98 Comments on Failing the CELTA

andrew summerfield on Sun, 24th Feb 2008 10:05 am


As the first comments suggest, you can earn more than the Celta trainers if you work alone, even without Celta. Does 20 days training make you a “teacher”? No.
With an MA and a PGCE I was rejected by employers as “unqualified”. I soon realised that working alone you can quadruple the salary of an employee in a school. You will also rapidly discover that students are bored to death with the mundane humdrum lessons mass produced by Celta “teachers” and relish more original thought.
But, if you’re not sure, follow the path of the speaker above who worked hard, is proud of his grade C Celta, and is now actively seeking employment.

so glad i found this site on Fri, 18th Apr 2008 11:12 am


I am doing the 4 week intensive Celta course. I am so glad i found this site, i thought it must have been me – ie i am the failure. one of my “teachers” really dislikes me and makes it very clear. i feel bullied and was reduced to tears by her critisism today. I get nothing but negative comments from her and i am just glad that after next friday i will never have to have any more contact with her ever again. It is a great course if you are happy being fed thier way is the only way….

Sean on Sat, 21st Jun 2008 4:39 am


Half way through a four week intensive course (CELTA). Finding it very difficult to process so much information and put it into practice so quickly. Got a below standard mark for a lesson and haven’t recovered since. I felt demeaned by my tutor in my mid course evaluation and have recieved little in the way of encouragement. I have effectively failed the first two weeks, again receiving a below standard mark. I have got two assignments and two lesson plans to complete this weekend and if my lessons are’nt up to standard or above next week(3rd week), I will fail the whole course. I am driven beyond belief and refuse to let anyone else but me decide whether I am going to pass this course. Wish me luck-got to go, for obvious reasons.

Zoey on Tue, 22nd Jul 2008 3:38 am


I am in the last week of taking the CELTA having prior teaching experiences I found some of the lessons to be productive others counter productive remember this is their methodology does not make it wrong or right
I have found the tutors to be more army majors preparing their soldiers for war, is this the way the want to turn out teachers is it not far better to lead by example. No matter how hard I felt I worked I received nothing but negative criticism which I pointed out in one of my ¨tutorials¨ or feedback sessions at that point I began to notice little shift to the right.
Needless to say I have no idea if Ihave passed or failed however I do feel that my hair was not the correct colour of this course if you know what I mean.

Emma on Tue, 19th Aug 2008 8:56 am


I wish I had found this site and read some other peoples experiences before I too failed the CELTA twice! The fact that I went in for the hideous business twice surely displays the absolute commitment to pass the course. I was determined I not to give up. Despite this dedication and my 1st class degree in English language and linguistics – I never seemed to write a good enough lesson plan or assignment no matter how hard I tried or consulted with my tutors. Despite being told consistently that my actual teaching practise was ”strong” and my language awareness and rapport were ‘good” seemingly none of these things were ever good enough for me to produce ”Standard” results. What made the constant criticism failure cycle worse was the fact that I was patently far more expert in the English Language than any of my tutors (or ”Standard” colleagues for that matter). Despite my negative experiences of this contradictory, jargonistic, self-important and unhelpfully taught course I still would love to teach English. Fortunately, the students noticed my expertise (above those who were passing whilst I failed) and they would seek me out in groups to ask questions – if it wasn’t for the students themselves this course giving me this positive feedback,quite frankly the CELTA would have left me suicidal.

Eileen on Wed, 20th Aug 2008 11:05 am


Yet another victim !!! I completed my 4week CELTA course in IH Paris in June 2008, only to fail miserably. I felt so humiliated after all my effort, work and committement to be reduced to a FAIL. None of my co-trainee’s could believe it and some suggested I take it up with Cambridge, but I just can’t be bothered. I think it’s a very cruel way of reducing young, entusiastic, interested people into failures within a month. I too have a degree in English language and linguistics. I even spent time helping some of the non-native speakers (who all passed) with their English, both written and oral !! I feel I was victimised for some strange reason, like Emma, most of my students loved my lessons and some even asked whether I could give private lessons after the course, but I don’t live in Paris, they would be all deeply shocked if they knew I failed the course. I too want to redo the course, though it costs a fortune (and NOT in Paris ), but am feeling slightly apprehensive about putting myself through all that pressure again. I knew the course was intensive but not THAT intensive….we didn’t even have enough time to eat at Midday…great fun I lost loads of weight§§§§§

Troy on Fri, 5th Sep 2008 12:36 pm


For better or for worse, as mentioned, it is the standard bearer. Have a look at any TEFL job site and the qualification that they always ask for is the CELTA. Whether you can find a job or not without it is another question, but for my money taking another course is simply a waste of time.

I have heard that schools not only check that you have your CELTA, but where you took it. Eastern European and Thai schools have been recently accused of handing out A’s and B’s too freely. If there is any truth to the matter, I have no idea.

sarah c on Wed, 24th Sep 2008 8:54 am


I started a CELTA course 2 days ago – and already I feel like not returning!! I’ve thought about teaching English for many years – mainly because I would like to live in another country and TEFL seems like the only way to do it. However I didn’t like the first day of the course nor did I like the weird form we had to sign about stress and taking criticism – I wanted to do a college course that was fun- not worse than working in an office!! I found the people mundane, it was very pedantic and detailed and all afternoon I clock watched and couldn’t wait to get the hell out of there. Found the tutors a bit glazed too – get out or stick it out!!?

Catherine on Thu, 25th Sep 2008 12:02 am


Hi I am trying to find a CELTA course in Paris.Can anyone help me with suggestions regarding the better schools and which school you have all had such a bad experience at.
Many thanks

Linda on Sat, 11th Oct 2008 7:14 pm


Reading about other people’s bad experiences with CELTA makes me feel a little better. I wish I had seen these comments years ago. I have a lot in common with you. To the person who said “one of the teachers really dislikes me” – I feel your pain. I had the same experience. In fact, it was noticeable enough for one of my classmates to comment on it and offer to write to the powers that be (whoever they were). I just thought it was my fault. Nothing I did was right. I got contradictory advice from different instructors as to lesson plans – got very obsessive about the lesson plans and eventually lost most of the pleasure I had in teaching. I had enjoyed teaching for over 20 years, but I left the CELTA course convinced that I was an abject failure who knew nothing. I was also assured by the instructors that I just hadn’t got “it” – and that the other classmates had got “it”. I am still trying to figure out what “it” is. But I apparently failed for lack of “it-ness”.
To the man who failed twice: my behaviour was also called into question, but I wasn’t actually told WHAT I was doing wrong until the end of the course when the instructor who disliked me told me I had been answering too many questions and not giving anyone else a chance to speak. (Now I wonder why she could not have handled that problem without the put-downs.)
To the person who felt he/she knew more about language than the instructors: it is entirely possible. At one point in the course when we were studying stress in pronunciation, we were asked to come up with a three syllable word with the stress on the third syllable. I said “ingenue” . Instructor said the loudest “HUH?” I had ever heard, asked if that was a word, if it was English, insisted that I spell it and checked with the other classmates (who agreed that it was a word and existed in English dictionaries). At the end of the course when I complained of Kafkaesque treatment (re. unspecific complaints about my behaviour) I was answered with another loud “HUH?” (but this time I did not spell it for her.) I guess ingenue was a bad choice of a three-syllable word/phrase with the stress at the end. “Kangaroo”, “engineer” and “stupid bitch” would have done equally well.

Eric the Red on Sun, 9th Nov 2008 10:00 pm


Wow, sounds like some rough experiences here. I really wanted to get the CELTA for the name, you hear that is the “best”, and employers and to get a work visa you will need it. Does anyone know if TEFL International is a good option… and if the TESOL certification is not as internationally recognized and respected as the CELTA. Seeing as there are a lot of unhappy campers here. Curious, planning thailand trip for CELTA/TESOL cert. early 09. Thanks.

jesus on Mon, 24th Nov 2008 5:48 am


Yes, I am at risk of failing the course.

no doubt many of the tutors’ comments are correct, but they seem to be mixed with a heavy dose of dog excrement.

I have not told them that. i signed to say I agreed with the assessments because it seemed the diplomatic thing to do.

However, I have not given up yet. It was ENCOURAGING to see posts from people who had first class honours degrees and failed. (I don’t but do have a master’s degree, and a teaching diploma).

Word of advice on Sun, 21st Dec 2008 3:56 am


When I took the course I already had 4 years of ESL teaching experience in various countries and an education degree. Having spoken with colleagues about their CELTA experience we have all come to this conclusion:

If you have had more than one year of experience or you have a degree related to education or English, DO NOT MENTION THIS in your application form. You may be seen as a threat and/or you will not be treated equally to those with no experience and no degree.

adrian on Sat, 17th Jan 2009 4:00 am


I can relate to a lot of these comments, especially Linda who says she has been teaching for 20 years and felt she was a failure. I have been lucky in that my tutor has been gentle; she has pointed out the good points in my teaching practises as well as what I need to improve. What has been devastating for me is that I also have been a successful teacher for more than 20 years and my lessons (which I spend up to six hours preparing)which alwaysgo quite well, I achieve my aims, the students enjoy the lessons, and which my tutor has at least twice said were”strong” lessons, are consistently rated as “standard”, while some of the other trainees who have confessed they spend maybe one hour preparing their lessons, and who clearly are not doing things the “CELTA” way, or have done what is clearly a poor lesson in which the tutor has to tell them many things which were done incorrectly, are also marked as “standard.” It is devasting to me to be in the same standard category as people who are putting very little effort into the course, who have never taught before, and who are doing poor lessons. Has anyone ever done an “above standard” lesson? What I assume is

Above standard= A perfect , flawless, godlike CELTA way lesson

Standard=A quite strong/good——–a very poor lesson

Below standarad=A completely rotten, lousy lesson

Would like to hear someone’s opinion on this.

jesus smith on Fri, 23rd Jan 2009 8:28 am


quite amazed to read deconstructor’s comments: Must have CELTA meaning the less you know about teaching the better.

carrie on Tue, 10th Feb 2009 9:29 am


I’ve done a part-time CELTA in Baden, Switzerland.
I wouldn’t expect my dog to be treated the way some of the trainees were here. 50 year-old women crying, sleepless, throwing up with nerves a week before teaching practice. Confusing directives from tutor. I think our tutor was trying to cover her own lack of coaching concepts and expertise by making lists of details that were ‘wrong’. Quixotic ideas about big ‘no-no’s. No ‘big picture’ ideas. A clear example of how not to conduct adult education by people who are ‘experts’ in that very field.
Lack of respect for people learning teaching and people being taught the language. I grit my teeth to go on.
I’m now motivated to train as a learning therapist.

Philip on Fri, 27th Mar 2009 12:38 pm


just failed my CELTA, now have to choose whether to take a ‘no one fails’ TEFL course, or perhaps a TESOL course…

Chris on Sat, 25th Apr 2009 8:40 am


I am about to start the CELTA in the UK. Hope I don’t fail…

Marie on Thu, 7th May 2009 4:33 pm


I’m sorry to hear about your negative experiences. I recently completed a CELTA in Australia and had a great experience. Unlike the standard 4 week intensive course, I was able to take a 12 week part-time course at night and work at my school during the day. I’m aware this is not the norm, but being able to apply what I was learning really helped me to develop a foundation in English language instruction. I would recommend doing the part-time course as opposed to the full-time course if the option is available.

