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CELTA: A format that fits

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.

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.

Ready, Set, Teach: Lesson Planning Tips

With a completed CELTA program behind you, you’re ready to teach—you did it! Whether the path to a CELTA certificate was intensive or pursued part-time, there are lessons to be planned and language to be taught.

Take advantage of these classroom-tested tips from ILSC’s team of CELTA trainers and go teach some English!

MFP Prep & Target Language

First things first. If a lesson is going to teach students something new, you’ll need a good grasp of the lesson’s target language.

Get a good grammar book.
Being a native-level speaker isn’t magic; go over the finer points of the target language.
Anticipate potential problems.
Try to think from the students’ point of view and plan appropriate concept-checking questions.
Research more than you think is necessary.
The students will inevitably come up with surprising questions.

Organization

Teaching ESL can be a whirlwind, especially overseas. So it’s important to see planning as an investment; a clear, well-planned lesson is a lesson you won’t have to plan again in the future. Stay organized and make your hard work for you.

Make your plan accessible.
Lay out handouts in order, keep board plans next to the board, etc.
Check your tech before the lesson.
If the lesson depends on audio or video content, make sure it’s ready to deliver.
Save all your materials and plans.
Label them clearly and store them in binders or digitally (Evernote, Google Keep, etc.) for recycling and reuse.

Staying Student-centred

Students’ needs are at the centre of the CELTA teaching philosophy for a reason. Students learn better when they can engage with lesson content that connects to their lives while challenging their abilities. Your particular students should be top of mind in your lesson planning.

Limit teacher talk-time.
Get the students talking instead, and avoid as much reference to open class as possible.
Solicit ideas/topics from students during the first class.
This provides a bank of engaging themes the students are sure to appreciate throughout the course.
Support pair and group work.
This allows students to practice the target language more and careful monitoring will help you identify problems to address during error-correction.

What’s next?

These lessons won’t plan themselves, but with skills from the CELTA program and these practical tips they’re sure to be a hit with students. Get planning and have a great class!

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, a part-time 11-week program, and a flexible online format.

Teaching with CELTA as a Non-Native Speaker

So you want to teach English as a Second Language, in your second language? That’s admirable, brave even, but is it foolish? Not at all! In fact, teaching English as a non-native speaker with the CELTA is more common than you might expect.

Language Requirements

Every CELTA applicant must complete a comprehensive language assessment as part of the CELTA application process. Candidates’ performance on the assessment is the main criteria for acceptance into the program; no one is refused for simply being a non-native speaker!

Non-native ESL teachers aren’t all that rare and can actually make up a good portion of the faculty at language schools in English-speaking countries. A likely, although anecdotal, reason for this could be that native English speakers are attracted to TESL for the opportunities to teach abroad whereas non-native English speakers usually achieve their fluency by moving to an English-speaking country.

Advantages

Finally, there is some good news. Non-native speakers possess a few advantages over native speakers.

1. Technical Grammar Knowledge

Bilingual and multi-lingual candidates consistently have a fuller knowledge of English grammar than most native speakers. This, of course, is because non-native speakers have had a more technical formal education in English, whereas native speakers focus more on language arts and literature throughout their education. Often, non-native speakers have an advantage in communication skills, too.

2. Empathy

Non-native speakers don’t have a monopoly on empathy but they can quickly identify with the struggles and frustrations of their students because they’ve been there. Although this isn’t a formal classroom management technique, knowing when to give students a break or an extra dose of encouragement can really improve a student’s experience.

3. ESL Experience – in Reverse!

This one may be obvious, but if you’ve learned English as a second language then you already have experience in an ESL environment. Non-native speakers who learned English in a classroom setting are likely to have fond memories of activities or approaches they enjoyed. Even negative experiences are helpful in knowing what to avoid or thinking about how to improve approaches to difficult language concepts.

Challenges

Just because it isn’t impossible to complete the CELTA as a non-native speaker doesn’t mean there aren’t challenges. These will vary from person to person but are common among advanced non-native speakers of English.

1. Accent

Non-native speakers will have some kind of an accent when speaking English, and that’s perfectly acceptable since many native-speakers also speak with a pronounced accent. In fact, most students are learning English in order to communicate with other non-native speakers, so being exposed to a variety of non-native accents is useful for them.

2. Confidence

It’s very important that students trust your ability to instruct them in the language. Native speakers are able to quickly and confidently respond to many questions because their intuitive grasp of English has been honed over a lifetime. Non-native speakers may not feel as confident, but they can prepare for lessons to build that confidence (completing the CELTA will also help). It’s also encouraging to remember that native speakers make mistakes too—especially with technical grammar!

What are you waiting for?

Teaching English as a second language (TESL) isn’t reserved for those who happen to be born in an English-speaking country. If you have an advanced command of English the CELTA program can open up the world of TESL for you, whether you’re a recent graduate, looking for a career change, or want to liven up your retirement.

The Classroom and Beyond: CELTA Career Opportunities

The classroom is only the beginning

CELTA uniquely qualifies you to teach ESL to adults anywhere in the world but the potential of the Cambridge certification doesn’t end in the classroom. Those prone to career-based wanderlust can rest easy knowing that the opportunities after CELTA can lead down some unexpected paths.

