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CELTA Focus on the Learner Assignment

Published by awalls86 on february 13, 2021 february 13, 2021.

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Of the four assignments that you need to write for CELTA, the focus on the learner assignment tends to require the most planning. Typically, this assignment consists of finding out about the background and needs of one or more students, identifying problems they have and suggesting relevant activities to help these students. As with other CELTA assignments, the exact details of the assignment will depend on the course provider.

What do you have to do?

focusing on one particular learner;
focusing on a pair of learners;
focusing on a group of students.

Focus on one learner

If you have to focus on one learner (as I had to), you will be expected to meet up with the student and collect data about their background and needs. However, before you do that, you may have the option to choose your victim… sorry, I mean learner.

Assuming you have the choice, you want to pick wisely. I would advise picking a student who:

speaks a major international language (e.g. Arabic, Spanish, Korean, etc.), and
you have already noted has specific problems.

The reason for picking a student who speaks a major international language is that the problems these speakers have in English are well-documented. I am however assuming that your students are not a monolingual group. It is not necessary you know their first language, and actually if it is obvious you have picked a learner because you know their language, the CELTA tutors may take a dim view of this.

Once you have chosen your learner, don’t delay to set up an interview with them. You will then want to plan out what you will ask them about (look at the background and needs sections for ideas). Make sure you record the interview so you can listen back to it later. Most mobile phones can deal with this, but you should make sure that it is recording. It is better to have two minutes on the recording of you saying “is it working?” than finding out afterwards it didn’t record.

You should also aim to get a writing sample from the student at the interview. You could ask them to do it ahead of the interview by asking them to write a letter telling you about their experience of learning English and what they would like to do with English in the future.

As the practice students attend CELTA lessons for free, they are usually very amenable to being interviewed. However, if they are not so thrilled at this prospect, you can generally sway them by telling them they will get feedback. If you promise this, do make sure you give it though. These students often come back again and again and so another CELTA trainee will probably use them in their assignment in the future. Don’t make their life more difficult because you promised the student feedback but didn’t give any.

As well as interviewing the learner, you can also make notes when you are observing the group and when you are teaching. Note anything you hear them say wrongly (you can always analyse what the mistake is later) and difficulties they have with skills.

Focus on a pair of learners

As with focusing on one learner, if you have a choice, try to choose students with major international first languages. You still want to set up your interview as soon as possible and prepare your list of questions.

Having a pair of learners gives you an opportunity that you don’t get with just one and it is a rookie error if you don’t take it. Since you have two learners, give them a task to complete together in the interview. This gives you a much more accurate picture of what they struggle with.

In lessons, you still need to note the errors you hear them make and issues that they have with skills. Remember, you are also comparing the students, so you should consider whether these issues are common to both.

Focus on a group

If you are told to focus on a group, you probably won’t get to interview the whole group. Certainly, if you do get any time when you can do this it won’t be long. Instead you might be told to conduct a survey on the group to get this information. This is something that your teaching practice group will need to do together.

Background and Needs

The first section of your assignment deals with the learners’ background and needs. This can include (this is not an exhaustive list by any means):

country of origin,
occupation,
first language,
other languages and level,
how long they have been learning English and how,
level of education,
experience of education,
why they are learning English,
what they use English for,
what they would like to use English for,
what they find easy,
what they find difficult,
what activities they like,
what activities they don’t like,
their attitude to correction.

It is fairly easy to phrase questions to get answers to these questions in an interview or on a survey. However, remember that if the student is low level you may need to word questions in a way that they can respond easily. With higher level students, you may want to ask these questions in a more open ended way to get them to talk more. You may want to script your questions to save time rephrasing them in an interview.

Once you have this information, you can begin writing it up.

The book Learner English (Smith & Swan) is invaluable here. This book looks at the problems that speakers of certain languages have when learning English. Reading the section that relates to your student(s) therefore will give you plenty of issues to write about.

Your centre will tell you how many issues you need to write about. It may specify that you need to write about issues related to each of the three knowledge areas (grammar, lexis and pronunciation) and the four skills (reading, listening, speaking and writing). Alternatively, it might tell you to pick two key problems that the student should work on. Obviously, the more areas you are required to provide problems for, the less you are required to write for each problem.

If you are only required to choose a couple of problems you will need to:

pick problems from different knowledge areas or skills (i.e. don’t have two grammar problems);
explain why you believe this problem is particularly important. This is easy if you can link it to something in their needs – for example, you could justify working on spelling if they have stated that professional writing is high on their priorities.

This can be the trickiest part of the assignment. You know a couple of problems that they have and now you must suggest solutions that will help them to overcome these.

To pass this part, you should ensure your solutions are sufficiently clear, relate to the problem and state why they will help. For example:

Problem: Student confuses /p/ and /b/ phonemes in speech and writing e.g. I bark my car. This is a common problem for Arabic speakers, as the two sounds are allophonic in Arabic.

Solution: A list of minimum pairs containing /b/ and /p/ is included in the appendix, e.g. beach and peach. I would use these to test if the student can actually hear the difference between these sounds. Through regular testing, the student should get better at hearing the difference. When the student can do this, I would use these words to drill the student in producing these sounds.

