100% Online FT CELTA course at IH Budapest

What is the CELTA? 

The CELTA is a TEFL qualification which prepares you to teach English as a foreign language. You don’t need any existing English language teaching experience or training. It’s usually a 4 or 5 week full time course (but you can also take it part time).

Standing up in front of a class for the first time is a daunting prospect, so you need to make sure you have the skills you need to teach effectively. The CELTA prepares you for the classroom in these ways:

• Taught sessions on methodology, lesson planning, language analysis and language skills. (In total, you’ll have 120 hours of input.)
• The opportunity to observe experienced teachers in a real-life language classroom situations – so you can see the different skills and techniques they use.
• Teaching yourself – with helpful and detailed feedback from your tutors.  This practical experience is invaluable when you start your first job.

You’ll have to complete some written assignments as well, but when it’s all successfully completed you’ll be ready for your first job and first students!

Read more about the CELTA here 

The 100% Online CELTA with IH Budapest

Course Structure

In response to the current unprecedented situation, IH Budapest is offering fully online CELTAs. We will use

• Zoom: this is used as the basis for synchronous elements of the course such as TP, feedback, input, tutorials and assisted lesson planning; 
• Google Classroom: this is where you tutors will keep you up-to-date, where your portfolios are stored, and where you can access key documents such as assignments, timetables and handouts. 

It is important that you have a good quality, reliable internet connection, as well as a headset / fully functioning microphone. This will allow you to take part fully in all elements. We also recommend that you use a laptop or a desktop computer so that screen-sharing and other features are fully functional.

Early bird discount: 50 GBP discount is available if the full price is paid at least 5 weeks before the course starts

**There will be two compulsory sessions on the Thursday and Friday preceding these courses, to provide orientation to the online platform. The 5-week courses include those sessions at the beginning of the course.

What is a typical day like on the full time ONLINE Cambridge CELTA course?

• 9:00-12:00 Teaching Practice (TP). Your group of 5 or 6 teacher trainees teach a class of students learning English, most of whom are from Hungary, via the Zoom platform. Your tutor and other trainees watch the lessons. Sometimes tutors teach the group, so you have an opportunity to watch an experienced teacher working with your students.
• 12:00-12:30 Break. You’ll notice a healthy number of breaks built into our schedule, all the more important when doing online teaching and training.
• 12:30-13:30 Feedback. You have the chance to discuss your lesson with fellow trainees and the tutor and some good ideas for moving forward in your teaching.
• 13:30-14:30 LUNCH!
• 14:30-15.30 Assisted Lesson Preparation (ALP). You discuss the lessons for the next day with your tutor and peers.
• 15:30-16:00 Break
• 16:00-17:30 Seminars and workshops. The trainers give practical input sessions to get you thinking and give you lots of practical teaching ideas in all the key areas. Interactive, challenging and really enjoyable.

On some days you also do observation of experienced teachers, for example one of the trainers teaching the practice lesson students. You’ll notice the skills and techniques used and spot what you can borrow for your own lessons.

We use the Zoom platform for all interactive elements—teaching practice, feedback, assisted lesson planning, input and tutorials. We use Google Classrooms for course administration and communication. See some advice from our students below:

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Course Structure

Just as with a face to face course, the online CELTA course consists of the following components:

• Teaching Practice & Feedback
• Assisted Lesson Planning
• Synchronous and Asynchronous Input Sessions
• Observations
• Written Work
• Tutorials

On the full-time course, Teaching Practice (TP) is usually in the morning from 9.00, while input is in the afternoon, finishing at around 17.30; note that on some fulltime courses, TP is in the evening. The course meets 5 days a week for four weeks and it takes up all of your time as there is considerable work to do outside of the contact time. 

The part-time course meets on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 9.30 to 14:00. Two of these mornings are for TP, the other for input. Please note that although there are only 12 hours a week contact time, you can expect to spend additional time on course work outside of those hours.

Teaching Practice
This is the most important element of the course. Trainees are put into TP groups of 5 or 6 at the start of the course. Every trainee teaches regularly, normally in 45-minute slots, with three trainees teaching on any one day; your students are adults (age minimum is 16) who pay a nominal amount for the lessons— they are aware you are trainee teachers doing teaching practice.  After TP there is a FEEDBACK session with your peers and your tutor. Because part of the aim of the course is to help trainees develop a clear and constructive perspective on their teaching, trainees are expected to comment on their own and others' teaching in feedback.  With this in mind, you will be given observation tasks to complete as you watch your peers. 

