Training to Teach English as a Foreign Language

Course Dates 
Full-time (C2): 27 June – 22 July 2011 (apply by mid April)
Part-time (C3): September  2011 –  January 2012 (dates to be confirmed) *

* End date if the course is full.  If not, it may finish 2/3 weeks earlier.

This certificate provides you with an entry qualification for a career in English Language Teaching. It is the most popular of all the initial certificates and is highly regarded by employers worldwide.

The Course
A practical course giving a good foundation in basic ELT teaching techniques. There is a minimum of 120 contact hours, more than half of which are devoted to preparation and planning for teaching and post teaching practice reflection. There are 6 hours of assessed teaching practice (live classes) and 6 hours spent observing qualified teachers (at least 4 hours of which are live observation). The course includes 120 additional learning hours of independent background reading, assignment writing and lesson preparation. Input sessions, which are led by the trainers, focus on teaching methodology and language awareness. This input is put to practical use in the preparation of lesson plans and teaching practice. There are also 4 written assignments (of 3,000 words in total), which are internally assessed and externally moderated.

There will be a maximum of 12 places available (10 on part-time course).

Part-time Course
Runs for 13 - 16 weeks (this depends on the number of participants). Attendance is required twice a week, on Tuesdays for teaching practice from 6pm - 9pm, and on Fridays for input and teaching practice preparation from 9am - 4.30pm. There may be 2 - 4 hours (over the whole course) on a Wednesday evening when participants need to be free for class observation.

Full-time Course
The full-time course runs for 4 weeks from 8.30am - 5pm, in addition to which there is a considerable amount of evening preparation and weekend homework.

The Cost
The course costs £895, which includes the examination fee. If an applicant is offered a place, an acceptance letter and a Learning Agreement is issued, which must be signed and returned with the full fee within 1 week of receipt. The course is not eligible for Dundee College Passports to Learning although it is eligible for an ILA.  If your fee will be paid by your employer or an external body, you are required to declare this at interview.

If there are fewer than 8 participants, the course may be postponed, in which case the fee will be refunded in full.

Entry Requirements
Applicants should be at least 20 years old (although candidates aged 18-20 may be considered), and have a standard of education which would allow entry to higher education.  If English is not your first language, you must have a very high level of spoken and written accuracy. (Minimum CPE or a recent IELTS score of 7.0 overall, including 7.0 for written English)

Please note that a degree is essential for those who wish to work in certain countries, for example Greece and Japan. For those wishing to teach ESOL in FE in England and Wales, please check the following carefully for required qualifications:

www.cambridgeesol.org

Entry Procedures 
Include:

• a pre-interview task submitted with the application form
• an interview involving a written task, some peer teaching and a one-to-one interview

The interviews are normally held in groups of 4 - 8 applicants and may last all morning / afternoon. They will take place as follows:

Full-time (C2) - late March & April
Part-time (C3) - late June & July
Telephone interviews are sometimes possible for candidates based abroad.

The Trainers
Nicola Weston-Gokalp is a CELTA trainer who has the Cambridge/RSA Diploma in Teaching English as a Foreign Language to Adults. She has been a teacher trainer since 1995 and has worked on CELTA, DELTA and in-service training courses in the UK and for the British Council in Turkey. She has nearly 20 years of teaching experience and is also an examiner for the University of Cambridge ESOL examinations.

Berenice Hunter has been a teacher of ESOL for over 20 years in the UK and overseas (France, Spain, Germany, the Czech Republic and also New Zealand) and has worked as a trainer for over 10 years.

Allan Smith is new to the CELTA team and has both an MSc and Trinity College Diploma in TESOL.  He has been teaching since 1987 and has worked abroad in Spain and the United Arab Emirates, as well as in the UK’s Further Education sector.  Allan has also been an examiner for the University of Cambridge ESOL examinations.

Allison Kerr is a CELTA Tranier and ESOL tutor.  She has the Cambridge DELTA qualification.  Ally has been teaching since 1999 and has worked in the private sector in Istanbul and in the UK's Further Education sector.  She has worked at Dundee College for 6 years.