Professional development courses and qualifications for teachers in bilingual education
With Cambridge, teachers can develop skills and gain internationally recognised qualifications in teaching English and teaching in English.
Professional development for educators teaching English
- TKT – Teaching Knowledge Test: TKT offers modular, affordable qualifications that test understanding of English language teaching. Ideal for both new and experienced teachers, TKT provides a simple way to gain an internationally recognised Cambridge English certificate.
- CELTA – Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages: CELTA from Cambridge is a qualification for teaching English as a foreign language. It is the most widely recognised English teaching qualification in the world. The course:
- focuses on practical techniques to develop the confidence to begin teaching
- includes options for face-to-face, online or a combination of both depending on individual needs
- is flexible – the course can be taken full time, usually over 4–5 weeks, or part time over the course of a few months to a year.
- DELTA (Diploma in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages): an English teaching qualification for English language teachers with at least one year’s experience. The course:
- is taken over three modules – you can take as many modules as you like, in any order
- deepens your knowledge and understanding of English language teaching
- is internationally recognised, highly respected and a benchmark for quality
- enables you to develop your career and prepare for more senior teaching roles.
Training and support for educators teaching in English (EMI)
- Getting started with Language Awareness: learn how becoming more language-aware can remove barriers and boost learning for every student.
- Launching in 2026, Introduction to English as a Medium of Instruction – self-guided training. This self-study course:
- develops teachers’ confidence and competence in teaching their subject through the medium of English
- includes 15 useful topics to support teachers with functional language and teaching methodology in an accessible format
- Cambridge International Certificate in Teaching Bilingual Learners (5887): this qualification supports professional growth and career development by offering the opportunity to explore the challenges and principles of teaching through an additional language. It allows teachers to:
- understand the principles of teaching bilingual learners through reading, observation and discussion in an additional language, and apply these principles to their own practice
- understand the challenges of learning through an additional language and the techniques to overcome them
- develop reflective skills, using them to evaluate their own practice and make progress
- learn and work collaboratively, helping to build communities of learning.
- Cambridge International Diploma in Teaching Bilingual Learners (5888): for experienced teachers who would like to delve deeper into the knowledge and skills in teaching through an additional language, helping them gain expertise and progress in their careers. In the Diploma, teachers will:
- critically engage with educational theory and research evidence to inform and develop their professional thinking in bilingual teaching and learning
- develop confidence to experiment and innovate with approaches to delivering bilingual learning
- carry out a practitioner enquiry within their context to improve their professional practice
- evaluate the impact of their professional enquiry on their practice as well as learner outcomes
- learn collaboratively, supporting and being supported by their colleagues.
Support for teachers’ English language proficiency
Understand teachers’ current English language levels
Although each teacher’s situation is unique, as a general guideline it is recommended that teachers are at a minimum CEFR level of B2 in order to teach another subject in English.
Cambridge English Skills Test General
The Cambridge English Skills Test General is an online, on-demand, modular test of general, everyday English for adult learners aged 16+.
It tests all four English skills (Speaking, Writing, Reading and Listening) from A1 to C1 on the CEFR, the international scale of English ability. Results are ready in 48 hours.
Read more on Cambridge English Skills Test General.
Develop teachers’ English language proficiency
Evolve Digital
Teachers who would like to build their confidence in English to support their bilingual teaching can use this flexible online English language course as part of their own professional development.
This six-level course combines asynchronous learning content with synchronous, guided lessons to help build confidence. Evolve Digital includes:
- videos at the start and end of each unit and lots of friendly support throughout to ensure online learning is engaging and helpful
- timely, relevant and helpful feedback embedded throughout to explain answers in more detail
- plenty of variety in language and practice activities, and the latest speech recognition technology to get the very best outcomes
- additional videos, from drama and documentaries to people-on-the-street videos, and more.
Find out more on Evolve Digital.