CELTA is an introductory course for candidates who have little or no previous English Language teaching experience. It is also suitable for candidates with some experience but little previous training. The course aims at providing a solid, practical foundation for teaching, classroom management skills and a range of effective English as a Second Language (ESL) / English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instructional techniques. Candidates who complete the course can successfully begin working in a variety of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teaching contexts around the world.

CELTA is issued and awarded by the Cambridge English Language Assessment, part of the University of Cambridge.