Program Reviews

Signing up for this course was one of the best decisions I've ever made. Ashley, Becca and Martha were all very helpful, approachable, and generally great people.
It wasn't super easy. There were challenges all along the way, but without them I don't think I would have grown as much as I did. When I first started I didn't have a clue what I was doing in the classroom. Now I feel confident that I can teach in a structured and effective way.
The course may seem expensive, but the price includes accommodation in Prague and fantastic support from the Hello Academies staff. It is well worth it, I would recommend this to anyone with an interest in teaching English as a foreign language.

This program condenses years of training to teach into a matter of weeks. I have multiple degrees from university, but had never taught in my life. In a demanding few weeks, however, I was provided with enough methodology and practice opportunities to feel comfortable and confident teaching everyone from children to teenagers to adults twice my age.

In the LiveTEFL program, you secure a spot amongst a rag-tag group of people who want to explore the world and learn at the same time, so your companions make the program a special experience. Even if you're coming abroad entirely on your own, you'll be a part of a team from day 1. That makes the transition to living abroad smooth and supported. Note*, while the website says that class sizes are capped at 9 people per TEFL program, my program had 13 people.

That said, there are no shortages of jobs or demand for English teachers in Prague, so allay any worries or fears you may have on that front. That's a concern that is not worth having. However, you should be prepared to save a significant amount of money before you come, because (if you're American or need a visa to work here), you will have to wait until your visa comes through to get paid. That said, there is a lot of private work that pays from the outset, so it's possible to make a living wage. That extra padding of saved money, however, is nice to have.

Regarding the course itself: you're taught by several teachers, so you'll learn several different teaching styles that you can pick from to form your own style. This is particularly helpful if you've never taught before, because the sampling of methodology is easily absorbed. The actual content of the course is not challenging. You'll learn methodology and lesson planning, and you'll brush up on several different forms of grammar, but nothing is that difficult. I think most of the challenges of the course are in the long hours, so don't take it too seriously. You're in an incredible new city with a brand new group of ready-made friends, so take the time to unwind at the weekends.

All in all, LiveTEFL sets you up with the necessary skills, provides visa assistance (though, the cost of the visa is not included in the program fees), and helps in the job search. Finding a job is the easy part. The hard part is calling home to tell your family that you're never leaving Prague.

Going to Prague I felt like I was on my own quest, not unlike Bilbo's from Tolkien's heartwarming book The Hobbit. Instead of slaying dragons, however, I was slaying and reinventing my old self, pushing myself away from any semblance of a comfort zone. Prague is beautiful and definitely worth a visit or a stay, which is what I have done. Doing the TEFL course with Live TEFL is a good way to turn a new page in life, be it the start of a long novel, a short story, or even a poem. If you are looking for new opportunities, look no further.

Now when it comes to the course I admit I had no expectations. I just flung myself into the heart of the storm and, surprisingly, it was not that bad. I enjoyed the jolly disposition of our teachers and the staff, the constant presence of coffee, and the random group of brothers in arms who had come from around the world to change their lives and become teachers. Despite having a master's in Teaching English, I learned a bunch of new, and most importantly, practical stuff when it comes to teaching English. I am not a theoretical guy, but I love the practical because it is, obviously, useful. Live TEFL provides a lot of practical, hands-on learning, so by the end of the course you will be well prepared for the world of teaching. You will have to work though and you will have to be tenacious, but at the end of the tunnel you will see a light and this light is called a job. Yes, the market here needs all the teachers it can get. It is a feat not getting a job as an English teacher in Prague.

The good thing with Prague is that you can work hard and play hard. So definitely go on this quest. I am your Gandalf, your Obi-Wan Kenobi (or Yoda), your letter from Hogwarts, and your divine epiphany that urges you to go forward and do the Live TEFL course. No regrets.

It was an amazing experience to arrive in Prague and have mostly everything LIVE up to my expectations. I had never been to Prague before so that would be the only other way to know what to expect! Firstly, the city is beautiful and very easy to maneuver. The location of the school is in a prime ex-pat area, lots of shops speak English and the people are very willing to help a lost TEFL student. I really enjoyed my time spent during the course and was able to expand my 15 year teaching experience within a whole new context and culture. The methodology course was given by the head of the department and this was great because we were able to ask real life questions and the implementation of our new skills.

Additionally, since it was summer time, there were plenty of activities in the city to experience. This helped to take a break from the intense study and get to know the city as your new potential home. I really enjoyed having access to the teacher's room in order to prepare for lessons. The room always had a great work energy and there was always someone around to offer advise. All and all, I feel this experience has set me up in the right direction in my new life.

