 
The fact is that these three academies are the best local options
if you want a certification which will be accepted locally and
recognized around the world. There are slightly cheaper uncertified alternatives
in Madrid, but you might have a much harder time getting them
accepted by your prospective employers. Personally, I'd have a harder time taking your TEFL "certificate" seriously (and you, frankly) if it wasn't from either Cambridge or Trinity.
British Language Centre
 The
BLC is one of the biggest English language training academies
in Europe and the most active in Madrid, Spain. They have been
offering the CELTAs every month since 1989, as well as plenty
of other training courses. To date, they have trained over 2,300
CELTA teachers and 350 DELTA teachers. The BLC definitely looks
like the centre that is the most interested in teacher education
and training in Madrid, Spain, and they have definitely made a
big effort to be the "man-on-top" in this sector.
 http://www.british-blc.com
More on British Language Centre English Academy.
Calle Bravo Murillo 377, 2º
ted@british-blc.com
34 91 733 0739
 Recognition of the Centre (and Certificate)
As far as I can see, this is one of the best-known schools for
teacher training in Madrid, and a couple of teachers, including
a TESOL convention staff member, talked them up to me at this
years' convention.
BLC runs at least ten people through its CELTA full-time intensive
courses every month as well as doing another 2 or 3 part-time extensive
CELTA courses yearly for a total of more or less 150 CELTA teachers
trained annually.
Training Staff and Course
I have a close friend who did the DELTA at the British Language
Centre who often recommended it to me while he was doing it (actually,
he just about twisted my arm to get me down there). He told me
that the teacher in charge, Alistair Dickinson, also had a webpage
at http://www.developingteachers.com,
which is quite an accomplishment for any individual professional
(it's one of three webpages I think, actually). From what I could
gather, the staff, which seems to have a reasonably-well-qualified
line-up, was quite conscientious and always pressured him (in
a good way) to be more professional.
 Installations
Adequate and functional,
the installations are well located in the heart of Madrid's business district and are next to a major bus and underground (subway) station and one
subway stop from
the train station at Chamartin. It's right on Plaza Castilla, which is one of Madrid's well-recognized landmarks.
DELTA course (Diploma in English teaching)
The British Language Centre also offers both part-time and full-time DELTA courses two or three times a year.
Current courses - straight from the horse's mouth
Full-time one-month CELTA courses starting every month except December.
Part-time CELTA courses start frequently. Check the dates on their site. British BLC
Prices
CELTA - 1,500 euros. (Jan. 2009 prices)
DELTA - 2,800 euros (plus exam fee c. 420 euros) (Jan. 2009 prices)
Other Information
My conclusion about BLC is that there are some very talented and motivated people doing the training there. Judging from the sheer weight of the activity
the BLC is generating with regard to teacher training, I would say it might well be the best option for doing the CELTA course in Madrid, Spain. There is just no substitute
for constant practice and judging from what I observed of their Director of Studies' staffroom, they are moving at an incredible pace.
Bear in mind: "The pass rate at the BLC is consistently
very high, well above the average. The June 2001 results were
the best at the BLC out of all centres running the course."
More on TEFL courses in Madrid on Transitions Abroad: TEFL.
International House (Updated May 28, 2011)
 I
studied my own CELTA (English Teaching Certificate) at International
House 18 years ago and I was quite satisfied with it. I did the
4-month extensive course and was always up to my neck in work so
I don’t know how anybody could hope to survive the 1-month intensive.
(The course-load has now been reduced somewhat to give more time
for lesson planning.) I have also studied one or two other courses
with their trainers over the years and apparently things haven’t
changed there regarding the quality.
 http://www.ihmadrid.com
http://www.ihmadridtraining.com
More on International
House Madrid.
Calle Zurbano, 8
Metro Alonso Martinez
34 91 319 72 24
ttraining@ihmadrid.com
Recognition of the Centre (and Certificate)
With over 120 schools internationally, International House is well-known
all over the world and in Madrid, which will make it easier, I think,
to get your Certificate accepted by your prospective employers anywhere
you go. (It probably won't hurt to have an IH certificate if you want
to work at IH in Madrid or elsewhere.)
Training Staff and Course
I thought the CELTA course that I did was great and the staff was
professional. I recently spoke at length with their Head of Teacher
Training, Steven McGuire, and I can give my own personal "certification"
as to his professionalism, intelligence and general knowledge of
English teaching. He is definitely a competent teacher who regularly
teaches at conferences.
 Installations
Generally speaking, the recently renovated Zurbano Centre is just about
as good as it gets around Madrid. The classrooms are large, there are
lots of facilities for the students and teachers, it’s centrally located
with an English language bookshop and Subway station nearby and there’s
a Café with 5 internet-connected computers on the ground-floor next
to the reception area.
I'm told that teachers on the course now have access to the extensive
teachers' resources library in the staff-room.
Current courses
Intensive courses run June, July, August and September. Part-time courses run October- December, January – March and April – June. Current availability of all courses here: http://www.ihmadridtraining.com/allaboutcelta/index.html.
DELTA course (Diploma in English teaching)
International House Madrid has been running the New Modular DELTA course since it began in 2008. The advantages of the Modular Diploma is that candidates can take the three modules – written exam, practical assignments, and specialism – in any order and at any stage of their teaching career. It also allows teachers to spread the load over a longer period. The course is open to all teachers regardless of where they work and applications are now being accepted for the next part-time course running October 2011 to May 2012. Experienced
teachers may consider the option of working for International House
while doing the course which automatically qualifies them for a
20% discount on the course fee.
Prices
Cost of the CELTA is 1,580 Euros (Jan. 2011 price). Cost of the DELTA course is 2,590 euros (Jan. 2011 price). More information on dates and prices at the training web site: http://www.ihmadridtraining.com/.