Assessment Criteria

To pass this assignment, you need to do the following:

show you are aware how a student’s background, learning experience and preferences affect learning.
identify the student’s needs.
correctly use terminology.
select appropriate material and resources.
provide a rationale for using these activities.
find, select and reference information.

If you want to pass this first time around, follow these tips:

As soon as you meet the students, note all the errors they make or problems they have that you can.
Share your notes with your teaching practice group and they will likely do the same.
Choose a student quickly if you need to.
As soon as you can set up an interview with the student.
Record the interview (make sure your device is recording).
Write up the background as soon as possible after your interview.
Use Learner English to identify problems. If you’re really struggling, you may well get away with saying that your student has a problem that is common to speakers of that language. This should be a last resort however.
Make sure you have sufficiently different problems i.e. not two grammar problems, or two pronunciation problems.
Talk to your colleagues when devising solutions. They may be able to suggest some good resources.
Include the activities in an appendix with a clear note of where you got them.
You aren’t supposed to explain how the activity is performed, but you can include the teachers’ instructions from the book in the appendix.
Keep a close eye on the word count.
If you can, have a relative or friend read your final submission through.

If you follow the advice above, you should be able to complete this assignment without too much fuss.

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Transcription
About language

CELTA written assignment: focus on the learner(s)

The purpose of the assignment

The CELTA handbook (5th edition) explains that this assignment allows you to demonstrate that you can:

show awareness of how a learner’s/learners’ background(s), previous learning experience and learning preferences affect learning
identify the learner’s/learners’ language and/or skills needs
correctly use terminology relating to the description of language systems and/or language skills
select appropriate material and/or resources to aid the learner’s/learners’ language and/or skills development
provide a rationale for using specific activities with a learner/learners
find, select and reference information from one or more sources
use written language that is clear, accurate and appropriate to the task

That's a lot to cover in 1000 words so you need to be concise and stay focused. This is not the place to discuss general approaches to teaching.

Most centres choose one of two ways to set this assignment:

You may be asked to focus on a specific learner from one of the teaching practice classes or
You may be asked to focus on the whole of a teaching practice class.

You may even be given a choice.

Whichever assignment you are set, the considerations are the same but, obviously, more depth will be required in 1. than in 2.

This is in the genre of an Information Report and it has three parts:

A brief introduction stating the basic information about the learner or the class. Say what you are doing and who the subject of the investigation is.
An area-by-area report giving the data you have gathered, noting strengths, weaknesses and needs as you go along.
sources for language and/or skills development and, if it's needed, personal support
ideas for language and/or skill focused activities Link this section carefully to the data you have gathered, explaining why you think the ideas will help.

You can combine the second and third areas if that makes sense to you so two structures are possible:

Choose one structure or the other. Do not mix them up or you'll be incoherent.

An example of the learner's writing. The neatest way to get this is to write a short note to the learner saying who you are, giving a bit of background (age, background, personal details etc.) and asking the learner to respond in like manner. That way, you get the personal stuff you need and an example of how well they can handle the simple language needed to give some personal data (name, age, occupation etc.).
reasons for learning English
language learning background
student’s opinion of their strengths and weaknesses in English
preferred class and activity types
You can, of course, gather some of this data by designing a questionnaire. See the guide to needs analysis to get some ideas. There is an example of a basic needs analysis form here.
Record the interview and listen to it again, making notes of consistent errors and the learner's communicative effectiveness. You can provide a tapescript of some important parts of the interview to exemplify the areas you think need work in the assignment. You will need the person's permission to do this, of course.
If recording is not an option, make as many notes as you can on the learner's use of English as you go along.
Learning style. The new edition of the handbook (the 5th) has removed any explicit reference to learning styles because the theories that underlie such things have been comprehensibly debunked. The syllabus now contains reference to learning preferences. However, for reasons which are slightly obscure, some CELTA centres and tutors are wedded to the idea of learning styles. Many will let you have a copy of something called a VARK questionnaire to give to the subject. There is, of course, a guide to learning styles on this site but you should treat the area with great scepticism. See also the article attempting to debunk the whole concept .

You need to set out some information about the people in the class: ages, occupations, reasons for learning etc. See the table above. The only sensible way to do this with a group of people is via a questionnaire needs analysis. See the guide to needs analysis to get some ideas. There is an example of a basic needs analysis form here.
You can investigate learning preferences but will have to identify from the data any commonalities in the class rather than details of each learner. See point f., above.
For the final section of the assignment where you make suggestions, you'll need to be a bit more generalised and identify common aims and needs rather than individual ones. One approach is to identify the two weakest and the two strongest students and identify appropriate activities, resources and aims for them. That should also cover everyone in between.

