Do I need any specific qualifications or experience to apply?

No. You do not need a degree to apply or be successful on a CELTA course. You only need qualifications for entering Higher Education. 

Note: if you do not have a degree, this can impact your ability to get teaching jobs depending on the institution/ country requirements.

Can I apply if English isn’t my first language? 

Absolutely! You may need to demonstrate in your application that you have proficiency that is equal to or higher than C1+ according to CEFR.

This is so you can comfortably teach a range of different levels in the classroom and complete the written assignments on the course. See our graduate’s experience below.

What are the other application requirements?

Cambridge Assessment English and ILSC follow open and equal opportunity practices, irrespective of gender, marital status, sexual orientation, creed, colour, race, ethnic origin, age or disability. To be accepted for the CELTA course, applicants must be able to say ‘yes’ to the following:

• Are you 19 or over?
• Do you have a standard of education equivalent to that required for entry into higher education?
• Is your English good enough to teach at a range of levels? (Minimum CEFR level high C1 or above)
• Are you comfortable working in a professional setting and able to give and receive regular feedback on your own and peers’ practice?
• Do you feel comfortable working with online tools, particularly Zoom  and Google Drive? (Very important for online courses)

The application process for all our courses is the same, following these steps:

1. Go to ‘apply for CELTA’. Choose either option 1 or 2 to complete your application online.
2. Pre-interview task: we suggest you use dictionaries and reference materials to help complete this as fully and accurately as possible.
3. After reviewing your application, a trainer will schedule a 45–60-minute interview. This will take place via Microsoft Teams or on the Montreal campus.
4. After a successful interview, your information will be registered. Then an invoice will be sent to you by email, followed by a Letter of Acceptance.

There are many reasons to take CELTA with ILSC, including: 

• We have a high success rate of candidates on all modes of the course. 
• We provide access to up-to-date resources and reference material needed to successfully plan lessons and complete written assignments.
• We have highly trained and dedicated tutors to work with you in small groups (maximum of 6) and provide one-on-one support as needed.
• We provide numerous examples of assignments and plans to guide you through the assessed paperwork on the course. 
• We offer all candidates with  ‘how-to’ guides and clearly outlined schedules to help keep you on track with the workload. 
• We dedicate sessions at the end of the course to finding a job in the world of ELT. 
• There are job opportunities with the ILSC institution on any of their campuses worldwide. 

The CELTA is an introductory course for candidates who have little or no previous English language teaching experience. It may also be suitable for candidates with some experience but little previous training. 

Whichever way you take CELTA, you’ll experience the same standard of training from CELTA-certified trainers. Assessment requirements are the same in both modes of delivery and you’ll receive the same qualification and benefit from the same international recognition.

The main differences in the delivery of the content are as follows:

1. Mode of Delivery = The entirety of the online course is completed online via Moodle / Google Drive / Zoom. The in-person course is done on campus in the physical classroom.
2. Portfolio = In both courses you complete a written portfolio via Google Drive that tracks your progress, this includes; lesson plans, reflections, feedback, written assignments, and materials. 
3. Teaching Practice = All the teaching experience you will get on the online course will happen over Zoom. In the In-person course, we will have 3 online input sessions to navigate the online teaching setting.
4. In-classroom materials = During the online course, you will be encouraged to adapt materials using digital tools; in-person you will still be able to use such tools but they are not mandatory.
5. Asynchronous learning = Although rigorous, the online course is not intensive, and so there are 2 days a week where input sessions (learning about teaching) take place as self-study using Moodle. The in-person course has only live input sessions. 

Whereas online courses take place 100% online, the mixed-mode course allows you to experience both input sessions and teaching practice in-person AND online. 

The Teaching Practice, observation and feedback of this 8-week iteration are divided into 4 weeks online and 4 weeks in-person (Montreal campus).

This course is ideal for those who want practical experience teaching in a physical classroom and online.

You’ll be amazed at how much you will learn on this short course!

Essentially, the aim of the course is to help candidates:

• acquire essential subject knowledge and familiarity with the principles of effective teaching
• acquire a range of practical skills for teaching English to adult learners
• demonstrate their ability to apply their learning in a real teaching context.

To assess your ability in these areas there are two components: Planning & Teaching, Classroom-related written assignments (of which there are 4). These components are integrated to complement both your practical skills with your theoretical understanding.

The course is assessed internally, then externally moderated by a Cambridge-approved assessor.

Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Others Languages (CELTA)

Syllabus overview

The following syllabus is a reflection of the pre-service entry point of prospective candidates and outlines both the subject knowledge and the pedagogic knowledge and skills required for beginner ESOL teachers.

The syllabus consists of five specific topic areas:

• Topic 1 Learners and teachers, and the teaching and learning context
• Topic 2 Language analysis and awareness
• Topic 3 Language skills: reading, listening, speaking and writing
• Topic 4 Planning and resources for different teaching contexts
• Topic 5 Developing teaching skills and professionalism.

• 4 written assignments: Each 750-1000 words, none are overly academic. Each assignment graded on pass/fail basis. There is an opportunity to resubmit each if necessary.

• Assignment 1: language skills assignment. Assignment 2: language research assignment. Assignment 3: focus on the learners. Assignment 4: reflection

All courses starting from January 2023 will be a total of $2,650 CAD.

This includes a non-refundable registration fee ($150), deposit ($300), and tuition fees ($2,200). Your tuition fees include the majority of the resources needed for the course. You will not be required to purchase any extra material to successfully complete this course.

A quick Google of experiences on the course and you will learn that CELTA is intense and rigorous, regardless of the mode or length of the course.

Whether you take the course online or in-person, you must have 100% attendance. This is because the content and assessment is integrated and formative. You are assessed by tutors on a regular basis in order to show that you can reflect on your teaching and implement the strategies and techniques you learn on the course. 

So, although the fail rate is low, due to the application procedure and tutor support, be aware that missing classes and doing only the bare minimum will hinder your progress hugely.

Despite this, the courses are hugely practical and prepare you to work in the classroom immediately once the course has ended after the course.