Short answer first: TEFL isn’t a single certificate, it’s a category. Anyone can call a course “TEFL,” and quality varies enormously between providers. CELTA is one specific, standardised qualification within that category, accredited and quality-controlled by Cambridge Assessment English. Every CELTA course, anywhere in the world, is held to the…
Most ESL lesson planning problems aren’t visible until you’re standing in front of the class. The plan looked complete on paper — then the timing fell apart, an activity that seemed clear turned into confusion, or the lesson simply didn’t go anywhere. Here are the mistakes behind that, and what…
If you’re weighing up a CELTA course, this is probably the first practical question on your mind: is your English actually good enough? Here’s the short answer, followed by everything else you need to know before you apply. Cambridge sets the minimum entry level at CEFR C1, sometimes described as…
Here’s an uncomfortable exercise: record yourself teaching one lesson, then time how much of it is you talking. Most teachers are surprised by the number — and most language teaching approaches over the last few decades have pushed in one direction: talk less, let students talk more. The concept has…