The student is studying English for no apparent purpose at the moment. He or she may need the language in the future for some purpose but at the moment that is not clear. The student may also need the language as part of a general education, for access to English-language websites and for travel and tourism. This student needs General English (a GE learner).
This student need English to settle and integrate in an English-speaking culture for an indefinite time. This student needs English as a Second or Other Language (an ESOL learner)
This student needs English for business and commercial purposes either because his/her professional setting demands it or because she/he is intending to study Business and/or Management. This student needs Business English (a BE learner).
This student intends to study in an English-medium institution such as a university or college. This student needs English for Academic Purposes (an EAP learner).
This student needs English for a narrow area of concern such as access to written scientific texts, to work in a particular occupation such as the hospitality industry, air traffic control, the merchant marine, the transport industry etc. This student needs English for a Specific Purpose (an ESP learner).
All of the above can be subdivided into a bewildering range of acronyms including, e.g., EGOP (English for General Occupational Purposes), EGPP (English for General Professional Purposes), ELF (English as a Lingua-Franca, for communication between non-native speakers of English worldwide), English in the Workplace (EiW), English for Professional Purposes (EPP) and so on.

"I want to learn English to fit into an English-speaking culture and work and socialise." This student has Integrative Motivation (to integrate into a cultural milieu).
"I want to learn English to use the language in business meetings / to study a subject at university." This student has Instrumental Motivation (using the language as a tool to do other things).
"I love the language and enjoy learning it and speaking it." This student has Intrinsic Motivation (the pressure to learn comes from within).
"I have been told to learn English by my employer / parents / sponsor." This student has Extrinsic Motivation (the pressure to learn comes from outside).

Be careful not to be too dogmatic here. People are complicated and their motivations are often obscure, even to themselves, so try to avoid statements such as

This learner is extrinsically motivated.

Prefer, instead, something a bit more careful such as:

From the data supplied in the short questionnaire, it seems that this learners is aware of the need to learn enough English to be able to function in the workplace but is also keen to access English-speaking websites and understand something of the cultures of English-speaking societies. She has, therefore, a mix of instrumental and integrative motivation and needs English as a tool as well as for cultural access.

There is a guide to motivation on this site but you do not need all the detail now. If you would like a simpler guide to motivation which still gives more data than here, there is one in the TKT course materials (new tabs).

Obviously, the suggestions you make will be determined by what you have discovered about the learner(s).

Why do you suggest it?
What's its target?
How will it help?
Include both ideas for activities and ideas for materials to use and topics to focus on.
Identify both language structure and skills needs. For example, From the data summarised in point xxx above, I would argue that a priority for this learner / these learners is to enhance his / her / their reading skills because they / he / she identify it as a weakness and this is supported by my observations. Good reading skills are needed for study in the UK and the majority of these EAP students / this EAP student will be going on to university in the next few months. Therefore, I suggest using xxxx in class and starting a reading club using xxxx books and resources. The student(s) will also benefit from a specific focus on both reading for gist and reading intensively so I suggest the following activities will be helpful... or Another area of weakness I have identified in point yyyy above is the student(s)' lack of vocabulary . Therefore, I suggest a specific focus on general academic vocabulary including using yyyy as a resource and spending at least one lesson per day focusing on common academic collocations (such as reasonable to argue, arising from the data, developing the point further etc.). This will improve the learner(s)' ability to be precise in terms of meaning and use conventional language in academic essays. The class / student will also benefit from work on cohesive devices such as therefore, firstly, finally, because, furthermore etc. as his / her / their writing shows that they avoid or misuse these structures in general (see appendix 2, and the comments in point z). This will make the learner(s)' writing in particular more accessible, better organised and fluent.

Do not repeat yourself here. It's not necessary and you don't have enough words to play with. What you do need to do here is identify the main facts and the most important suggestions. In other words, prioritise .

Before you submit your assignment, here's a quick checklist. You can have this as a PDF file by clicking here or you can mentally tick things off on the screen.

learning preferences
the questionnaire and a summary of the results
samples of work
I have identified at least 5 language problems the learner(s) have / has
I have given examples
general future work
specific ideas to deal with the problems I identified

Now assess yourself against the criteria for the assignment. Here they are again. Have you been able to:

Your tutors will maintain a record of the work you have done on the written assignments and will grade each of the criteria as follows: NS (Not to Standard), S (at Standard) or S+ (above Standard). You need to aim consistently for S or S+ grades, naturally.

If you have managed to tick all the items, well done. Submit the assignment and move on.

Oct 10, 2023

Focus on the Learner - help with CELTA Assignment One

Updated: 2 days ago

On a CELTA course , you'll have to complete four written assignments. Each assignment is between 750-1000 words. The assignments can be assigned in any order, but most typically, the Focus on the Learner assignment comes first.

The first part of the assignment is a profile of the learner, or learners. Your tutors may set this up in a number of different ways, and might ask you to write a profile of one student or of a group of students. You may be asked to collect an example of the student's writing or to record them speaking. Then you'll have to write a profile of the student.

Typically, you're asked to give some general background facts, like age, nationality and occupation. This should be easy! You're then asked to give some more specific information that might inform how these students learn or what they want or need to learn. This will include their first language and their previous learning experiences, but you will also probably be asked to comment on motivations and possibly on learner preferences or styles.

If you're discussing motivations, it's good to mention the idea of intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation. Learner styles aren't really seen as very valid any more, but if you've been asked to mention them, the most common ones to discuss are visual, auditory and kinaesthetic.

