With CELTA to a fulfilling and rewarding career!
With CELTA to a fulfilling and rewarding career!
Looking for a new qualification? One which is recognised both in Austria and abroad? A Cambridge Certificate in English Language Teaching to Speakers of other Languages (CELTA) can lead to a fulfilling and rewarding career!
What is the CELTA?
The Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CELTA) is an introductory course for people who aim to become English Language Teachers. The CELTA is primarily pursued by candidates with little or no teaching experience, or by teachers with some experience but no formal teaching qualification. The course introduces candidates to the basics of lesson planning and successful classroom management and equips candidates with the practical skills they need to successfully teach in a variety of English Language Teaching contexts around the world.
Why should I get a CELTA?
The CELTA is a highly respected qualification from Cambridge English, part of the University of Cambridge. It is an internationally recognised and sought-after certificate. Most reputable language schools in Vienna require a CELTA and even people with teaching experience find it very difficult to teach at a language school in Vienna without a CELTA.
Many people who decide to get a CELTA do so when they are looking for a change in their careers. They have backgrounds in other fields, but are interested in branching out or simply challenging themselves. The CELTA gives them the confidence to try out something new in a field which is highly regarded. Many of our trainees in Vienna have discovered that teaching is their passion while taking the CELTA course.
9 out of 10 employers in the UK and 7 out of 10 worldwide (including the UK) ask for CELTA. Source: 500 English language teaching job adverts posted across 23 international industry employment websites during April 2015.
What are my career opportunities after earning a CELTA?
With a CELTA, you are qualified to teach at language schools in Vienna. The market in Vienna is mostly tailored towards Business English and many of the language schools will send you to a company to give in-house classes there. There are also opportunities to teach General English at language schools or adult education centres. The CELTA in Vienna gives you teaching practice in Business English as well as General English.
Having a CELTA also means that you can travel the world and work as an English Language Teacher. Language schools all over the world look for CELTA-trained teachers. The CELTA is a 120-hour course and is at level 5 on the Qualifications and Credit Framework. There are many online TESOL courses but these aren’t accredited or internationally recognized like the CELTA is.
What will I learn on the CELTA?
There are two main components to the CELTA course: input and teaching practice. During the hands-on input sessions, you’ll learn about teaching methodology and brush up on your language awareness, among other things. Teaching practice gives you a chance to create lesson plans and try out teaching approaches with real students. You’ll get a significant amount of support from your tutors who are here to help you on your path to becoming a certified English Language Teacher.
Highlights of the course include:
- Principles of language teaching to adults
- Analysis of language from a learner's point of view
- Internationally recognised methods and techniques
- Development of language skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing)
- Presentation and practice of language items in meaningful context
- Lesson planning and course design
- Observed teaching practice with two levels of students followed by feedback from experienced tutors approved by the University of Cambridge
- Observation of experienced teachers in the classroom
The CELTA is assessed on a continual basis throughout the course; there is no final exam.
Is the course hard?
Well, yes! The CELTA is a challenging and intensive course and you can expect to be quite busy for the duration of the course. However, our trainees regularly tell us how fulfilling and rewarding they found the course. Your tutors on the course support you throughout.
Who will my classmates be?
Candidates in Vienna come from a variety of backgrounds. We have candidates from all over the world, some based in Vienna and some who come to Austria just to attend the CELTA. Some of our candidates are experienced teachers but most have little or no formal teaching experience. We have a mix of native and non-native speakers and there are 12 trainees on each course.
Who will my tutors be?
Our CELTA tutors are extremely experienced in the field of English Language Teaching. Each tutor started out his/her teaching career with a CELTA and additionally has a DELTA or other diploma in English Language Teaching. You will have two to three different tutors and each adds something unique to the instruction and feedback.
Hello there! I’m a Business English Trainer and Lecturer with 21 happy years in the line of duty. I did my CELTA with IH Madrid; then spent my first 3 years learning the ropes in Hungary and Germany before returning to Spain to study the DELTA at IH Barcelona. Over the last 17 years in Austria, my bread and butter has been CELTA training at BFI and external lecturing for the University of Applied Sciences in Vienna, St. Pölten, Eisenstadt and Wiener Neustadt. I also spent 7 years as in-company trainer for REWE AG and 13 years as a Cambridge Examiner.
