CELTA courses at AVO Centre, Sofia

In a nutshell, during your CELTA course at AVO Language & Examination Centre you will hone your teaching skills, gain confidence and practical experience in:

► Preparing lesson plans and allocating appropriate timing for different stages of the lesson

► Selecting, adapting or designing appropriate materials, activities and resources

► Using ELT terminology correctly

► Using a wide range of teaching techniques

► Giving clear, efficient instructions using simple, natural language

► Establishing good rapport with learners and building a positive classroom atmosphere

► Monitoring, evaluating students’ progress and giving appropriate feedback

CELTA at AVO can be a face-to-face, blended or on-line full-time course  lasting 4 weeks.

Based on our successful experience and entirely positive feedback from trainees and tutors in 2020 - 2023, we decided to run our CELTA courses in 2024 in on-line or blended format.

Blended format

During weeks one and three you will attend the input sessions interacting with your tutors online. Thе remote learning from the comfort of your home has proven its effectiveness while reducing the levels of tension and stress at the same time. It is very important since the CELTA experience is very intensive and requires a lot of commitment and hard work. You will have classes all day and will spend most of your evenings and weekends preparing lesson plans and written assignments.

Your live teaching practice will take place during weeks two and four with real students in the classrooms of AVO Language and Examination Centre. 

On-line format

Both input and teaching practice sessions will be offered online.

Please note that CELTA is a course-based award and candidates are expected to attend the whole course. Absence from the course may affect your chances of successfully meeting the assessment criteria. We would certainly recommend that you ensure you have no professional or personal commitments during the period of the course. 

 I found the blended learning format refreshing. I’ve heard that this course is very intensive from people who have done it before the pandemic, but thanks to the blended format, I had more time to prepare for lessons and write my assignments. Boryana, CELTA

 The blended format was really convenient. It saved us a lot of time which made the workload really bearable. I’d definitely recommend the course in AVO to any aspiring teacher. Asen, CELTA

The syllabus of CELTA courses is set by Cambridge Assessment English and consists of five units of learning that deal with specific topic areas in the teaching of ESOL:

• 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
 

There are four main components: teaching practice, observation, input sessions and written work.

In the input sessions we all collaborated and learned together; we shared our experience which was both fruitful and fun. I found the feedback sessions of particular help for further improving my teaching. The tutors at AVO-Bell are real professionals who dedicate their time and effort to give us a really constructive feedback with lots of useful ideas and helpful suggestions. Diana, CELTA

 I really liked the blended learning format. Having online input sessions also taught me how I could teach online lessons. Slavi, CELTA

• Teaching practice (TP)

Each trainee will have 6 hours of TP over the course. There will normally be between 6 and 8 trainees on a course and TP is organised in two groups. The students will be at different levels, ranging from elementary to upper-intermediate. TP is observed by a trainer and by the members of the TP group. The groups rotate during the course, so teaching is assessed at two or three contrasting levels. 

Supervised Lesson Planning is an opportunity for trainees to talk to TP supervisors about the lesson they intend to teach the following day/week. At the beginning of the course, trainees receive detailed guidelines from their supervisors as to content and appropriate procedures for their TP lessons. This guidance gradually diminishes as the course goes on and TP groups become responsible for planning and preparing their own lessons.

Feedback on TP is given in the form of summary notes from the supervisor and in a post-lesson discussion with the supervisor and the rest of the TP group.

• Observation

Each trainee will observe 6 hours of teaching (live, on-line and video-taped lessons) done by experienced teachers in addition to observing fellow trainees during TP. Observation is organised so that trainees have the opportunity initially to see classes at the level that they are teaching in TP. Although trainees are not required to teach beginners or very advanced students, they will have the chance to observe those levels when they are available.
Observation is task-based and trainees are directed to focus on particular aspects of teaching/learning in each observed lesson. Notes written during/after observation also provide the Course Tutor with an indication of what is being learned from the experience.