I've used words like 'comment' and 'mention' because the important thing to remember is that you're not writing an in-depth profile of the student or students. You're writing a short profile of two or three hundred words. This is not a research paper for a masters degree and so if you've only collected a little information about the student(s), that's OK.

Because it's the first section, I've noticed that many CELTA trainees tend to spend a long time writing this part of the assignment, and then less time on the later sections. However, in my experience, it's the later sections of the assignment that tend to be the parts that people are asked to resubmit, so make sure to give the later sections plenty of time as well.

In the middle part of the assignment, you'll probably be asked to identify some of the student's (or students') strengths and weaknesses. You might be asked to comment on their ability with the skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking) or just with language items (grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation). Make sure to read the question given carefully, so you know exactly what you're being asked for. There's no point in listing ten points about a student's grammar mistakes if you were asked about their reading and listening skills.

The final, crucial, sections of the assignment are the ones that most often cause trainees to be asked to resubmit. You will be asked to identify errors that the students have made or language areas that they need to work on. The main mistake here is when a CELTA trainee is vague. You can't simply say that that the student gets tenses wrong. You need to say which tenses the student is mixing up. You can't say that they often mispronounce words. You need to say which sound they're pronouncing wrongly.

If you are specific in your analysis of the students' errors, then the final step should be easy. This is where you're asked to identify appropriate materials for students to help them with this error/language area. Again, in different CELTA centres you might be asked to do different things - some will ask you to find a freer practice activity, others will be fine with any exercise. What is essential is that it focuses exactly on the error the student has made and/or the need you have identified. You should also make sure that the exercise or activity you've found is appropriate to the learner's level and learning preferences that you described earlier in the assignment.

In summary, to succeed in your Focus on the Learner assignment:

make sure you read the instructions from your tutors and follow them.

don't spend too much time on the general profile at the start -- make sure it's clear and then move on to the later, more focused parts.

make sure your description of the students' language needs/errors is specific

make sure the activities or exercises match the needs/errors as exactly as possible.

About the author :

Dr Connor O'Donoghue hails from Ireland and he started teaching English as a foreign language in Poland in 2003 and he became a CELTA trainer in 2008. He has taught and trained in Ireland, the UK, France, Italy, Slovenia, Macedonia, Poland, Russia, Kazakhstan and Vietnam. Connor also holds a Masters and a PhD in Education from Trinity College in Dublin. He has previously managed large teacher training centres in Vietnam and in London before founding DC Teacher Training.

Commentaires

Lesson Plans and Ideas

CELTA – language skills related tasks

On CELTA you are asked to complete four written assignments. Even though you get plenty of help from your tutors, time is pretty tight, and you need to do a lot of individual research. I’d like to show you my assignment 3 with hopes that it will give you some help and inspiration on your CELTA journey.

Written assignment 3 – language skills related tasks was definitely one of my favourites. In this task, you are asked to find authentic material – a video, a song, an article – the sky is the limit, and make a lesson plan around it. I knew exactly what type of article I wanted to work on.

You see, when I first started teaching I was given the opportunity to teach a B2 group of adults at a private company. They were all great and loved discussing difficult and at times controversial topics. Since the company was located in Extremadura, Spain – the region of jamón and in general meat-lovers, I decided to bring an article on vegan burgers. The class went wild, students were engaged and brought a lot of great points to the table. That’s why when our tutor presented us with CELTA written assignment 3, I knew what to do.

Firstly, we had to select two or three pieces of authentic material and present them to our tutors. I selected two different articles from reputable websites (go for good sources with no grammar or spelling errors!):

Charity shops will be full of ‘treasures’ and ‘gems’ following lockdown clearouts – a very topical and hot topic back in June 2020 by Independent . An article about people doing clothes clearouts while stuck at home and donating them to charity shops.
Burger King ‘plant-based’ Whopper ads banned – an article by BBC News about false and misleading advertising. Another interesting and topical piece of authentic material that can lead to discussions on veganism, misinterpretation of information, fine print and many more.

I presented both of my articles and pushed hard to get a green light on the second one as I’d already had a scaffold of the lesson plan in my head. Luckily, it got approved, and I started working on it immediately. I think that out of all of the tasks, this was the easiest one and the one that took me almost no time to prepare. Scroll down to the end of the post to see the effect of my work and download it for inspiration!

So with the task being chosen and justified, I got on with planning. Following everything I’d learnt by that point, I decided to start with a lead-in by topic prediction based on visuals. Draw or show a burger, vegetables and a TV with a cross/ban sign. Give some time to discuss what they think the article is about.

It, of course, leads nicely to the next activity – reading for gist. Since the article has about 300 words, your students can quickly skim through it to see if their predictions were correct. It is also a good opportunity for them to underline any new vocab, so you can discuss and explain any new words in the next part.

In this written assignment you are asked to prepare all the activities yourself! I decided to go with true, false, or information not given . I thought that putting this tiny twist on this exercise would make this activity a bit more challenging. I decided to go with eight sentences, so the task is long enough but not too long so students can stay focused.