Hi! I’m a US American lecturer and teacher trainer who moved to Vienna many moons ago in 1997. I studied business and somehow stumbled over teaching, discovering to my surprise that I love it and it is my calling. I got my CELTA here at BFI (yay!) and then a DELTA. Now I teach in-company courses, lecture at a couple of University of Applied Sciences, and tutor the CELTA (by far my favorite gig). I’m very involved with the International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language (IATEFL) and love being a part of a network of English language professionals, both here in Austria and abroad.
How much time does the CELTA take?
We offer three courses a year: a 4-month part-time course in the spring, a 1-month full-time course in the summer and a 2-month half-time course in the fall.
The spring part-time course meets every Saturday morning and every Tuesday evening and is perfect for people with a job or other commitments or who just want to take some more time to work through the course. The summer full-time course is an intensive course which meets eight hours a day for four weeks. This course is optimal for teachers or other people who have summers free or who want to get their certificate relatively quickly. Our half-time course in the fall takes place all day Mondays and Wednesdays, so is designed for those who work part-time or just want some more time to process the content than the full-time course offers.
In addition to the course times, you’ll need to dedicate about 120 hours to plan your lessons and write your assignments.
Where does the course take place?
The only centre in Austria authorised to deliver CELTA courses is BFI. The CELTA takes place at BFI’s location in Vienna’s third district, right next to the U3 underground station “Schlachthausgasse”.
BFI Wien
Alfred-Dallinger-Platz 1
1030 Vienna
Why should I take the CELTA in Vienna?
The CELTA centre at BFI is a small, intimate centre with only three courses a year. Unlike other large centres which can be impersonal and indifferent to participants’ needs, here in Vienna we are a close family. We take the time to coach our trainees and ensure that their CELTA experience is a positive, life-changing one. Because of the close contact and mentoring between tutors and trainees, the CELTA centre in Vienna has higher than average end grades compared to centres around the world.
What are the prerequisites for attending the course?
In order to be accepted on the CELTA course, you need to:
- be at least 18 years old, but preferably over 20,
- be competent in written and spoken English (C1+/C2),
- have a level of education equivalent to that which allows you to attend a university,
- be able to handle a stressful workload and demonstrate the potential to teach,
- successfully complete an application and interview process.
The CELTA is open to native as well as non-native speakers of English. We require a C1+/C2 level of English, equivalent to an IELTS 8.0, a CAE grade A or a CPE pass.
We strongly believe in equal opportunity and never discriminate on the basis of gender, marital status, sexual orientation, creed, colour, race, ethnic origin, age or disability… or anything else!
How do I apply for the CELTA?
To apply for the CELTA, you need to download an application which can be found on BFI’s website, www.bfi.wien. You can also get more information by contacting Magdalena Razenböck under m.razenboeck@bfi.wien
After submitting your application, you will be contacted by a course tutor to arrange an interview. We assess applicants’ written and spoken English skills as well as basic awareness of language rules.
Can I get financial aid?
We know that the CELTA course is a serious financial commitment for our candidates. To help you out, BFI allows interest-free payment in installments for the part-time courses. Additionally there are several external institutions which offer financial aid or grants to residents of Austria who take the course at BFI. For a full list of these institutions, stop by BFI’s Service Center:
BFI Vienna Service Center
Telephone: +43 1 811 78 / 10100, Fax: +43 1 811 78 / 10111
E-Mail: information@bfi.wien
Hours: Monday – Thursday: 8.00 – 18.00 Uhr
Friday: 8.00 – 16.00 Uhr
I’m interested! What do I do next?
The first step is to fill out a CELTA application at BFI’s website (www.bfi.wien). We’ll walk you through the rest!
If you are serious about a career teaching English as a foreign language, do the CELTA! It is the best course there is.
We’re certain you will find the CELTA an enriching and educational experience and look forward to working with you.
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