Damon Main on Thu, 4th Jun 2009 6:49 am


Must admit its comforting to read this. I did the CELTA recently in Edinburgh (Randolph School in Frederick Street) but pulled out after two weeks. One of the teachers/TP lesson assessors was an old woman who was only interested in lavishing massive praise to some TP tutors but absolutlly destroyed my final lesson by way of feedback.

Amongst others thing I was told:

-You are a weak teacher
-Your lessons are poor
-You offered weak lessons

Be warned, this course is not a supportive one. It is cliquey, there are clearly ‘course favourites’ and course ‘weak links.’ Yes, they will welcome you to do the course, its friendly enough but those running the course like to identify weak links early on and you will be marked down as potential failures very early.

It can feel like a cruel, highly intensive, jargon filled quasi-academic prison sentence. After achieving two University Degrees in English/History and an MSc from a Business school with flying colours the CELTA course after the first two weeks could have left me by the end a miserable education shy wreck.

The criteria CELTA set any candidate to pass is very thorough and strict. It can be easy enough for some but you like me may be the unlucky one, two or three and get bullied, told you are a crap potential teacher and will be put off TEFL for life. You will come out at the end and know by week three you will get a pass or fail.

This is an honest opinion of this course and as you can see I am not alone in my experience of being demeaned, dismissed as a poor teacher and destroyed.

There is no way you can prepare anyone for a career in teaching TEFL through four weeks. If you want to learn about TEFL go abroad and start from the bottom upwards. Meet some people to chat with, try conversational assistance, move on to story reading or vocabulary maybe even do another TEFL type course.

The CELTA course is tough, difficult and at times bamboozling. It can feel like trying to explain to infants how a square fits into a triangle.

After the first few days most people on the course looked stressed, miserable and burdened. After poor feedback people looked haunted and unhappy. There is no chance on a CELTA to have long term fun, wild nights out everyday and a laugh. It is tough, you get a friday night out now and then but really you should be at home reading about ‘Past continuous’ and its relationship with verbs and prepositions.

Overall, your experience might be great and you get a pass as most do, but beware you may be in the 5% that fail, get dismissed and pidgeon holed as
‘poor’.

By all means do the CELTA but by aware that you may be in the 5%.

Damon Main on Thu, 25th Jun 2009 2:43 pm


WARNING**CELTA BAD EXPERIENCE: RANDOLPH SCHOOL, FREDERICK STREET, EDINBURGH88WARNING

THIS IS A WARNING FOR ALL STUDENTS THINKING OF DOING THE CELTA COURSE.

THIS IS A HIGH DISTRESSING COURSE. YOU WILL BE TREATED IN A VERY HIGH HANDED WAY, CRITICISED AND DEMEANED. PETTY ‘TUTORS’ WILL GET A SENSE OF SATISFACTION OUT OF FAILING YOUR LESSONS.

YOU MAY WELL PASS THIS COURSE BUT BE AWARE THAT IT IS INTENSLY UNSATISFYING, TIME CONSUMING AND OVER BEAUCRATIC.

THERE WILL BE AROUND 40 STUDENTS DO THE COURSE IN ANY ONE CYCLE BUT BEWARE THAT THERE ARE A QUOTA OF STUDENTS EVERY COURSE WHO MUST FAIL IN ORDER FOR THE SCHOOL TO BE GIVEN A LICENSE TO CONTINUE.

THERE ARE TUTORS ON THIS COURSE WHO HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO MAKE YOUR LIFE A MISERY.

YOUL WILL STRUGGLE TO FIND TIME TO GO FOR LUNCH, BE FORCED TO ACCEPT CRUEL, DEMEANING AND UNCONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM. ALL OF THIS WILL BE PUT DOWN AS AN ATTEMPT TO ‘GET YOU TO IMPROVE.

THIS COURSE IS THERE TO BE PASSED BUT BE AWARE YOU MIGHT BE AN UNLUCKY ONE. THE CELTA SHOULD NOT BE EMBARKED UPON LIGHTLY AS THE COURSE LEADER AND TUTORS WILL TAKE GREAT DELIGHT IN FAILING YOU.

BE WARNED. THIS IS NOT A UNIQUE PERCEPTION OR A DISTORTION. THIS IS A FACT.

Ella on Mon, 20th Jul 2009 1:07 pm


I am so glad I found this website today.. just doing my CELTA at the moment in a sunny location in Spain.. Just failed today my first TP… I am in the third week, probably the busiest one… I have seen very bad criticism going around with my group, some of the students feeling really disappointed with the feedback received. I hope it goes fine though! Wish me luck!

Maria on Fri, 24th Jul 2009 12:54 am


Almost afraid to say it but my experience has been rather positive so far (end of week three, CELTA Berlin). It is true that some of the tutors worked better for me than others but on the whole I am able to draw a lot out of it. Another important point is peer support. You need a bunch of people in your group who are both supportive and critical of your lessons and who you can share a laugh with every once in a while. Otherwise I am not sure I would feel as confident as I do now.

If you did it at a location where you were treated the way you described above, please do complain about it to Cambridge, seriously- the only way we might help future students. Try not to get bogged down by the system and the workload and help your peers if you feel they are in need. Having said that, I was honestly considering strangling some of them two days ago… but the feeling went away.

Sorry about being so positive but since people WILL be taking the course in the future, I thought I might try to say something that might be constructive

Nicole on Sat, 25th Jul 2009 12:34 pm


Jeez! I’m a Brit stranded in Paris, having been made redundant from my banking job, I was looking at doing a TEFL course at ILC Paris but these comments are horrendously off-putting! Does ANYONE (apart from Marie) have any POSITIVE feedback about the CELTA course, particularly the one given at ILC Paris?

Many thanks

Nix

james on Wed, 29th Jul 2009 12:10 am


Even I am about to start. lets see what happens!!

colin on Thu, 30th Jul 2009 3:39 pm


I get to find out tomorrow if I passed my course….however with 1 failed written assignment and the very real chance of another resubmission [ nr 3 from 4 assignments] also ‘failing’ , then that will be that. 2 fails and you fail the course…no ifs or buts.
However, not only that, but I ‘failed ‘ my final lesson this afternoon, despite clearly hitting the aim of having the students using [and understanding] the target language..and that is probably gonna cost [I do expect to pass the resubmitted assignment]. The reason I failed? Not explaining clearly in my lesson plan there was a receptive skills exercise that required ‘Jigsaw’ reading….which I hadn’t felt necessary to explain. The students got it…they’re not stoopid fer f @$ks sake
I failed…go figure…and it may cost me dearly…
They really are robots these tutors.

Michelle on Fri, 31st Jul 2009 6:45 am


LOL! I just passed the intensive course…. It was grueling but I DID IT!!!! Not like any of you sorry, good for nothing loosers.

Michelle on Fri, 31st Jul 2009 6:46 am


I just spelled losers wrong… and yet I still passed!

Carol on Thu, 6th Aug 2009 8:12 am


Hey there everyone! I’m about to begin my CELTA course in Nov, after reading everyone’s comments I am actually quite worried. However i will stick it out no matter what (as i have already paid my deposit) and hope for the best.

Could anyone give me any advice or what i should research before i begin this intensive course?
Thanks, much appreciated!

Aggrieved on Thu, 27th Aug 2009 10:30 am


D’ja know what folks?
Even if you do complain to Cambridge after you fail…they don’t really bother investigating. They contact the Centre where you failed and presumably ask them:
” Is there any truth in these allegations?” Whereby the guilty tutor [backed up to the hilt by his/her colleagues] will obviously say: “not a crumb.”
And voila…you get a confirmation of failure letter, blaming your general ‘portfolio’ depite the obvious fact that the ‘ feedback” notes from your failed lessons will be exactly as they were directly after the lesson[s] that you may have queried.
IDoes anyone know if they’re also as rigid and unsympathetic at TESOL

John on Sun, 30th Aug 2009 3:17 am


Hello everyone!

I passed my CELTA with a grade B three years ago. It is a very hard course and I certainly found it no picnic. There were some strong teachers on my course who were very uncooperative with other members of their group, and they were marked down for it. Likewise, you may not be the strongest teacher but if you look at your tutor`s comments after each teaching practice and incorporate those into your following TP, you`re showing you are willing to develop and that you`re acting on (usually) sage advice.

I am now six months into my distance DELTA course and I still feel “victimised” with some of the comments I get. I was a borderline fail at the beginning of the course and realised that even with my CELTA and having taught with the British Council after gaining my CELTA for two years, I still knew very little about teaching. What they are doing is deconstructing and remoulding you so that you are more knowledgeable and aware of sound EFL practice. That may sound like I`ve swollowed an advertisement but it is true.

If you`re going to do a CELTA, here is my advice for what it is worth:

1) Do NOT go to a school because it is the cheapest, go to a British Council or International House centre where tutors are truly professional.
2) Before the course buy a good grammar (I recommend Michael Swan`s Practical English Usage) and a good pedagogical guide (I recommend Jim Scriverner`s Learning Teaching) – make notes and get them into your head!
3) Be prepared for long hours and little sleep but bear in mind it is a month. If that means no beer and partying then so what!? It is only a month!
4) LIsten to your tutors, be cooperative and try and act on what they say (most do know what they`re doing)
5) Work with your group, exchange emails, so when you go home at night you`re sining from the same hymn sheet. Share what you have done, especially with your assignments and be prepared if you are a “strong” member of the group to help and encourage those who do find it tough.

Good luck, remember that this thread is a little on the negative side. I feel for those who have failed or had a miserable experience but I found my CELTA to be the beginning of a whole new life, one which is exciting and pushes me mentally (and sometime physically with lack of sleep) to my limit. I am sure you can do it!

Best wishes,

John.

Paul on Sun, 30th Aug 2009 11:31 am


Hi Carol,

Hats off to you for making the decision to do the CELTA. Please don’t be discouraged by the negative comments you’ve read here. There are lots of people who successfully pass CELTA (over 10,00 world-wide according to an article in the ELTJ that I just read), but it is true that you’ll be very busy during the course. Expect not much in the way of a social life and some late nights and working on weekends (but hey it’s only for 4 weeks, right?)
.
Is it stressful? Well, that depends on the individual and how well one can effectively manage time. The other trick is to try and put what you’ve observed and learned into practice in a very short time.

Another tip – don’t expect the course to train you to be a competent teacher in a month – that’s impossible! It teaches you how to survive in a classroom – the competency part takes quite a few months post CELTA to kick in.

Finally, while each centre and course is different and one can’t generalize, I believe a lot of these people who had negative experiences weren’t properly informed of what a CELTA involves. My advice is to talk to as many people as you can who’ve done it to get a good idea of the work load and try and keep positive. Find other students who are keeping positive and stay away from the whingers – negativity breeds negativity. CELTA is just like jumping through hoops – easy to do once you are trained how to do it. If you don’t like jumping through hoops, then this is NOT the course for you.

