Professional Development
Taking the Cambridge DELTA in Japan
Richard T. Ingham
The British Council, Japan
Thomas Entwistle
The British Council, Japan
This paper gives an overview of the Cambridge DELTA teaching qualification and relates
the experiences of the authors in taking it in Japan. The different modules that comprise
the Cambridge DELTA, course requirements and the different options for potential
candidates working in Japan are outlined. The personal accounts and experiences of thewriters, explaining the benefits conferred by taking the DELTA, are given, along withways in which it has helped the writers’ professional development. Particular reference ismade to increased academic confidence and improved knowledge in the field of teaching
English as a foreign language. Lastly, the article gives a realistic account of the time needed
when undertaking the course modules and offers some advice on how best to manage theconsiderable workload involved.
本稿では、ケンブリッジDELTA教授資格の概要とこの資格を日本で受けた著者達の経験を説明する。

ケンブリッジDELTAを構成する異なるモジュール、コース要件、日本で働く可能性のある候補者に対する様々な選択肢について概要を述べる。著者達の個人的な感想や経験はDELTA受講の利点を裏付けるもので、著者達の職業能力向上に役立った方法と共に提示する。特に、学術的自信の向上、外国語としての英語教育分野の知識の向上に言及する。最後に本稿では、コースモ
ジュールの受講に必要な時間を現実的に説明し、実際にかかるかなりの作業負担を管理するための最善の方法について助言する。

The Cambridge Diploma in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages(DELTA) is a practical qualification for English teachers that provides skills andtechniques that aid professional development. It is a 60-credit qualification at
Level 7 on the U.K. Regulated Qualifications Framework, meaning that the91

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content is at the same academic level as a master’s degree (Lyons, n.d.).
There are a number of prerequisites for embarking on the DELTA.
Candidates should be at least 21 years old and educated to bachelor’s degreelevel. Requirements differ depending on the center providing the course, but in
addition to a minimum of a year’s experience in teaching English, a preliminary
English teaching qualification such as a Certificate in Teaching English to
Speakers of Other Languages (CELTA or TESOL) is often necessary. Although
being a native speaker of English is not necessary, those wishing to embark on
the DELTA should demonstrate an expert command of the English language.
Finally, we believe that it is beneficial to have experienced teaching at different
ability levels and to have taught courses other than just general English (e.g.,
exam classes or academic English courses). This is because the DELTA requires
candidates to draw on a range of past experiences when writing backgroundessays.
The DELTA consists of three separate modules, which can be taken
simultaneously or separately, in any order, and over any time period. In addition
to a certificate for each module passed, candidates receive an overall diploma
certificate upon successful completion of all three modules.
Module 1 (M1) is a theoretical course leading up to two 90-minute written
exams that need to be taken at an accredited exam center. The exams focus ondeveloping candidates’ knowledge and understanding of teaching and learning
English. This module covers theoretical perspectives on second language
acquisition, different teaching approaches and methodologies, language
systems and learners’ linguistic problems, language and grammar concepts, key
assessment concepts, and specific English teaching terminology. Whilst it ispossible to take the M1 exam without having taken a course, we would advise
against this route. Understanding how the questions need to be approached is
critical, so taking a course that includes feedback from a tutor who has in-depth
knowledge of the test format is the surest way to achieve success in the exam.
Module 2 (M2) focuses more on applied teaching practices such as lesson
planning, the use of in-class resources, and managing and supporting learners.
This module has four observed and assessed lessons, each consisting of a92

