The CELTA at Santiago University

If you have decided to take the CELTA course Spain, have a look at the CELTA course we run at the Modern Language Centre (CLM) of Santiago University. This page aims to give you an insight into our course.

For dates, prices and more information about Santiago de Compostela, Galicia and how to get here, click here.

If you want an application pack, or have a specific question, please use the link at the end of the page.

The CELTA course

The CELTA course provides initial training for people wanting to teach English as a foreign language. Successful completion of the course has enabled many candidates to find their first teaching post as the CELTA is the most asked for qualification by employers worldwide. It is a rigorous course internationally standardised by Cambridge ESOL through a system of external assessors who review every course.
Click here to go to the Cambridge official website.

The syllabus is designed by Cambridge ESOL to enable candidates to:
- develop an awareness of language and a knowledge of the description of English and apply these in their professional practice.

- develop an initial understanding of the contexts within which adults learn English, their motivations and the roles of the teacher and the learner.

- develop familiarity with the principle and practice for effective teaching to adult learners.

- develop basic skills for teaching adults in the language classroom.

- develop familiarity with appropriate resources and materials for use with adult learners of English for teaching, testing and future reference.

- identify opportunities for their own future development as professionals in the field.

The CELTA course at the CLM

While the syllabus is common to all centres offering a CELTA course, each centre is allowed freedom to programme the course as they see fit. The CLM CELTA course has been developed to ensure that trainees have the opportunity to do the course in optimum conditions, balancing the requirements to pass the course with the trainees' development as an effective teacher.

The course consists of a minimum of 120 contact hours spread over four weeks. In addition trainees are expected to do a further 80 hours reading, research, assignment writing and lesson planning. The contact hours on the course start at 10.00am and finish at 7.00pm with a break for lunch. The structure of the course is outlined in the following sections.

Feedback

The morning begins with feedback from the previous afternoon's teaching practice. If you taught the previous afternoon this is your opportunity to discuss your lesson with your tutor and your colleagues. It is important to understand that feedback enables you to build on your store of approaches, activities and techniques, and therefore everyone's contribution is important. We try not to give the idea that there is only one way to teach, but provide a number of alternative approaches. Having a bank of ideas allows you to choose the ones that are most suitable for you as a teacher and the particular group of students you are teaching.

Feedback allows you to get used to reflecting on your teaching and enables you to identify your strong points and the areas where you need to develop. This reflection not only informs your planning and teaching, making your lessons more effective as the course progresses, but also contributes to your development as a teacher beyond the course.

Lesson preparation

There is time scheduled after teaching practice feedback for lesson preparation. In this time you will be working in your teaching practice groups and your tutor is available to offer guidance and advice. Other sessions to provide support for your lesson planning are timetabled throughout the course.

You will be told what you are going to teach well ahead of your lesson. We believe careful planning is the key to successful teaching, and we know that careful planning takes time. We ensure you have time to get ideas for a lesson together and can discuss these with a tutor before teaching each lesson.

Input

The input sessions provide information and ideas covering the following areas:
- classroom management
- lesson planning
- methodology
- language analysis
- phonology
- professional development
- teaching younger learners
These sessions are given in various formats (workshops, demonstration, discussion etc.) and are always of a practical nature, allowing candidates to incorporate the techniques and ideas into their lessons.

Teaching practice

Teaching practice is the opportunity for you to put into practice the ideas that have been discussed in the input sessions. You will teach two different groups of students on a total of nine or ten occasions during the course. The two groups are high and low level and are made up of learners from the university community - the Language Centre's English students, undergraduates, post-graduates, teachers and administrative staff. Each time you teach it will form 20 - 60 minutes of a two-hour lesson. The rest of the lesson is taught by other trainees or one of the tutors. The learners are highly motivated, co-operative and value highly the mix of teaching styles they encounter on this course. We encourage trainees and learners to exchange experiences as this adds another dimension to your development as a teacher.

Observation

The course provides a golden oppportunity not only to gain experience in teaching, but also to develop as a teacher through observing and commenting on other lessons. On the course you will observe:
- the tutors
- the other trainees on the course
- experienced teachers on video

The aim of all observation is to give you a different perspective on the teaching and learning process. Being free of the demands of teaching a lesson can help you focus and reflect on different aspects of teaching, learning, lessons, and learners. This process of reflection informs the development of your teaching and that of your fellow trainees. You will get guidance on how and what to observe, and you will also gather data for assignments and input sessions during observation.

Written work

The required written work, which forms part of the assessment criteria, consists of four assignments (750-1000 words each). The topic areas are laid down in the syllabus but we make every effort to make the assignments as relevant to your teaching as possible. Two of your assignments will be integrated into your lesson planning and reflections and your observation of lessons will also provide material for the assignments.

Contact us

Click here to contact us.

If you want an application pack or have specific questions, contact us at the above address. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Click here for dates, prices and more information about Santiago de Compostela, Galicia and how to get here.

"Overall I found the course to be extremely worthwhile. It was a challenge, but I feel confident and I feel as though I can teach."
Quote from one of our trainees.