CELTA – TEFL Teacher Training

Certifiably Different – TEFL vs. CELTA

TEFL Certification or CELTA? CELTA or TEFL Cert?

Many people new to the business of Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) are confronted with this question when they decide to get in-classroom training before they start teaching.

So, what is the difference between the two training courses?

Like the old saw about apples and oranges, they are really just different kinds of fruit. All quality in-classroom TEFL training programs will impart teaching methodology, grammar, observed teaching practice (OTP) and peer demonstrations, no matter which kind of course you pick.

A good program will also teach the trainees about the special problems that local EFL students have—which is why I always encourage people to take their in-classroom training course in the same country they’d like to get their first teaching job in.

These programs are typically intensive, and trainees learn A TON over only a few weeks. So, if you’re signing up for one of these courses, don’t be heartbroken if you spend more time studying than partying.

The main difference between CELTA and TEFL Certification programs is that CELTA is a franchised business (McDonald’s fast food and 7-11 convenience stores are other famous examples of world-wide franchises) and thus the course content will be standardized wherever you take it. Because of the franchise, CELTA-issuing schools pay royalties for every teacher they train. These royalties usually translate into a significantly higher price tag for the course.

Another difference is that CELTA aims toward teaching English to adults—that’s what the “A” in CELTA stands for—and so if you want to work mainly with kids, you might look for a TEFL Certification program that also trains up teachers of young learners. Most TEFL Cert programs will offer many different kinds of practice to their trainees—including both kids and adults. Even if your primary goal is not teaching children, many teachers end up teaching children at some point in their careers – even if only for a few classes, so this is something to consider.

As in many industries, you’ll find some people who think the way they trained is the best way—and in this bickering about who’s the top dog, CELTA often comes off as the elite choice. However, you’ll also come across people who cheer for the TEFL course they went to—just as they might have loyalty to their local university, high school or sports team. People sometimes want to feel that their program or school is BETTER than any other one, because that’s the one into which they have invested their time and money.

That said, here’s another thing to think about carefully. If you are set on teaching in Europe, a CELTA is often preferred may sometimes be thought of as the only “valid” training program for teachers of EFL. However, this might also be because the school or training center you want to work for is also a CELTA franchise. So, they might want to you to pay them for training before they give you a job. It is not unusual for franchise schools of any brand to prefer people who took their course.

But, what if you don’t have a CELTA and you really want to work for a CELTA-issuing franchise? Even if you only have a TEFL Certificate, you can urge them to let you do a demonstration lesson. This will show you if they are interested in the SKILLS you have as a teacher, or if they only want you to have their expensive piece of paper.

In my experience, you don’t often find TEFL Cert schools who refuse teachers who had other kinds of training. Usually when you apply they will accept your TEFL Cert no matter where you got it—as long as it meets the internationally accepted standards.

TED’s Tips™ #1: You should probably take the CELTA if you want to teach in Europe. But if you want to go elsewhere, odds are your employer won’t care which kind of teaching certificate you have.

TED’s Tips™ #2: For whichever program you decide, try to interview the main teacher-trainer at the school you want to attend. Feel out whether or not they are PASSIONATE about teaching. If they aren’t, that might be a sign you don’t want to go there! But if they do sound like they truly love EFL teaching, then they might just be the best teacher-trainer and have the best course for you.

: Teaching Internships in China

Should you Take your Training in the Country Where you Wish to Teach?

A reader wrote:

I are interested in completing a CELTA course in order to teach English in the UAE. Would it be better to study the CELTA in the UAE or in London where I currently live?

I know you’ve previously recommended to study in the country in which one wishes to teach, but would studying in the UAE limit our prospects in other countries?

Will completing the course in London look more attractive to employers globally? Considering the cost implications London would be the preferred choice.

It is almost always better to take an in-classroom course in the country in which you first intend to teach.

While it may seem more cost effective to take it where you are currently located, taking your course there does little or nothing toward your end goal of landing a job in the UAE.

Taking your course in the UAE immediately gets you into the environment and on the trail of good jobs.

Better TEFL schools will have employers coming by the school looking for you. That won’t happen in London. It will quite likely happen in Dubai.

For most people a TEFL cert or a CELTA, etc is a tool to get the job they want, not the end goal. So purchase the tool that gets you closest to your goal, a course in Dubai or elsewhere in the UAE.

No one will really care if you took the course in London, Dubai, Saigon or even Yangoon. In fact, when they see that you took it outside your home country, they will see that you can survive and thrive in a culture different than that of your home country. To me that is a bonus.

If you are already living in the culture where you want to be hired, it greatly reduces that perceived risk by the employer.

