“I completed the stressful, stress-filled but interesting 120-hour Celta course at the British Council Colombo because I wanted to follow my passion and dream. I decided to do this course because I believe in adding value to "adult learners", especially my own staff and the Primary school teachers in our public schools who lack confidence and competence to teach English in our public schools in disadvantaged regions. This is a really useful and practical training course. I am truly grateful to our experienced tutors - Dan and Anna for patiently guiding me to learn and grow during this course. I was really impressed with the way they planned and executed the lessons. I also built up a new network of friends and colleagues who are passionate about sharing their knowledge and skills with those who don't have access to such quality training.”
- Dr Prithi Pritiviraj -
(completed CELTA in March 2019)
“The CELTA experience at British Council, Colombo was something I shall remember for all my life. It completely changed my way of teaching and it developed further my professional skills. I have gained a great depth and breadth of knowledge on this course and now feel more empowered as a teacher. Dan and Anna deserve a special token of respect for being supportive, concerned, helpful and tolerant. Both of them were always there for me if I was confused about something or I needed an extra hand. I had taught English for more than 5 years before the course and had some doubts about whether this course would be of any use. It’s significant and noteworthy. It managed to answer many questions and divulged many astounding methods and strategies, which were new to me. After the CELTA course I have felt more self-assured, and my classes are more interesting now. On finishing the course, I feel I have the skills at my disposal to go on developing as a teacher by conducting my own classroom research. I reckon CELTA is the most gratifying accomplishment on my CV.”
- Vashima Arora -
(completed CELTA in March 2019)
“CELTA at British Council Colombo has been a rewarding experience for me. I hadn’t had much professional teaching experience beforehand as I am an engineer turned teacher. I was quite afraid at the beginning due to the lack of experience but then it turned out to be actually an advantage to have had less experience as the course is cutting edge and trains in modern student-centred teaching, which is much more effective than the traditional teaching practices when it comes to language learning. Dan and Anna were amazing instructors and we couldn't have expected better. They went the extra mile to assist students and delivered feedback which was accurate and helped us improve further. I personally believe that CELTA would benefit anyone looking into teaching.”
- Vithushan Vijayaratnam -
(completed CELTA in March 2019)
“The CELTA program was the most rewarding program that I’ve ever done in my life. It was like a rollercoaster ride where I learned new things and new methods. We were taught by Dan and Anna, two amazing tutors who were supportive, kept patient and taught us everything through real life examples. They guided us so we become more confident in what we do. Though the course was stressful and hard, our tutors did their best to make it enjoyable . It was a well balanced course with theory and practice. Though doing observed teaching practice sounded scary to me I was confident doing it after I got the very first feedback from my tutors and peers as it was constructive and made me feel confident. The things I’ve gained from this course are priceless. You gain more than what you expect. I’d highly recommend this course to anyone who’s interested in becoming an EFL teacher.”
- Shiwanthi Priyanvada -
(completed CELTA in December 2018)
“It was an amazing experience at British Council, learning new methodologies in teaching English as a Second Language to non-native speakers. With the Cambridge CELTA certification, I now can travel the world and deliver lessons with a much greater confidence and certainty as it is considered one of the premier qualifications to be an ESOL teacher. The course consists of input sessions, practical delivery of lessons, live observations and assignments covering theoretical and practical knowledge and also a case-study. The tutors were dedicated and hardworking to ensure that each and every one of us performed our best in delivering a successful lesson. They encouraged us and always provided with positive feedback which was immensely useful as to build up on the next lesson. I could not recommend anything better.”
- Ushani Cabral -
(completed CELTA in December 2018)
“The CELTA course was the most rewarding learning experience of my life. We were trained by two amazing tutors who taught by example and patiently guided us through each step of the course to help us become better and more confident in our teaching. They went out of their way to make a very difficult and stressful course as enjoyable and stress-free as possible. I was initially nervous about doing observed TPs, but the feedback of my tutors and colleagues was always constructive, positive and motivating. For me CELTA was an opportunity to learn and grow as a teacher, meet inspiring educators and make wonderful new friends. It is true that the workload was gruelling, the standards were sky-high and the stress levels were off the charts, yet that is how CELTA prepares you for real life teaching and it is why the CELTA certificate is definitely worth earning.”
