How does the CELTA Course Online work?
It is based on the part-time model. However, instead of coming into the centre premises to do both input sessions and to do your teaching practice, you will do the input sessions online, working through multimedia materials, doing interactive tasks, discussing topics with other course participants and your tutor in forums and collaborating with other course participants in a virtual classroom. Teaching practice, feedback, supervised lesson planning and live observation will require coming into the centre.
Please note that the materials require participants to be online and cannot be downloaded or worked on off-line. This is for security and to allow progress monitoring.
How will the online component of the course be structured?
As a course participant, you will work with an orientation module and 30 units of online, interactive material based on the syllabus areas. Forum and 'Live room' (virtual real-time classroom) tasks are integrated thoughout the course. This means that although the number of times you need to come into the centre is reduced, there are still appointments (virtual or real) that you need to attend. Course participants work independantly or collaboratively depending on the task with tutor support, evaluation and comment.
How will the Teaching Practice (TP) be structured?
Teaching practice will have a group format with each candidate teaching for a total of 6 hours. When you are not teaching, you will watch your colleagues teach (peer observation). Candidates will continue to interact with the online environment during the teaching practice phases.
The teaching practice will take place on Monday and Wednesday evenings 6pm to 9 pm (approximate timings) commencing on the Wednesday in week 3 of the course until the Wednesday in week 12.
How much work will there be on the course?
CELTA courses are very intensive whichever way you complete them. On face-to-face courses there are 120 contact hours or more spent at the centre. However, trainees often spend at least this amount of time again reviewing input, preparing lessons and writing assignments. When considering the time necessary to complete the online course please be aware of this significant additional time on top of completing the online units, observing classes and attending the face to face components.
What are the benefits of doing the CELTA Online course as opposed to the part-time face-to-face courses?
- It gives you - the course participant - more flexibility in terms of when you complete the online component. Although the units have to be completed in order and there will be virtual classroom appointments and discussion forums to follow, there is flexibility in when you work with the online material which will help you to fit these around professional and personal commitments.
- As there are fewer face-to-face sessions, you will not need to come to the centre so much, saving you travel time and expense. This will be especially beneficial to those who live further away from the centre.
- Another advantage of the CELTA Course Online will be the increased amount of time and support away from the centre for reflection and development. The online materials will provide an excellent resource that you can come back to at a future point. Course participants will have access to the online materials post-course (a year from the start of the course).
What do I need to have in terms of hardware and software?
For detailed specifications please see this document.
How long does the course last?
13 weeks including an online orientation course lasting 6 hours. The orientation course will help you become familiar with the Virtual Learning Environment and will also get you thinking about aspects related to the learning and teaching of English.
Who will be my tutors?
For each course there are an Online Course Tutor (OCT) and local Teaching Practice Tutors (TPTs). The Online Course Tutor will be guiding you through the online material but will also have input into the practical side. Whilst the TPT will be observing your teaching practice, giving you feedback and helping with your lesson planning, they will also be feeding in and referring to theory. Here at CILC the TPTs and the OCT are permanent members of the CELTA training team and so work in close co-operation to ensure a strong link between theory and practice. What's more the OCT here is also a TPT.
How will I communicate with my online tutor?
Whilst working through the online units, you will have contact with your OCT through the forum and the Liveroom tasks. However, the Virtual Learning Environment we will be using offers several means of communication with your tutor directly. You will have at least one tutorial with the OCT to discuss your progress. This may be face-to-face, by phone or virtually in the Liveroom.
Will I meet the other course participants?
You will work with all the other course participants online and in the virtual classroom and will meet them face-to-face when you come in for the 'introduction to teaching practice' session. During the face-to-face teaching practice, you will work most closely with your own teaching practice group.
When does the course start and end?
The orientation module will open on 15th April 2013 and the course will finish on 19th July 2013. However, course participants will have access to the material for a year from the start of the course.
How many course participants are there?
There will be a maximum of 10 course participants and these will be divided into 2 groups of 5 for TP.
Will the course entry requirements for trainees be any different than they are for the existing face-to-face course?
No they will be exactly the same.
How much will the CELTA Online cost?
Course fee for April 2013 start is £1195.