Also, if you aren’t doing so well, ASK the tutors DIRECTLY what you need to do to improve – don’t expect them to hand you the answers to a perfect lesson on a plate.
Yes, you’ll work your butt off.
Yes, you won’t have much opportunity to go out socializing.
Yes, it can be very stressful, but..
YES, it can be very rewarding, and..
YES, you will pass if you put the work in.

Good luck!

Jer Collins on Thu, 3rd Sep 2009 2:55 pm


Some interesting comments here. I have just completed the CELTA course at a school in Dublin. Contrary to most of the reports here the tutors were fantastic and nobody from our group failed (18).
The tutors always led with positive feedback and charaterised the negative aspects as ‘learning or action points’. They modelled all techniques during input sessions and encouraged us to search for and use innovative materials at all times.
The Idea of ‘getting it’ is also true but the concept is ultimately very simple. Firstly know the material (study the grammar point, learn the phoneme etc). Secondly prepare as well as you can and thirdly do a lesson that is centered on the student, get them to do the work wherever possible.
If I was unfortunate enough to come across a ‘bad’ tutor I would act immediately. I would raise concern with the tutor, the course leader, the director of the school and if needed with Cambridge. The school delivering the certificate absolutely don’t want to lose their accreditation and to preserve it, would do just about anything to resolve the issue.

Laramie on Sun, 6th Sep 2009 5:57 am


How to salvage a bad CELTA experience:
? Realize that you can learn a lot about good teaching by observing bad tutors. I observed tutors using techniques with trainees that trainees would never have been allowed to use with language students. This included sarcasm, cruel mimicking of trainees, veiled threats, blatant favouritism, etc. One tutor was so harsh and her moods so unpredictable that in any real, controlled, professional teaching environment, she would have been reprimanded and likely removed. Another, the lead tutor, who continually distributed handouts with misspellings, took almost three weeks to learn the trainees’ names.
? Understand that as a participant in certain CELTA factories, you are nothing more than a “trainee dog”. Any experience you bring with you is irrelevant, useless and wrong because it does not come from CELTA. Worse than being handled like a child (a common complaint), the first thing you are supposed to learn is unquestioning obedience to the CELTA (tutor) way. These places pride themselves on a boot camp atmosphere and approach. It works well with dogs and soldiers but you are neither a dog nor a soldier. You’re a teacher.
? Never forget that CELTA training takes place in a completely artificial environment. You are never going to teach with six other people observing and critiquing your performance, five of whom who are most likely inexperienced themselves and the other who influences whether you get a teaching job after the course or not. This would affect a teacher’s rapport with any student group because students are aware of and sensitive to the awkward nature of this teaching environment, i.e. twelve adults in a room, six observing, one teaching, five trying to learn a language the others know. That’s why the language students are basically just props in the CELTA program, first written assignment aside. Language students will never be props in other classrooms you will inhabit, thank goodness.
? Understand that politics play a big role in CELTA success. Too many of the trainees who get the best grades realize early on that sucking up to tutors is the key to success in CELTA. Stroking tutors’ egos, some of which are ample, is an effective way to stand out in a crowd. These people are disliked by other trainees because the tactic is so transparent to them. Decide for yourself if this is the approach you want to take to achieve success in teaching (stroking your supervisor), or would you rather have your students’ success be the measure of yours?

Gareth on Fri, 11th Sep 2009 4:55 am


Hey,

Why not do the Trinity college TESOL Certificate. It’s the same as the CELTA but impossible to fail!

Errol Flynn on Wed, 30th Sep 2009 2:26 am


As a CELTA trainer, really feel for you guys out there who failed – but the thing to remember is that it isn’t that you can’t teach, just that you aren’t teaching lessons to the CELTA standard. Can’t speak for all CELTA centres but, generally speaking, trainers are very supportive and we want you guys to pass – but you can’t expect to breeze in with an M.A. or even a B.A in linguistics and expect to pass – they are two very different things. My advice – don’t think that you know anything about teaching before you start. Be open, receptive, supportive of fellow participants and take as much as you can from the course. And be grateful it isn’t the DELTA….

Sara on Mon, 12th Oct 2009 3:29 am


I attempted the Trinity TESOL course(a CELTA equivalent) 7 years ago and dropped out after a week. I was struggling from the second day onwards and felt belittled when I asked for help from my tutors. I don’t want this to sound like a tutor bash but it would help if you had people who knew how to do their job. The ESL teaching industry is a fun, dynamic, rewarding one; I know because I’ve been doing it in Italy for the last 6 years. There as in most of Europe it’s enough that you’re mother-tongue and have a degree if you want to teach in private schools. You get training in the schools and they want you to succeed so it’s a different environment all together. Now I’m in Australia and to get a decent ESL teaching job I have to have the piece of paper…

Billy on Mon, 12th Oct 2009 6:28 am


Having just finished a four week CELTA course in Germany, the comments above make extremely interesting reading.

There definitely seems to be a case of ‘if your face fits’ at these centres. At the risk of sounding paranoid, I’m pretty sure I was the ‘chosen’ trainee to fail.
My friend had previously done the same course in another city the year before and failed. When I spoke to him about it he said that he never felt like he was being treated as well as the more educated students on the course, which at the time I thought was just an excuse for not being good enough.

As it happens, I didn’t fail, but I firmly believe that if you are English, don’t have a degree or the same background as the trainers, you will be given the cold shoulder on many of these courses.

I don’t know for sure, but I wouldn’t put it past some of these centres to have some kind of quota system for failing people. Just make sure if like me, your face doesn’t fit, make it impossible for them to fail you by working extra hard.

Bret Smith on Tue, 20th Oct 2009 7:23 pm


Here’s the bottom line: I went to one of the most conservative Asian counties in the world, Taiwan. I had three job offers within a month. Yes its hard. Allot of foot work and confidence. Where nice pants and a tie at the interview and demo. Speak slowly and deliberately. I AM NOT a college grad and I DO NOT have a celta. Here is the gist of a celta: If you want to learn now not to teach people. especially children then continue with your pursuits of the all mighty piece of paper. Celtas are not a prerequisite to teaching. a young open heart is. good to have your grammar down also. In the human real world, and I mean this from 4 years of teaching in two countries, celtas are a complete waste of time. Look the basis of a celta is british. no wonder they have their heads of their asses.

Bret Smith on Tue, 20th Oct 2009 7:25 pm


good to have my grammer down..Ahem….oops. “Wear” pants and a tie.

tansy on Thu, 5th Nov 2009 11:56 am


it has been very interesting to read all this. i was just about to spend all my money on a celta course, but thinking now not to.
what i want to do is teach english, one to one, with children and adults in spain. i have done a little of this, but found i lacked confidence mainly, also needed to brush up identification of grammar. i also lacked skills and confidence in assessing what level an adult was at. given all this, does anyone have any feedback for me as to what courses could be useful for me to do. i want to go to spain soon and start teaching. please help, and thank you!

Miyoung on Fri, 20th Nov 2009 2:53 am


Good to have found this site. I’m starting a full-time CELTA in Seoul, Korea coming January. I’ve heard or read a fair bit of bad comments and good comments so far. Not going to judge it until I actually experience it. I’ll keep the new readers posted when/if I finish the course. Wish me luck…

steve on Wed, 9th Dec 2009 12:45 pm


I finished my celta about six months ago and passed , but only just. Certain tutors clearly single out the “weak links”.It was almost as if the they were seeing if they would crack under the pressure. I was told I was no good at teaching etc

CELTA is more of a character assassination rather than a course that will help you become a good teacher. It reminded me a lot of when I joined the army – they break you down and build you into what they want you to be. CELTA is exactly the same – it produces robotic teachers.

If your going to embark on CELTA , all I can say is try not to take anything to personal . You may be criticised on aspects such : your mannerisms , the way you dress, your lesson plans ,handwriting etc etc.
Never question the rules either! I think this is where I went wrong.To be welcomed into the CELTA cult you must never question why rules exist and what their benefit is – just abide by them even if its through gritted teeth.Always give the tutors what they want to see even if it means turning in an teaching session that would be worthy of an Oscar.

To sum up – I didn’t learn one thing from CELTA and when I left I was a wreck . I passed but I’m not a better teacher than before I embarked on the CELTA nightmare. Good Luck!

Justin on Fri, 11th Dec 2009 3:57 am


Hm. I’m a week away from finishing my CELTA course and it’s certainly been a worthwhile experience. Yes, the feedback sessions after your classes can be somewhat cutting but this part of the course is made crystal clear to you during the application process. If you cannot handle criticism, I would suggest this is not the course for you.

That said, all of the criticism I have received has been of a constructive nature. You have to learn to take it on board and make an effort to address what is said for your next lesson. As long as you try to do this, your tutor and your fellow trainees will notice and you’ll develop your skills.

It is true that there is a “CELTA way” to planning and delivering a lesson. There is a reason for this. It is highly effective. As it is a course aimed at people who have little or no relevant teaching experience, I would consider this to be a good thing. Of course, within the “CELTA way” there are a myriad of variations that you can use in your lessons – I have seen many interesting and engaging lessons carried out by trainees that the students have learned from.

Maybe some centres will have better tutors than others. However, each tutor and centre is assessed at every intake by a Cambridge assessor who is there to ensure they meet the standards that are set by CESOL. If you drop out or fail the course, I’m inclined to conclude that the fault probably lies with you and not your tutor.

If you think this is all too much to take in four weeks, may I suggest looking at the part-time option? The four week course is very intensive (this is NOT an exaggeration) and you really, REALLY have to know this before you start. The centre I go to offers a five-week course with a “gap day” in the middle of the week so you can catch up and breathe a bit. Definitely a good middle option.

Marnie on Mon, 14th Dec 2009 6:14 am


Have you guys considered that CELTA is purely a money-making venture and just the top rung of the whole Cambridge exam factory?
There are 2 things they need:
1) The continued approval of Cambridge represented by the visit of the assessor. Then they can repeat the money-making scheme.
2) That you cause them as little work and trouble as possible after your check has gone into their bank account. That means, not complain, take the handouts and routine inputs they have been recycling for years and that the trainees take the blame for everything on the course that’s not optimal. They make you afraid beginning the day of the interview and keep you in a state of stress and confusion. If you point out any negatives, you get marked down because, as I think we’ve all noticed, there’s not too much objectivity in the grading system.
So please be vocal and inform others about what they’re wasting their money on.

