International House schools have been busy offering the 100% online CELTA course to hundreds of trainees who want to get qualified to work in TEFL. The certificate you get from taking the online CELTA is exactly the same as the face-to-face one, and one major benefit of taking the CELTA virtually is that you can practice teaching real students online, something which is absolutely crucial right now in EFL.
Three students who have just completed their fully online CELTA tell us how they found it, what the online course is like, and where they think the CELTA certificate will take them in their career.
You've just completed a CELTA course online. How do you feel about it?
Ina: I feel much more confident in my teaching abilities.
Alina: I feel amazing. For me, it's a big accomplishment.
Cristian: Amazing and also rewarding.
What were you worried or nervous about before the CELTA course?
Alina: Online teaching. I'm not a very tech person, so it put a little bit of pressure on me.
Ina: So the input was great. The social part was there as well. I feel like I'm part of a network now.
Cristian: It's great. Even when you're tired, it's still engaging.
What's the online CELTA like, compared to the face-to-face one?
Ina: Online is easier. The content quality is the same, for sure, which is very high.
Alina: I think it gave us more time. You know, we didn't have to commute to International House. So we had access to all the resources, they were right there.
What would you advise someone who was considering doing their CELTA online?
Ina: Do it, do it as soon as possible. Don't postpone for another year.
Alina: Maybe, and this is only because I felt this way, maybe to play with Zoom a little bit before starting the course.
Cristian: Just do it, but make sure that you pause your life.
Where do you think this CELTA is going to take you, career-wise?
Ina: First of all, it's going to make me a better teacher for the position I currently hold. And I cannot wait - I will teach kids next year - to dazzle them with all my new ideas and capabilities.
Alina: I have been a freelancer for the past two years and because I miss being, you know, with people, with a team, and being part of a team.
Cristian: I am also a bit of a traveller and I hope to work and be able to see different parts of the world.
Now, at the end of the course, what would you like to tell the trainers and organisers?
Alina: For me, this was more than I could ask for and hope for. The course is very well organised.
Ina: The Cambridge level, that quality, that involvement, that feedback, that support, everything... it was beyond my expectations.