Student Participant Report

Taking a CELTA Course in Rome

A Realistic Guide for Successfully Completing a Prestigious Certificate to Teach English

by Alison Harley

When in Rome to study CELTA, find an apartment where you can relax.

I have recently returned from a month in Rome and people are commenting on how I have lost weight—not the usual response when returning from the land of pasta, vino, and gelato. But then this was no ordinary month, this was an “intensive CELTA” month. 

CELTA—the Cambridge Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults, is, along with the Trinity Certificate, the most recognized and highly regarded of the TEFL qualifications. Courses run part-time over several months or intensively over 4-5 weeks.

I opted for the intensive course and decided to study with International House (IH) as the schools were recommended. I chose IH Rome, as this is the city I ultimately plan to make my home. By studying in Rome, I would also make contacts in the teaching world. In terms of cost, even with a flight from the U.K., it was cheaper than taking the course at IH London. And if I was studying hard, why not treat myself to a bit of vita bella in my spare time? But as it turned out, there was no spare time. In fact, there was barely time to sleep and eat; when they say intensive, they mean intensive.

“It can’t be as hard as my degree,” you might say. But having completed a law degree, followed by the Bar examinations, I can say that I have never worked as hard as during the CELTA course. My brain was on a treadmill for 18 hours daily, including weekends.

Courses require a minimum of 120 “contact hours,” you are expected to put in a minimum of 80 additional hours for the required reading, research, assignments, and lesson preparation. Believe me, those additional 80 hours are only the start.

School hours are typically 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and are divided between teaching students, teaching observation, seminars, and workshops.

There are six hours of assessed teaching practice, starting with 40-minute sessions (a 120-minute class divided between you and two fellow CELTA students) and building up to hour-long sessions. Following each lesson, you receive oral feedback from your peers and oral and written feedback from your tutor.

You spend evenings and weekends planning lessons, completing four assignments, learning phonemic script, and practicing intonation. Then there is the little matter of English grammar. As a native English speaker, you know what is right, but do you know why it is correct, and can you explain it in simple terms?

Please do not underestimate how exhausting it can be to stand in front of a class while being critically observed, nor how draining receiving feedback can be. Then, you have an entire afternoon of workshops and seminars to sit through before heading home to start on your assignments and prepare for tomorrow’s lesson. There is no let-up—so here are a few rules for surviving an intensive CELTA course:

Where to Take the Course: Country or City?

Given the demands, you need to carefully decide where you take the course. I opted to study abroad. Being away from home certainly was the best option for me, as it meant fewer distractions. At the halfway point of the course, with no light at either end of the tunnel, if I had been able to go home, I might not have returned. In addition, being in a foreign country can help keep you focused on your end goal. For most people taking the course, the goal is to enable them to live and work abroad.

In my case, I know Rome and speak some Italian. If you choose somewhere you have never visited, be prepared to see little of it until after the course has finished. Then, factor culture shock and language barriers into your stress levels.

If you decide to stay at home while studying, be sure you receive the support of friends and family. Clear your diary and unplug the TV.

How to Select the School

Make sure the school is accredited (there is a list on the University of Cambridge ESOL website), and visit first if you can. Check the student/tutor ratio, the facilities available at the school, such as internet access, the library, and the opening hours of the school evenings and weekends.

Choose your Lodgings

If you study away from home, you must feel comfortable in your lodging, so think carefully about your needs. The options offered through International House were homestays with families. Still, I paid extra for an apartment for more space and privacy. Staying in an apartment meant not worrying about tidying my books away after a late-night study session or waking anyone using the kitchen and bathroom during the small hours. It also provided fellow students with a group space to study off the school premises, which you will need as you will be working closely with your fellow CELTA students during evenings and weekends.

Also, make sure your lodging is convenient in terms of location from the school; you do not want to add a long commute to your already exhausting day.

Pre-Course Preparation

Read as much as you can before the course starts, as you will have no time for in-depth reading during the course. The teaching mythology books will likely make little sense if read in advance, but the concepts will fall into place later.

Buy the recommended texts (mythology and grammar), so you have your own copies. I also recommend investing in a good dictionary.

Arrival

If you are studying away from home, try to arrive before the start of the course so that you have time to acclimatize, locate your nearest supermarket, stock up on supplies, and find your way to the school. You want to arrive relaxed and on time on the first morning of class.

Facilities

While the school may provide what you need, you will find yourself working off-hours, so make sure you have access to the following in or near your lodgings:

PC/laptop: While you can submit handwritten coursework, I recommend using a P.C. or laptop to set up a lesson plan template far more quickly than having to handwrite one each time and then make revisions to assignments. But be sure to back up your work.

Internet: If you do not have online access at your lodgings, find a local internet café open late since it can help find extra lesson material.

Photocopying/printing facilities for student worksheets and lesson plans: Some schools provide a photocopying card with a set number of credits. However, you may require more than this allowance, depending on class sizes.

Student Assignments

Start thinking about the assignment topics early on (you will be given a course outline detailing them on day one.) Begin working on them as soon as they are handed out to you, even if it is just an outline, before going back to your lesson plan; there is nothing worse than having a deadline approaching while a blank page stares back at you.

Rule out perfection: Accept that you will need more time to do everything as well as you might like. Prioritizing is an intrinsic part of the course, and knowing when it is good enough is a skill. While original ideas are great, remember when planning lessons that you do not have to constantly reinvent the wheel.

Improvement is the key to passing this course. Tutors do not expect you to teach perfect lessons, but they do expect you to listen to feedback and then implement it.

The pass rate for CELTA is around 95%, and due to continual assessment, you will know well in advance if you are in danger of failing—so try to relax in this regard as much as possible.

Stay Focused

Stay focused on why you’re doing the course. One way to do so is by getting to know your students. Take time after class for a short chat. You will find your lessons far more rewarding when you see the returns on your hard work and how grateful the students are. Also, pin up a picture of wherever you would most like to teach. Remember that this crash course is only for a month.

Job Opportunities

You won’t have time to look for jobs while taking the course, so allocate some time once it is finished. Although you won’t have your official certificate at that stage, the school should provide you with a letter and/or reference stating that you have passed the course.

One of the advantages of studying with an international chain of schools is that worldwide openings were posted on the notice board each week (just reading these lifted flagging spirits). We were encouraged to submit our C.V.s to the school at the end of the course—although no promises were made.

The school ran a seminar on working as a teacher, and it was made clear to students that people did not teach in Italy to earn a fortune. Your decision concerns how and where you wish to live your life, and most teachers supplement their school salaries by teaching privately on evenings and weekends. If it is the big(ger) money that you are after, then head to the Far East —Japan, South Korea, etc.—where the demand for teachers is greater, and so is the pay.

Shortly after completing this course, an opportunity arose that brought me to Shanghai, where I can confirm teaching opportunities are plentiful. But even in China —certainly in the major cities—the standard of living is quite high in many neighborhoods.

Conclusion

Am I glad I did an intensive CELTA course? Yes, the sense of achievement is enormous. Would I do it again? Never! Should you do it? Yes, if you are serious about teaching English as a foreign language. The course is challenging because it is the best qualification to teach English you can obtain, and you will be astonished at how much you will have absorbed in such a short amount of time. Once you have completed the certificate, you will find work anywhere from Japan to Mexico, Russia to Singapore.

Alison Harley currently lives in Shanghai where she works as a legal business writer and teaches English part-time.