To finish this part students discuss some general questions about the article topic. The main topic is who is in the wrong – Burger King for putting fine print or consumers for not reading it. I only prepared three questions, but in a classroom situation, I would be more than happy to put more emphasis on a discussion part.

Lastly, I wanted to put a creative spin. I asked students to change the controversial Whopper and make their own, brand new BK item with the list of ingredients, the name and last but not least, the slogan! For this, I went on the Burger King website and took a screenshot of the way they present their burgers. Students follow the example and prepare their very own burgers.

I had a chance to do this class in September 2020 with my B2 teenage group. It worked out well, and my students came up with the burger called The Cheesy Queen ! I don’t think I need to share the list of ingredients as the name speaks for itself.

Good luck with your CELTA ventures! If you feel like you need some help or just an inspirational guideline to follow, don’t be shy and take a look at my assignment.

If you have already done CELTA, don’t be shy and tell me the topic of your language skills related task!

Published by joannaesl

A CELTA certified ESL teacher based in Altea, Spain. I share my experience regarding teaching in Spain, getting into ESL from scratch, but I also like to prepare lesson plans and classroom content. View all posts by joannaesl

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Preparing for your celta.

We have a range of resources and guidance to help you start your CELTA journey and get the most from your course.

Tips to help you prepare for your CELTA interview

You’ve found a centre, applied and been invited for interview – congratulations!

There’s no need to worry – your CELTA interview is about getting to know you, finding out about your skills and motivations, and making sure the course is right for you.

Here are our top tips for preparing for your interview.

1. Try to relax

The CELTA interview isn’t a test. Instead, it’s designed to get to know you. During the interview, you’ll talk about your experience, goals and the course content, so you and your interviewer can be sure it’s the right qualification for you.

2. Review your written application

Your application form will give you a good idea of the kind of areas you’ll be asked about during the interview. Take time to review it ahead of your interview to be fully prepared.

3. Do your research

Do you know what to expect on a CELTA course ? There’s lots to consider when taking a course, which is why it’s important to do your research. Here are some questions you could research ahead of your CELTA interview:

What is an ‘intensive’ course?
What will you be doing on the course?
What topics does the course cover?

It’s also a good idea to prepare some good, relevant questions to ask the interviewer. This shows you’re interested and can give you a greater insight into the course.

4. Think about why you want to take CELTA

What do you expect to get out of taking CELTA? Be prepared for your interviewer to ask this question and answer honestly – they just want to understand your real motivation behind taking the course.

5. Consider your reaction to feedback

Receiving feedback can help you develop your skills, identify your strengths, and the areas that you need to practise more. An important part of CELTA is getting feedback from your trainer and fellow trainees, so it’s important to think about how you feel and react to receiving feedback.

6. Reflect on your previous experience of studying

Looking back on your previous experience of studying, what worked well for you and what didn’t? Reflecting on your past school, university or training experiences can help you understand how you learn best. Your interviewer may explore why you’ve chosen a particular type of CELTA course to make sure it’s the most suitable for you.

7. Explore your beliefs about teaching and learning

Our previous experiences play a huge role in our beliefs and views of the world. Whether you’re new to teaching or already have experience, it’s important to think about your beliefs about teaching and learning.

If teaching is a new career path for you, you could think about your experience of being taught by a particular teacher – what worked well and why? Or, if you are already a teacher, what activities and lessons have worked well with your students? Consider what made them successful and how this informs your teaching practice.

8. Get set up online

Many CELTA interviews will be done online. Make sure you are calm and prepared for your interview by checking your speaker and microphone are working, and set yourself up in a place that is quiet and connected to the internet.

Resources to help you prepare for your course

Discover our range of resources to help you prepare for CELTA success.

Get a head start with our free CELTA preparation modules

Our free, online preparation modules provide an introduction to the CELTA course and the key theories and concepts it covers. There are three modules, which can be taken individually or in any order or combination.

Introduction to the CELTA course explains how CELTA works and introduces the course components.
Introduction to language teaching and learning outlines theories of language teaching and learning which underpin the practical CELTA course.
Introduction to language awareness raises your awareness of different features of lexis, grammar and pronunciation, and supports you to apply this throughout your CELTA course.

Find out more and register for access to the modules

Official Cambridge course materials

Your centre may recommend that you purchase a textbook, to use on the course. If you get one, look through it before the course starts to help you feel more prepared for what’s to come.

The CELTA Course Second edition provides full coverage of the latest syllabus and includes a range of supplementary materials to help you get the most from your course. It is the only official CELTA preparation course.

The Trainee Book offers an accessible course that will support you throughout your courses, either as an assigned textbook or as a supplementary resource.

A Trainer’s Manual is also available and provides trainers with all the material they need to deliver CELTA, whether in the classroom, online or as a blended course.

Find out more

Preparing to start your course – your CELTA checklist

Starting a new course can be daunting, but there’s lots you can do to get a head start and make sure you’re ready to succeed.

1. Talk to CELTA graduates

Talking to people who have already taken CELTA can be a great way to get a real-life insight into the course. If you don’t know anyone who has a CELTA qualification, watch our YouTube playlist to find out more about what to expect.