- Anupama Nilakshini -
(completed CELTA in December 2018)
“I enjoyed doing the CELTA course at British Council Colombo. It’s a well-run and highly-organised course, and I’m glad that I did it. The course itself provides a good balance between theory and practice. It allowed me to develop teaching skills through real lesson practice and get immediate feedback. The tutors were very supportive and professional. They were more than happy to sit down and spend time with us to give advice, answer questions and encourage us. I’ve gained invaluable knowledge and friendship from this course. I’d recommend this course to everyone who wants to be an EFL teacher.”
- Lynn Meng -
(completed CELTA December 2018)
“I have always wanted a career in teaching. However, I often get itchy feet and love to travel. The CELTA qualification is a winning combination of both, enabling me to fulfil my desire to teach whilst allowing me to go wherever I want, for as long as I want. The course is demanding, but hugely enriching. The CELTA trainers at the British Council Colombo bring years of first-hand experience, reams of knowledge and a deep personal desire to guide their students towards progression and success. Following passing the CELTA, I’ve managed to secure a job teaching foreign students in the UK. For anyone considering the CELTA at the BC, I really could not recommend this course highly enough.”
- Nathan Chilcott -
(completed CELTA in May 2016)
“CELTA has been a wonderful experience! The tutors were supportive and provided constructive feedback, which was always useful. The course itself has given me a lot of insight on how to manage classroom situations, the role of being a better teacher and planning lessons methodically and effectively.”
- Amy Sandrasagara -
(completed CELTA in May 2016)
“I did my CELTA (the extensive course) at British Council Colombo and that place gets an 'above standard' from me… I love teaching and CELTA made me love it more. It built up my confidence, brought out the creativity in me, showed me my strengths and weaknesses as a teacher and taught me ways to make my lessons interesting...
My advice for those of you who want to follow the CELTA extensive course is to do your work regularly, enjoy what you do, take in the tutor's feedback and record it in a journal so that you won't repeat your mistakes. I won't say that it is going be easy. It's tough! You are bound to face endless teaching practices, endless assignments, sleepless nights. It’s a real challenge… but it's all worth it.”
- Erandi Gunawardena -
(completed CELTA in May 2016)
“In the ESL world teaching English as a secondary language is a demanding profession. Being well competent in the English language does not mean that you can teach the language to a learner. It needs proper guidance and sufficient practice. CELTA is the best course for you to learn how to teach English.
My CELTA experience was a nice blend of hard work and enjoyment. I really learned a lot about teaching. This course offered me a good foundation and guidance to become a better English teacher. I am well satisfied with the content of the course. The student-centred approach favoured by this course has been immensely useful for my lessons.
My tutors deserve a special token of gratitude for being supportive and tolerant teachers with professional knowledge and background experience. If they were not there, my CELTA would not have been a success. It's true that this course demands a lot of dedication and commitment. You need to invest your free time in extra reading and preparation, which is enormously worthwhile during CELTA and after the course.
At the end of the course, I was confident that I can succeed in the world of ESL with this globally-recognized certificate.”
- Dilusha Ganewatta -
(completed CELTA in 2016)
“It was a tough 10-week adventure! We had three very different tutors and I loved learning from all of them. In the end it was an extremely rewarding experience. A big point to mention is the depth and thoroughness of the CELTA course as well as the everyday routine of self-evaluation and feedback from the tutors, which gave me confidence and the ability to teach. It has entirely changed my perspective towards teaching. My colleagues and I had an excellent experience through this extremely intensive course. It will stay in our memories forever.”
- Susan Maynard -
(completed CELTA in December 2015)
“I’m a primary trained teacher and I decided to make the transition to teaching English to adults. To do so, I completed my CELTA at BC Colombo and enjoyed it immensely. I was particularly impressed by the attention to detail provided by the tutors, which helped me improve my teaching practice throughout the course. The highly experienced tutors were generous with their time and advice, helping us to constantly strengthen our teaching skills. Whilst teaching is a profession where you will never stop learning, the CELTA at the BC Colombo really gave me a good foundation to begin my career in ESL. I’m now teaching at the BC in Colombo and I still reflect on tips and techniques acquired during CELTA.”
- Dhinali Ranasinghe -
(completed CELTA in December 2014)