TED’s Tips™ #1: Taking a certificate is usually tied to an employment goal. If you are taking an in-classroom course, take it in the country where you wish to teach. You’ll be closer to your goal the moment you step off the airplane.

: Teaching Internships in China

Get your TEFL Certification at Home or Abroad?

Another great question by a reader inspired this post.

Her question:

My sister and I are interested in completing a CELTA course in order to teach English in the UAE. My sister is familiar with the country and we have friends in Dubai. I have a BSc while my sister also has a secondary PGCE. Would it be better to study the CELTA in the UAE or in London where we are native and currently live?

I know you’ve previously recommended to study in the country in which one wishes to teach, but would studying in the UAE limit our prospects in other countries? Will completing the course in London look more attractive to employers globally? Considering the cost implications London would be the preferred choice, but I’m interested to hear your experienced opinion.

My Response:

It is almost always better to take an in-classroom course in the country in which you first intend to teach.

It may seem more cost effective to take it where you are currently located, but taking your course there does little or nothing toward your end goal of landing a job in the UAE. Taking your course in the UAE immediately gets you into the environment and on the trail of good jobs.

Better TEFL schools will have employers coming by the school looking for you. It will quite likely happen in Dubai. But I quite doubt that a Dubai employer will be dropping by the course in London.

For most people a TEFL cert or a CELTA, etc is a tool to get the job they want, not the end goal. So purchase the tool that gets you closest to your goal. In your case, a course in Dubai or elsewhere in the UAE.

Employers, not infrequently, have difficulty with people who have not yet lived and worked outside their home country. It is a very real risk factor in hiring. Some people get homesick, others just can’t adapt. It is an unknown factor that adds risk to a hire. If you are already living in the culture where you want to be hired, it greatly reduces that perceived risk by the employer and is an advantage for you.

That’s my opinion anyway . . . I hope that helps in your decision making.

TED’s Tips™ #1: It is almost always better to take your in-classroom TEFL training in the country in which you first intend to teach. It creates a real advantage in terms of getting yourself your first job.

CELTA versus TEFL Certification

What’s the Difference between a CELTA and a TEFL Cert?

It’s a bit of apples and oranges really, but not really. All quality TEFL training programs will contain components of teaching methodology, English grammar, observed teaching practice and demonstration classes in front of your peers.

Most programs will also include information on the problems and needs of the EFL students in the country where they are located and this is very helpful for you if you take the course in the country where you intend to teach.

Generally speaking these programs are quite intensive, there is a LOT to learn in only a few weeks. Don’t plan on partying or hanging out on the beach too much while you are in training. Hang on the beach, but take your study materials with you . . .

CELTA is more standardized as it is a franchised program (franchised like 7-11s or Kentucky Fried Chicken, as examples) and the schools that teach the CELTA TEFL program must pay a royalty for each course participant. Possibly for this reason you will notice that CELTA programs are generally the most expensive around the world.

CELTA also is a program oriented towards teaching adults, the “A” in CELTA. If you wish to teach children, you might wish to lean towards a TEFL Certification program that will give you some practice with them as well as adults. Most TEFL Cert programs will try to give you a variety of practice teaching experiences and will cover teaching children AND adults. Many new teachers, just starting out, will spend some time teaching children, so this is an important consideration.

There is an elitism about CELTA and you will find people who rabidly consider it to be the only real TEFL course. But, you will also find that people have great loyalty to the TEFL school they went to. It’s a bit like loyalty to your university or high school – people spend some money, put in some hard work, and therefore want to feel that their school is the ONLY school or at least it is the BEST!

It’s like the kinship solders get from going to boot camp together.

Now . . . if you wish to teach in Europe, know that CELTA is considered the standard and the only “valid” certification. But this is usually because the employer you are hoping to find a job with is a CELTA sales outlet. So, of course, they want you to buy their program before they will employ you.

How do you get past this idiocy if you are applying for a job there? Volunteer to do a demonstration lesson – are they interested in your SKILLS or only in the piece of paper that they want to sell you?

Generally, you won’t find TEFL Cert schools pulling this scamming tactic on you. When you apply they will be happy to accept your TEFL Certification, no matter where you got it – as long as it meets the internationally accepted standards.

TED’s Tips™ #1: If you are going to teach in Europe – give in, go for a CELTA – but in the rest of the world no one cares.

TED’s Tips™ #2: If you have the opportunity, interview the primary teacher-trainer at a TEFL school you are considering. Try to get a sense of if they LOVE teaching or not. If not, don’t go there. If they sound excited about teaching, THAT is the teacher-trainer you want!