Odette on Sat, 26th Dec 2009 1:39 pm


I’m pleased to see that people have come out to tell others about their terrible experiences with licensed Cambridge Univesity schools. It’s about time Cambridge Univesity itself does something to clean it’s name from what these incompetent schools, who represent them do to their students.
I took the couse after having been a teacher in NY universities for over 10 years, something they didn’t know until they had already graded me. They showed an extremely poor method to prepare their students. Instead of encouraging or motivate them to improve, they tried to turn us all agiainst each other. They gave an excellent grade to a guy who knew nothing about grammar and had terrible language problems. As an example, he told the class that the auxiliary “does” was used for the past tense and sometimes for the present! He still got an excellent grade (he was affiliated to the British Army)
I could tell so many incredible anechdotes about this experience where they never praise knowledge. Just to add a different one, on a different note, they didn’t even turn on the air conditioning while we were studying to save on it! Plus the apartment they rented us, at a skyrocketing price was a pigsty.
This was the worst learning experience I’ve ever had and the most disrespectful one too.
Even though I got the certificate, I don’t think anybody should be treated like this. I wonder what kind of approach is that, when you mistreat students and at the same time rip them off.

STINKFACE on Thu, 21st Jan 2010 4:59 am


I recently failed the CELTA after getting all the way to the last Teaching practice after having a few earlier below standard TPs which meant the last lesson was make or break. To add to this pressure, the Cambridge external moderator came to observe me and a fellow trainee. We both failed. My main problem was that they said you didnt require previous teaching experience but all those with prev experience passed where as 2 people without experience failed the course, support from the tutors was removed after 2 weeks which i think is OK if you have had previous experience (not that there was much in the first 2 weeks outside class, both tutors being faily unapproachable, much of the support comes from your fellow trainees). If your totally new to teaching it equates to ‘sink or swim’ and the amount of informtion and techniques you are expected to implement after 2 weeks is huge. Another grevance I had was with one of the tutors when i was planning my last make or break lesson, I asked their advice on whether what I had chosen to teach was challenging enough for the students as I wanted to make the lesson as consice & straight forward for myself and them as possible. I was advised a context to use that would be challenging-I took the tutors ‘advice’, only to be failed on this lesson and the course and told that it was not challenging enough and was taking care of my own priorities over the students which I thought was quite unfair on the tutors part. It felt like the tutor deliberatly decived me with the information given and while I accept that you are expected to be able to stand on your own feet by that stage I find it difficult to accept that a qualified Cambridge Certified ‘professional’ can happily decieve you with false information that is more a hinderance than a help.

david kelly on Fri, 5th Feb 2010 7:13 pm


My understanding is that CELTA courses are adminestered by Cambridge University. A relatively good instiuon?

As such , if you and and all the other moaning, winging failures keep complaining about standardised course, set by external bodies, and can’t make the grade, then stop coplaining, get a life and go back to school, having read many of your comments in most cases it should be primaray school in particular Damon Lang or some equivalent tosspot!

richard mullins, brisbane on Mon, 8th Feb 2010 6:51 am


I did not pass CELTA. But I see that one can do a course (at university) which covers the material at a more leisurely pace (and in much more depth).

I suspect that much of tertiary education today, even at university level, is of a similar abysmal standard to the celta course I did. I notice that the OECD is doing a “feasibility study for the international assessment of higher education learning outcomes”. To me this sounds Orwellian.

I am rather shocked that Cambridge would want to have their name associated with the celta course. I tried to get my case reviewed but did not succeed – the independent reviewer rubber stamped the previous assessment., Even though I provided an audio transcript as a second opinion, and pointed out errors in the assessment, they would not comment on this material at all.

richard mullins, brisbane.

Lil on Sun, 28th Feb 2010 9:56 am


The CELTA I did was fun, hard work and very useful for my current job. They certainly do not have to fail a few people to keep their license (as Damon has suggested), that’s just an urban myth based on ignorance and a wish to find a reason for their failure. I am sorry some people have found this course to be so negative but that is the fault of the awful tutors that they had the unfortunate luck to get not the course itself. I hope that others read this message and realise that it was a great month of training that gave me the confidence to teach students in a fun and informative manner. Good luck to those taking it and sympathies for those that failed.

Imran Hussain on Fri, 5th Mar 2010 10:44 am


I am just finishing a CELTA course and really enjoyed it. I’m doing it part-time over the duration of 6 months and really think it makes a difference. It is waay too much information and methodology to learn if you’ve never taught before! But then again, I’m getting a level 5 qualification (just under a degree) in under 6 months and I couldn’t do that anywhere else.

I got above/comfortably meets the criteria from my TP4-TP8. I felt like my first 3 lessons got ripped apart, even though I got the standard ‘meets the criteria’ grade. But I read the feedback notes, worked on my weaknesses and voila.

I think it’s a good course regardless of if you have taught before, it’s very thorough and Cambridge University don’t mess about when they attach their name to something. I’d definitely recommmend a part-time course, it takes a bit of time to adjust to language teaching; there are more rights and wrongs than in teaching a normal subject.

Daniel on Sat, 6th Mar 2010 9:53 am


In response to Damon’s criticism of the Randolph School above in the comments, I must respectfully disagree. I’m currently entering my last week in the CELTA course at this school, and have had a very good experience so far. I’m by no means in the upper end of the class in terms of performance or marks, though I do expect to pass.

I really enjoy the small size of the school, the family feeling between our tutors, my fellow students (teachers in training), and our students. I feel that our two tutors (one of whom is the director of the school) have been extremely supportive and accessible throughout the course, and show a great deal of dedication to the school and its students. The biggest thing is I feel that they’re “on our side” and want to see us teachers in training succeed on the course.

I had read Damon’s comment before committing to the Randolph School and it almost made me change my mind and choose an alternative school in Edinburgh which was a bit more expensive. I’m very glad with my decision to go to Randolph and can wholeheartedly recommend the school to anyone.

Jane Rauch on Sat, 20th Mar 2010 4:21 am


I am a CELTA Trainer with 22 years experience in EFL and ESOL teaching. I really feel I need to jump in here !

I have some advice for anybody thinking of doing a CELTA course:
1. Teaching is a profession. Just like being a doctor or a lawyer. It requires a solid understanding of the subject, serious commitment and a lot of hard work. CELTA is a very short course. Think about it. If you are going to reach a standard of professional competence in just one month you are going to have to work really really hard ! I have a feeling that many of the people who struggle with CELTA do so because they have a low opinion of what being a teacher really involves. CELTA is not for people who fancy combining conversation classes in bars with backpacking in Greece for a couple of years. EFL and ESOLteaching are proper jobs !
2. Remember that being a teacher means knowing your subject. Being a native speaker of English is not at all the same thing as knowing how the English language works. EFL students will ask you WHY a sentence is correct or not. You will have to be able to tell them. If you can’t you are not a professional and you are wasting your student’s time and money. Think about this. Are you prepared to invest the huge amount of time it will take you to acquire this knowledge ? If not, then CELTA is not for you.
3. CELTA is also about acquiring a lot of practical teaching skills. Some of the comments previously posted seem indignant that their linguistics degrees are not enough. No, of course they are not enough. You could have a Phd in linguistics and still not be able to teach it. Teaching is a different skill from knowing about something.
4. In reply to Damon Main’s comment about a certain number of trainees having to fail in order for a centre to maintain their licence: this is complete and utter nonsense. Trainees pass or fail entirely on their merits. This is absolutely clear. Please do read the information from the awarding body on this instead of randomly making up facts to prove your personal point.
5. CELTA Trainers are required to have a great deal of experience, be highly qualified and trained in training. They are also constantly supervised and assessed themselves. If you have never taught EFL before then why do you think that you would know better than them how to teach it ? Would you argue with a car mechanic how a part of an engine works if you had had no previous knowledge of engines ? It might be difficult for you to accept, but CELTA trainers have expertise. You don’t.

Ok, now my rant is over. I am sorry that some people have had bad experiences. Tutors should be supportive and even handed. Feedback should be informative rather than critical. However, I do think that you need to go into CELTA fully aware of the fact that you are about to embark on something extremely demanding and you have to be able to accept and trust what the trainers say to you. Have some respect for the profession please !

telfer cronos on Sat, 17th Apr 2010 6:07 am


hello any disgruntled celta people out there, who think the course (or at lesat the way it is assessed) is a steaming heap of quadruped excreta.

My advice is don’t give up the faith. The neatly packaged accounts of education we are given is a lie. Historically, education has so often been a struggle against received opinion.

The neatly packed of education devised by universities are, in many cases, modelled on the industrial “division of labour”. Foucault said the foundations of classical thought began to crumble 200 years ago. The certainties presented in the celta course are often bogus certainties. The celta course was meant to be presented as ‘”action research”, i.e. brainstorming and discussion. But in the course I did, it was not done this way – any dissent was squashed.

It is interesting that there are more than 256 schools world wide teaching celta.
No doubt there are some schools in this list, that we would be happy with.

One of my current ideas is that it should be possible to devise little “scripts” (dialogues of a few lines) which demonstrate that we meet one of the 42 assessment criteria. So the whole course could be reduced to practising a small number of little scripts.

Will I win (in my attempt to get my case reviewed)? It does not matter to me one way of the other. Like Groucho Marx might have said – if I don’t get passed on the course, then it has no credibility and is perhaps worthless. This won’t stop me from saying that the current assessment system is an example of “bureaucracy gone mad”. This is the madhouse that Illich warned us about 40 years ago. It is now begining to infest, I fear, our high schools and even primary schools. In Australia, there is now an Orwellian “early learning” program for pre-schoolers.

Gadeskilte on Sat, 24th Apr 2010 11:45 am


I am about to start the CELTA in the UK. Hope I do well

Suzie Hoetzl on Tue, 27th Apr 2010 10:02 pm


I will hopefully being taking the CELTA course in August overseas. I have a Masters of Social Work, please can anyone recommend books. I have “Practical English Usage” by Swan and “Learning Teaching by Scrivener

Indrani on Mon, 24th May 2010 12:46 am


This is very interesting and I think some good points have certainly been made, though it’s important to mention that not everyone has a terrible experience taking the CELTA. Certainly not everyone should even be taking the CELTA. If you have a strong teaching background already (either years of practical teaching experience, a PGCE, a B.Ed., M.A. TESOL, or M.Ed.), then there really is no need to do a CELTA. I have to wonder in fact why some people feel compelled to enrol in this course when they have such backgrounds.

However, if you have a degree or even degrees in other fields (even if from an Anglophone university/country) and are interested in and seriously considering teaching EFL as a career – then I think the CELTA is a good foundation as far as practical lesson planning and teaching practice is concerned. The course itself is not difficult – it’s definitely not rocket science – however it is designed to make you think and of course it’s extremely time intensive for the four weeks you take the course. But so is completing a degree in any discipline for that matter (including teaching). The advantage with the CELTA is that it’s a start when you don’t know exactly where to start – a crash course on some of the fundamentals of learner-centered communicative language teaching.

Indrani on Mon, 24th May 2010 12:52 am


This is very interesting and I think some good points have certainly been made, though it’s important to mention that not everyone has a terrible experience taking the CELTA. Certainly not everyone should even be taking the CELTA. If you have a strong teaching background already (either years of practical teaching experience, a PGCE, a B.Ed., M.A. TESOL, or M.Ed.), then there really is no need to do a CELTA. I have to wonder in fact why some people feel compelled to enrol in this course when they have such backgrounds.

