CELTA
The Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CELTA) is an initial qualification for people with little or no previous English teaching experience and is awarded by Cambridge Assessment English, part the University of Cambridge.
CELTA Open Evening - 13 March and 16 July 2025
We are hosting a free, in-person CELTA Open Evening at the University of Sheffield. To find out more about these events and to register to attend please follow the link below:
You may be considering a career in English Language Teaching and view CELTA as an entry into a good teaching position in another country, or you may want a qualification that provides a sound basis in the fundamentals of language teaching practice and gives you confidence in the classroom.
- Why choose CELTA
The Cambridge CELTA (Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) is the essential TEFL qualification that’s trusted around the world.
It’s a practical English Language Teaching qualification It gives you hands-on teaching practice in the classroom
71.5% of English Language Teaching employers in Europe, the Middle East and Africa requested CELTA based on research from November 2017 to January 2018.
- It gives you the confidence and skills to teach adult learners
- It gives you expert training and feedback on your teaching
- It’s accredited by the internationally recognised Cambridge University
- It is run by experienced and highly-qualified tutors
- It has a 95% pass rate globally
- It is recognised and accepted all over the world
- It offers great career opportunities worldwide
- Why choose the ELTC
- A trainee-tutor ratio of 5 to 1 (normally 6 to 1) with experienced and trained teacher trainers.
- Over 120 hours of guided learning hours (input and teaching practice). 6 hours of assessed teaching practice (over 8 or 9 lessons) at 2 different levels of classes of multilingual adults we arrange for you.
- 6 hours of observation of experienced teachers (live and video). Up to 18 hours of observation of fellow trainees. Over 80 hours of input sessions, tutor feedback and tutorials on teaching methodology, classroom techniques, lesson planning and teaching practice, language awareness and specialisms.
- No exams - 4 practical assignments over the course, marked by your tutor and with resubmission possible.
- Free Access to teaching resources, stationery, printing and photocopying.
- University of Sheffield student status - access to libraries, online services and student card (UCard)
- Online courses are delivered by a qualified online CELTA tutor from the ELTC using Cambridge materials and live sessions.
- ELTC course fee includes the University of Cambridge entry cost, pre-course tasks and preparation modules from Cambridge English.
- Job hunting and professional development advice with a report at the end of the course and a reference service.
- Post course support, including an alumni group with information about job and training opportunities for CELTA graduates.
- All courses validated and externally moderated by the University of Cambridge English Language Assessment.
- You can do the course full-time or part-time, online or face-to-face depending on your needs.
- Testimonials
It was a thoroughly rewarding experience with really supportive tutors. It has really helped me to develop my teaching skills and opened my mind to a lot of different techniques! I’d highly recommend the course to anyone looking to teach abroad.
I’ve secured a job teaching in China. I go at the end of this month, and I couldn’t have done it without my CELTA experience!
Rachel
Part-time CELTA Student
The qualification is definitely worth it, not only because it has opened many more doors for me but also because of the friendships made during that time. The course is a huge commitment and you do have to be dedicated to undertake it.
I would definitely recommend the course to anyone who is considering it, especially those who learn better practically and in house.
Kate
Intensive CELTA Student
- Upcoming Course Dates
Full-time, intensive CELTA: May – June 2025
Course dates: 6 May 2025 – 6 June 2025
Course times: Monday to Friday 9.30am – 4.30pm
Course length: 5 weeks (there will be no sessions on Monday 5 May and Monday 26 May due to Bank Holidays)
This full-time, in-person CELTA takes place over 5 weeks.
Sessions are delivered by our team of experienced tutors on the University campus in Sheffield. You will be supported and guided on lesson planning, classroom management, language analysis and more. Through a range of practical and interactive sessions, you will develop and practise the skills and confidence needed to teach English.
Whilst this is a rewarding and engaging course, it is also intensive and demanding. It is recommended that you ensure you have minimal commitments during the five weeks.
You must be able to attend 100% of the course.
Fees for this course will be £1650 plus the Cambridge Assessment fee of £170
Face-to-face, part-time CELTA: September – December 2025
Course dates: 29 September 2025 – 19 December 2025
Course times: Weekly - Thursday and Friday - 9.30am – 4.00pm
Course length: 12 weeks
This part-time, face-to-face course allows you to study whilst managing other commitments.
Sessions are delivered by our team of experienced tutors on the University campus in Sheffield. You will be supported and guided on lesson planning, classroom management, language analysis and more. Through a range of practical and interactive sessions, you will develop and practise the skills and confidence needed to teach English.
