May 2019

Quality training begins with quality trainers, and the CELTA program at ILSC offers a crack team to guide trainees through the rigours — and surprising delights — of CELTA.

Breana Sproul is an assistant CELTA tutor at ILSC and teaches and evaluates trainees during the intensive 4-week course as well as the online and part-time CELTA programs.

Get to know… Breana Sproul

This is Breana

Q: How/Why did you get into ESL teaching?

A friend of mine wanted to take a TESL course so I joined her; best decision I ever made!

I started teaching young learners in Taiwan, where I stayed for two years. I then moved to Prague, gaining experience in teaching adults at mostly intermediate levels. I did some private tutoring in London for a few years before moving to Amman, where I had the opportunity to teach both young learners and adults at levels ranging from elementary to intermediate. After Jordan, I went on to teach in Istanbul, where I got a vast amount of experience teaching all ages and levels. It was also there that I began to branch out into teacher training, first as the Senior Teacher at my school and then for OUP.

That CELTA Life

Q: How did you break into the rockstar world of CELTA?

I was very fortunate to work for a school in Istanbul that had a CELTA department so after completing my DELTA, I trained up to be a tutor. They paid for me to do the DELTA and then trained me up to be a CELTA tutor.

Q: What does an average day in the CELTA department look like for you?

I am an assistant course tutor, which means I give input sessions, observe teaching practice and provide feedback to CELTA trainees.

Q: What’s the skill most CELTA trainees need to work on?

I would have to say that trainees tend to struggle most with language analysis.

Personal Colour

Q: What is the one grammar mistake that makes your blood boil?

Grammar mistakes are just teaching/learning moments!

Q: What is your favourite English word? (Bonus points if it’s rutabaga)

While I do love a good Rutabaga, I would have to say ‘shenanigans’

Q: What is one grammar mistake you can’t stop making?

There’s many mistakes I make in grammar…

Q: What is your favourite thing about teaching CELTA?

Guiding my trainees to reach their highest potential!

Next Up

Get to know the rest of the CELTA team at ILSC-Montreal in interviews with Christopher Cooke and James Meanwell.

Does teaching English to adult learners sound like an adventure you can see yourself taking? ILSC offers the Cambridge CELTA as an intensive 4-week program and a flexible online format.

Photo by Adeolu Eletu on Unsplash

The only thing better than a highly-regarded language training certificate with industry-wide recognition is the flexibility to get it your way. That’s why ILSC’s CELTA program is offered in a variety of formats, allowing you to get certified quickly, flexible, or even (mostly) in the comfort of your home.

One CELTA certificate, Three Formats

People seeking CELTA certification do so for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it’s a career change and other times it’s a passport to the world, but with a variety of reasons there comes a variety of circumstances. Whatever the circumstances, there’s likely a CELTA program to get you up and running in the TESOL world.

ILSC offers the CELTA teaching certificate in three formats:

Full-time intensive on-campus (in Montreal)
Part-time on-campus (in Toronto)
Online (flexible schedule) (from home, with an onsite practicum in Montreal, San Francisco, or New Delhi)

Each is a little different and tailored to your needs. Here are the details:

CELTA full-time

The full-time intensive format of the CELTA course available in Montreal provides everything you need to start teaching English in only four weeks. The 140-hour course is practical and complete – time is split between input sessions with trainers, classroom observations, and teaching practicum.

Because of the intensive nature of the full-time format, the Full-time program is a good fit if you’re able to take time off work and give dedicated focus to the program. In addition to in-class work, you will also have assignments to complete over weekends and will want to devote time to planning lessons during evenings.

While the full-time intensive CELTA course may be daunting, the short time commitment means you can get into the job market quickly once you graduate. You will also receive information about the best practices for finding work locally and abroad in your final week.

Part-Time CELTA

If you want to study in Toronto, and have other obligations, and it’s not urgent to complete the course right away, you’ll appreciate the more relaxed pace of the 11-week part-time CELTA course. The part-time course offers you the same one to six trainer-trainee ratios, teaching practicum, and employment assistance as the intensive program but with added flexibility.

The part-time CELTA course holds classes in the evening twice a week and Saturdays during the day, allowing you the freedom to work while you earn your certification.

CELTA Online

If you want maximum freedom and flexibility getting your English teaching certification, the online CELTA course is the one for you! The online CELTA course runs over 22-weeks, with ongoing deadlines for assignments and collaborative activities that allow you to connect with other trainees. The course format allows trainees to work when it’s most convenient for you and provides a guiding structure to track progress.

One of the CELTA program’s strengths is how it gets you in front of real, multi-lingual students for teaching practice, and the online course includes this component. All assignments and units are completed online but you will are also be required to attend on-campus teaching practice in Montreal or San Francisco to complete your certification.