However, if you have a degree or even degrees in other fields (even if from an Anglophone university/country) and are interested in and seriously considering teaching EFL as a career – then I think the CELTA is a good foundation as far as practical lesson planning and teaching practice is concerned. The course itself is not difficult – it’s definitely not rocket science – however it is designed to make you think and of course it’s extremely time intensive for the four weeks you take the course. But so is completing a degree in any discipline for that matter (including teaching). The advantage with the CELTA is that it’s a start when you don’t know exactly where to start – a crash course on some of the fundamentals of learner-centered communicative language teaching.

For me personally, my lessons would not be as experiential or interactive without my training in the CELTA combined with my previous experience in workshop facilitation. But by no means is the CELTA the only venue where these things can be learned.

Robert Bruce on Thu, 27th May 2010 3:29 am


First I taught English for 12 years (including beeing a DoS etc.
Then I did i-to-i online tefl course.
Then I went to the International House boot camp in Chaing Mai (some dreadful abuse stories) and did 2 weeks of CELTA.
Then I did a TESOL TEFL Cert. in Phuket.

My opinion (which is growing) worldwide.
CELTA has some useful pointers although PPP is really DATED.
Nothing harms a course worse than BAD trainers who do NOT
practice anything that they preach.
I said nothing – but there is something, arrogant educationalists stemming from Cambridge down. GET REAL. LISTEN
The TESOL course I found very useful.
Although the principles of ESA do have some draw backs they do WORK, which
I doubt is really the case with 70% of rhe CELTA drivel.
Give me a Nissan Micra to a BMW any day. I need something that works and is going to do the job – not just all show.
Incidentally I beleive there is no room for racism, sexism and ageism in International Courses, or boot camp philosophies in courses that pertain to be “Blue Ribbon”.
I love it now, when I get (we never used that word when I was a kid) my English corrected.!!!

Jim on Mon, 31st May 2010 9:03 am


Might sound unpopular but having seen the quality of many a lesson prepared by untrained native speakers in South America I have to come down in support of the CELTA. I do accept:
*It’s often badly taught. No doubt about it, but that is language teaching and private education in general. Research is a must. Meet the trainers, previous trainees (go to the school and look for the pale shaking people)
*It’s a tough 4 weeks, but it should be, to take someone from novice to being responsible for someone’s paid for education in one month. I would have preferred to do it in at le3ast 6, but that would increase the cost, and considering the level of tuition, the usual cost is pretty good. (Compare contact hrs to university).
* Criticism hurts. Yes, being told you do something wrong isn’t nice. Especially if it comes down to social interaction like you have in the classroom. However there isn’t enough time to be very nice. The object is to teach the trainee to be self critical. Make the bad points yourself and you are 90% of the way there.
*It is fundamentally limiting. And this is PPP all over. Read any modern teaching literature and the message is the same. But a good CELTA experience will introduce you to the considerations necessary to transcend this way of teaching with practice. Quality assurance procedure or, possibly most importantly, transferable references to your next career/job/country
*It defiantly, beyond all shadow of a doubt does not produce good teachers. But it is the first page enroot.
*As a private teacher you can earn more money and don’t need a CELTA, but you have no VISA, job security, access to professional development, quality assurance procedure or, possibly most importantly, transferable references to your next career/job/country.

It’s a big pain in the ass, and actual teaching is a million times more interesting, fun and downright easier than a CELTA. There is also a wealth of techniques, methodologies and strategies aside from the ‘CELTA way’ but with a good team, participation in development sessions etc you will find and implement these, or not, as you feel comfortable. My experience of the CELTA was of anger, frustration and stress and I got a pass. I walked into a summer job on completion, and when that finished I got a job as a college lecturer, just 3 months later. Now I’m abroad in Peru with a great job, good salary and lovely students.

So advice. Grit teeth, bite bullet, listen to criticism, use a punch bag, act on criticism, qualify and keep looking at the posters of other countries on your breaks- it will all work out ok when you’re in Thailand eating green curry for lunch and planning your beach break at the weekend!

Anita on Fri, 4th Jun 2010 1:26 pm


I’m having second thoughts on the Celta course, it seems very intense and stress which I could do without.
I am a great believer that good work can be achieved with the right attitude, good nature, dedication determination a lot of soul and a great team.
I am likely to continue on my mission without the Celta course.
Wish me luck guys, any one interested in joining me on the Costa Blanca zone Javea
Drop me a line.
Feed back appreciated.
Only positive feed back not negative.
Thanks

naomi on Thu, 1st Jul 2010 6:05 pm


@Anita

I would recommend to anyone who want’s to embark on a Celta to go for one that is run at a Further education college. I did my part time Celta at a college in London. My learner’s were Esol students and I really enjoyed my course although yes it was stressful as its a lot of knowledge to take in. I can’t imagine how people do it in 4 weeks its quite tough.

I passed my course and have already been offered work by a number of private language schools this summer. I would like to work as an Esol tutor after the summer.

thaikarl on Thu, 8th Jul 2010 1:16 am


i took the CELTA in bangkok. i did have trouble with the written preview they sent me, and the instructor did tell me that “older” students sometimes find it difficult. i just didn’t know how difficult it was going to be. it IS a cram course. 6 weeks of do nothing else but work on the program. and that might not even be enough. where i went wrong was failing to realize that during some of the early teacher lessons, we would be expected to mirror that information and teaching practices exactly in our teaching. and i thought about everything to much. if i would have simply done exactly what they expected me to do, followed the steps and the program they gave me i would have been okay. others in my class did horrible teaching, but they did the right step, in the right order, at the right time, and they passed. i was spending too much time trying to be a good teacher, and not enough time figuring out what i was supposed to be doing according to their exact methods. one thing that really ticked me off, was that the OTHER class got a chart that listed each of the teaching methods, and the steps for each type. it made the differences very clear, but our class didn’t get these materials. i passed the CELTA, but just barely. if i was going to advise someone who was going to take CELTA i would say:
*bring your own computer to do your work on
*listen carefully make exact notes,
*do everything exactly they way they showed you and don’t think about anything else- like trying to be a good teacher. be a good teacher later.

then i found out i couldn’t support my family on what they pay english teachers in thailand, and i have to work in USA and go home to my thai family for a few months each year. sigh.

Sue on Sat, 10th Jul 2010 8:44 am


I don’t know why anyone would go through that CELTA boot camp. There are better ways to be taught and better ways to teach. Just because many schools require that certificate does not mean we all have to become slaves of CELTA. It is very sad that teachers with 20 years of teaching experience go through this torture. It is time to stand up and not follow this ‘military’ institution any more. There is no way that one can become a good teacher in just four weeks. Those people are just making money with their name. All the negative feedback they give you proofs that they have no clue how to train people to become good teachers.

Tom @ Sleeping Bags on Thu, 15th Jul 2010 3:39 am


I started a CELTA and had to drop off the course. One of the trainers was damn right rude to me and honestly made me dislike the course that much that I had to pack it in. Following that I have gone on to work abroad teaching without any qualification without much difficulty at all.

Jay on Sun, 18th Jul 2010 10:42 am


I failed the CELTA course, and having read these comments has given me great comfort. I came to the course already certified with a plain TESL certificate, I’ve just been shy about taking the plunge with a school sight unseen. IH really got my attention with it’s reputation and job security – I wanted to pursue the CELTA course for those reasons.
I was a very strong candidate for the first half of the course. I had a good rapport with the instructor, who respected my attempts to try new things IE Test Teach Test, instead of PPP, which was the holding pattern of most of the teachers in training.
Then we switched instructors, and my troubles began immediately. I will just say that she was an Australian catholic school lady, and we had communications from the outset. She had absolutely no appreciation for my attempts to break the lock step presentation style (PPP). She completely ruined the experience for me.
Of course there were some mortifying moments, and they each stemmed from the source material/ textbooks, which I found awful. Convoluted, irrelevant, and 100% british. I was told not to mention that we don’t call shopping carts “trollys” in American English, that it doesn’t matter. The way these books presented grammar was completely questionable – you’d have to see the books to understand. The book, appropriately titled, was “Inside Out”, and I hated it.
It was not for my lessons but for my written assignments that I was finally failed for (I had my final TP prepared to teach on the final day, which they prevented me from doing).
They rejected my whole MO, which was eluding to the importance of writing in the curriculum. Not one TP by anyone targeted writing – NOT ONE. The title of the paper that failed me was “A new approach”. Something tells me that they don’t like creativity in the classroom. Of course, those who practiced the “activity photocopied from the book followed by checking answers in class” holding pattern passed consistently.
In the end, they told me that I don’t need CELTA with the feeble qualifications I already possess. They pretty much shooed me away from IH. Good. You can keep your insipid conventional teaching style and grading rubrics. They clearly favor “fun and games” mini-lessons over challenge and content in the classroom.
IH represents the industry of TESL, it’s just a factory operation to reap emerging markets of their assets because english is the international language. It’s not surprise to me that people with a background in the English language, linguistics, and teaching tend to be rejected from the school.
I’m glad that I didn’t get the CELTA, I’m sure they would have fired me sooner or later.

Azza on Sat, 24th Jul 2010 10:25 am


CELTA was a breeze.. it honestly baffles me to think someone actually failed it twice. you’d have to be so brain dead to fail it twice. if you put in the work you pass. plain and simple

Leon P on Fri, 30th Jul 2010 3:52 pm


I just did and sucessfully completed a CELTA course. I would agree that it is incredibly stressful. However I would note that you need supportive colleagues and supportiive teachers.

If there were not supportive colleagues and teachers who were hard at first but really told you what to work on I’d have perhaps failed at the course.

I would admit though it was intensive however this school really did tell you about the intensity and there were many sleepless nights worrying over lesson plans and also doing assignments.

Week 1 is OK
Week2 is a bit more stressful
Week 3 is the worst week
Week 4 is easy street

By week 4 I developed a character which I go into to teach which is really deadpan and speaks slowly and does not TTT much or comentate on mistakes other than serious ones.

Confidence grows with experience, and tbh I’m not surprised some people fail as if the school is not supportive then all is lost! I nearly quit in week 2 but for a incredibly supportive colleague who convinced me to stay.

Thus CELTA can be tough but it depends on the school and the people you learn with. Therefore the best advice is to choose the school INCREDIBLY carefully also to network on day 1 with others so you can lean on them nad be leaned on in touch circumstances.

claudia s on Thu, 19th Aug 2010 4:08 pm


Hi everybody!

Just finishing my CELTA course in Leeds, UK. It has been a wonderful experience. Action English is a great place, the tutors here are fabulous, very qualified and very supportive. They encourage you a lot and criticism is always constructive. I recommend this place to anyone who really wants to learn something and to have a positive experience. Good luck!

Sleaze on Tue, 14th Sep 2010 7:46 am


I have taken and taught a good few courses in the business field. Never encountered anything as frustrating and unprofessional as that celta in baden. Working in the ELT field is great and nothing like the celta course.
Am now on a course as a vocational trainer. One thousand times better than celta.