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background essay, detailed lesson plan, and the lesson itself. Of these, three
are assessed by a local tutor, with the final one being observed by a Cambridge
Assessor who will come to your place of work. In addition to the assessed lessons,M2 also includes a professional development assignment. This involves reflecting
on your teaching beliefs and practices, and subsequently conducting related inclass action research. Finally, there’s an Experimental Practice (EP) assignment inwhich you try out an experimental teaching approach, e.g., the Lexical Approachor Community Language Learning. The EP is supported by a background essay
and a post-lesson reflection. Since the M2 includes a considerable amount ofobserved teaching practice, interested candidates should check carefully thatusing students at their current place of employment is acceptable from bothethical and commercial standpoints.
Module 3 (M3) provides teachers with an opportunity to pursue an area ofspecialism. This will either be an extended assignment on syllabus design, course
planning, and assessment within English Language Teaching (ELT), or an
extended assignment on ELT management. A broad range of specialism options
are available, from the teaching of exam classes to the teaching of learners withspecialist requirements, e.g., visual/hearing impairment. Thus, the module allows
for candidates to focus on an area of specific interest within ELT. As is the casewith M1, whilst it is technically possible to do M3 unsupported, we believe that
it would be quite difficult to achieve a pass without feedback on assignment
drafts from an experienced tutor.

Taking the DELTA in JapanOne of the major advantages of studying the DELTA program is its flexibility,with a variety of study options available. The DELTA can be taken full-time orpart-time and face-to-face or online with all versions of the DELTA leading to
the same internationally recognized certificate. The teaching practice componentof M2 usually needs to take place in a face-to-face environment, although due to
COVID, as of May 2021 Cambridge Assessment is allowing this to be held in an
online teaching environment or by remote assessment.
If modules are taken consecutively, it is possible to complete the full DELTA
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Diploma in about 21 months. Whilst there is no officially recommended orderfor studying the modules, we feel that those adopting the modular approachshould consider taking M1 first, as the theoretical grounding it offers will
provide considerable support for the more practical elements of M2 and M3.
An alternative option is the blended DELTA offered by some training
providers (e.g., Teaching House and International House). In this option, M1
and M3 are studied at distance, and M2 is taken as a full-time, face-to-face
option over about six weeks. For Japan-based university educators, this option
may be of interest, as M2 could be taken during the semester breaks. The face-toface M2 option would also avoid any difficulty in finding a local tutor in Japan,
which may be problematic depending on the candidate’s location. However,since M2 is not currently offered as a full-time, face-to face option within Japan,
it would have to be taken abroad, thus incurring additional costs.
A further option, and the one that we both undertook, is the integrated
program offered by International House (IH) comprising all three DELTA
modules leading to the full Cambridge DELTA Diploma within a period of
about nine months. This is called the Distance Delta. A prerequisite of this routeis a pre-sessional Orientation Course (OC) taken either at IH, or a separate
training provider. The locations of the OC change each year, but they havepreviously been held in Japan or in locations nearby, such as Korea and Vietnam.
When taking the Distance Delta, a local tutor is usually required, who will
provide help and support and will also observe three of the four assessed lessons.
Candidates based far from metropolitan centers or working outside the British
Council network may experience difficulty finding a local tutor, so an online
option is available. Recordings of lessons are uploaded and watched by the
online personal tutor, who gives feedback via Skype. The cost as of April 2020was £450. The software for this is free and easy to install, though there may besome additional costs for the purchase of webcams for recording purposes. Thoseinterested in the distance option should consult the Distance Delta website fordetails relating to the online option and also upcoming OC locations.