Since the teaching practice takes place via Zoom, you will be sitting in front of your computer, as will all the other participants, and the group of practice lesson students, your fellow TP group members and your trainer will all be visible.  At the beginning of the course, we will train you in using Zoom and its many features (for example Breakout Rooms) to execute your lessons—a skill that is likely to come in handy for teaching you do after the course!

In preparing for teaching practice, it is vital of course that you liaise with members of your TP. This ensures that on a given day of teaching, the three trainees’ lessons will fit together to form one lesson of reasonable continuity from the students’ point of view.  Most liaising is done outside course hours.

Input Sessions
These sessions are highly practical, covering approaches, techniques and language analysis. They are directly related to TP and trainees are expected to incorporate these elements into their own teaching.  These too take place via Zoom, and this gives the added value of seeing how a trainer uses the platform to manage a group.

Observations
Trainees observe experienced teachers. This will include the trainers teaching the practice lesson students for all or part of a day’s TP session at the beginning of the course. Altogether trainees can expect to do at least 6 hours observation of experienced teachers, both live and recorded. 

Tutorials
There are up to three tutorials during the course, when trainees meet with one of the tutors individually, via Zoom. The aim of these is to discuss progress, issues, etc. Tutors are available to discuss any problems at whatever stage of the course. Assistance with TP preparation – assisted lesson planning, or ALP for short - is also given when necessary, although, as the course progresses, trainees are expected to become more independent when planning their lessons.

Written Work
There are four longer assignments on the course, for example a case study on a student or a group of students and their language problems, and an analysis of a variety of language items for teaching purposes. Please note that the assignments will require extra time above the course hours. It is common for trainees to spend a good portion of the weekend completely assignments. 

Grading and Assessment
You are assessed and graded on the following areas:

• TP (planning and teaching)
• Written work
• Self-awareness 
• Professionalism - this includes reliability, self-awareness, receptivity, punctuality and being a good colleague

After successfully completing the course, trainees receive a certificate that records the final grade that is awarded. Successful grades that can be attained are PASS, PASS B and PASS A; a majority of trainees complete the course with a PASS. Note that while extremely rare, it is possible to fail this course. A ‘FAIL’ grade is awarded to candidates who have not met the criteria by the end of the course. 

Note that the certificate is exactly the same as the one awarded for doing the CELTA face-to-face.

Stress Factor
The CELTA course is demanding and some find it stressful. If you are susceptible to stress then these courses may not be ideal, particularly the full-time course. If you are currently undergoing a difficult psychological period, then do not contemplate doing this programme. It is essential to be realistic about your own capacities prior to the start of the course. Preparation, liaising and written work are demanding and are in addition to the course hours.

Finding work
There is an input session on the course that specifically addresses finding and keeping a job in ELT (English language teaching). Information is given on the local teaching context, local schools, the best websites to consult when looking for work internationally, considerations when preparing for an interview and so on. The tutors will act as referees for you in your search for work after the course.  
 

CELTA ONLINE student testimonials

Doing the CELTA online with IH Budapest was a rewarding experience. It was tiring, due to Zoom fatigue and the intensive course content, but well worth the effort. Advice – download Zoom onto your laptop and iPhone before the course begins, do a bit of research on how to use Zoom beforehand, do the pre-course task and read the input session handouts before the course starts, and unwind at the end of each day during the course by going for a walk. And … enjoy it!  Kaya, April 2020 course

Our group were ‘lucky’ to be the online guinea pigs, we started as face to face course candidates and as history will reflect, 2020 became a tough time, we all had to complete, if we so chose, the course online. All the tutors are great – each different, each knowledgeable about TEFL, all willing to get the best out of the students and cajole, meld and bend us to their way of thinking – they were right!! I can say it was an eye opener and I was having self-doubt, the tutors all helped me and others. They are passionate about their work. Do the course – online, face to face (if the world recovers sufficiently) you won’t regret it. It can be technologically challenging to do the course online, internet and other issues can stress the Teaching practice session – so can the students, but is true in classroom activities anywhere. I would say it was an experience and a worthwhile commitment on my part. To all those that follow I wish you good fortune and this course will help you with your next steps in TEFL and life. John, March 2020 course