Trainees must commit to attending 100% of the course. In addition to the scheduled hours, trainees are expected to do approximately 8 - 10 hours of independent study a week.Fees for this course will be £1650 plus the Cambridge Assessment fee (to be confirmed)
Online, part-time CELTA: October 2025 – March 2026
Course dates: 13 October 2025 – 20 March 2026
Course times: Weekly - Monday and Wednesday - 9.30am – 1.00pm
Course length: 20 weeks
This part-time, fully online course allows you to study whilst managing other commitments. The teaching takes place on zoom and the input is provided through an online, self-study portal, meaning you can attend from anywhere in the world. As you are teaching and studying online, you need to have a good level of computer literacy, but there will be support using the teaching platform. Trainees must commit to attending 100% of the course. In addition to the scheduled hours, trainees are expected to do approximately 6 hours of independent study a week.
Fees for this course will be £1650 plus the Cambridge Assessment fee (to be confirmed)
Online, part-time, with two week in-person intensive teaching block CELTA: February – June 2026
Course dates: 23 February 2026 – 12 June 2026
In-person teaching block dates: 25 May 2026 – 12 June 2026
Course times: To be confirmed
This blended CELTA delivers input mostly asynchronously via Cambridge's CELTA platform. This allows applicants to manage their own schedule and to complete the sessions independently, whilst also contributing to online forums and collaborative tasks. In addition to this, a weekly 'class live' is offered. This is a live, online session led by a CELTA tutor which trainees are encouraged to attend (time TBC).
The Teaching Practice for this course will be face-to-face and will take place over a two-week block at the ELTC in Sheffield. This stage of the course is intensive and demanding. We advise that trainees limit other commitments during this time, and that they are able to attend the full 2 weeks.
Fees for this course will be £1650 plus the Cambridge Assessment fee (to be confirmed)
Please note: There is no difference in the content, assessment and recognition of online and face-to-face CELTA courses. Our Online CELTA courses are an ideal way to complete the course if you are currently working or based outside of Sheffield.
Each course requires a minimum of 6 participants to run.
- Tuition fees
Fees for all CELTA courses in the 2024-25 academic year are £1,650 (plus the Cambridge examination entry fee - £170).
The fee covers:
- All tuition and support
- Cambridge Assessment entry fee
- CELTA preparation modules
- Support using specific teaching tools (zoom/interactive ewhiteboards etc.) where relevant
- A pre-course task
- Photocopying and printing (face-to-face courses)
- Access to materials and stationery
- An end of course report
- Ongoing post-course support in the form of an alumni group with job postings and reference
How to apply
If you are interested in taking a CELTA course at our centre, please complete the application form:
After receiving your completed form, our Teacher Training team will contact you.
If your initial application is successful, you will be sent a pre-interview task to complete. This task helps us to assess your suitability for the course, and gives you a better understanding of what the course involves.
Once you've returned your completed task to us, we review your application. If successful, you will be invited to one of the weekly interview slots.
The deadline for applications is usually 2 weeks before the start of a course. However, if this deadline has passed, please contact the TEFL team to see if places are still available.
Please be aware of the following information before applying:
- CELTA courses are not suitable for applying for a Student Visa (previously known as a Tier 4 General visa) or council tax rebates.
- CELTA requires an excellent level of English language and literacy to be successful on the course and this will be tested at application and interview stage.
- For applicants with English as a Second/Foreign Language we advise an English level of 8.0 in IELTS, CEFR C2, Cambridge Proficiency or equivalent is needed to successfully complete the interview tasks and CELTA course.
- CELTA is designed for people with little or no English language teaching experience and for teachers with some experience who want to develop their skills.
- You should be at least 20 years old and hold qualifications that would allow you to enter a University degree (equivalent experience for mature applicants can be taken into account).
- Courses are demanding in nature and you will be required to attend ALL parts of the course.
- We require you buy or borrow 2 course books that we indicate prior to starting the course.
- You will be required to complete all the application and interview process successfully before being made an offer on the course. Candidates may be placed on a waiting list or asked to have a second interview to check suitability.
- No reductions in fees can be made and fees should be paid in full before the course starts.
If you have any questions or queries about CELTA, please check our frequently asked questions.
If you can't find an answer to your question in the CELTA FAQ, please contact our Teacher Training team for assistance. Email tefl@sheffield.ac.uk with the subject line 'CELTA query.'