Before, during and after CELTA

Each stage of the course has its specifics described in detail below. 

 

Before CELTA

 

Getting ready for your course

  1. Read through information on both our CELTA-training and Cambridge’s website
  2. Contact us via email or phone for more information. You will receive a reply within 24 hours
  3. Fill in the on-line application form and send back together with the times and dates when you are available for an oral interview.  

 

Pre-interview tasks and interview

For the on-line pre-course interview you will need access to the Internet and a telephone/Skype. At the appointed time we will email 5 pre-interview tasks to you. You will have an hour and twenty minutes to do them and email them back.

After 10-15 mins, when your pre-interview tasks have been marked, you will be skyped or telephoned. The oral interview will take 30 – 40 minutes. Overall, the interview lasts two hours.

An in-person interview lasts two hours and includes written tasks (one hour and 20 mins) and an oral interview (up to 40 mins).

At this stage, you have an opportunity to ask any questions about the course to the course tutor or an experienced trainer.

 

So, you've been successful 

  • You are contacted by our CELTA administrator to re-confirm all details about accommodation (if needed), start date, any special requirements and any optional extras you would like - such as airport pickup
  • You will then receive an acceptance letter, Day 1 letter, Trainee’s Guide, Classroom Glossary, Cambridge Pre-course Learning Task (see below), enrollment form and invoice
  • You pay for the course

Payment can be made via bank transfer or by card through our payment portal

 

You get to České Budějovice

Here at CELTA training we pride ourselves on making your stay here as comfortable and as stress free as possible.  We offer the following services:

  • we can book all necessary tickets from door-to-door, including air, train and bus tickets.
  • airport and railway station pick-up
  • accommodation booking
  • free city maps and guided tour
  • welcome dinner for all candidates and staff before the start of CELTA
  • excursions and relaxing activities before, during and after the course to make sure you do not burn out under the stress.  

 

Pre-course task

 

The aim of this task is to introduce you to some of the areas covered on the CELTA course and to provide you with the opportunity to prepare for the course. The tasks should be completed on a separate sheet, and you may be asked to submit it at the start of the course.  This is not part of the interview and acceptance stages, but a series of 50 tasks to help you prepare for the course together with the answers.

 

The tasks should be thought about and completed in the order they are presented, but you are not expected to complete the pre-course task at one sitting. It would be more beneficial for you to work on the task in a number of sittings over a period of time.

 

There are five sections to the task, with each section focusing on a specific topic area from the CELTA syllabus.  These are the units on which candidates are assessed during the course:

 

Unit 1 – Section 1 Learners and teachers, and the learning and teaching context
Unit 2 – Section 2 Language analysis and awareness
Unit 3 – Section 3 Language skills: reading, listening, speaking and writing
Unit 4 – Section 4 Planning and resources
Unit 5 – Section 5 Developing teaching skills and professionalism

 

 

 

To help you successfully complete these tasks it is advised to do some pre-course reading. Here are some books which may be useful:

 

Gower, Walters & Philips – Teaching Practice Handbook – 2nd edition (Macmillan)
Harmer, J. – How to Teach English – 3rd edition (Longman)
Kenworthy, J – Teaching English Pronunciation (Longman)
Lewis, M & Hill, J – Practical Techniques for Language Teaching (LTP)
Riddell, D - Teaching English as a Foreign/Second Language (Teach Yourself) (Hodder Arnold H&S)
Scrivener J – Learning Teaching (Macmillan)
  

During CELTA

The course is run over 4 weeks of intensive study and practice.

 

 During the Cambridge CELTA course you will acquire knowledge on how to teach effectively and become familiar with teaching practices in a real classroom. Candidates who successfully complete the course can then go forward and teach in many different locations throughout the world.

 

During the Cambridge CELTA course you will be taught according to a syllabus prescribed by Cambridge. This syllabus can be found on the following link:

 

Download the Cambridge CELTA syllabus here

 

After CELTA

Your certificate will be sent to our centre from Cambridge within 4-8 weeks of the completion of the course.  The certificates will then be immediately sent via recorded post to your given address.  

 

After completing the CELTA course you also have options. You can request to stay for extra days in the accommodation we have provided for you.  This is quite popular for trainees who have families or partners who would like to spend time in Ceske Budejovice or the surrounding area on holiday.  

 

Depending on the time of the year, there are various excursions and activities that can be done, ranging from skiing/snowboarding and skating in the winter months to cycling, canoeing and hiking during the warmer months. 

 

We can also arrange for transportation to the airport or railway station for your departure from our wonderful city

 

What about my career path?

 

There are many ways in which you can become a professional in the field of teaching English as a second language, but below is the traditional approach taken by many teachers who all start with a CELTA qualification:

 

 

 

 Pathway to achievement 2