• Before contacting your centre, please check you meet the following criteria: 
• Are you 18 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).

You can check your level of English here for free: https://updigital.com.br/evaluation

If you do not have formal educational qualifications at the level indicated above, centres may still accept you, if you can demonstrate that you would be likely to complete the course successfully.

​You will write four assignments along the course, as below:
• one assignment focusing on the learner and their learning context
• one assignment on the language systems of English
• one assignment on the language skills of English
• one assignment involves reflection on our development along the course
 

By doing so, you need to demonstrate that you:
• are familiar with key ELT terminology
• are sensitive to relevant aspects of professional development
• can relate ELT practice to theory
• can write at a level of accuracy that does not jeopardise comprehensibility

The word length of each assignment is within the range of 750–1,000 words, you will receive clear guidelines to each one, and you cannot fail more than one, or you will fail the course. 

Cambridge CELTA can be delivered in different modes: in-person, blended and 100% online. There is no difference whatsoever between the certificates of different modes. When you take the face-to-face course, input sessions are scheduled and delivered by trainers in person. When it comes to the blended version (using Zoom), the only difference is that the sessions are delivered online as opposed to on-site.

The 100% online course allows trainees a bit more freedom in choosing how they work, as they will be doing the input sessions in an asynchronous fashion, but still need to cover a certain number of sessions every week. If assignments are completed on time, the online modes allow trainees to work at their own pace, when and where they choose. In that case, trainees are assigned an online course tutor who will facilitate their group work and provide feedback on assignments and progress. 

One of the reasons behind the success of CELTA is its strong practical element, giving trainees confidence and showing employers that they already have experience of teaching adult learners. 

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All modes of Cambridge CELTA (including the new 100%-online) use the same model of supervised lesson planning, teaching practice, evaluation and feedback. 

Trainees learn to apply theory to practice by teaching classes of adult learners organised into practice groups at two different levels. Each trainee completes six hours’ assessed teaching practice. This involves teaching on eight occasions and observing the teaching of other trainees in the teaching practice group. As well as gaining hands-on experience teaching genuine learners, trainees will:
• observe experienced teachers teaching classes of adult learners (at least six hours (three of which may be on video))

• watch peers teach their classes and participate in giving feedback.
  
  Alongside their online course tutor, trainees will work with a teaching practice tutor. Both tutors work together to ensure a close link between theory and practice.

Doing the CELTA can be challenging in terms of time. In full-time courses (generally done over 4 or 5 weeks), it will be expected that trainees be ready to dedicate exclusively to the course, which means about 8 hours a day, including weekends (f2f or online modes). In part-time courses (generally done over 12 to 18 weeks) an average of 10-15 hours/week will be requested. Trainees should remember they will need to:

• attend/check input sessions
• teach 6 hours and write full plans for the lessons
• observe 6 hours of experienced teachers 
• write four assignments
• reflect upon their teaching