What is the DELTA?

The Cambridge DELTA (Diploma in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) is a TEFL course for teachers with some experience who want to:
  • build on their initial English teaching qualification and progress further in their TEFL career
  • extend their professional knowledge, develop their skills and apply these to different teaching contexts
  • take on new and challenging responsibilities in their teaching careers
  • demonstrate a commitment to the profession and prove their ability
  • examine their existing practices and beliefs.

Why do the Cambridge DELTA?

At the beginning of every DELTA course we run, we ask candidates why they’re doing it. Nearly all candidates comment that after having taught English for a number of years, they feel they are stagnating a bit and would like to improve both their understanding of the teaching/learning process and their classroom skills. Most candidates also mention an interest in being a senior teacher, an educational manager, or a trainer. For those TEFL teachers, the DELTA is likely to provide what they’re looking for.

This is a high level qualification, suitable for teachers who:
  • have an initial TEFL training qualification (such as the Cambridge CTEFLA or CELTA, the Trinity College Certificate or a Graduate or a Post Graduate TEFL or TESOL degree). It is unlikely to be appropriate if you have never received any practical methodology training that included regular teaching practice with observation and feedback.
  • have at least two years’ varied experience teaching English. It is unlikely to be appropriate unless you have had regular experience of classes of at least six students, studying at a range of levels from Beginner to Advanced, preferably in both monolingual and multilingual environments.

TIn considering undertaking the Cambridge DELTA, one should keep in mind that this is a very challenging course that requires considerable commitment throughout the 8 months. In the interview, we discuss this with you to make sure you have a realistic idea of what to expect, and of how the DELTA will fit into your life.

Course requirements include:

  • 120 contact hours between candidates and course tutors, primarily “input”—seminars and workshops on different aspects of language and language learning
  • 6 hours observed (but unassessed) teaching
  • 4 hours assessed lessons
  • 10 hours directed peer observation
  • 150 hours reading, research, and assignments
To get an idea of the sort of assignments you do on the course and how these are assessed, look at syllabus and also assessment. If you would like to discuss the possibility of doing the DELTA before completing the application, don’t hesitate to contact one of the DELTA training team.