The IH Madrid Young Learner Certificate course
This course is designed for qualified teachers who have completed a CELTA course or equivalent, but who have either limited experience of teaching young learners or need to develop their current skills to teaching different ages or levels of children in different situations. The course consists of 27 hours of practical-based seminars and workshops to equip teachers with all aspects of young learner teaching.
The cost of this course is €445 Euros.
See: http://www.ihmadridtraining.com/
for more information on the contents and dates of the course.
NEW COURSE - The IH Very Young Learner course
The IH Very Young Learner course is designed for teachers who have limited experience of teaching very young learners or need to develop their current skills to teaching infants and early primary children. The course consists of 12 hours of practical-based seminars and workshops to equip teachers with the essential aspects of very young learner teaching. Participants who complete the course will receive an attendance certificate with detailed contents of the course. Cost of the course is 200 Euros. More details here http://www.ihmadridtraining.com/yl/very_young_learner.html.
Hyland Language Centre CELTA course
 
Hyland Language Centre", appears to have an excellent line-up of experienced teachers (some of whom are published authors) an is an excellent option for a CELTA course here in Madrid, Spain. They certainly have the qualifications and experience. Years ago I worked with a top teacher who had worked for them for 4 years, who had been terribly reluctant to leave and who had nothing but really positive things to say about them.
http://www.hylandmadrid.com.
Calle Serrano, 19
Metro Serrano
34 91 431 97 57
training@hylandmadrid.com
Recognition of the Centre (and Certificate)
The name of the academy is fairly new (2003) but the school has just celebrated its 25th anniversary of quality language teaching in Madrid (previously it was know as International House Serrano). Internationally, this school may not be very well-known. However, start to mention a few of the big 'names' that have worked on the Hyland Language Centre staff and there should be instant recognition from any reputable Director of Studies (DoS). EFL author Peter Moore was a past DoS of Hyland Language Centre and is also co-author of "Cutting Edge", the most popular series of English teaching text-books in the world. Add to that Ceri Jones, Alison Blair, David Spencer & current Director of Studies for the Younger Learner department, Andrea Littlewood, and you have a number of important EFL names. Getting your CELTA certification recognized anywhere around the world goes without saying.
Training Staff and Course
Hyland has a highly-qualified teaching and training team and they place a great emphasis on training and development. As well as a weekly in-house seminar programme, they regularly participate in both regional and national TESOL conferences and also offer training to school teachers within the public and private sectors. If you're looking for quality teaching, Hyland is the place to look.
Installations
Very well located and adequate in every respect. Hyland also has an extensive CELTA library, complete with all the latest EFL materials for trainees to use. Trainees also have full access to the staffroom, including internet, computer and photocopying faciities. There are 14 classrooms, all with air-conditioning as well as data projectors and NetBooks. There is also a seperate area to relax and meet students and teachers as well as a kitchen with microwave, fridge and kettle.
Current courses - straight from the horse's mouth
 Nov. 14, 2011 update:
We have a part-time course running from 16th January to 26th March 2012. Sessions will be on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings from 9.00 to 14.30.
The dates for our full-time courses in 2012 are:
1st June to 28th June 2012
2nd July to 27th July 2012
2nd August to 30th August 2012
3rd September to 28th September 2012
We also have a CELTA Online Course planned for 1st October to 14th December 2012. To supplement the online element of the course, trainees will have to come to the centre on most Fridays for teaching practice, feedback and lesson planning.
DELTA course (Diploma in English teaching)
Hyland does not offer a DELTA course at the moment
Other Information
Everything is extremely well organized and professional. A friendly, personal atmosphere is also central to the way the school operates. It really is about as good as it gets - top-notch!
Prices
CELTA - 1,500 euros.
Other FAQS
What about making payments for your CELTA or DELTA course?
Do yourself a favour and negotiate your payments to the centre yourself. Middle-men do
nothing for you except take a big percentage. Generally, you will not have a problem with
making the payment for your CELTA course to any of these centres using electronic transfers
from your bank to theirs, but read their terms and conditions carefully before you do make the
payment.
Are there any other schools that offer either one of these courses?
There is at least one other school advertising TEFL courses online in Madrid. I don’t believe that they are certified by the British Council and I cannot
recommend them either. I dropped by one of these places and found it to be located in a second-rate office park, which smelled of mould and insect spray,
at the end of a long cheap-hotel-like passageway with very closely spaced doors on either side. Good luck to you if you decide to risk one of these courses.
What’s your opinion about doing a CELTA or DELTA at a distance?
The British Council actually used to offer a DELTA distance course
and I’m sure that if they’ve got a DELTA, then they’ll also have
a CELTA. However, I don’t believe there’s much value in doing one
of these courses at a distance. The real value is in the apprenticeship.
How can you really improve your teaching without observing other
“experts” teach with a particular methodology or technique and being
observed by them in turn (with commentaries)? I’m rather surprised
they offer it, but perhaps the offer includes other hidden features
that I hadn’t considered.
Are there any other potential problems with either the DELTA or CELTA?
One requirement for any of these courses is to have classes with a minimum
number of students, which was 10 at BLC. This is a reasonable requirement,
but it certainly favours institutional teachers over true freelancers,
who have mostly company and private classes with far fewer students
or classes that run from January to December while the DELTA courses
usually run from Fall till Spring.
One alternative is to do the intensive DELTA in the summer at BLC. They provide the classrooms and students on-site, which for those of us who no longer
teach in academies, it is an absolute requirement.
More on TEFL courses in Madrid: TEFL
Other schools in Madrid that offer a free TEFL course as part of their orientation training:
Vaughan
Systems
Other TEFL courses in Madrid:Canterbury English TEFL Courses
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