CELTA course topics
You will cover five main topics as part of your CELTA course:

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

How you will be assessed
You will be assessed throughout the course. There is no final examination. An external assessor, appointed by Cambridge English Language Assessment, moderates each course.

There are two types of assessment – Teaching Practice and Written Assignments. To get the CELTA certificate, you must pass both assessments.
There are three passing grades:

• Pass ‘A’
• Pass ‘B’
• Pass

How do I know what to teach?
In the supervised lesson preparation the tutors help the trainees develop the skills to plan both what they will do and how they are going to achieve it.

Our aim is not to prescribe one way to teach a class, but to guide you and give you exposure and practice in different ways. At the same time, you will be informed about what is at the cutting edge of teaching practice these days. As a result, by the end of the course you will become independent in both your lesson preparation and in the classroom. You will feel ready for the real world of language teaching.

What happens in the input sessions?
As with the rest of the course, the emphasis is on learning by doing and sessions are run like workshops, rather than lectures. They cover area such as how to teach writing, using authentic materials, language awareness and classroom management. The focus is always on ideas and techniques which can immediately be put into practice.

How will I be assessed?
You will be assessed throughout the course. There is no final examination. An external assessor, appointed by Cambridge English Language Assessment, moderates each course.

There are two types of assessment – Teaching Practice and Written Assignments. To get the CELTA certificate, you must pass both assessments.
There are three passing grades:

• Pass ‘A’
• Pass ‘B’
• Pass

Obviously the teaching is the most important element. Apart from how you actually teach the lesson, you will be graded on the preparation work you do where appropriate, such as any materials you create, and your lesson plan.
After each lesson you will be given specific oral and written feedback so you will know how you are progressing. Obviously, anyone experiencing difficulties is given more help by the tutors.

I am a non-native English speaker, can I take the course?
Yes, provided your standard of English will enable you to successfully complete the written assignments and teach at a range of levels you can take the course. This will be decided by when you apply for the course by the pre-interview task and the interview itself.

Complete the both the application form and pre interview task* and send them to [email protected]. Once we receive your completed application package it will be checked to ensure it meets our requirements.

 Dowload the CELTA course application package here

If it does meet the required standard, we aim to interview you within the next week. The interview will be face-to-face if you live in the Barcelona area or by telephone or Skype if you live elsewhere. This stage is essential to assess your language awareness skills and teaching ideas. We will inform you of the outcome of the interview in writing within 24 hours (36 hours over the weekend).

After you have been interviewed and accepted you will be formally invited to join the course. You can confirm your place by paying the deposit of 500 € (550 € if you want us to arrange your accommodation).

The remaining course fee must be settled no less than 2 weeks before the start date of your course. If you apply less than two weeks before the course you must pay the full fees on acceptance.

You can choose to pay via the following payment methods:

This will start in October with a series of three grammar seminars aimed at helping you become more familiar with some of the typical structures that you will come across as an English teacher.

There are literally thousands of language schools in Spain and even the smallest town usually has at least one. Most schools wait for their teachers to find them - they don't need to advertise. This means that finding work is often a matter of being in the right place at the right time. Other schools, especially the larger ones, have more formal recruitment procedures. Some may ask you do to a demonstration lesson.



The best time of year to find work is September, followed by January and June. If you are looking for a contract or full time work then September is definitely the best time. There are lots of jobs going in September, as most schools hire from October to June, except business schools which take people on all year.

Nowadays it's unrealistic to find work without a CELTA. In the past, schools in Spain would employ any native-speaker. Thankfully, levels of professionalism have increased! Be wary of a school that will hire you without qualifications, they may be sub-standard in other areas too. Some schools also require a university degree although this is not universal.

Word of mouth works in Spain!...

It’s a good idea to get to know as many other English teachers as posssible as they are often the first to hear that a job has come up. Our Teacher Support Seminars will provide you with an excellent opportunity for this sort of networking. Busy Directors of Studies will often follow up recommendations from teachers already on staff and most will welcome on spec applications.

Visiting schools in person and leaving hard copies of your CV can also work – you never know when schools will be looking for extra staff and Directors of Studies will be impressed that you have actively sought out the school and paid them a visit.

Finding your own accommodation in Barcelona
Many CELTA trainees prefer to find their own accommodation in Barcelona. The cost of a room in a flat starts at about 400 € a month but can be considerably more. If you are going to look on the Internet, airbnb.com is a good place to start.

If you need any further advice on this please contact us.

Some trainees comments on Teaching Practice...

"I thoroughly enjoyed teaching practice and found it both challenging and rewarding."

"The T.P. was invaluable and tutors were very focused, available and helpful with respect to lesson planning."

"Started with lots of support and help, guided us to become more independent."

"Although it was scary at first, I think it was a great idea to just throw us into teaching..."

"This was great. Good students, good feedback sessions. Excellent idea to immerse us to teaching from day 1. The tutor feedback was a balance of construction and criticism. Well done! Helped in intangible ways!!"

"Great experience, even if it was stressful at times!"

"The best way to learn!"

"Feedback sessions were invaluable. Constructive criticism at its best."

The city of Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1.7 million inhabitants and 4 million in the metropolitan area. Its cultural richness, vibrant life, and splendid location have made it one of the most visited cities in the world, with over 4 million visitors per year. There are two official languages spoken in Barcelona: Catalan, generally spoken in all of Catalonia, and Castillian Spanish. 

Barcelona is unequivocally a Mediterranean city, not only because of its geographic location but also and above all because of its history, tradition and cultural influences. The old city (Ciutat Vella) offers the visitor a wide range of routes to follow and reconstruct the history of Barcelona by starting at the Roman walls, moving to the medieval streets of the Gothic Quarter and the Ribera. The grid-like city expansion (Eixample), formed at the end of the 19th century, bears witness to the wealth brought about by the economic growth of the period. There's nothing quite like a walk down Paseo de Gracia or the Ramblas - this stretch must be one of the most unique in the world.

Getting around Barcelona
Travelling around Barcelona is cheap and easy. The Lewis School CELTA venue is in the heart of the city and so is on most major bus and metro routes. If you like cycling, Barcelona has an excellent network of safe bicycle lanes. This is an excellent way to get about and enjoy our sunny Mediterranean climate. 

Near Barcelona
There are many well-worth-a-visit places near Barcelona and which are within easy reach. We recommend the sandy beaches and rocky coves of the Costa Brava, the nearby beach town of Sitges, the Dalí museum in Figueras and the Monastery of Monserrat. An easy day trip can also be made to the impressive Montserrat Monastery and mountain.