CELTA (Certificate in English Language Teaching to Speakers of Other Languages)

Why choose CELTA instead of any other TEFL course?

CELTA is a TEFL qualification, but not all TEFL qualifications are CELTA.

TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) is a general term used to describe both the profession of teaching English and the qualifications that prepare teachers for this work. CELTA (Certificate in English Language Teaching to Speakers of Other Languages) is therefore a TEFL qualification. However, unlike many courses marketed simply as “TEFL”, CELTA is a specific qualification awarded by Cambridge English, part of the University of Cambridge, and delivered only by approved Cambridge-accredited centres.

There is no single internationally recognised qualification callhttps://www.cambridgeenglish.org/teaching-english/teaching-qualifications/celta/ed “TEFL” and no standard TEFL syllabus that all providers must follow. As a result, the content, assessment methods, practical teaching experience, accreditation and recognition of TEFL courses can vary considerably between providers. By contrast, every CELTA course follows the same syllabus, assessment criteria and quality assurance standards, regardless of where it is taken. In addition, every CELTA course is externally assessed by Cambridge English assessors. This consistency is one of the reasons CELTA is trusted by employers, educational institutions and government programmes worldwide.

A key feature of CELTA is its inclusion of six hours of assessed teaching practice with real English language learners. Throughout the course, trainees plan and teach lessons, receive detailed feedback from Cambridge-approved teacher trainers who are regularly standardised by Cambridge English, and demonstrate their ability to teach effectively in a real classroom environment. This practical teaching component is not included in most generic TEFL courses. As a result, some people who initially choose a generic TEFL course later decide to take CELTA when they discover that many employers either prefer or require a qualification that includes assessed teaching practice. While a TEFL course may provide theoretical knowledge about teaching English, CELTA requires trainees to demonstrate that they can apply that knowledge successfully in a real classroom with real learners. For this reason, CELTA is often seen as a more direct route into employment and is widely regarded as the benchmark initial qualification for English language teachers.

Because CELTA combines internationally recognised standards, external moderation and assessed teaching practice, it is widely regarded as the gold standard initial qualification for English language teachers. For employers, a CELTA certificate provides clear evidence of professional training, practical teaching ability and teaching competence. When an employer hires a CELTA-qualified teacher, they know that person has not only studied how to teach English but has also demonstrated their ability to teach real learners successfully under assessment and supervision.

Why do CELTA with us?

We are a 5-star rated Cambridge Assessment English authorised teaching qualifications centre, part of the University of Cambridge (Cambridge Centre No: 00411), offering a range of internationally recognised teacher training courses. Named Best English Language School of 2025 by the Central England Prestige Awards and selected for the WCBRB Best Businesses in the United Kingdom 2026, we are proud to be among the top five CELTA providers in both the UK and globally.

As one of the world’s leading CELTA providers, we combine expert training with genuine personal support. Our commitment does not end when the course finishes: we help graduates access volunteering and paid teaching opportunities and offer lifelong guidance and professional support throughout their teaching careers.

What makes our centre different is that we believe in offering a humane CELTA rather than a boot camp experience. In addition to the eight observed and assessed teaching practice sessions required by Cambridge, our trainees benefit from one or two extra observed but unassessed teaching practice sessions, allowing them to build confidence and receive feedback before being formally assessed.

We are also the most competitively-priced CELTA provider in Great Britain, so you can be confident you are getting the same world-renowned qualification at the best possible value. You can find us listed on the Cambridge English website here.

We work with a large team of international and highly experienced teacher trainers in the field of English Language Teaching (ELT) who are led by our Head of Department, CELTA, DELTA and TKT trainer and CELTA assessor, Neil McCutcheon.

Can I afford to invest in this?

Can you afford not to? CELTA provides the knowledge, confidence and hands-on teaching experience you need in order to develop a successful career in teaching English as a Foreign Language. It is a passport to travel the globe, and will be one of the best investments you ever make. CELTA is highly regarded both nationally and internationally and has been accredited at level 5 on the National Qualifications Framework. It has been given premium product endorsement by NEAS in Australia.

