CELTA Program

This program is not suitable for those who intend to teach English to younger learners.

The CELTA is the most widely known and recognized TESOL certificate worldwide.

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Purpose                            Topics Covered                         Course Organization                  Components of a Typical Day 
Certification and Assessment      Written Assignments                  Grades of Award
Admission Requirements              Course Requirements                 Pre-course Assignments             Trainers
Materials                                           Facilities                                     Cost                                          Accommodation
How to Apply                                   Contact the Department              Course Syllabus

The primary purpose of our program is to provide effective practical training in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages).

The specific aims of each course are to help teachers to:

• improve their knowledge of American English grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation
• build a good foundation of classroom management skills
• acquire and practice a range of effective TESOL techniques
• become familiar with a range of current ESOL books and other teaching materials
• develop a self-critical approach to their own teaching
• evolve an effective and personal teaching style.

• Language awareness (grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation)
• The learner, the teacher and the teaching/learning context
• Planning for the effective teaching of adult learners of English
• Classroom management and teaching skills
• Resources and materials for teaching English to adults
• Professional development for teachers of English to adults

The course presents a communicative approach to the teaching of classes of adults. Although it has a sound theoretical basis, the course is extremely practical, and it blends proven classroom techniques with modern developments in language learning theory. Course elements include: seminars, workshops, written assignments, lesson observation, supervised and evaluated practice teaching with classes of adult students, discussion and critiquing of practice lessons, and tutorials.

Each course is 120 class hours, plus an additional 80 hours of homework. Participants also undertake 25-35 hours of self-study before the course, using our Pre-course Assignments.

Intensive courses last four weeks and they normally require attendance Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. through 5:15 p.m.

Part-time courses run from November to April, with classes taking place on two evenings per week. Evening sessions take place 6:00-9:30 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays.

A typical day on one of our intensive courses may comprise:

• TESOL Methodology Seminar
• Language Awareness Workshop
• Observation of an ESOL CLass
• Practice Teaching
• Critiques of Practice Teaching
• Guided Preparation of Future Practice Lessons.

The program is approved by the University of Cambridge, England. The certificate is awarded by the University of Cambridge to candidates who meet all of the course requirements and whose performance meets or exceeds the criteria in all three of the assessed course components:

• Successful planning and teaching of practice lessons
• Satisfactory completion of four written assignments
• Demonstrated professional development through active participation in seminar, workshop, practice lesson feedback and peer-observation sessions.

Of the four evaluated written assignments:

• one involves analysis of the language systems of English
• one requires reflection on classroom teaching and the identification of action points
• one explores aspects of teaching and learning English through a focus on a specific group of adult learners
• one involves work on language skills: reading, listening, writing and speaking.

Each successful participant receives the Cambridge University CELTA with one of the following grades: Pass, Pass B, Pass A. Worldwide, over 90% of participants receive the certificate, with 75% being awarded the basic Pass grade. The Pass grade is recognized by employers as showing a good level of ability and potential.

 

Acceptance into the program is not automatic. Applicants are accepted on the basis of their performance in a language evaluation task and an interview. Our basic requirements are:

• 4-year degree
• Ability to speak and write English with a very high level of accuracy and appropriateness
• Some previous experience of formal or informal study of a foreign language
• Previous teaching experience may be helpful but it is not required.

• 120 hours of seminars/workshops, supervised lesson planning, feedback and peer observation
• 6 hours of assessed practice teaching
• 6 hours of observation of lessons taught by TESOL professionals
• Maintenance and submission of a portfolio of all coursework, including written assignments and practice lesson plans.

Candidates are required to complete a series of Pre-course Assignments, which they receive when they register for the course. These assignments, which are not formally graded, focus mainly on developing the participants' awareness and formal knowledge of English.

 

Our courses operate with a trainer : trainee ratio of 1 : 5.

 

All of our trainers are approved by Cambridge University and have at least ten years of relevant teaching and teacher-training experience. Our main trainer is Jeff Mohamed, who has taught on more than 130 Cambridge training courses. Jeff is also the Cambridge Joint Chief Assessor for CELTA courses in the USA and Mexico. Our other trainers are Dr. Macarena Aguilar and Dr. Carolyn Ho.

 

Each course participant receives our Pre-course Assignments booklet and our Course Manual. All participants should buy and bring with them to the course one of the following grammar references:

• "How English Works" by M. Swan & C. Walter
• "Practical English Usage" by M. Swan

Courses are held on the Barker Cypress campus, where participants have full access to computer facilities (including Internet, scanners and printers), photocopying facilities, and a large college/public library.

 

The total course fee is $1,759.

This includes the Cambridge certificate as well as a Lone Star College-CyFair workforce education certificate awarding 11.2 Continuing Education Units as a measure of substantive professional education and training.

The course fee is payable in full at registration.

Financial aid is not normally available.

Participants from outside of the Houston area usually stay in local hotels/motels or arrange homestay accommodation with members of the college faculty or staff. The cost of homestay accommodation is usually $600-$650 for the month of the course.

Because of the lack of public transportation in our area, participants need to have access to a car or other vehicle.

To apply, you need to download and complete our Application and our Pre-interview Task. You can access these by going to clicking on the links below. When you have completed the two documents, you should mail them to Jeff Mohamed at the Lone Star College-CyFair address given at the foot of this page.

If your Application and Pre-interview Task are satisfactory, Jeff will contact you to arrange an interview. This may carried out by phone in the case of applicants resident outside the Houston area.

Note: There are no fixed deadlines for applications. For each course, we continue to consider applications until the course is fully enrolled (with 10 participants) and has a short waiting list. Courses are normally full several weeks before their start date.

Application

Pre-interview Task

Contact
Jeff Mohamed (LRNC 214)

Lone Star College-CyFair

9191 Barker Cypress Road

Cypress, Texas 77433
Phone: 832.482.1024
E-mail: Jeffrey.D.Mohamed@lonestar.edu