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Delta Modules - FAQs

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Why is Delta taken in modules?

Diploma in teaching English to speakers of other languages (Delta) is modular to:

  • offer you flexible entry points
  • enable you to achieve Delta in stages over a period of time that fits with your career and other commitments
  • give you the opportunity to focus on specialist teaching, e.g. teaching young learners, Business English
  • encourage more flexible delivery, e.g. blended learning options
  • allow individual modules to be taken as part of a programme of continuous professional development
  • to certificate partial achievement, e.g. development as a General English teacher.
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Do I have to take all three modules?

No. You can choose to enter for a single module or any combination of modules. Each module is separately certificated so you receive credit for each module successfully completed.

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Can the modules be taken in any order?

While you can choose to take the modules in any order, Modules Two and Three assume you have the knowledge and competences gained in the previous module(s) so for most candidates the most practical order will be from Module One through to Module Three.

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Can I take all three modules at the same time?

Yes. Some centres may deliver Delta as a single course (all three modules being run concurrently by a centre). However, the distribution of content across the three modules allows centres the flexibility of offering individual modules or combinations of modules if you do not want or need to complete them all.

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Do I have to complete all three modules within a specific time?

No. There is no time limit for completion of all three modules.

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Can I retake modules?

Yes. There is no limit on the number of times you can take a module. For Module Three, there is an option to resubmit an assignment. If it fails again a new topic needs to be chosen.

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Do I have to take a course for each module?

Attendance on a course is only necessary for Module Two so that practice can be directly assessed. You can enter for Modules One and Three without taking a course.

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Will I get an overall Delta qualification if I pass all the modules?

Yes. You are awarded a certificate for each Delta module you pass. Achievement of a Pass in all three modules confers the status of a full Delta qualification. An overall Delta certificate will be awarded if you submit evidence of a Pass in all three modules.

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How many hours are involved in doing the course?

There is no prescribed number of hours. The syllabus states that there are 200 learning hours. These can be made up of input, e-learning and directed or individual self-study.

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How much time do I spend with tutors?

For a discrete Module Two course, it is estimated that about a third of the total number of learning hours would be tutor contact, i.e. about 66–70 hours. Centres may offer blended learning packages with a reduced number of face-to-face contact hours.

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What are the pass requirements for Module Two?

Two assignments (one systems, one skills) are submitted to Cambridge ESOL (one from the centre, one from the assessor) and must be at Pass standard or above for you to be awarded Delta Module Two.

You need to complete both parts of the Professional Development Assignment to gain an overall Pass in Module Two. You must achieve a Pass to be eligible for an overall Merit or Distinction grade in Module Two.

The coursework report will only be referred to in the case of borderline candidates. For example, if the centre submitted assignment is a Merit, and the assessor’s grade indicates a strong Pass, a Merit may be awarded if evidence to support a Merit is documented in the Coursework Record.

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Do I need to have a degree to take Module Two?

No, many candidates will have a first degree but it is not a requirement. However, you should bear in mind that Delta modules are at Master's level.

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Do I have to include tests and samples for analysis of strengths as well as weaknesses?

Yes, you need to comment on strengths as well to justify the course programme, e.g. there might be less of an emphasis on a particular skill if this has been identified as a strength or is irrelevant to your needs or the focus of the course.

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Should I do one diagnostic test or can I do several?

You can do several.

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Should the tests only be about language or about the four skills too?

You should test what needs to be tested according to the needs and the purpose for which your learners are learning English. If the course had a very specific focus, e.g. academic writing skills exclusively, then the focus of the testing would be on writing skills and sub-skills. The narrower the range of diagnostic assessment, the more detail of analysis would be expected, i.e. less breadth and more depth of analysis if the topic chosen is narrow in terms of skills/language area.

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Should the results include areas such as pronunciation and discourse features or only lexical and grammatical needs?

As with the previous answer, it depends on the nature of the course.

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Should I include issues such as class management (e.g. in the case of YL, which may influence my choice of activities in the course plan) or cultural taboos in monolingual classes in my analysis or only language learning needs?

Yes, these issues should be included, if relevant.

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How do I go about justifying how I have prioritised the areas I am going to focus on? Presumably I can't do the detailed annotated scripts and samples as for each student, so how do I show the evidence for my choices?

You analyse all the diagnostic assessments in depth if your course is for a whole class (but we would expect more detail for a one-to-one study). You should do what would be realistic in real life, e.g. collating and commenting on results, interviewing students or using interview notes or application information).

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In the appendices, do I submit copies of completed needs analyses and diagnostic tests for each student, for just a cross section or for none and just in the form of collated results?

Results should be collated but samples do not need to be submitted. You must keep the samples on which the collation is based until your result is issued. We will ask to see evidence for some candidates and/or ask the centre to verify that they have seen them.

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Is the Extended Assignment submitted by me to Cambridge ESOL or should it go via the centre?

You must register and submit the Extended Assignment through a centre. If you are not following a course at the centre, then the centre will charge you for this service.