Day-to-day: school administration

Schools wouldn’t exist without dedicated instructors and teachers, but they’re also bigger than the student-teacher relationship. Schools also need effective administrators to ensure teachers can continue teaching.

From ever-helpful receptionists to activity coordinators, school administration takes many forms but always serves to support teachers and enrich the experience of students.

After teaching at one school for a while, teachers will become familiar with how their institution functions and can look for additional opportunities in areas they have strengths or experience. These opportunities can include:

Activity Coordinator
Office manager
Registrar / Student Counsellor

Depending on the size and needs of an organization, opportunities may also include:

Testing Administrator
Homestay Coordinator
Student Internship Coordinator

ESL Services

For the less institutionally-inclined, there remains ample opportunity to contribute to the wider ESL ecosystem. Entrepreneurial teachers can market unique approaches and lessons online to build a personal brand to become a sought-after private instructor, or to land a dream job.

Well-resourced schools may offer opportunities for teachers to develop curriculum based on their passions and interests on a part-time basis. Here at ILSC, we have CELTA graduates who have designed some amazing courses: English through yoga, English through film noir, English through cooking—the possibilities are endless!

Larger schools and education networks are also likely to need support services like copywriting and web development and are inclined to hire candidates who are already familiar with their values and mission.

In their own words: Mona’s path

Mona Sabouri took the CELTA in (2009) and quickly earned a reputation as an effective teacher and a reliable teammate. Mona enjoyed her work but wasn’t content to just show up every day and go through the motions.

“As soon as new opportunities showed up I jumped on them. I like challenging myself and while I appreciate routine for the comfort and feeling of safety it gives me, I need a side project.”

Mona made herself integral to the school’s day-to-day by being available and taking the initiative to help out everywhere she could.

“Once [another teacher] didn’t want the textbook inventory work, I said yes. When we were asked for volunteers to get students involved in volunteer activities I tried to get them involved in activities almost every other session. I never said no.”

Mona was motivated to make the most of every opportunity.

When larger opportunities came up within the administration, Mona was there. She put her experience in teaching, organization, and student life initiatives to work in the post of Program Director at ILSC-Montreal. Now, Mona works at McGill University as a Curriculum Management Administrator, but she’s still thankful for the small steps that got her started.

“CELTA made me realize how much I love teaching. While teaching, I discovered how creative I am and how driven I am by certain things: helping others, challenging myself, bettering myself and by extension, others. I love being that person who finds the silver lining and motivating others.”

Teaching locally with CELTA

The CELTA program attracts candidates with diverse career backgrounds and even more diverse life goals. There isn’t just one good reason to take CELTA, there are many! One common motivation is the attractive prospect of having the freedom to work and see the world at the same time, but what about those hoping to stay close to family, friends, and a familiar bed? Are they out of luck? Not even close.

Teaching abroad is great, but the opportunities sometimes start a little closer to home.

No shortage of choice

The ESL industry is known for booming markets in places like East Asia and Latin America where jobs are plentiful and the barrier to entry is low. Less talked about, but no less accessible to CELTA graduates, are the variety of ESL opportunities at home in English-speaking countries. What’s more, CELTA programs are offered in a variety of flexible formats that allow you to get certified while working, studying, or at your own pace.

Private language schools cater to mixed-language learners from all over the world and can be dynamic and exciting places to work. Apart from private schools or institutions, there are also government programs for new arrivals that require teachers capable of providing lessons to adult learners of diverse backgrounds.

Staying home has its advantages

Teaching abroad is a worthy endeavor but it can also be a challenge. Not all employers are created equal, so the task of obtaining a valid visa, arranging transport and accommodations, and learning local customs may ultimately fall on you. It’s a challenge that’s worth every bit of effort, but for those happy to stay close to home, the international headaches can be avoided without giving up on teaching ESL. Whatever English-speaking country you find yourself in, the local organization of private language schools – such as TESL Canada – will be a great starting point to find a reputable employer.

If teaching locally sounds tempting, consider the story of one CELTA graduate who happily changed his travel plans.

Matthew’s story

Matthew took the intensive CELTA program at ILSC-Montreal in 2013 after returning from a year abroad. He wanted to get a certification that would allow him to travel again and also work at the same time, but he didn’t have any definite plans about where to teach.

After successfully completing the program Matthew was happy to enjoy his hometown for a time, while at the same time ILSC-Montreal was looking for a part-time teacher for evening courses. Matthew says “the whole reason I took the CELTA was so I could travel and work, but I took the job at ILSC to get some more experience and ended up teaching in Montreal for years.”

Matthew eventually moved to the full-time day program and has worked at ILSC-Montreal in various capacities for four years. Is he disappointed with the way things turned out? “I’m happy I stayed. I’ve had the chance to work with great people and to meet such awesome students without the trouble of visas and culture shock.”

But Matthew hasn’t given up on seeing the world yet. “The great thing about this job is, with all the experience at home, when I finally feel like I need a change I can hop on a plane feeling confident there’s a teaching job out there for me.”