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Our DELTA Experience

We elected to take the Distance Delta via IH, since it fitted with our teachingschedules and provided a means to achieve the full DELTA diploma within anine-month period. The program started in the springtime, allowing us to takethe mandatory OC during the spring semester break, with one being held at IH
in London and the other taking place at Melbourne Training Associates locatedin Melbourne, Australia. The decisions of where to take the OC were based on
the proximity to family (in the case of London) and the proximity to Japan (inthe case of Australia).
The two-week OC consists of four main components: seminars, teachingpractice, reading and research, and web-based activities. Seminars cover a range of
topics from different approaches to teaching to explaining the different DELTA
modules. Course participants teach at least three developmental lessons which
are observed by the tutors and fellow course participants. As such, it is useful for
attendees to take some previously taught materials in order to avoid having toplan lessons from the ground up. Although these lessons are not graded, formal
written and verbal feedback is given, allowing participants to consider areas offocus for M2. Additionally, attendees are shown how to conduct backgroundresearch and given practice in essay writing in an appropriate register. This isimportant since the DELTA has some specific requirements for written work, i.e.,a “semi-academic style”. As part of the OC, candidates are also introduced to the
DELTA online library. This contains a vast number of articles that provide usefulbackground reading and also help as part of the study for the M1 exam. Lastly, athorough introduction to the course forum is given, and this is important as theforum is used extensively during the Distance Delta. Overall, we found the OC
to be a useful and informative introduction, which provided a solid theoreticaland practical foundation on which to build once we had returned to Japan.
The DELTA is notorious for its intensity, with the potential to “completely
consume your life” (Williams, 2015, p. 7), and we certainly found the program tobe challenging at times. Since all three modules were being taken synchronously,
there was a relatively heavy course load, with regular coursework deadlines forthe three modules that came on an almost weekly basis. However, there was a95

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very clear timetable and schedule of work to follow, and we felt that there wasconsiderable support from the assigned online tutors and the local tutor basedin Japan. For essays and essay plans for M2 and M3, a drafting process wasprovided, and both of us found this to be indispensable. The feedback fromonline tutors was excellent, and acting upon it was vital in passing all modules.
Further support was available in the online forum, where our experiences could
be shared with other candidates from around the world. This proved a goodsource of information, since drawing on others’ experiences and perspectives was
useful for us when conducting research for the written assignments. The program
culminated with an intense period when the final assessed lesson from M2, thefinal piece of coursework from M3, and the exam for M1 all took place within
10 days of one another in early December. Unfortunately, this is unavoidable dueto the rigid structure of the course, but we found that by diligently following theschedule of work, attempting to identify potential bottlenecks in advance, andkeeping to all the deadlines, it was entirely manageable.
In terms of course fees, as of April 2020, the costs for the Distance Delta
are quoted on the website as £3,310, equivalent to around ¥500,000. These costs
include the overall course fee and the fee for the OC. However, it should be
noted that additional costs will likely be incurred for international flights andaccommodation and these will vary considerably based on where the orientation
course takes place. Further costs could also be added to take the M1 exam at an
approved center and to pay travel costs for the assessor who comes to observe thefinal lesson in M2. These additional costs could add a considerable amount to thetotal cost of the course and should be carefully considered prior to embarking on
the Distance Delta.
In terms of time commitment, the amount of time spent studying varied
from week to week, though it is estimated that it took a few hours most evenings,
and part of each weekend to complete all of the coursework and prepare
thoroughly for the assessed lessons. There were certainly some less intense times,
though we recall that there was always something that could be worked on in any
perceived downtime. Remaining aware of all the three modules of the DELTA
and continuing to work on them in some way at all times helped to avoid any
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bottlenecks later in the course.

Benefits and Advice

Completing the DELTA has brought with it a multitude of benefits. For
example, through studying for M1, our knowledge of phonology has improved
considerably, and we feel better able to help Japanese learners with, for example,
the finer points of connected speech. M2 helped us to plan better lessons,examine and question our beliefs as teachers, and encouraged us to try out newideas in the class that have been of considerable benefit to our learners. Finally,
our work for M3 has helped us to design and implement short courses related toacademic writing and study abroad. We are pleased that we can apply both thepractical skills and theoretical knowledge gained in their current context on aregular basis.
A further benefit is a growing confidence to contribute within departmental
meetings at our place of work, as we now feel better placed to voice opinions
on matters of pedagogy. We would add that the DELTA has contributed to a
new-found academic confidence. Since completion of the DELTA, we have bothpublished in several academic journals in Japan and internationally. Indeed,
many of the benefits of the course were accrued some considerable time after the
program had finished and continued up to the time of writing.
A final point to note is that since the DELTA is a 60-credit qualification at
Level 7 on the U.K. Regulated Qualifications Framework, these credit points
can be used as exemptions for parts of a master’s degree program in the U.K.
Both of us are currently using these credits to gain exemptions within an MA
program in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESOL) at the Universityof Sunderland in the U.K. The subsequent reduction both in workload and costfor the MA has been significant.
We feel that the nine-month Distance Delta is an effective way to complete
the program within a manageable period. As we have noted above, however, theworkload involved in taking the DELTA this way is considerable. If one chooses
to pursue this route it would be prudent to clear one’s schedule before starting,as there is very little spare time during the nine-month duration. Additionally,
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although there is support from online and local tutors, this method would suitcandidates able to work independently and adhere to strict deadlines.
If a more leisurely pace is favored, then perhaps splitting up the modules
might make more sense. The other options outlined above would certainly
provide a less intense way of approaching the DELTA. In particular, the blended
option would provide significant support for M2, which we consider to be themost demanding part.