2. Clear your schedule

If you’re taking CELTA full time, you will be studying intensively to complete at least 120 hours of course time and over 80 hours of preparation and self-study time. While taking your CELTA, it’s a good idea to postpone social commitments and keep your diary free so you can focus fully on achieving your qualification.

3. Stay positive

Getting feedback can be hard, but it’s an essential part of your learning and development. Be prepared to accept feedback from your trainers and course peers without getting defensive. Instead, see it as an opportunity for growth. You’ll also be expected to give feedback to other trainees, too. Try to be honest and offer constructive advice when asked.

4. Practise your English

How is your knowledge of English systems? If you’re not confident, it can be useful to refresh your knowledge of English language terminology – the tense system, parts of speech etc. before starting CELTA, so you feel confident talking about them during the course.

5. Make friends

Whether you’re learning online or face-to-face, getting to know other course participants can make your experience of CELTA even more rewarding. You’ll learn a lot from other people on the course and will also be able to work together and support each other.

6. Remember: you can do it!

CELTA can be demanding, but it will be worth it! During the course, it’s normal to feel happy and excited as well as tired or disappointed at times. Just remember why you started your CELTA and how far you’ve already progressed.

Remember to speak to your fellow trainees and talk to your trainer when you need extra support.

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CELTA Assignment 1 Focus on the Learner (1)

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CELTA Assignment 4: Lessons from the Classroom

One of my goals in my career was obtaining CELTA course to maximize my chance in updating my teaching skills and provide me with solid knowledge on how to focus on students' needs. Through my journey, I went through some of the ups and down teaching moments, but I will highlight the four areas of my teaching aspects that have effectively developed during the CELTA course.

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A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners

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Is the CELTA Course Right for You?

The CELTA is a fantastic qualification to earn and the internally recognised leader in its field. If any of the points below apply to you, then I cannot recommend the CELTA highly enough.

You are looking to enter the TEFL industry as a new English language teacher.
You are hoping to apply for TEFL jobs in private schools or private lessons around the world.
You need the gold standard of TEFL certificates to validate your existing teaching credentials.
You are planning a gap year and want to use English language teaching as the foundation.
You are looking to develop real confidence in the classroom and provide your students with more value

The Cambridge CELTA is also a stepping stone to the prestigious DELTA (or the equivalent Trinity DipTESOL), which is required for anyone looking to become a Director of Studies in a language school.

Selecting a CELTA Centre

Read my helpful guide to choosing the best CELTA centre – there’s a few things you should keep in mind to find your ideal CELTA school.

CELTA Application Process

I’ve shared an in-depth guide to the CELTA application process already, so if you’re at this stage it’s well worth reading the guide first. It contains a lot of useful tips to making the application process less stressful and offers some real insights into the questions you will be asked and what the tutors are looking for. To summarise, all CELTA applicants will be expected to:

English language skills of CEFR C1 (Effective Operational Proficiency or advanced) or C2 (Mastery or proficiency).
Be at least 18 years old.
Be educated to the level of higher education entry requirements.

Preparing for the CELTA Course

Assuming you have been accepted for the CELTA course, you will probably have a number of weeks or months beforehand. Do not waste them! Your preparation during this period can make the difference between a potentially stressful, chaotic and expensive fail grade, or a manageable, enjoyable and enriching pass. I know that might sound a bit melodramatic now, but when you’re planning, conducting and reviewing real lessons back-to-back and juggling input sessions, written assignments and an average of 20 hours homework a week, you may come to regret not taking advantage of the quiet before the storm.

Prepare to pause your social life – I recommend you let everyone know you are just not available during your CELTA course. This is especially true of drinking buddies and amorous arrangements. Do whatever you need to do to make yourself unavailable on your CELTA month (if you’ve decided on the intensive course option). On the flip side of this point, it’s probably a good idea to spend some quality time with your friends and family before the course starts.

Improve your grammar – The CELTA course does not require trainees to possess a perfect understanding of English grammar, but you will be teaching real students how to conceptualise the difference between tenses (perfect, continuous, simple etc.), noun types (countable, uncountable etc.), verb types (phrasal, auxiliary etc.) Now I remember once being only one lesson ahead of my students and I can honestly tell you it was incredibly stressful, unprofessional and time-consuming. Imagine how much easier you can make your CELTA experience if you can commit even just half of the tenses to memory before the course begins!

Relax – You’re about to work almost non-stop for four weeks, so do whatever personally works for you to build up some inner peace. I’m not particularly spiritual myself, but I spent more time with my little son and went fishing.

Stay Healthy – You need to avoid falling ill so make sure you don’t neglect vitamins, water, sleep and fresh air.

CELTA Pre-Course Task

As part of your CELTA preparation, you will be sent an official Cambridge ESOL Pre-Course Task. It contains around 50 activities that you’ll need to work through in your own time, and present on your first day of the CELTA course. It’s not really a test; it’s there to help you to start thinking about your motivations, methods and students like a teacher should. It will not be graded or taken into account as part of your coursework.

Luckily, you’ll also be provided with an official Cambridge ESOL Pre-Course Task Answer Key.

