bathroom and double-bed. Price includes daily changing of towels, making of beds and general cleaning each morning while students are attending the course.