TEFL - Cambridge CELTA Madrid, Spain

The school is in Don Ramon de la Cruz very near the Plaza Manuel Becerra. It is well connected by two metros lines and several bus routes.
The school opened in 1986 in the Barrio de Salamanca, the most select residential and commercial area in Madrid. The school has two centres, both within a ten-minute walk of each other. The school offers a wide range of classes to children and adults. Apart from the courses organised here in Madrid, we offer courses to students in the UK, Ireland, the US and Canada. At any one time in the school there are approximately one thousand five hundred students attending courses. This does not mean that we are a large or impersonal organisation. We pride ourselves on our close contact with trainees on our tefl certificate courses and the warm, friendly atmosphere during the courses. Our training team has wide teacher training experience, and we offer constant advice and support throughout what is a demanding tefl certificate course.

The course is run in our Don Ramon de la Cruz centre. There are ten fully air-conditioned classrooms which are equipped with whiteboards and laptop computers for audiovisual purposes and internet connection.
Our trainees have access to computers with internet access for the completion of coursework. We have a well-stocked library of CELTA books and materials for our trainees.

There are ten fully air-conditioned classrooms which are equipped with whiteboards and laptop computers for audiovisual purposes and internet connection.
Our trainees have access to computers with internet access for the completion of coursework. We have a well-stocked library of CELTA books and materials for our trainees.

Our facilities and resources combine to enable us to offer trainees an excellent grounding in teaching.

Madrid

People who have lived in Madrid find it difficult to leave without feeling a special attachment and it's even more difficult to contemplate not returning. In fact, at the moment, Madrid is one of Spain's main destinations for tourists from all over the world. If you stroll in the parks, along the streets, in the plazas and mingle with the people or simply have a look at cultural events on offer in the newspapers you can discover many of the enchanting possibilities of this city. There are thousands of pubs and bars with terraces to sit and have a drink, numerous restaurants offering every type of cuisine you can imagine, and a very lively night life for those who want it. Every week you can choose from over a dozen good films in English or other languages and a wide range of concerts spanning classical, pop, rock, jazz and flamenco. Spain is home to some of the world's most important art collections in the Prado, Reina Sofia and Thyssen museums. Finally, the climate is one of Madrid's greatest assets: bright sunshine and blue skies help foster a positive and enthusiastic outlook.

The CELTA course

The Cambridge ESOL CELTA is an initial qualification for people with little or no previous teaching experience or teachers who do have some experience but no training & need a solid grounding.
It is one of the most widely taken qualifications of its kind with over 10,000 people each year taking a CELTA course that opens up a whole world of exciting English language teaching opportunities.

The Course

The course is offered as a four-week intensive course. The aims of the CELTA course are to help trainees learn the principles of effective teaching, gain a range of practical skills for teaching English to adult learners & get valuable hands-on teaching experience.


Topic areas include:

Topic 1 - Learners and teachers, and the teaching and learning context
Topic 2 - Language analysis and awareness
Topic 3 - Language skills: reading, listening, speaking and writing
Topic 4 - Planning and resources for different teaching contexts
Topic 5 - Developing teaching skills and professionalism

Assessment

Trainees are assessed throughout the course, with no final examination. An external assessor, appointed by Cambridge ESOL, moderates each course.
There are two areas of assessment:

Teaching practice

There are a total of six hours teaching, working with classes at two levels of ability. Assessment is based on overall performance at the end of the six hours.

Written assignments

There are four written assignments: one focusing on adult learning; one on the language system of English: one on language skills: and one on classroom teaching.
To be awarded the certificate both components must be passed. There are three grades: Pass, Pass 'B' and Pass 'A'.

Course Preparation

After successful application, a pre-course booklet is emailed & access to our online resource centre is provided. It is essential that the pre-course work is completed.

Structure of the course

A typical day on the course is from 09:30 to 17:30 although trainees should take into account that they will need to work hard outside these hours, preparing lessons and completing written assignments.
This extremely practical course revolves around the teaching practice, each trainee being observed for varying lengths of time over the course, for a total six hours.
The seminar sessions take the form of active & enjoyable workshops as trainees work though teaching & language issues. There are two experienced tutors on each course.

The school can offer various types of accommodation in Madrid. Prices for the different types of accommodation will obviously vary but below are guide prices:

Flat share: €350-€450
Homestay without meals: €420
Homestay with meals: €650
Hostels: €25-€30 a night

Mon-Fri from 9:30-17:30

I taught high school English in the United States for three years, and I was amazed at the quality and effectiveness of the school's program. I learned as much in one month with them as I did in several years at my university. The staff went out of their way to assist me with every aspect of the training-from the actual teaching and theory to finding places to eat. The program will give you the tools to be a confident, effective teacher. I am currently using what I learned on the course in my teaching job in Japan.
John USA

The course taught every aspect of TEFL needed to be able to begin a professional teaching career straight away. There was always somebody you could go to with any queries or problems about the course and the amount of guidance and resources available helped to plan real lessons and gain confidence in front of groups of students. The fact that the tefl course is run within an actual language school where you can observe other teachers at work really helped to prepare to start teaching real classes after the course.
Aidan UK

The course exceeded my expectations in every way: the input sessions, the teaching practice and the feedback prepared us not only for the certificate, but ultimately for becoming competent teachers. The approaches and materials used by the trainers were an inspiration in themselves and made for a fun and rewarding month. The support too was fantastic, right through to the job-finding process. A truly worthwhile qualification and a great experience!
Jenny UK

The school has contacts with a large number of top academies in Madrid, Spain and around the world. We also work with a tefl employment agency here in Madrid which is expert at finding trainees jobs. The school also offers employment to outstanding trainees on completion of the course.

1. Choose the start date which interests you. If you’re still unsure, please choose an approximate date for now - you will be able to specify later.
2. Register your details with Cactus TEFL (1 minute) to help us track your application.
3. Download the application form and save it on your computer.
4. Complete it offline in your own time
5. Go back to www.cactustefl.com, sign in and submit your completed form.

You can also submit an application by email. We will explain how to do this on the application form. Please contact us if you have any problems with the application procedure.