Entry & Course Requirements

Candidates must be educated to the standard required for entry into higher education and be at least 18 years of age. It is recommended, however, that candidates should hold a primary degree or have entered or be about to enter the final year of their primary degree.

Selection for all courses is by written application and interview. Acceptance on to a course is not automatic and the selection process is quite rigorous. Acceptance on to the course is made subject to satisfactory references being supplied. You are asked to provide the name and email contact details of two referees for us to contact when you submit your application form.

Candidates should have an awareness of language and a competence in both written and spoken English that will enable them to undertake the course and prepare for teaching a range of levels. They should also have the potential to develop the necessary skills to become effective teachers and to successfully complete the written assignments and the assessment of teaching practice.

Candidates whose first language is not English

We welcome all speakers of English, not just native speakers of English. All applicants must meet the minimum entry requirements set by Cambridge English. They must be a proficient English language user (between CEFR Level minimum C1 and C2 or above).  Applicants whose first language is not English will be required to show documentary proof of their current level, usually by way of a Certificate from an English language competency test, for example, the Cambridge suite of examinations or IELTS.  Note: An IELTS Certificate that is more than two years old will not be accepted.

Candidates must have proficient computer skills.

Course Requirements

CELTA candidates are expected to attend the whole course. Furthermore, as part of the general course requirements, they are required to:

• do 6 hours of practice teaching*
• observe 6 hours of experienced teachers teaching classes
• maintain a portfolio of all their work including written assignments, lesson plans and teaching materials
• submit the required written assignments

Candidates will also need to spend a minimum of 80 hours reading, researching, assignment writing and lesson preparation, outside the course.

*Teaching practice is conducted with groups of English language learners at above and below Intermediate level of ability in English.

In Ireland, you cannot teach in an ACELS-recognized school without a primary degree. ACELS is the Advisory Council for English Language Schools and they can be contacted at the website: www.acels.ie and email: info@acels.ie

For Cambridge, the examining body for CELTA, it is possible to teach in the UK without a primary degree and in some other countries too, although this is becoming increasingly rare.  As a CELTA centre, we can accept people on a CELTA course if we feel they have strengths that compensate for the lack of a primary degree.

However, if your qualification is professionally orientated rather than a degree or in some grey area in relation to a primary degree you would need to consult with ACELS to check whether this would, with CELTA, allow you to teach in an ACELS-recognised school.

For the fully online CELTA course, you do need to be computer literate and have access to reliable Wi-Fi and a desktop computer/laptop/tablet that has a camera and a microphone. It is also required that you have a quiet place where you will not be interrupted to use these when you are teaching online or following the course input sessions. Check our Online CELTA page for more details.

Assessment

Assessment is carried out on a continuous basis for both the practical and written work. CELTA courses are internally assessed and externally moderated by an approved external assessor, appointed by Cambridge.

Candidates are assessed on their 6 hours of teaching practice, 4 written assignments and their professional development and suitability. The assessment of professional development is included as an integral part of the written assignments and teaching practice.

By the end of the course, candidates should demonstrate that they:

• can prepare, plan and teach lessons designed for adult learners of English
• can apply ELT theory to practice in classroom teaching
• are familiar with key ELT concepts and terminology
• are sensitive to relevant aspects of professional development
• are able to use written and spoken language in the classroom which is clear and coherent and essentially free of mistakes in spelling, punctuation and grammar.

Awards

Candidates are awarded the Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CELTA) if they satisfactorily fulfil all the requirements of the course and the assessment criteria. Certificates are awarded at Pass, Pass B and Pass A.

Candidates who fail to meet criteria in any or all assessed components or who do not satisfactorily fulfil all the course requirements will be awarded a Fail.

Interviews

Interviews will take place by arrangement with a CELTA Tutor. The interview process lasts approximately two hours during which candidates will be tested on their language awareness and will be interviewed by a Course Tutor.

Please note that places are limited and being called for an interview is not a guarantee of acceptance.

You will find this blog which consists of interviews with past CELTA trainees of interest as they describe well the level of commitment involved. Please take time to read them, as evidence of awareness of the course structure and demands is required at the interview stage.

Course fees for all CELTA courses

The new fee of €2,065 will apply to Celta courses in 2025.

The course fee is still €1,795 for the January 2025 Celta course on campus

• If called for an interview, a fee of €50 is payable by credit/debit card (non-refundable)
• A deposit of €500, which is non-refundable is payable on the day of the interview (after acceptance on the course). Those that are called for an interview need, therefore, to bring this deposit with them on the day of the interview. Failure to show means of paying the deposit before the interview may mean that the interview may not take place as scheduled. 
• The final payment of the balance is payable within four weeks of being offered a place on the course and in any event not later than four weeks before commencement of the course. Two passport photos must be submitted with the final payment so that a student ID card can be produced before the commencement of the course.

If fees are not paid in full within four weeks of being offered a place on the course, the candidate’s place on the course may be forfeited and offered to the next person on the waiting list. You can pay your fees by credit/debit card.  Please post, hand or email your application to the Language Centre, G.36, O’Rahilly Building (main campus), University College Cork, Cork, Ireland or by email info@langcent.ucc.ie.

Fees are non-refundable except in exceptional circumstances e.g. on production of a Medical Certificate.  If after the course commences, a trainee has to withdraw under exceptional circumstances e.g. due to illness or family bereavement, it may be possible, on production of the necessary paperwork, to either transfer their place to a future course (this may be subject to payment of an additional fee) or issue a partial refund (fees less deposit, portion of course taken, administration fee and any external fees paid).  This will be decided on a case-by-case basis.

How To Apply

To register please complete the form of your choice:

Celta Application Form 2025

Applications should be forwarded by email only to TandD@ucc.ie

For more specific information you can email us at TandD@ucc.ie

• All applicants will need to forward copies of their qualifications with their application.
• See here for Bank details Language Centre

Please note that submitting an application form does not guarantee an interview. Courses will run only if minimum numbers are met to form a class. If the course does not run, a full refund will issue. Selection is at the discretion of the Course Director.

Course Dates 2024-2025

How to apply for Free English Lessons

Places are still available for these courses starting soon. Enrolling now!

These lessons will be delivered by teachers who are training to become English language teachers on our CELTA course.  These classes are supervised by our experienced teachers in our Language Centre and the lessons will help you to make progress in all aspects of the English language.

• You will receive 36-40 hours of classes
• Only two levels: A2 (Pre-intermediate) and B2 (Upper Intermediate)
• Before coming on to the course we will give you a short test online to establish your level of English and to place you in the correct class.
• Classes are in Irish time. Days can vary depending on the course.
• On completion of the course if you have more than 80% attendance you will be given a certificate of attendance and a description of your English language level.
• You will need a computer/tablet/phone with a camera and microphone that has a strong and stable connection to the Internet and a quiet place to attend the lessons for the course online.

How to apply for these free/low-cost English lessons

Please email r.flynn@ucc.ie to ask for a registration form. Sometimes these courses are free and sometimes there'll be a small fee to pay.  They are always free for students and the unemployed. You can apply anytime. If the course is full, you'll be put on a waiting list and contacted as soon as a place becomes available.

In this form, you will be asked to complete a short written test and submit a grammar and vocabulary test to assess your level.

Use this email r.flynn@ucc.ie for any enquiries about these courses.  Please write "Free English Course" in the subject box.