Online Teacher Training CELTA/TEFL/TESOL

Are you interested in teaching English online? In our handy guide, find out everything you need to know from requirements to where to find work.  

What is the Virtual Educators CELTA Course Online?  

The Virtual Educators CELTA Course Online (or CELTA Online) is a flexible way to take CELTA. It leads to the CELTA qualification and is assessed and moderated according to the same criteria. Like the face-to-face CELTA course, CELTA Online has a significant practical component. You will complete 6 hours of assessed teaching practice in groups and teach at least eight times with online feedback and reflection.  

What are the benefits of CELTA Online?

Flexible: You can access the online materials at any time, giving you the flexibility to plan your CELTA work around your other professional and personal commitments.  

Accessible: Because only part of the course requires face-to-face tuition, accommodation and travel costs are reduced.   

How can an online CELTA course contain a practical element? 

CELTA Online is a blended learning course with both online and face-to-face elements.   

How long are the courses?  

Courses run over a minimum of 6 weeks to a maximum of an academic year.   

How is the online component of the course structured? 

There are several online, interactive material units based on the CELTA syllabus topics. Forum and ‘live room’ (real-time virtual classroom) tasks are integrated throughout the course. With tutor support, evaluation, and comment, you work independently or collaboratively on these tasks.  

How will teaching practice be organised?  

Teaching practise groups are the same as for face-to-face courses in terms of: 

• levels taught 
• numbers of teaching practice students 
• range of lesson types 
• number of times you teach 
• length of lessons  

You will teach for a total of 6 hours, spread over a minimum of eight occasions, with peers observing.  Virtual Educators will arrange teaching practice either throughout the course or in blocks. During the teaching practice phase(s), you will continue with your online study.  

Our CELTA course covers the principles of effective teaching and gives you a range of teaching techniques and practical experience. You get hands-on teaching practise and observation of experienced teachers, and you will apply your learning by delivering communicative teaching to English language learners.   

The Virtual Educators CELTA course in detail:  

All our CELTA courses include at least 120 hours of contact between candidates and course tutors and include:    

• Tutorial support and consultation  
• Supervised lesson planning   
• Six hours’ assessed teaching practice per candidate supervised by a course tutor   
• Feedback on teaching practice   
• Peer observation of teaching practice (i.e. watching the other candidates’ lessons)   
• Six hours’ directed observation of lessons taught by experienced ELT professionals, up to three hours of which may be filmed lessons.    

You are also allowed 80 additional learning hours for pre-course preparation, reading, research, assignment writing, lesson preparation and record-keeping.   

Course topics: 

The CELTA course covers a range of topics:  

• Learners and teachers, and the teaching and learning context   
• Language analysis and awareness  
• Language skills: reading, listening, speaking and writing   
• Planning and resources for different teaching contexts   
• Developing teaching skills and professionalism

Our courses have been designed by experienced teachers to make getting TEFL qualified as convenient as possible. These online courses are entirely self-paced, meaning you can fit study around your life in a way that works best for you. Throughout the course, you will have the support of your own personal tutor who is with you from beginning to end to mark your work, provide helpful feedback, and answer all your questions.  

120-hour Premier Online TEFL Course:  

50-hour Online TEFL Course Learn about classroom management, teaching styles and advanced TEFL methodology. Includes units on business English, young learners, and teaching English one-to-one. Study with a personal tutor and meet fellow students on our course forums.  

30-hour Online Grammar Course Do not know your irregular verbs from auxiliary verbs? This course will improve your basic grammar and give you the grounding you will need to communicate complicated language rules to a student audience.  

20-hour Online Video Course Seeing an English teacher in action is a potent learning tool and really brings the theory to life. Feel free to steal the ideas in these video courses to use in your first lessons. We do not mind!  Two 10-hour specialist mini-modules.  

Two mini-modules designed for specific TEFL jobs, which will help your CV stand out. One 10-hour unit is about teaching online, and the other 10-hour unit will help you teach large classes.   