Lal on Thu, 16th Sep 2010 1:29 am


Thanks to everyone who wrote here (except Michelle who plainly has the makings of the quintessential celta tutor.) I passed celta but was horrified and discouraged (After 10 years of having a great time tutoring English privately, I found that nearly everything I did was ‘wrong’). The better of my tutors was dyslexic (really) while the poorer claimed that every ‘-ing’ word is a gerund (ever heard of a present participle?) and explained about modals of deduction including ‘he must OF been here before.’ I could have forgiven these details had their own pedagogy, didactics, character or goodwill been of any quality but as it was…
The question pertaining to paedophile priests arises here: are people with these tendencies attracted to these jobs or do they become criminal when presented with the opportunity and the power rush goes to their heads?
And I ended up using all the tricks in the book: pretending to be happy, pretending to be grateful for wisdom and guidance, being very polite when aggressed by tutors, ignoring putdowns and public humiliations, just focussing on getting the certificate so I didn’t waste the money my kids could actually have used for more intelligent projects.

Laramie on Mon, 20th Sep 2010 4:01 am


Response to Jane Rauch:

Your statement is unfortunately symptomatic of what’s wrong with CELTA: the delivery. Many aspects of CELTA are terrific: the content, the structure, the timing, the rigor, the industry standardization. There’s a big problem with delivery, though, as demonstrated by this and many other blogs.

Delivery means tutors and the management and assessment of them. The variance between tutors is too great. Delivery is shockingly uneven – and that’s just in one training group. For one, MCQs are necessary, for another that’s a technique only for experienced teachers. For one, a lesson plan is the rule, for another it’s a guide which can be discarded. Individual tutors use different terms in Stages and Aims, etc. That’s not expertise. That’s personal preference.

You ask: ” … Would you argue with a car mechanic how a part of an engine works if you had had no previous knowledge of engines ? It might be difficult for you to accept, but CELTA trainers have expertise. You don’t.”

You bet I would argue with a car mechanic. This statement is actually an apt analogy because most car mechanics end up taking far longer and charging far more to fix something which initially wasn’t even a problem which a customer is simply supposed to accept and pay for. In the same way, grading in CELTA is not transparent in the least. Trainees do not understand why some are graded higher than others during the course and at its end. It’s voodoo grading and has little to do with supposed expertise of the tutors.

As you so succinctly put it: Tutors know everything. Trainees know nothing. Ironic, considering CELTA’s approach to language learning assumes that language students know quite a lot about language already and in many instances are applying knowledge they already have to a new language. But teacher trainees? They’re thoroughly incompetent until molded by you.

There is an easy way to resolve the issue with the lack of substantive and ongoing tutor assessment: Cambridge should initiate an anonymous written tutor evaluation (per form) by teacher trainees at the end of a CELTA course. This should be an integral part of program management. Who better than the participants can provide feedback on the motivational and environmental impact of a tutor? In certain institutions, the results could transform the CELTA program into a more effective learning experience for teacher trainees. But somehow I doubt that anyone from Cambridge reads these blogs…

Final comment: When you write “… you have to be able to accept and trust what the trainers say to you. Have some respect for the profession please!”, you obviously mean have some respect for the trainers. My response is: first, respect must be mutual and second, respect must be earned.

o.j. on Wed, 13th Oct 2010 6:31 am


What I learned from (passing the) CELTA:
Language teachers are trained in making lists of things you do wrong but this is not motivating to learners – certainly wasn’t to me.
If I need to teach an ‘emergency’ lesson i.e. with no preparation, I just copy my CELTA course: in my mind on my way to work, I set up a task for my students, have them spend most of the lesson performing and make a list of their mistakes at the end.
It’s not education but I still get paid for it. (I only do it like this occasionally. CELTA tutors operate like this as often as they tutor a course.) They aren’t teaching any content or setting up a structure, just critiquing what trainees do and sometimes everything they do. The system’s a self-perpetuating hype and it’s the oldest time-saving, therefore money-making trick in the book.
i’m now responsible for developing and delivering all English courses at a community college where I’m utterly committed to the learning and wellbeing of the students. I found CELTA to be a very cynical exercise but I learned a great deal there about a bad atmosphere and poor teaching.

DJ on Mon, 22nd Nov 2010 7:49 am


CELTA is not an easy course and it is defiantly not a walk in the park! I find some of the teaching staff to be very heartless and uncaring. I am at present in the final weeks of a CELTA and I already have 2 below standard TP’s. I have learnt to just listen to what they are telling you, do not question it and follow their word as you would the word of God! Do not try and be an individual and do not try and show any flare or creativity when in teaching practice. Stick to the rules, Context – Pre-teaching lexis – restrictive practice – less restrictive practice – authentic practice and conclusion and feedback. Ask at least 3 CCQ and ICQs, keep your teacher talk time to a bare minimum and I mean a BARE minimum! Do not echo yourself or the answers give and whatever you do, do not use the target language when eliciting answers!!! Also remember time management and also to complete you lesson plan so that it is water tight! You will see that the cream of the crop is usually those who already have teaching experience. I would also suggest that you learn your tenses inside and out!! Remember that there are only two tenses, past and present! Future tense is present tense referring to planned or timetabled events. Remember the continuous, simple and perfect forms and also show every form in your formula! GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tyler on Thu, 25th Nov 2010 10:01 pm


I’m having second thoughts about doing the CELTA. Why would I want to spend all that money just to have a month of stress??!

Kevin Glanville on Wed, 15th Dec 2010 7:10 pm


With a 1.1 and an M.A I thought undertaking a CELTA would be ok (hard work but ok). I didnt even pass the interview to have the right to pay £1000 and get abused :< That is from a college in London to a native English speaker. I was told im dyslexic and that I would be better off considering another career. Hmmm ok so im off to a S and M dungeon every day for a month to be told im wothless, will be cheap and heaps more fun.

phalcyon on Thu, 20th Jan 2011 5:16 am


having read all the nice and not so nice things about a course i have desperately wanted to pursue, i would jst like to say “JO JEETA WOHI SIKANDER” . It mean whoever wins is the alexander….. Most of the people who r criticising celta have failed to pass it. And i dnt think they r being objective in their assessment of the course. I am doing the course in the nxt month and will try my best to pass . I know its tough, rigorous but its also the most reputed course in the TEFL WORLD.

madman on Thu, 20th Jan 2011 10:09 am


Hello to all,
Interesting reading. I am currently doing my CELTA part time in the UK. This works out at two 4 hour lessons a week, one night its TP and the other its methodology. I estimate that I am approx 3/4 done now.
I have to say that I am really enjoying it. I find it well structured & interesting, with some top notch support from our tutors. The downside seems to be the assignments, especially the “Language Analysis” one that I had to resubmit.
We are “commanded” that we must follow the lesson stages on our lesson plans for Language or Skills Focus lessons, but this does give a good structure to the lesson and helps out quite a lot.

As for CELTA being staid and stuffy, not really. We are encouraged to not just use “worksheets”, but think of new ways to get the Ss engaged, up and moving and firing on all cylinders. Both levels E3 & E1 Ss seem to love to have things to fiddle with rather than just “filling in the blanks”.
Our course has approx 12 people on it, which gives us two groups of 6 and we teach to between 9 – 12 Ss. So we get to have a look at each others styles and we do suggest areas that we thought worked and those that didn’t. But it is all to make us a better teacher in the long run.

It being a part time course, it means I can still work and study. I do still get nervous with TP, but I think that is more the anticipation, as when I am up and running the time just flies.
If the prospect of the 4 week course feels too daunting, look at a part time 6 month version as suggested in other posts. However…..there is a down side to this in my opinion, you don’t get the pressure of “Lesson plan, lesson plan” as we teach on alternate weeks. In a real teaching job you could be teaching 3 lessons a day, so thats a lot of prep to do, so the part time course will not emulate this level of pressure. As they say “The harder you sweat in training, the less you bleed in combat!”.
But all in all, its going great and we’ll see how I do. (Copys of Swann & Scrivener crossed!)

Patrick on Wed, 26th Jan 2011 7:03 am


I’m just about three weeks through my CELTA course at the moment. Everything I do is ‘to standard’, although I’ve had to resubmit each assignment so far – I admit for decent enough reasons. When I resubmit I pass.

The course is a lot of work, but I wouldn’t really say any of it is especially difficult.

But I HATE it. The chief reason is how rigid the course is. I had no teaching experience before the course and had been told by people I know who are teachers that teaching English can be quite fun and enjoyable. Yet on the CELTA course there are so many rules ‘you MUST ALWAYS teach meaning before pronunciation’, for example, that you spend all your time worrying about following the procedures correctly, and don’t at any stage try to do anything creatively or for enjoyment. It’s a continuous stream of jumping through hoops. The robotic method they teach you is considered infallible. So far, all questions by fellow students questioning assumptions (for instance: ‘couldn’t that be thought of as form?’) have been given the response ‘no, you’re wrong’ – with fake diplomacy. And yet – there have been numerous methods before CELTA, and there are also competing methods at the moment. Surely new methods will be devised in the future, probably based on sounder science than the current methods. Why then should we idolize the CELTA method, and be forced to conform to its strict rigidity? There should be some humility about the course. I don’t think it’s a bad method, it’s just that it’s so inflexible.

There’s no consideration of several big-picture issues. For instance: where are students learning? If they are already in an English speaking country, wouldn’t you think that should have an affect of the types of lesson taught?

Another thing I find about the course is that the ‘input sessions’ are very slow. I find them very boring – they string out what would be taught at university level in one week into four weeks. It’s a waste of time. After the first week, after you get the general pattern, the rest of the material should be flitted through. I would say getting some teaching practice is good, though.

I hate this course so much that, although I’m fairly sure I’ll pass, I never want to teach English in my life. And I think this is ironic – one of the things rammed down your throat on the course is that you should never give learners a bad feeling about learning!

Erik Teichmann on Fri, 18th Mar 2011 2:43 am


Hi all!
I was a CELTA trainer for many years (28 courses in 3 countries). A job I loved and was good at, but in the end I gave it up – reasons included difficult colleagues and, dare I say it, trainees who became less nice people under the stresses of the course. A few of my trainees chose to hate me (and I mean HATE me), or my co-trainers, sometimes from Day 1 or 2 of the course, just because of, well, who knows what!

Yes, you will find trainers who aren’t as gentle as they could be, and I think that’s an awful pity and a bad example, but you also find trainees who take an awful lot of stuff personally. I suppose I was doing something right, because I failed a lot of individual lessons (more than most trainers, certainly), but trainees were pretty much always clear that their lessons failed for a reason and felt motivated to put into practice what they’d learnt from feedback..

For those of you who think there’s a “the” CELTA method, sorry, there isn’t. You’re assessed on your ability to get results in students in a variety of lesson types/activity types, and although trainers will teach you ways, there are always other ways, some of which work (= good grade for you) and others of which don’t..
Definition of “work”? Effective/optimal student learning. “They had fun/they liked me” is lovely, but you need to induce learning to get a certificate. Fair?
It is true that there are some trainers who are overly rigid It’s also true that some trainees think students are learning when they aren’t, and sometimes they whinge “but how do you know that they aren’t learning?” Well, sorry, we do need evidence that they got better at English! If they aren’t more fluent or more accurate, they probably didn’t

A couple of observations:
I know absolutely shitloads about linguistics in general and English language history in particular. Much though it interests me, 95% of it won’t improve students’ English, so it has no place in the EFL classroom!!!!! Sorry to those of you with Linguistics degrees – what you know is mostly an irrelevant distraction in EFL.