I would definitely recommend LIVE TEFL PRAGUE. They provide excellent training in a wonderful city! I took this course in July, 2014 and since that time, I have been teaching English in China.
Holding a master´s degree in English and Education, but working in another field – I wanted a course which would brush up my teaching skills. And I got exactly what I wanted.
It was an intense 4 week course, with a wide range of content: lesson planning, methodology, grammar and language skills. They managed to find the balance between theory and practice. We worked in small groups, in a friendly atmosphere.
During teaching practice we taught real students who came up with real questions and sometimes, there were classroom management issues. Once, I had to deal with some technical problems. The whole teaching practice was just real, so at the end of the course, I was ready to teach.
Our trainers were absolutely great! They had a remarkable professional background and were passionate about teaching. Kate made us believe grammar is fun! Ria, she was very supportive. She cared not only about our teaching progress, but also our feelings, struggles. Her “self- reflective essay” homework was a good idea. We also had CV assistance and video resume shooting, what was a plus later, during job search.
Trainers knew very well how important it is for trainees to unwind after a long, demanding week. So, there were some city and pub tours for the weekends.

I enjoyed the course and got good grades and was able to find work as a teacher in Prague. However, finding work teaching a language in Prague is not that difficult when you're a native speaker. I was hoping that I could step up my career with this certificate but so far it has not proven useful for me to go into the direction I was hoping it could take me. A TEFL certificate will not replace a diploma from university or give you an edge when you apply for places where they are looking for someone with several years of experience. Which I think is fair since I found the training, especially the teaching practice, one-sided. In my group, we only taught young adults and mainly focused on General language and teaching beginners - which was something I hardly did later on when working as a teacher. The main point to keep in mind is that while this is a fun program and a useful option for people who want to come to Prague for a while to get a work-and-travel-experience, it is not the right option if you want to start your career as an English teacher. The salary for teaching in the Czech Republic is not enough when you play to live in Prague and it is very difficult to find a better paid teaching job with only this certificate.

In 2014, my decision to participate in Live TEFL completely changed my life. Prior to being accepted to the program, I had been working in an office setting for the past five years, and was quite dissatisfied with the unfulfillment I had been feeling for far too long. I wanted an adventure; a way to see the world, and to do something for myself that I could always cherish as a memorable time in my life, all while living and working in Europe.
After deciding Prague was the perfect place for me, (the history! the architecture! in the center of Europe!), I began researching TEFL programs. I chose Live TEFL Prague for a number of reasons. The focus on small class size for optimum development (my class had only 7 students!), the location of the school, and the helpfulness of the Live TEFL staff/team, was a huge contribution to what made my decision an easy one. The Live TEFL team helped me along the entire process; they picked me up from the airport and took me to my accommodation (which they arranged on my behalf), and provided great information about Prague's offerings. But, more importantly was what came once the course started. Active English teachers as your instructors, practicing teaching with real English students, an intense curriculum, and completely rewarding results, are all a part of Live TEFL’s methodology. Yes, the course is demanding, but those four weeks were so valuable! I learned so many useful methods and tactics, for example, knowledge about how to effectively teach the English language according to your student’s needs, lesson planning, teaching practice with real students, receiving meaningful feedback from instructors, observations from your teaching practice to enable improvement each week....the benefits are countless. Live TEFL pushes you to succeed in all areas and provides proper support through it all. As a special addition, I learned so much about myself as a person and have grown so much personally since becoming a TEFL teacher.
The TEFL instructors are all active English teachers, so you can trust them to give you the knowledge you need, based not only on textbooks and methodology, but their own experience. The resources in the teacher’s room of the SPĚVÁČEK language school (in which the Live TEFL program is taught) are incredibly useful and available to Live TEFL students at all times...a great plus for lesson planning! I really have so many great things to say about the Live TEFL Prague program. I truly hope you will consider giving yourself the opportunity to live your dreams...as an English teacher in Prague, Live TEFL helped me live mine.

I really enjoyed taking the TEFL course at Live TEFL Prague. It was very intensive - long days with homework afterwards - but definitely worth it. The classes are small, only 8 people, so we became very close and supportive of each other. The teachers were so friendly and approachable which was great when we were all nervous or exhausted!

One of the best things about this course is the amount of teaching practice with real students. I can't think of anything that would have prepared me better for the job of teaching English.

Another great aspect is the location, in one of the most beautiful squares in Prague, near lots of pubs and restaurants and very close to the centre of town.

I took the Live TEFL Prague course in July 2015. I already worked as a teacher back then so I was looking to upgrade my qualifications and boost my chances in the job market. What I didn't expect though was for the course to make me realise teaching is the job I want to do for the rest of my life. Which is exactly what happened. Everyone who taught us was wonderfully competent and ready to answer any kind of tricky questions. Our trainers were active teachers themselves and they were always happy to share their own experience with us. I also loved that the course wasn't only learning and lesson planning - there were nights out, a delicious introductory lunch on the first day, and even a trip outside of town to one of the country's most famous castles. It really was one of the most influential and beneficial experiences of my life and I couldn't recommend Live TEFL Prague highly enough.

An excellent school all-round. A well balanced course, with invaluable practical teaching experience. A fantastic group of teachers who provide invaluable support during and after the course. Thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it, despite the hard work! I would highly recommend the school if you want to undertake a TEFL course.