Remember that the Pre-Course Task is there to help you prepare, so I highly recommend you go through the task first — without the Answer Key — and give it your best shot. It’s a great opportunity to re-ignite those slumbering academic brain cells!

The CELTA Course Elements

The CELTA course contains the following elements:

Teaching methodology input
Supervised lesson planning
6 hours of assessed teaching practice for each trainee
Observation of peers and experienced teachers
Consultations with tutors
Minimum of 80 additional learning hours for reading, research, assignment writing and lesson preparation.

The CELTA course syllabus consists of 5 broad topic modules:

Learners and teachers, and the teaching and learning context
Language analysis and awareness
Language skills: reading, listening, speaking and writing
Planning and resources for different teaching contexts
Developing teaching skills and professionalism

Spread across these topics, are the 2 main components that trainee teachers are graded on:

4 classroom related written assessments
6 hours of observed teaching with associated lesson planning

Input Sessions

The input sessions are equivalent to normal academic study: The CELTA instructors will share their knowledge and experience of how to teach English as a foreign language. An overview of the 5 topic modules will give you some idea of the aims of the CELTA syllabus.

1.1 Cultural, linguistic and educational backgrounds
1.2 Motivations for learning English as an adult
1.3 Learning and teaching styles
1.4 Context for learning and teaching English
1.5 Varieties of English
1.6 Multilingualism and the role of first languages
2.1 Basic concepts and terminology used in ELT for describing form and meaning in language and language use
2.2 Grammar – grammatical frameworks: rules and conventions relating to words, sentences, paragraphs and texts
2.3 Lexis: Word formation, meaning and use in context
2.4 Phonology: The formation and description of English phonemes; features of connected speech
2.5 The practical significance of similarities and differences between languages
2.6 Reference materials for language awareness
2.7 Key strategies and approaches for developing learners’ language knowledge
3.1.1 Basic concepts and terminology used for describing reading skills
3.1.2 Purposes of reading
3.1.3 Decoding meaning
3.1.4 Potential barriers to reading
3.2.1 Basic concepts and terminology used for describing listening skills
3.2.2 Purposes of listening
3.2.3 Features of listening texts
3.2.4 Potential barriers to listening
3.3.1 Basic concepts and terminology used for describing speaking skills
3.3.2 Features of spoken English
3.3.3 Language functions
3.3.4 Paralinguistic features
3.3.5 Phonemic systems
3.4.1 Basic concepts and terminology used for describing writing skills
3.4.2 Subskills and features of written texts
3.4.3 Stages of teaching writing
3.4.4 Beginner literacy
3.4.5 English spelling and punctuation
3.5 Key strategies and approaches for developing learners’ receptive and productive skills
4.1 Principles of planning for effective teaching of adult learners of English
4.2 Lesson planning for effective teaching of adult learners of English
4.3 Evaluation of lesson planning
4.4 The selection, adaptation and evaluation of materials and resources in planning (including computer and other technology based resources)
4.5 Knowledge of commercially produced resources and non-published materials and classroom resources for teaching English to adults
5.1 The effective organisation of the classroom
5.2 Classroom presence and control
5.3 Teacher and learner language
5.4 The use of teaching materials and resources
5.5 Practical skills for teaching at a range of levels
5.6 The monitoring and evaluation of adult learners
5.7 Evaluation of the teaching/learning process
5.8 Professional development: responsibilities
5.9 Professional development: support systems

CELTA Written Assignments

There are 4 assessed written assignments in the CELTA course. The CELTA written assignments are expected to be between 750 to 1000 words each, which can make it more difficult in my opinion as it removes the opportunity to broadly cover topics by rambling. These assignments are internally assessed by your CELTA centre and externally moderated by Cambridge ESOL.

Although they may be subject to change in future years, the written assignments are usually:

Adult learning and learning contexts
The English language system
Language skills
Classroom teaching & the identification of action points

Assessed Teaching Practice

As part of the CELTA course, all trainees must complete a minimum of 6 hours observed/assessed teaching to classes of real students. It’s this live teaching practice that gives the CELTA course such high international recognition. But in typical CELTA fashion, there’s a lot more involved than just throwing incoherent trainees in front of a whiteboard:

Lesson objectives are given to the trainees, who then go home and work on their own lesson plans, incorporating much of what they have learned during the input sessions.
Usually the next day, the trainees and tutors discuss their lesson plans in detail, looking for areas or activities that can be improved and anticipating any problems.
The trainees will then be given time to revise their lesson plans accordingly.
Then comes the classroom — the part that most trainees initially dread — where a maximum of 12 volunteer ESL students (often mixed nationality) wait patiently for their lesson.
Based on the CELTA tutor’s observations during the lesson, the trainee will be given feedback and constructive criticism, which they are expected to incorporate into their next lesson plan.
…and the cycle continues as above for the duration of the CELTA course.

Good luck on your TEFL career!

Before you go...

Find out how to save time on your CELTA assignments!

CELTA Course Pre-interview Task: Examples with PDF Downloads

The CELTA pre-interview task has quite a reputation among students given that it forms a crucial part of the entry onto any CELTA course.

You will have to complete it wherever you take the CELTA so it’s best to know exactly what you you will need to do in advance to give yourself the best chance of getting accepted onto your CELTA course.