The team of teacher trainers at IH Budapest are very helpful and supportive of the student teachers and learners alike. They really are devoted to what they do and this makes it possible to make sure of success, despite the effort required to pass this course. It’s a seriously relentless daily pace on the intensive course but with hard work and dedication you can overcome this and learn more about your teaching skills than you previously imagined. I believe my fellow group members and I made the best choice of institution for the CELTA course. Paul, April 2020 course

Doing my CELTA with IH Budapest was hugely rewarding. I had been teaching English previously but I was able to improve massively on my approach to planning and teaching lessons both online and face to face. The course is invaluable to anyone thinking of going forward with a career in teaching English as a second language. The trainers at IH Budapest are passionate and knowledgeable about their profession as well as being friendly and approachable. Their experienced advice made all the difference throughout the course. Robert, March 2020 course

CELTA online was different from our face-to-face week in several aspects: lesson preparation, communication and time. If you are tech-savvy and don’t mind creating and using power point or any other kind of presentations, lesson preparation will probably be easier for you. You won’t have to try to get up a little bit earlier to get to the computer room at the school when it’s not crowded to print your documents and pictures in time for your morning lesson. On the other hand, communication through video conferences will be slower and overall challenging in many unpredictable ways. For me, the rest of the course was much less stressful because at home it’s easier to figure out your lunch and outfit, you have more time to sleep and prepare, and if – don’t do it – you’re late – seriously, don’t do it! – the uncomfortable shame-filled sliding into the classroom is no more. You can also sit in your favourite chair and have a cup of hot tea or coffee next to you pretty much all of the time. The amazing team at IH Budapest managed to adapt and basically invent a whole new type of course and not lose the key elements, and thus, the quality in the process. Our students transitioned to video conferences with us and were helped by the trainers and everyone at the school to get used to the new format. Our CELTA lasted a little bit longer than usual and I’m immensely grateful for every second of it and for all the hard work of our trainers, who had to adjust more than anyone else, improvise and create anew. They made it great fun in spite of everything! Anna, March 2020 course

The CELTA at IH Budapest

We think there are five reasons you should choose IH Budapest to take your CELTA.

1. Consistency: our training team is not only highly experienced, but also works together throughout the year (we don’t use non-Budapest-based freelancers). This means that you can be sure that our trainers, despite their differing teaching styles and personalities, will be clear and consistent in their message to you.
2. Depth of experience: we have been delivering initial teacher training courses since 1988 and have a long tradition of quality teacher training (check any forum). Many of the biggest names among ELT trainers/writers “did their time” here in Hungary and played an important part in shaping our teacher training programme and philosophy.
3. Value for money: the relatively low cost of living in Hungary means we can keep course fees low- we offer one of the best CELTA fees in the world.  In addition, you will find Budapest to be very cheap to live in compared to most other European capitals.
4. Employment: helped by our reputation as a quality teacher training institute, our knowledge of the local teaching context and contacts with local employers, and being part of a network of 154 schools present in 54 countries, we know what you need to do to get a teaching job and we do our best to help you.
5. Budapest: a great city to visit and live in. Everyone finds their niche here, whether they like the nightlife or the hiking in the nearby Buda Hills, or exploring other places in Hungary.

CELTA student testimonials

I honestly have no idea how anyone could walk into a classroom without the skills you will learn on this course, imparted in an entertaining, humourous, and yet professional way. For anyone thinking about a job in TEFL this course will stand you in good stead. Stuart

I never thought that one can learn so much in just 20 days.What made the CELTA program particularly effective is the way they combined instruction of teaching techniques with practice of real classroom teaching and with candid but positive and sensitive feedback both from the trainers and your fellow trainees. Marina

Taking CELTA in Budapest Hungary was a decision that I was more than glad I made. One of the biggest factors is the quality of the instructors at IH Budapest. My trainers were among the best teachers that I have ever had the pleasure of being taught by. I don’t say that lightly. Their enthusiasm and dedication to the subject of English was only surpassed by their commitment to us and our improvement as teachers. Joe

I would wholeheartedly recommend doing your CELTA in Budapest. While I took my course in the summer straight after university with absolutely zero teaching experience, and several of my fellow students were seasoned teachers (one was even a professor!). Because the course is structured so that everyone gets such a huge amount of individual feedback on their teaching, everyone – regardless of the level at which they began – improved in leaps and bounds. Lucy