CELTA

The CELTA is an intensive TEFL qualification designed for people with little or no previous English language teaching experience or training. It is highly regarded and recognised internationally.

There are many choices when it comes to TEFL qualifications. They range in price and course content, whether they are delivered online or in person, and whether they are certified by an official body. The CELTA is an established qualification, recognised globally and highly regarded across the TEFL industry (not only in International House schools). It will equip you with the essential requirements needed to land your first TEFL job and offers opportunities to develop your skills later if you choose to advance your teaching career.

The entry requirement is that you are a proficient English language user (between CEFR Level C1 and C2 or above) and educated to the standard required for entry into higher education.

Yes, the CELTA is certified by Cambridge Assessment English and is recognised by Ofqual at level 5 on the Qualifications and Credit Framework.

Standing up in front of a class for the first time is a daunting prospect, so you need to make sure you have the skills you need to teach effectively. The CELTA course has the following core components to prepare you for the classroom. The course is 120 hours in total and you will receive a lot of input from your tutors on teaching methodology, lesson planning, language analysis and language skills. You’ll have the opportunity to observe experienced teachers in a real-life language classroom situation and learn about the different skills and techniques they use. You will teach real language students throughout your course and by the end you will have had 6 hours of observed and assessed teaching practice. This practical experience is invaluable when you start your first job. As well as being assessed in the classroom, you will complete four written assignments based on the input you receive. There is no final exam, you are assessed throughout the course; so you can learn and improve as your progress. Every course is moderated by an external assessor, appointed by Cambridge English, so you will receive a certificate from Cambridge English, part of the University of Cambridge.

You can either take the course intensively over 4 weeks or part time over 12 weeks. Some centres also offer a blended version with some input delivered online.

Taking the CELTA with us means you can benefit from all the support and materials that we offer to our students. This extends to our alumni community too when they become teachers. We host a Wellbeing Season in March, with workshops focusing on tips and advice on the mental wellbeing of teachers, and a Teachers Online Conference in May, with a series of sessions on anything teaching-related, including young learners, classroom games and technology.

Absolutely. Our Jobs board is updated on a regular basis with career opportunities from around the International House network, from EFL teachers to academic managers. Once you have gained your CELTA qualification, you can get started with TEFL! As a minimum, all English teacher jobs with International House must… be externally validated by a reputable examination body (e.g. a university, recognised examination board or other body with Royal Charter) have 6 hours of observed and assessed teaching practice (i.e. teaching practice where a qualified assessor observes the trainee teacher teaching real students and gives feedback on his or her performance) include at least 100 hours of face-to-face ELT input from a suitably qualified trainer The CELTA will equip you with all these basic requirements.

International House has more than 60 centres worldwide where you can take the CELTA. The course content is the same throughout, so really it is up to you to decided where you would like to learn!

International House offers opportunities to further your knowledge and experience, whether that’s by taking the DELTA (Diploma in Teaching English to Speakers of other Languages) for experienced language teachers, or by specialising by taking an online course through the IH Online Teacher Training Institute. You can specialise in teaching Young Learners and Teenagers, teaching one-to-one, or in Business English. You can improve your theoretical knowledge of teaching by taking the IH Certificate in Advanced Methodology. You could eventually become an academic manager. Some certificates are also offered in our schools. But you can also choose to take your teaching skills and transfer them over to another sector or career path, such as writing and developing course materials, marketing, teacher training, academic management, or something completely different!

The CELTA as it is known today was born from an initial teacher training course called the IH Certificate that International House first ran in 1962. This course rapidly set the standard for teacher qualifications in TEFL, with thousands of teachers worldwide becoming IH-trainees and teachers. Now approximately 4,000 teachers take a CELTA with IH every year.