Coronavirus Update: We are here to support you

Last Updated Sunday, 5^th April at 19:00

We are aware that you may be anxious about your course and travel plans due to the Coronavirus. We are carefully monitoring the latest news regarding the outbreak and we are regularly adapting our courses and support so that all our trainees and staff are safe and able to continue to the best of their abilities.

What is the current situation regarding the Coronavirus?

Key events that affect our locations are listed below. You can view a map of the outbreak here.

• Thursday, 12^th March
  • The Czech Republic declares a state of emergency.
• Saturday, 14th March
  • The Spanish government declares a state of alarm, with new measures similar to those which have already been implemented in Italy – closing public schools and limiting nonessential travel for 15 days (now extended to 45 days) in an attempt to control the outbreak.
• Monday, 16^th March
  • Spain closes its borders to non-residents and non-citizens.
  • The Czech Republic imposes a nationwide quarantine until 24^th March. Borders will also remain closed and people are required to stay home, except for going to work and carrying out essential duties.
• Tuesday, 17^th March
  • The European Union closes its borders to non-EU residents and non-EU citizens for 30 days.
• Monday, 23rd March
  • The UK orders a 3-week lockdown.
  • The Czech Republic extends lockdown until 1^st April.
• Tuesday, 24^th March
  • India orders a 3-week lockdown.
• Saturday, 28th March
  • Spain extends lockdown for 15 more days (until 11^th April) and tightens restrictions on movement to include all non-essential workers.
• Saturday, 4^th April
  • Spain plans to extend state of alarm for 15 more days (until 26^th April).

Cancelled courses

Following the recommendations of the national and local authorities, we have cancelled the following face-to-face sessions:

• CELTA in Barcelona from 30^th March – 30^th April, 4^th–29^th May, and 2^nd–26^th June
• CELTA in Prague from 20^th April – 15^th May and 25^th May – 19^th June
• CertTESOL in London from 6^th April – 5^th May
• CertTESOL in Kerala from 14^th April – 15^th May

100% Online CELTA course

Between April and July, we are offering a unique, first-time-ever opportunity to take the Cambridge CELTA course 100% online. Find out more here.

Planned face-to-face courses (subject to change)

We are hopeful that Europe will follow China’s trajectory and that the outbreak will be brought under control in the coming weeks. At the moment, we are still planning to run the following courses as scheduled:

• Cambridge CELTA and Trinity CertTESOL:
  • CertTESOL in Kerala: 22^nd June – 24^th July (and following courses)
  • CELTA in Barcelona: 29^th June – 24^th July (and following courses)
  • CELTA in Prague: 29^th June – 24^th July (and following courses)
  • CertTESOL in Málaga: 6^th–31^st July (and following courses)
  • CertTESOL in London: 20^th July – 14^th August (and following courses)
  • CertTESOL in Cádiz: 27^th July – 28^th August (and following courses)
• Trinity DipTESOL:
  • All F2F Sessions are currently running as scheduled.

What happens if my course is cancelled? / What if I am unable to attend?

In the event that your course is cancelled or you are unable to attend (e.g., due to a travel ban), we will postpone your start date at no extra charge.

If you are unable to join a course in the following 12 months, we will process a refund of all fees paid to Oxford TEFL. Please note that we cannot be held responsible for fees paid to other companies. We recommend checking the refund policy before reserving flights or accommodation.

What if I begin to show symptoms?

If you are still in your country of residence, you will need to postpone your start date.

If you are actively enrolled in a course, please inform your Course Director right away. For mild cases, the authorities are asking people to self-isolate instead of going to the doctor (to avoid overcrowding hospitals). For severe cases, call the local emergency number:

• Spain, Czech Republic, and India: 112 
• United Kingdom: 999

Do you have any courses that are 100% online?

Yes! Regardless of how the outbreak develops, our online teacher development courses will remain unaffected.

Given the massive shift to online teaching caused by the outbreak, many teachers are looking to improve their skills in this area. One of our most popular options right now is our Teaching English Online course. Participants of this course will learn all the skills needed to teach online from our experienced tutor on a one-to-one basis. We are currently offering a reduced course fee of €250 (regular fee €350).

You can see our full list of teacher development courses with tutor support below:

• Online Group Courses: €200, 30 hours over 6 weeks
  • Teaching IELTS (10^th April – 27^th May 2020)
  • English for Academic Purposes (19^th June – 31^st July 2020)
• Online One-to-One Courses: €350, €250 starting any Friday, 30 hours over 3 or 6 weeks (you choose the length of study):
  • Business English
  • Young Learners
  • CLIL
  • Leadership in ELT
  • Teaching IELTS
  • English for Academic Purposes
  • Pronunciation
  • Teaching Cambridge Exams
  • Teaching English Online

If you need help deciding which course would be best for you, email us at [email protected]. You can submit your application for our Teacher Development courses here.

How will I know if there are changes?

We are closely monitoring the situation for updates to make informed decisions for our tutors and trainees. If there are any changes, this page will be updated, and we will notify any applicants who have applied for the affected session. Our priority is—and will continue to be—the safety of our staff and trainees. If you have any questions, please feel free to email us at [email protected].

Useful Links (General):

World Health Organisation (WHO) advice: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public

NY Times Coronavirus Map: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/world/coronavirus-maps.html

Useful Links for Spain

UK Government travel advice: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/spain/health

US Embassy: https://es.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/

El País in English (Spanish Newspaper): https://english.elpais.com/

Useful Links for the Czech Republic

UK Government travel advice: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/czech-republic

US Embassy in Prague: https://cz.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/

Useful Links for India

UK Government travel advice: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/india

US Embassy in India: https://in.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/

Useful Links for the United Kingdom

COVID-19 Information for the public: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-information-for-the-public

Coronavirus (COVID-19) – NHS: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/