So, what is the CELTA course pre-interview task? It is a series of exercises to complete during the application process. The task focuses on aspects of language awareness. Your answers to this pre-interview task will then be used for a discussion during your CELTA course interview, the next part of the process.

If you meet the minimum entry requirements for the CELTA course, you will then be sent a copy of the pre-interview task to complete, usually in a week before you have the interview. Obviously this comes after you have chosen the best CELTA course for you !

It is nothing to be afraid of because, if you plan to teach English as a second language, there are usually many basic elements covered in these tasks which you will need to know for the course. If you are looking for tips on how to pass the CELTA course pre-interview task, they are in another post.

How many parts are there in the CELTA course pre-interview task?

Usually, there are 3 parts to a CELTA pre-interview task. However, these parts might include several exercises within them.

In the British Council example (link below), this includes: grammar and vocabulary, approaches to teaching and learning and language in context.

Not all pre-lecture tasks will follow this pattern exactly but they will usually cover these topics in some way.

As the British Council’s sample pre-interview task says, the objective is:

“to help you start thinking about language from a foreign learner’s point of view, and to begin to consider approaches to the classroom”.

Remember the above at all times when completing the task. Note the keywords “ start thinking about” and “ begin to consider” – nobody is expecting you to be an expert at this stage in your CELTA journey!

This last point is something to bear in mind throughout your time on the CELTA course as you will need to get used to learning as you go. You will find that you are very often required to learn and apply things rapidly.

This kind of intensity of learning and application can throw some people off so avoid perfectionism and do your best. With that in mind, you will reduce your stress and keep yourself going throughout your CELTA.

Where to find downloadable examples of the CELTA course pre-interview task?

There are actually quite a lot of samples of the CELTA course pre-interview task available online.

Here are some links from trusted sources:

Action English Language Training Centre, which is now part of Centre of English Studies (CES) in Leeds, UK has both a CELTA pre-interview task available to download and answers in a separate file. See below for links: Example CELTA Pre-interview Task Example CELTA Pre-interview Task Answers NB: The above pre-interview task has several questions which do not have answers as they based on personal reflection (i.e. similar to ‘Why are you interested in language teaching?’) so these do not appear in the answer key

British Council : The British Council is a global authority in terms of ESL/EFL so you can definitely trust the quality of their materials. It is a very clearly laid out PDF file which you can download.

International Teaching and Training Centre : This is also another clear example of the CELTA pre-interview task which gives you a good idea of the types of questions available.

ISE Hove : This CELTA centre in the south of England have uploaded an editable PDF version of a CELTA pre-interview task. Follow the link in the name and you can have a go at completing it.

Holmes Institute *: This CELTA centre provides a version of the pre-interview task. From their document, I particularly liked the advice they provide at the top for how to approach the pre-interview task:

“Don’t spend hours on end writing your responses, but do think carefully about your replies. Both how you go about responding and the accuracy of what you produce is significant.”

*This document has since been removed so I have had to remove the link, too!*

Want even more detail on the assignments and much, much more? Check out The CELTA Survival Guide Ebook by CELTA Helper Now!

What was your experience of the celta pre-interview task.

Thinking way back to 2007 (makes me feel old!), I remember being quite nervous about it. This was probably because it wasn’t that difficult, therefore I was thinking too much about it.

Remember, the CELTA pre-interview task is not going to include high-level grammar points or questions about teaching. Instead, it is to designed to make you think about what you will need to do on the course.

Even today, I still confuse some tenses and word forms but it does not matter. The main thing is that I respond to students, prepare well for lessons and help them to learn.

Try to keep this in mind when you are completing the pre-interview task for your CELTA course.

The main point is that you are aware of the learners, have thought about grammar and are willing to learn and work. With this in mind, you can’t go far wrong!

Useful Resources to prepare for the CELTA Pre-interview Task

Practical English Usage by Michael Swan: This book features on most CELTA reading lists and comes highly recommended. It is one of the few books I would recommend buying (you won’t need to buy many but this one is worth it!)
Grammar Bytes : This website is the easiest and clearest for grammar explanations on the internet! It has all the key elements in simple terms and clear writing. Highly recommended!
British Council : Example of the CELTA course pre-interview task (same link as above)
Mr Brookes Abroad’s Blog : This article gives a good idea of how the experience of the CELTA pre-interview task is. Mr Brookes, now a TEFL teacher abroad, explains many of the things I felt when I did mine. I recommend reading this article as it really captures the feeling and ideas behind the pre-interview task and the interview itself.

And finally:

If you need extra help with your CELTA course, check out the CELTA Course Student Notebook and Diary by CELTA Helper over on Amazon .

This handy notebook is designed with ready-made templates to make your CELTA course that much easier, giving you space to record all your key notes without you having think about how to organise or record your notes – just fill in the templates for things like observed lessons, planning, reflective diary (especially helpful for the final assignment) and more. I designed it to help CELTA course students get through the course – perhaps it can help you, too.

PS You may also like to get your assignments or application checked by Scribendi – an online proofreading service (affiliate link) I used to work for that provides high-quality work.