Oxford TEFL

(CELTA online course, July 2025 intake; hosted from Barcelona office). I would not recommend Oxford TEFL to any prospective CELTA trainee. As a mature student and experienced teacher, I joined the course hoping to develop my skills in an objective, professional environment. Unfortunately, my experience was the opposite: I encountered targeted, subjective, and (most importantly) inaccurate feedback from my teaching supervisor, which I tried—repeatedly and professionally—to clarify. The critique was clearly subjective and there was no admittance or humility around this (indisputable) fact. This obviously led me seriously question the professionalism and the objectivity of the centre. Instead of resolving my concerns, management mischaracterised them as “not being able to accept critique,” and the centre was evasive and defensive throughout the grievance process. The irony is that I choose CELTA due to the rigorous critique process - I sincerely hoped it would improve my teaching skills. However, if it is not based in objective truth - it holds no value and I feared I would leave the course a worse teacher than what I started as. I had no faith in their ability to assess, guide or mentor me - and I gave several opportunities for them to graciously accept that perhaps they had been somewhat subjective (I would have actually accepted that; it would have showed humility, professionalism and it would have instilled trust and likely led me to continue in the course, despite the clearly inaccurate feedback I had received). However, my attempts to get clear answers in writing were met with delay, minimisation, and deflection. I was ultimately forced to withdraw from the course due to a lack of transparency, accountability, and professionalism from the entire management team. Even after escalating to Cambridge, I found the process lacked neutrality and simply circled the wagons to protect the centre. I did receive a partial refund after a prolonged dispute, but the experience was stressful, disappointing, and damaging to my trust in both the centre and the wider CELTA brand. If you value fair, objective feedback and a professional approach to student support, I strongly recommend you look elsewhere for your teacher training. I decided to complete the Trinity TESOL instead, and am already impressed with the professionalism displayed by the new provider. It is night and day, so my sincere advice is to avoid OxfordTEFL and their CELTA programme. Feedback and critique is absolutely essential. Objectivity, professionalism, humility and evidence-based feedback are equally essential. OxfordTEFL failed (repeatedly) in that minimum standard.

Completing the online part-time CELTA course was an unforgettable and transformative experience. The journey was challenging yet deeply rewarding, guided by the support of our tutors, Sinem and Billie, whose feedback and encouragement made all the difference. The interactive sessions and collaborative environment made learning both engaging and enriching. The practical teaching practice and detailed feedback helped me refine my skills and grow in confidence as an educator. I’m also thankful to Diana for her career advice and ongoing support as I take the next steps in my teaching career. This course challenges you but leaves you with lasting memories, enhanced confidence, and the tools to succeed as an ESL teacher. I highly recommend it to anyone passionate about teaching.

I recently completed the online part-time CELTA course with Oxford TEFL. I had no teaching experience prior to taking the course, and now I feel confident and well-prepared as an ESL teacher. My course tutors, Billie and Sinem, were wonderful ⁠— extremely supportive while always challenging me to improve. Everyone at Oxford TEFL has been a pleasure to interact with, and I especially appreciate the ongoing career services provided by Diana. I would highly recommend Oxford TEFL for anyone interested in the CELTA or other English teacher training courses.