CELTA certificate in teaching English

Apply today for our next course using our online application form.

CELTA is CPF eligible. Applications for CPF funding can be made once you have been accepted onto the course. 

The British Council can also accept employer funding. 

The price includes the Cambridge English Language Assessment registration fee.

CELTA is an internationally recognised certificate awarded by Cambridge English Language Assessment, part of the University of Cambridge. 

CELTA is accepted by organisations which employ English language teachers throughout the world, and is widely used as a benchmark of basic teaching skills and quality by:

• English language schools
• the voluntary sector
• non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
• publishers
• other educational institutions.

It is accredited by Ofqual (Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation) at Level 5 on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) for England, Wales and Northern Ireland.=

Applicants must be at least 18 years old. It is generally recommended that candidates should be aged 20 or over. Candidates aged between 18 and 20 can be accepted at the British Council's discretion.

Applicants must have completed secondary education and have the relevant qualifications (for example GCSEs, A-levels, BAC, International Baccalaureate).

Non-native speakers of English must have an awareness of language and a competence in both written and spoken English, which will enable them to undertake the course and prepare for teaching a range of levels. The required candidate language level is C2 (an equivalent to Cambridge English: Proficiency - CPE) or high C1 (an equivalent to Grade A or B of the Cambridge English: Advanced - CAE) on the Council of Europe’s Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). Your language level will be assessed at interview.

CELTA is made up of 140 contact hours between the candidates and the course tutors, including:

• input sessions
• tutorial support
• supervised lesson planning
• six hours teaching practice for each candidate supervised by a course tutor
• feedback on teaching
• peer observation
• observation of lessons taught by experienced teachers.

A typical week on the course includes:

You will have further work during the week, in the form of written assignments, homework tasks, lesson planning and language analysis preparation, or self-reflection on lessons you have taught

This is a demanding course and will require a significant amount of your time and energy.

You cannot combine our intensive July course with work of any other nature. Please ensure that you are free of any other commitment during this time, in order to be able to give it your best and gain from it to your best advantage.

Assessment is integrated and continuous, and it focuses on: 

Teaching Practice

Candidates teach students of two different levels of ability (lower and higher) in English for a total of 6 hours.  In line with our outreach programme, the majority of our teaching practice students are refugees who are supported by local charities. 

The assessment includes lesson planning, teaching the lesson in the classroom, and post-lesson reflection.

Written Assignments

There are four written assignments, aiming to help candidates to:

• focus on adult learners and learning contexts
• focus on an aspect of the language system of English
• focus on an aspect of language skills (reading, writing, speaking, listening)
• reflect on classroom teaching and the identification of action points.

Applications for our next CELTA course from 23 June to 21 July 2023 are now open.

You should apply using this application form. The deadline for applications is 30 March 2023 at 11pm.

We will process your application as soon as we can and will let you know if we are able to offer you an interview.