We are the most competitively priced CELTA provider in Great Britain, so you can be confident you are getting the same world-renowned qualification at the best possible value.

Can I get funding for CELTA?

If you live in Wales, have the right to live and work in the UK, are older than 18 and are under formal notice of redundancy / within 12 months of the date of redundancy / within 12 months of becoming unemployed for reasons other than redundancy, you can apply for React+ funding (up to £1,500) from the Welsh government .

Unfortunately, we can’t currently accept Advanced Learner Loans. However, we accept payment via PayPal, which means that you can use your credit card and/or take advantage of PayPal’s interest-free instalment plans. We also accept payment in instalments for our part-time courses unless the number of trainees on the course is less than six.

Do I have the time?

We realise you may be busy, and aim to fit our courses round the other demands on your time.  If you are in a hurry and want to qualify this summer, we’ll do our best to book you in! If you already have commitments and are only available on certain days, why not try our part-time options? Want to take the course online? No problem – online CELTA is our area of expertise!

Do I know enough about grammar?

This needn’t worry you; we are used to training trainees who start with zero knowledge of grammar. We will assess your level of knowledge at the interview, and help you prepare with some recommended reading and a pre-course task. You’ll do a lot of learning on the course itself, both by observing lessons and in input sessions (or alternatively on the online units). Even by the end of the course, you are not expected to be an expert, though you’ll certainly feel much more confident in your ability to analyse and describe the language. Finally, teaching English isn’t all (or even mostly) about teaching grammar!

You can get off to a head start by taking our Pre-CELTA Language Awareness Course.

What if I’m not confident with technology?

You don’t need to be an IT expert to complete our fully online CELTA. However, you should be comfortable using basic digital tools such as Zoom, Google Drive, Google Docs and PowerPoint, as these are used throughout the course and are common in online English language teaching.

To support trainees who are registered, have paid their course fees, and are due to start one of our fully online CELTA courses within the next month, we offer a free 90-minute IT Skills Booster session every month. These sessions are designed specifically for incoming CELTA trainees who would like additional support with the technology used on the course. In a friendly, low-pressure environment, we’ll guide you through the essential digital tools and answer any IT-related questions you may have before the course begins. Our aim is to ensure that technology supports your learning rather than becoming an additional source of stress during the course.

Course information

CELTA is a Level 5 course on the English National Curriculum.

The Total Qualification Time (TQT) on this course includes 120 Guided Learning Hours.

You should also allow for 80 additional learning hours for pre-course preparation, reading, research, assignment writing, lesson preparation and record keeping.

The course consists of the following components:

• Teaching Practice & Feedback
• Input Sessions
• Observations
• Written Assignments
• Tutorials

The CELTA course covers a range of topics:

• 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

Assessment

You will be assessed throughout the course and there is no final examination.

The two types of assessment are:

1. Teaching practice: You will teach for a total of 6 hours, working with adult classes at a minimum of two levels of ability. Assessment is based on your overall performance.

2. Written assignments: You will have to write four assignments (each 750–1,000 words). These focus on:

• analysing and responding to adult learner needs
• analysing language for teaching purposes
• teaching language skills
• reflecting on classroom teaching

Your teaching practice and written assignments are assessed by your trainers during the course. Your trainers will discuss your progress with you, including in at least two one-to-one tutorials, so you should have a good idea of your strengths and areas to focus on.

Results

There are four possible grades for CELTA:

• pass A
• pass B
• pass
• fail

Certificates

At the end of your course, you will be sent a report, which will give your provisional grade. Cambridge English will issue your certificate when grades have been confirmed. Cambridge English usually dispatches the certificates to us up to ten weeks after the completion of the course. We then send the certificates to each of our trainees. Local signed delivery costs £6.98. International tracked and/or signed delivery costs £19.89. The certificate will state your name, grade, the centre number where you took the course (which, in our case is 00411) and the date of the award.

To find out more about CELTA, please click here.

Loyalty Discounts: Anyone who completes our CELTA course will receive 10% off any of our other courses, including DELTA and the Certificate and Diploma in Teaching IELTS courses unless a course is on introductory or special offer.

Timetables available upon request.