Text only
 Print this page | E-mail this page| Add to favourites
British Council Colombia
CELTA course
Subscribe to Talking English newsletter
TKT Essentials
CELTA
ICELT
Teaching Knowledge and Development
CELTA YL EXTENSION
DELTA Orientation Course
TKT Essentials
University of Cambridge Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CELTA)

What is CELTA?

CELTA is an initial qualification for people with little or no previous teaching experience or teachers with no formal training that opens up a whole world of exciting teaching opportunities. Because it is awarded by Cambridge ESOL, part of the world famous University of Cambridge, you can rely on its quality and recognition.

When is the course?

Dates 2009

Monday 9 March – Friday 3 April
Tuesday May 26 – Wednesday 24 June
Thursday 25 June – Friday 24 July
Tuesday 13 October – Tuesday 10 November
Wednesday 11 November – Wednesday 9 December

Dates 2010

Monday 15 February - Friday 12 March
Monday 24 May - Tuesday 22 June
Thursday 24 June - Friday 23 July
Saturday 7 August - Friday 3 September
Thursday 8 October - Friday 5 November
Saturday 6 November - Friday 3 December

What do I need to take part in the course?

Your level of English must be C2 (Common European Framework)
You should be over 20 years of age
You should have a tertiary level education
You will need commitment and enthusiasm

What does the course involve?

The course

teaches you the principles of effective teaching
provides a range of practical skills for teaching English to adult learners
gives you hands-on teaching practice
builds your confidence

You will attend input sessions; plan and practice teaching; observe experienced teachers and complete four written assignments. Input sessions on language awareness and methodology are held in the mornings, and teaching practice is in the afternoons. Each trainee is assessed on six full hours of observed teaching practice with two groups of students at different levels. In addition, trainees have to complete four written assignments and observe British Council teachers on four occasions during the course. The course is very intensive and you should be prepared to spend a good deal of your free time reading, planning lessons and writing assignments. It is unreasonable to expect to work part-time while doing the course.

What are the course aims?

The CELTA programme is designed to enable candidates to:

acquire essential subject knowledge and familiarity with the principles of effective teaching
acquire a range of practical teaching skills for teaching English to adult learners
demonstrate their ability to apply their learning in a real teaching context

Candidates who complete the course successfully can begin working in a variety of ESOL teaching contexts.

What is included on the syllabus?

  1. Learners and teachers and the teaching and learning context
    1. Cultural, linguistic and educational backgrounds
    2. Motivations for learning English as an adult
    3. Learning and teaching styles
    4. Contexts for learning and teaching English
    5. Varieties of English
    6. Multilingualism and the role of first languages

  2. Language analysis and language awareness
    1. Basic concepts and terminology used in ELT for describing form and meaning in language and language use
    2. Grammar - Grammatical frameworks: rules and conventions relating to words, sentences, paragraphs and texts
    3. Lexis: What it means to 'know' a word;  semantic relationships between words
    4. Phonology: The formation and description of English phonemes; features of connected speech
    5. The practical significance of similarities and differences between languages
    6. Reference materials for language awareness
    7. Key strategies and approaches for developing learners' language knowledge

  3. Language skills: Reading, listening, speaking and writing
    1. Reading
      • Basic concepts and terminology used for describing reading skills
      • Purposes of reading
      • Decoding meaning
      • Potential barriers to reading
    2. Listening
      • Basic concepts and terminology used for describing listening skills
      • Purposes of listening
      • Features of listening texts
      • Potential barriers to listening
    3. Speaking
      • Basic concepts and terminology used for describing speaking skills
      • Features of spoken English
      • Language functions
      • Paralinguistic features
      • Phonemic systems
    4. Writing
      • Basic concepts and terminology used for describing writing skills
      • Sub-skills and features of written texts
      • Stages of teaching writing
      • Beginner literacy
      • English spelling and punctuation

  4. Planning and resources for different teaching contexts
    1. Principles of planning for effective teaching of adult learners of English
    2. Lesson planning for effective teaching of adult learners of English
    3. Evaluation of lesson planning
    4. The selection, adaptation and evaluation of materials and resources in planning (including computer and other technology based resources)
    5. Knowledge of commercially produced resources and non-published materials and classroom resources for teaching English to adults

  5. Developing teaching skills and professionalism
    1. The effective organisation of the classroom
    2. Classroom presence and control
    3. Teacher and learner language
    4. The use of teaching materials and resources
    5. Practical skills for teaching at a range of levels
    6. The monitoring and evaluation of adult learners
    7. Evaluation of the teaching / learning process
    8. Professional development: responsibilities
    9. Professional development: support systems
How am I assessed?

CELTA is awarded to candidates who have completed the course and who have met the assessment criteria for all written and practical assignments. The overall assessment aims for each unit (1-5 see syllabus overview) are that candidates should be able to:

  1. assess learner needs, and plan and teach lessons which take account of learners' background, learning preferences and current needs
  2. demonstrate language knowledge and awareness and appropriate teaching strategies
  3. demonstrate knowledge about language skills and how they may be acquired
  4. plan and prepare lessons designed to develop their learners' overall language competence
  5. demonstrate an appropriate range of teaching skills at this level and show professional awareness and responsibility

Assessment is continuous and integrated; it takes place throughout the course, and each assessed component contributes to the overall grade.

How much does the course cost?
CELTA - US$ 2,000
CELTA YL extension - US$ 1,000

When do I have to pay?

Fees must be paid in full by the first Friday of the course.

How can I pay?

You can pay by cheque or credit card, or by bank transfer for those outside Bogota. Bank transfer details are:

Banco Davivienda, Bogota
Saving Account No. 00430003435-4
Account holder: 'British Council' . Transfers to be marked : 'CELTA (atn Adriana Gomez)'

A copy of the transfer slip should be faxed to Olga Carrión, Front of House Manager, at +57 (1) 325 9091.

How can I apply?

Please write to celta@britishcouncil.org.co for the following documents:

application form
application language awareness and writing task

When the completed application form is received and checked, we will contact you to arrange a time for interview.
Afterwards candidates will be contacted to let them know whether or not they have been accepted on the course.
As soon as applicants have been accepted they can register on the couse.

If accepted on the course, we shall send you a pre-course task focussing on language awareness and other aspects of teaching in order to prepare you for the course. This represents about 25 hours’ study time.

CAN THE BRITISH COUNCIL ARRANGE ACCOMMODATION?

We can usuallyarrange accommodation staying in a teacher's flat in Bogotá.

The United Kingdom’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities.
A registered charity: 209131 (England and Wales) SC037733 (Scotland)
Our privacy and copyright statements.
Our commitment to freedom of information. Double-click for pop-up dictionary.
 Positive About Disabled People Download Browsealoud