Teachers who have taught EFL before CELTA on average teach exactly as well after CELTA as those who don’t, i.e. there’s typically as much to unlearn as useful stuff already learnt – on average. My most hopeless trainee ever had experience (15 years in EFL); my best ever trainee had experience (2 years with the most badly-regarded chain school in Japan). If you’re quick to let go and build, you’ll do well; if not, beware your years of experience!
If you’ve taught physics in the school system for 20 years, your chances of passing CELTA are probably not 95% but about 65%. This is something you should be told at interview.

Actually, more people should be rejected at interview. But you can bet they won’t like it when it happens! I rejected someone once in Canada and my boss, who’d talked to her said “She seems so nice; can’t you find a way to let her on the course?” to which I replied “Precisely because she’s nice, I wouldn’t want to put her through the pain of failing CELTA!”

Some people (e.g. Americans) come from a very different educational background from CELTA, which has certain inbuilt British habits. If they believe they come from the world’s best education system (which amazingly, some people do), then one that’s different may seem biased/unfair/wrong.
A problem I had training Americans was that they’re used to getting A or A+ in their schools/unis. CELTA isn’t like that, and it isn’t CELTA’s fault!
Others don’t do well with the fact that understanding theory isn’t enough to pass. Or that practice isn’t! (At least be glad that you only write 4 assignments – we get to mark 12×4!) You also find trainees who think it’s unfair that they need to be able to spell or teach correct grammar; these are sometimes referred to as “elitist”.
Interestingly, Americans asked me “I guess we have to use UK spelling?”, to which my answer was “according to my understanding of regulations you CAN’T use British spelling; use yours (US) or local (Canadian)”. I’m a Brit/Aussie, BTW, so I have to spell British.

You hear stories of people saying the trainer didn’t like them. My guess is that this is true in 10% of cases at most. Another 30%, sadly, is the trainer taking a trainee’s poor teaching personally – this is probably worse than disliking trainees because it’s the trainer’s job to train and get a result! cf what the trainee needs to do with students above About 50% is stress-induced paranoia, a downside of the full-time CELTA but both trainee and trainer had a choice not to get involved in all this, of course … 10% is trainees’ general issues with authority figures – they should probaby fix this first, then do CELTA.

People say “CELTA thinks it’s the best course/the benchmark, etc, but … whinge whinge whinge they were nasty to me”. Well usually what we perceive is us pushing you to excellence or at least suffiicent competence with the exacting criteria that make CELTA tougher and therefore better (in terms of the teacher you become), but sometimes the trainee doesn’t get that there’s a link between that bestness and the fact that you do have to learn more.
Of course the vast majority of trainees think the trainers like them, and are right

Richard on Sun, 20th Mar 2011 8:49 am


My experience of a CELTA was positive. Two people failed (asked to leave and retry later to avoid failing) in my group of ten but they couldn’t teach and wouldn’t listen to advice. It is intensive, is a crash course but effective and worth the cash.

Of course some who fail will whinge but that is true of any serious qualification! Remember the CELTA trainer is effectively signing you off as competent to deliver basic competent lessons. It’s a work based qualification like a driving licence it’s the min standard. If you can’t listen and learn you will fail

jam on Wed, 23rd Mar 2011 8:27 pm


Tomorrow is my last day of celta. I think a lot of you either A found crappy places, or B are looking for excuses rather than admit that you are failures.

I am at International House London and the tutors are very supportive. One person on our course has failed, incedentaly the one who has the most in depth knowledge of English. His reason for failing is refusing to conform to the way that tutors advised and insisting that he knows best and that the methods and books are “sh1t”.

Fair enough, but while you are on the course, you should take on board what the course expects, when you finnish and have the paper you can do what you want.

At home i cook my burgers in the frying pan, and put sauce onto the meat when its in the burger, but if I was working for McDonalds, I’d have to conform to dressing the bread while the burgers cook in the machine,

You lot sound like you walked in thinking you know it all and are the best teachers, and refused to take on board the methods taught on the course, and while you could teach wioth other methods, you couldnt teach using the methods required for the paper. Its like knowing a language but not knowing the vocab for the exam because you refused to read the book.

Am I wrong? I dont think so.

Wish me luck on a decent pass

beacab on Thu, 24th Mar 2011 10:44 pm


CELTA is seriously one of the toughest tests. I joined it last year. The tutorial and material is very tough and it’s hard to meet their standard. But if you can meet, you will get great opportunity to grow.

Counsel2011 on Thu, 7th Apr 2011 7:25 pm


Teaching House CELTA NYC . . . Fight the abuse!!!

The intensive program offered by CELTA is challenging without a doubt. It’s not the subject matter that poses the challenge for most, it’s the time obligation. Eight to nine hours at the school, travel time to and fro, plus, four to six hours of homework can break the enthusiasm of the most committed aspirant. Plus, to make the course even more stressful looms the ever present threat of losing your total tuition amount of $2,495.00 if, for any reason, you can’t complete the course – which I personally find criminal!

Don’t fret . . . there is recourse!

(1) Protect yourself by paying for the course with a credit card that provides buyer protection (for example American Express etc.). Put the fact that the school wants to keep your “total” tuition in dispute. Many other schools around the world refund a percentage of tuition depending on how much time you spent with the course, or, they will defer you to a part-time course – which is fair to the student. The fact that you signed a contract which states you will lose your total tuition upon failure to complete the course does protect them to some degree, however, fairness (or a lack there of) is also a compelling factor. Keeping your $2,495.00 and giving “nothing” in return is simply not fair. Also, one cannot truly appreciate the demands of the course unless they experience it first hand – and one size does not fit all!

(2) Post as many complaints as possible! On line you’ll find the NYS Consumer Protection Board (www.nysconsumer.gov), where you can fill out a consumer complaint form (the school wants to avoid black marks with the state and will negotiate to protect its reputation). Also, post a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. (If you enrolled in different CELTA program in another state, file with that state’s consumer protection board etc.).

(3) Post your stories to help future CELTA students protect themselves. We as consumers have rights! Students of the world unite! Don’t let Teaching House NYC (or any other CELTA program) bully you into believing you have no options. They want to protect their reputation; so they will negotiate (especially with a state’s consumer protection board). They also want to avoid pressure from credit card companies!

Pressure them in your complaints for 100% percent of your tuition and don’t accept anything less than 75% percent. That way you walk away with something which is better than nothing – it’s only fair! Most student don’t complain and they lose everything . . . the schools are aware of this and they take full advantage of it by factoring it into their profits! STAND UP . . . GET UP . . . DON’T GIVE UP THE FIGHT!!!

Barr6 on Wed, 13th Apr 2011 3:28 pm


I am in my fourth week of a ten-week “extensive” CELTA in New York City (in April, 2011). It is simply awful!! They don’t seem a bit concerned about whether a trainee can spell, but you must adhere to the dogmatic “instruction”. These so-called “educators” treat teaching as if it were a science, when it is apparent to any normal intellect that it is AN ART!
Perhaps there is something resolutely intransigent about the structure of the course – what with the imperiousness of some of the British literati.
Beware! This is not a course which produces great teachers, but surely favors for passage the most conformist, docile and obsequious. This means that if you are not a dog you may not pass.
I am not a dog; I’m in a lot of trouble.

Cheryl Priest on Wed, 20th Apr 2011 12:41 am


I completed the part-time CELTA in Dec at ICTE, UQ, in Brisbane, Qld. It was one of the most difficult things I have ever undertaken. Whilst it was part-time it consumed all of my time 7 days/week, 16 hrs/day for 12 weeks. I was fortunate enough not to be working during this time.

I believe ICTE conduct a well organised course with highly experienced tutors. Lesson planning appears to be the key. Ensure you use correct terminology and account for every second of the class you are teaching in the lesson plan. The 4 assignments should not consume as much time as the lesson planning. A good lesson will determine whether you are awarded an S or an S+ and the more S+ you accumulate, of course, the higher your awarded grade at the end of the course. Most people (7) in my class (of 10, 2 dropped out) received a pass mark. We all put in 100% effort each and every week and still only achieved pass. It was tough.

The issue I have now is not with CELTA but with NEAS the governing body for English Colleges in Australia.

I was the only one in my class of 10 without a degree. I received the same grade as my classmates but I am unemployable at any NEAS accredited college in Australia because I am degree-less! I have worked all my life and operated my own business, but yes, according to the supercilious woman I spoke to at NEAS, Sydney, not to the standard that is required by NEAS accredited colleges.

I have heard stories from colleges I have approached of great teachers being let go because they did not have a degree. Not because they didn’t do a good job – but because of this ridicilous rule that was implemented in 2007. NEAS are an independent body employed by the government to do this job.

To ensure high standards of teaching, would it not make more sense to have a policy whereby all teachers must undergo a test before employment. This would sort the wheat from the chaff and ensure the right people were doing the right job. What evidence is there that says a person with a degree in absolutely anything (doesn’t even have to be education) is better equipped to teach ESL than someone who has empathy, passion and the pertinent certificate, in my case, (CELTA)?

I just don’t get how our country operates at times but would love to hear from anyone who was experienced this intellectual snobbery firsthand like I have. Perhaps, we can rise up & do something to make changes to the system.

Please let me know your story.

Greg Low on Wed, 1st Jun 2011 5:42 am


I dropped out of a Celta course in Vietnam after spending over a week putting up with cynical miserable bastards who try to pass themselves off as academic elite. Paying 1,500 to put up with these drop kicks is a disgrace. Do yourself a favour and work independently. Celta teachers are miserable – who needs that? Today I don’t wear a monky suit, have no CELTA (oh jeeze I spent 3 years studying journalism and these clowns think they can teach a person to teach English in 4 weeks?) and have a thriving business teaching English. Thanks CELTA you taught me all that I needed to know:-)

Greg on Fri, 17th Jun 2011 3:12 am


Actually was thinking about doing CELTA but after reading these reviews will definitely pass. Who needs to pay $1,500 USD to be treated with contempt by some dick who earns less than a barman and has to dress in a monkey suit.

Grifter2988 on Sat, 18th Jun 2011 5:25 pm


three weeks i have no idea what the celta trainers want from me
my lessons are to standard no matter what do. my colleagues say i get better with each one…..one trainer smells like alcohol enough to give me a hangover…the other takes a trip to lala land within ten minutes of assessing a tp….yest they have the audacity to evaluate us…….cambridge your name is mud when associated with this course if you dont do anything……bring on the last bullshit week

AMANDA SAUNDERS on Fri, 24th Jun 2011 1:25 pm


Thank you so much people. You have cheered me up to see it’s not just me then. I’ve just done the 3rd week of ~Trinity Cert (equiv of CELTA) and have just been referred on something I handed in – it seems I need to write a thesis on the science/art of teaching to even pass. It’s ridiculous for a 4 week course…. but complaining don’t do any good. I have never felt more like screaming til I’m sick in my life. I am praying I can get a pass and just get the hell out of here. Yours, drinking gin, re-doing my ‘Observation journal’, Amanda x

Ps did I mention how unknowable, unachievable the marks are… how you get a rubbish mark but don’t know why and get a good one and don’t know what you did good… aaaaaagh.

