First of all, what is a CELTA? The CELTA is an abbreviation of “Certificate of English Language Teaching to Adults.” It is a certificate-level TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) course provided by Cambridge University exclusively through authorized Cambridge English Qualification Centers worldwide. According to OfQual (England and Wales’ national body for secondary and post-secondary qualifications), it is at level 5, which means that it has the equivalent level of challenge and difficulty as the first year of a Bachelor’s degree.
Now you may be asking yourself, is CELTA crucial to your career? CELTA is considered the most recognized and preferred certificate for employers, language schools, and governments around the world. That means if you want to teach English professionally, this certificate is the best choice as it will help you become a qualified English language teacher. The course aims to enable candidates with little to no teaching experience to start their careers as English teachers. However, it is also designed for teachers with previous teaching experience who have received little practical teacher training or wish to gain an internationally recognized qualification.
So there are a whole bunch of reasons why you should be doing the CELTA course, such as :
Employment opportunities: CELTA helps open up a ton of opportunities. It is recognized and trusted by language academies and educational institutions everywhere. It is certified by Cambridge and regulated by Ofqual, the government office that regulates qualifications in England and Wales. In other words, many will be more open to meeting you for a preliminary discussion about a project or employment if you have a CELTA certification.
New Skills and Confidence: the CELTA course includes observed teaching practice. This experience will allow you to develop your teaching skills with real groups of learners. It will also give you the assurance you need to step into the classroom or teach online lessons. Hours of course instruction, teaching practice, and constructive feedback combined with your hard work equal confidence in the classroom.
Enriching Training and Experience: Being an English language teacher takes more than just being able to speak the language fluently. It requires lesson planning, an understanding of grammar and vocabulary, teaching skills, the capacity to manage a class, and the skill set to work with a wide range of ages and abilities. 120-hour of training with authorized tutors, who have been vetted by Cambridge English Assessment, provides you with the necessary tools to create innovative and engaging classroom sessions. In addition, the CELTA course is an opportunity to connect with others with a common goal. Making new friends along the way and exploring a new city. You are sure to exit the course with your certification and new lifelong friends.
So If the question is, should I do the CELTA? The answer should undoubtedly be YES as long as you want to teach. Think of it as a teacher survival boot camp. You might hate it or love it, but in the end, your classes will never be the same. You will be encouraged to read and write more than you are used to and pushed to be the best teacher you can be. It’s the training we should all get before being thrown into a classroom.