• Input sessions

Input sessions tend to be seminars/workshops rather than lectures and cover three broad areas: language awareness, phonology and methodology.

The Language Awareness sessions are an introduction to the structure and meaning of English (centred on verb forms) from an English language teaching (ELT) perspective. They will relate to some extent to the needs of TP, but they are intended to provide trainees with a basis for developing their pedagogical awareness after the course. Often these sessions require trainees to research a particular area of language and present their findings to the group.

The Phonology sessions are an introduction to the sounds of English – again from an ELT perspective. Sessions are devoted to word stress, sentence stress, pronunciation (vowels and consonants), rhythm, intonation and features of connected speech.
Methodology covers a wide range of classroom approaches, procedures and techniques. Topics include classroom management, the use of aids and resources, teaching and practising new language, developing language skills, adapting lessons to suit learners from different backgrounds, lesson planning and using course books, etc.

• Written work

There will be four assessed written assignments of a practical nature. In addition to these assignments, trainees are required to hand in their lesson plans for TP and language analysis sheets.

Reading references will be given throughout the course, but these will tend to be articles or chapters from books rather than entire books. Reading on CELTA is also of a practical nature – teachers' handbooks rather than theoretical material.

However, trainees are strongly recommended to do as much reading (especially grammar books) before the course as possible.
 

The assessment is continuous and covers all aspects of the course. There is no final exam. There is, of course, an expectation of overall progress throughout the course, but lessons are not individually graded and assessment is not based on the final TP.

Trainees are given a clear idea of their progress throughout the course. In addition to regular feedback on performance in TP, there is usually at least one tutorial and in the event of a trainee being considered “borderline”, s/he will be given explicit indications of the areas in need of improvement.

There are two main components of assessment: Teaching Practice and Written Assignments.

• Assessment of Teaching Practice: You will teach for a total of six hours, working with classes at two levels of ability. The assessment is based on your overall performance at the end of the six hours.

• Written Assignments: There are four written assignments to complete. Two assignments explore aspects of teaching and learning English, one involves work on the language system of English and one is a reflection on classroom teaching. Your written work is moderated by an external assessor appointed by Cambridge Assessment English.

To be successful, you must pass all components. Other factors are taken into account too and may be especially significant in the event of a borderline assessment. Trainees are also expected to develop their own self-awareness and the ability to assess their own performance in TP and that of others.
 

Every CELTA course is moderated by a Cambridge ESOL Examinations-approved Assessor. S/he visits the course and observes input sessions, coursework and TP. Online assessment is also a possibility in the case of blended and online courses.
 

The main role of the Assessor is to assess trainees' teaching practice, written work and contribution to the course, and to ensure that grading is in line with Cambridge requirements. In addition, s/he is there to check overall course standards, to ensure that regulations are being met and to suggest ways of improving course quality.

In the absence of a final examination, the assessment system is a guarantee that trainees receive (broadly) the same course and are judged according to the same standards wherever they may happen to be doing the course.

Successful candidates receive a Certificate awarded by Cambridge Assessment English, part of the University of Cambridge. The certificate is awarded to candidates who fulfill the course requirements and whose performance meets, or exceeds, the criteria in all assessment components.

There are three grades – Pass, Pass B and Pass A.

According to Cambridge Assessment English regulations:

• The Certificate at Pass grade is awarded to candidates whose performance overall in the teaching practice and in the written assignments meets the specified criteria.

• The certificate at Pass B grade is awarded to candidates whose performance in the written assignments meets the specified criteria and who have demonstrated in their teaching practice a level of achievement significantly higher than that required to meet pass-level criteria.

• The certificate at Pass A grade is awarded to candidates whose performance in the written assignments meets the specified criteria and who have demonstrated in their teaching practice and lesson planning a level of ability and achievement and a level of awareness significantly higher than that required to meet pass-level criteria.