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 Online or on the Montreal campus. Remember the interview is NOT a test but you should prepare your knowledge about the course, language, and your skills for teaching. See here for more advice on the interview.
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: 

• High success rate. 
• Access to up-to-date resources and reference material needed.
• Highly trained and dedicated tutors to provide the support you need. 
• Self-study guidance: ‘how-to’ guides, online self-directed learning, examples of successful plans and assignments, a detailed schedule to keep on top of the workload.  
• Post CELTA support: Private Linkedin group and email lists to job opportunities, professional development and networking opportunities.  
• Job opportunities with the ILSC education group 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. 

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

A quick Google of experiences on the course and you will learn that CELTA is intense, rigorous, but hugely rewarding, 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.

Online courses: $2,300 CAD 

In-person courses: $2,650 CAD

This includes a non-refundable registration fee ($150), deposit ($300), and tuition fees.

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.*

*Please check ‘tuition fees’ under the online and on campus courses for information on ILSC’s Refund Policy.

The ELT profession is one that offers many opportunities for personal and professional growth. Whether you travel abroad or teach in your home country, you will meet people of many different cultures and make a real difference in their lives.

Teaching English is often a flexible profession. It can offer opportunities part-time, full-time, supplement an existing job, can be done online or in a physical classroom.

Teaching can also lead to a variety of other jobs in the ELT field such as Academic Director, curriculum design, administration services, Examiner (such as IELTS), materials writer, and many more!

ELT is a big field and can lead you to more specific areas of teaching. Some examples include: Teaching Young Learners, Academic Preparation, Exam Preparation, Business English, English for Specific Purposes, One on One tutoring, and may more! Note that CELTA focuses on building general teaching skills that can be applied to any of these contexts.

CELTA is internationally recognised and you can work almost anywhere!

Canada: ILSC has locations in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver and you can find work in colleges, universities, and other private language institutions. Note that to work in the public sector you may need extra teaching qualifications that are not the same from province to province.

International: Your opportunities are endless around the world with CELTA.

With ILSC connections: Join us at one of our many institutions with ILSC in Canada, Australia, and India or one of our partners: ELS or Berlitz!

During the final days of the course (online or in-person) we will share our recommendations for how and where to apply for teaching positions in Canada and around the world. We will give you a list of up-to-date offerings for online and in classroom positions. Once you have graduated, we will also invite you to our closed CELTA alumni group on LinkedIn where you can connect with other CELTA grads to find jobs and professional development opportunities.