Final Considerations

As has been noted in this paper, taking the DELTA can be relatively
expensive and also an intense experience at times. Before deciding to embark
on this qualification, potential participants should take the time to carefully
consider a number of factors. Firstly, the online syllabus should be thoroughly
read to ascertain whether the DELTA, with its mix of practical and theoreticalchallenges, is something that should be undertaken. Careful consideration
should also be given to present working conditions to ensure that they aresuitable. It is our opinion that candidates are implicitly expected to be working
in environments that operate in line with the Cambridge English teaching ideals.
For example, learners should be motivated, active, prepared to learn in an allEnglish environment, and possess a degree of learner autonomy. Whilst this may
not present a problem for many educators in university settings, those working incontexts that follow more rigid teaching guidelines should check that deviations
from the standard teaching methodologies employed are allowed. Finally, accessto a digital library of English teaching books, alongside experienced, DELTAqualified co-workers who can provide additional support and encouragement,
would be extremely beneficial.

Conclusion

This paper has given an overview of the Cambridge DELTA and has outlined ourexperiences in taking it in Japan. The modules that comprise the DELTA were
outlined, along with various options for taking the qualification either face-toface or online. We then went on to describe in detail our experiences in taking the98Taking the Cambridge DELTA in Japan, OnCUE 14(1), pages 91-100

Distance Delta through IH.
In conclusion, the DELTA program’s flexible framework offers a variety ofways to fit the diploma into candidates’ busy working lives. Whichever method
is used, we agree that, despite the intense nature of taking the Distance Delta,
it has been an extremely beneficial and worthwhile undertaking. Overall, theCambridge DELTA qualification comes highly recommended for educators inJapan who are interested in developing further professionally.

Useful Links

For more information on the Distance Delta:
http://thedistancedelta.com/
For more general information about the Cambridge DELTA:
https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/teaching-english/teaching-qualifications/
DELTA/
Sandy Millin’s web pages relating to the DELTA are an excellent resource forthose interested in learning more. It includes many firsthand accounts of DELTA
experiences:https://sandymillin.wordpress.com/DELTA/
To take the DELTA M1 in Tokyo, contact the British Council:
exams@britishcouncil.or.jp
To take the DELTA M1 in the Kanto area, contact Language Resources:
http://www.language-resources.co.jp/

References

Lyons, G. (n.d.). Teaching Qualifications - Recognition FAQs. Cambridge
University Press and Assessment. https://support.cambridgeenglish.org/
hc/en-gb/articles/115004089423-Teaching-Qualifications-RecognitionFAQs
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Williams, D. (2015). How to pass Delta: Fully updated for the 2015 syllabus.
CreateSpace.

Author Bios

Richard Thomas Ingham works for the British Council at a private university inJapan. His research interests include extensive listening, podcasting, and academic
writing. richard.ingham\@britishcouncil.or.jp
Thomas Entwistle is a British Council English language specialist and memberof the English Team at a private university in Japan. His current areas of interest
include phonology, pronunciation, and world Englishes. thomas.entwistle\@
britishcouncil.or.jp
Received: June 7, 2021
Accepted: September 6, 2021

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