Hafs on Sat, 25th Jun 2011 2:47 pm


Well I just finished my CELTA a couple of days ago and got through. It was tough, but very informative and would recommend others to do it. Like others on this forum, I too failed one lesson (it was my sixth) at the end of the second week and felt like rubbish. I broke down in front of my group because of the pressure. I remember that at the start of the third week, I felt like I had failed. When I did my next lesson, I got an above standard and by the end of the third week had passed my 7th and 8th lessons and two assignments. What I am trying to get at is that with hard work, persistence and listening and taking heed of action points that you need to work on for the next lesson, you can still pass. so anyone feeling low or like rubbish, I know how you feel, but hang on and double your efforts and trust me, it will pay off.

micky on Sat, 30th Jul 2011 8:34 am


I enrolled on a celta nightmare course once, for me it was a case of either walkout or knockout my trainer. Thankfully i chose the former.I found the course tiresome,tedious,transparent and very pedestrian.There is no way that i was gonna be told by some little jumped up twat that my lesson plan was not correctly written in the celta way,just because i didn’t use the words cognate,collocation,lexis items,etc.I begged to differ with the little squirt and all he did was get up,apologize to the other students, and walk out of the classroom.I decided that I wanted to be treated like a human not a dog,and left the course.I tried to resolve the situation over the phone,which came to nothing so i asked for a complaint form which i never received.If your thinking of a celta experience,remember this.Don’t let the fuckers tell you what to do,because you’re right,and it’s your money.

Rob on Fri, 16th Sep 2011 11:53 am


Finished the CELTA 2 weeks ago at IH. Everything was to standard and passed all 4 assignments from first go. Nonetheless, I have this bitter feeling towards one of my tutors. I think he definitely disliked me (as well as one of the other trainees; he brought the poor guy to tears)- other trainees even pointed it out!

Some feedback was legitimate but some was pure BS- on my mid-term report he actually wrote “you need to stop using capitals at the beginning of words, unless needed”; I’m fine with the feedback, but to put it as a main point on my report?? seriously?

It was a bit stressful at times and I think this stress could’ve been seriously reduced if they actually gave you the full picture of the course ahead of time. I mean why would you make us plan the first 4 lessons using one template, then “ease” us into a completely different template- this is an unnecessary adjustment we can do without. I’m sure everyone on the course can handle the “official” lesson plan template from the start. Not to mention those stupid observations we had to do made me question everything I was learning. NONE of the lessons we observed employed the CELTA method.

It is just a single method really and you can take from it what you wish and leave out what you wish.

Nikki on Fri, 21st Oct 2011 7:41 pm


I am a school academic director and have been managing international teams of teachers for over 16 years, in the UK and abroad. I have found the comments on this website very interesting and it confirms some of the problems I’ve had with newly qualified teachers and newbies to the profession over the years.

The fact is that many new teachers and CELTA graduates think they’re brilliant teachers and that the students should be ‘grateful’ to be taught by them. Worse still some think the schools that employ them should be grateful too. There is a ‘colonial’ mentality among many native speakers of English who believe that just because they can speak English as a first language they can teach it as a second language to students, and can do so flawlessly.

I’ve seen this horrendous attitude with many teachers, watched them give appalling lessons, tried to guide and correct their technical skills and attitudes and only have to face their negativity and stubborn refusal to accept that they are rubbish at what they’re doing and basically short-changing the students.I’ve been tactful when managing teams and have never done anything to ‘destroy’ a member of staff. However, as a school manager I have a moral and legal obligation to ensure that students are taught well and treated as equals. I therefore have to be honest about giving feedback and explaining the rules of conduct in the job which many course graduates can’t take. The more educated the teacher, the more difficult it is for them to see that the sun doesn’t shine out of their a*** and having a degree in literature or business will not prepare you for the technical and cultural aspects of teaching a language to people who process ideas, thoughts and language differently to native speakers of English.

Most holders of English degrees have been taught the English perspective on language and this sometimes sets their mind into a specific mentality which is not compatible with students’ needs – studying Shakespeare or Bronte does not prepare one to teach a Chinese student to get by as an immigrant in the USA, UK and to cope with all the aspects of existing in a foreign language and helping them to understand that language from the their own perspective. In my experience graduates of science subjects usually make the best EFL teachers because they are able to distance themselves from the topics they are teaching and assess the information scientifically and logically – they’re slightly better at analysing things objectively and will see the language as a structure which the students need to learn in clear and simple terms. I’ve often found that English language graduates are so obsessed with the literature and ‘superiority’ of the culture of their language that they’re not able to ‘translate’ these into real-life terms which are more important to students. You average Afghan, Chinese or Japanese who has spent his parents’ life savings to have English lessons doesn’t give a hoot about the Brontes poetry or Shakespeare – they’re learning the language to make a living or escape their country and the successful English teacher must see and respect this. There are other issues too, such as assertive management of difficult students, cultural sensitivities etc., not getting drunk with students and not making an idiot of yourself in front of people who sometimes come from very conservative cultures. Most newbies get these things wrong and it usually take them 3-5 years to learn the ‘culture’ and demands of the profession.

The brutality and toughness of the CELTA is ideal as it prepares you for the criticism you will get from your employers and sometimes absolutely horrible students. Not all students are the meek and ‘inferior’ citizens of some remote country that many teachers romantically imagine. They are demanding clients who pay very, very hard-earned cash to better their lives and those of their children. Some of them are very highly qualified and if you do not know how to explain what a mixed conditional is or the ins and outs of participle clauses they will catch you out very quickly. You do not need to speak a language well to be able to understand its structure and components. It is a little like reading music – you may be able to identify notes but it doesn’t necessarily mean you can play or read a musical score. Students are like this – they know the technical aspects of the language and grammar but don’t know how to ‘play’ it the right way. A teacher who doesn’t know the jargon and technical aspects of the language will be put on the spot sooner rather than later. You will be exposed as a pompous and superior western fraud who thinks they can come to a foreign country and educate the ignorant locals. The students will despise you for this.

They will demand and push you to your limits. If you can’t take this level of criticism then it is not the job for you because that is what happens every day on the job in real-life. The CELTA is actually just an introduction to what will happen in your classroom. No matter how good the teachers really are there will always be students who make really snide remarks and have absolutely no qualms about doing this in front of a class full of students. I’ve had teachers quizzed about their qualifications, told they smell, told they don’t know how to speak their own language and insulted in every manner possible just because the students didn’t like them. This has been said openly in front of whole classrooms, in the presence of the teachers themselves and in whispered in my office behind the teachers’ backs. I’ve sometimes had the unpleasant task of telling my subordinates what the students have said about them – and yes,sometimes the students are right.

Teaching a foreign language abroad or to international students is a very high visibility job – you are putting yourself out in front of a group of people and subjecting yourself to observation, judgement and scrutiny. By your very presence in the classroom you are announcing to the students that you are in a position to ‘teach’ them, which really means that you think you know more than they do and are therefore ‘superior’ – this will be tested. It is a little like being on TV or a celebrity. Students will focus on you and what they notice may not always be positive. This can be aspect of your appearance(are you good-looking, too fat, too thin, too old, too young), your technical knowledge of the language from the perspective that students need, the fact that you may be perceived as a negative stereotype(e.g. the slutty western woman), your accent (do you speak BBC English is a frequent question), your teaching style, your ability to mark homework on time, your ability to explain, engage and entertain. ALL of this will be analysed, scrutinised, criticised and commented on. At the very end if the students find anything wrong with you they will approach your manager as demand a change of teacher. Dealing and balancing these factors has been a daily part of my job over the last 16 years and I have been the buffer zone between students and teachers.

Those of you who can’t take the pressure and criticism on the CELTA will not have been toughened up enough and grown the thick skin that you need to do this job well. The CELTA is a baptism of fire and you will need it because things can get much, much worse in real classrooms. Unless you experience this and keep it in mind throughout your teaching career you will not have developed the humility, self-reflection and self-criticism necessary to be a good and compassionate teacher. A great teacher learns throughout their whole life and admits to their own ignorance and is willing to take advice, criticism and guidance from those who have been doing the job longer than they. If you can’t take it for 4 weeks then what chance have you of lasting any longer than that on the job – you might be better advised to seek a job in a profession which is less demanding, less ‘visible’ and in which you will not be scrutinised by people whose livelihoods depend on the quality of your teaching and professional conduct.

Rania on Wed, 2nd Nov 2011 1:24 pm


I just finished the CELTA in Dubai. The course was just okay. I had a real problem with the female tutor. She was rude, partial and too quick to criticize. Only after my 3rd TP, she said that was the worst class she has seen of mine!That really affected my self-confidence and self-esteem. She was somehow always impatient with me. I didn’t think that she was being critical, she was just too rude and ill-mannered. As for the various techniques I learnt, I really acn’t use them (most of them) in my undergraduate class where there are some 35 students.

josh on Mon, 14th Nov 2011 2:30 pm


I’m in the final week of a CELTA course and I have thoroughly enjoyed it. Yes it has been incredibly hard; I’ve had no more than 5 hours sleep each night (including weekends), me and my fellow trainees are wired, cranky and verging on unmotivated, but it has also been fun. We do receive criticism from the trainers but nothing I would describe as cruel or unnecessary. As a person with no teaching experience whatsoever I just take their word that what they tell us is gospel and try to use it constructively. It’s sad that there are a lot of horror stories on here (not to say I don’t think they’re true) as my fellow trainees and our 2 trainers are lovely and very helpful and supportive. I think perhaps maybe it’s just the wrong thing for some people. I do very much enjoy the course but by no means am I excelling at it. In fact soemtimes it seems that everyone else on the course is grasping things and implementing them in their lessons whereas it’s going over my head. But I do just try and work very hard and do my best. Except when I’m wasting time writing on forums.

Saying that, God knows if I’ve passed and what the remaining 4 days hold in store. Fingers crosses, hey!

billionaireteacher on Thu, 17th Nov 2011 7:13 am


can you fail the course if you do bad in your last TP, i have passed all my other TP’s but have one TP left and the CELTA assessor/moderator will be there.

any idea?

Ally on Mon, 21st Nov 2011 12:17 pm


Can anyone tell me if there is a place which offers this course as a female class only?
Very very surprised at many, if not most of the comments left on this page.
I know people who have taken the CELTA, but did not know it could really be as described.
I’ve only ever heard of people passing and never bothered to look to the “other side”.
Well, I ceratinly wont be expecting a stroll if I can manage to find a place to take it (the course).
A big thank you to all the previous posts, except michelle.
Just the sort of person I hope not to be partnering on any future course.

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