Included in the 120-hour Premier Online TEFL Course:     

Lifetime access to the TEFL Job Centre  The TEFL Virtual Educators course doesn’t just train you to teach; it helps you find and be offered great TEFL jobs around the world. From exclusive access to our job vacancies to a lifetime of free TEFL careers advice, we’re here to help you kick-start your new career.    

Internationally recognised TEFL certificate – hard copy & PDF   

A widely-recognised certificate posted straight to your door which shows your achievements on our course; something you can show to TEFL employers to secure you a job.    

Personal online TEFL tutor   

Work through your course with the help of an experienced and qualified TEFL tutor. Throughout the course, you’ll have the same tutor, so you have one point of contact for advice and assistance.    

The most accredited TEFL certificate recognised by employers worldwide.  

Online TEFL Class breakdown   

• Lesson Planning   
• Teaching English  
• Vocabulary   
• Teaching Pronunciation  
• Understanding English Grammar   
• Teaching Receptive Skills: Listening and Reading   
• Teaching Productive Skills: Speaking and Writing  
• Teaching English Grammar   
• Principles of Teaching English as a Foreign Language   
• Materials and Aids for Teaching English/Classroom Management Strategies   
• Using Resources Effectively when Teaching English as a Foreign Language   
• Case Study, CV and Cover Letter, Job Sites and Resources    

You will explore the latest theories in topics such as second language acquisition and social discourse and have the chance to apply these to your own classroom practice and curriculum development. You will also learn to conduct your own research, compile and analyse qualitative and quantitative data and develop your critical-evaluative skills. These skills will be used on your own research project at the end of the course, as well as in your future career.    

Core modules: 

Second Language Acquisition  

You will focus on the major themes that have emerged from literature on second language learning over the last three decades. You will examine some of the research on the second-language acquisition process, look critically at reports of second-language research, and examine some of the theories which endeavour to interpret research evidence. You will be encouraged to use your own language learning and teaching experience to assess the relative merits of such materials.     

Discourse in Society   

You will examine the relationship between language and society and the construction of discourse in various domains. You will explore sociological and sociolinguistic models and theories, such as speech communities, communities of practice and ethnolinguistic vitality, with a particular focus on social variation and stratification across various linguistic levels (phonology, lexicon, syntax).     

You will explore discourse's notion (or notions) in both its linguistic and wider meaning and its construction in and through society and language use. You will study methods for collecting and transcribing data and discover various linguistic and discourse analysis approaches. These methods and approaches will then be put into context and used in the analysis of the relevant social spheres and domains, such as educational or institutional discourse.    

Research Methods in Applied Linguistics   

This module will provide you with an introduction to research methods in preparation for the MA dissertation. It will familiarise you with the basic processes of conducting research, including general methodological approaches as well as research ethics. You will analyse and discuss both qualitative and quantitative data in order to develop your critical-evaluative skills.      

Materials and Course Design  

You will explore the factors involved in the design of language courses and teaching materials, reflecting on one possible course design process. You will start with an analysis of the context in which the course will take place, the needs of the learners, and current theories of language and language learning. You will move on to consider how course content can be selected and ordered in a principled way, how assessment relates to course design, and how and when courses should be evaluated. Finally, you will consider the evaluation, adaptation, and creation of course materials.    

Classroom Theory and Practice  

You will examine current research on modern classroom operations, exploring key concepts and issues through relevant professional and academic literature. A more practical element will be realised through filmed observation of teachers in practice. You will also be encouraged to reflect on your teaching and learning experience and analyse and discuss your beliefs and attitudes towards learning and teaching.    

Major Project  

This module will support you in the preparation and submission of a master’s dissertation, allowing you to explore in-depth a particular topic that reflects your academic interest.    

Assessment  

You will show your understanding of theoretical issues and their practical application through a combination of portfolios, classroom observation tasks and critical essays. After completing your final module, you will also research and prepare a 15,000-word dissertation.