Free Short-stay TEFL Placement (Colombia, Bali, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Europe)

I taught English in Vietnam for 2 months what was an amazing experience. I would not have had an experience like this without the programme. Everyone at the learning centre were very accommodating and friendly and gave us all the support we needed. I was also lucky enough to be invited along to a Vietnamese wedding as well which was such a unique experience and one I will remember for ever. All the fellow GOTOCO lot were not too far and we all managed to meet up at weekends and had a great time together during the induction in Hanoi and on the end of programme trip in Da Nang/ Hoi An.

I did Summer camps in Poland with Gotoco for three weeks. My role was talking to the participants of the camp aged ten to eighteen. I enjoyed having conversations with the participants and participating in the English learning games. A lot of Tesol programs that offer you Tesol qualifications require you to pay, but Gotoco pays for a lot of stuff for you and does not require you to pay them, so it's very affordable. The negatives were the long hours and the availability of vegan food. To conclude, I had a lot of fun, and everyone was really kind and helpful. If you are considering partaking in a summer camp with Gotoco, I would recommend it.

Gotoco's 3-month programme in Colombia was one of the best experiences I've had - I couldn't believe that it offered me a fully-funded opportunity to both teach and travel in a new country. The application process was straightforward, the other participants on the programme were all lovely and we were able to make lasting connections. Not only this, but the country was absolutely beautiful and Gotoco helped to arrange lots of opportunities for activities and travel which made the experience even better. Would definitely recommend for anyone looking to gain teaching experience/discover a new country.

I went with Gotoco to Chinchina, Colombia, and had an amazing experience learning how to teach, learning more about local customs, living with new friends and enjoying amazing Colombia. I gained so much confidence not only in my teaching but in myself too and have made lifelong friends. Gotoco made sure that we were all always looked after, provided support if needed and helped us ease into Colombian life as smoothly as possible. Gotoco is run by some amazing people and I really recommend going abroad with them - you won’t regret it!

I had a fantastic time on the short 6 week program in Thailand. I thought it was such a good way to visit the place. Teaching in a rural school really me immerse myself in the culture and live like a true local. I made some great friends on the trip and it was a fantastic experience teaching young children. The orientation week and post-programme trips organised by Gotoco were amazing and a great way to get some sightseeing done. My boyfriend and I did this programme together and Gotoco were very helpful in ensuring that we were placed at the same school together!

When I heard about Gotoco and saw the website I thought it might be a scam, but despite the lack of clarity in some areas on the website it is a good company. Your experience probably depends a lot upon the partner school or organisation, as it connects you to another org, but gotoco provides the qualification, flights and experience for free* (Instead of paying for nothing you get your money returned, so it is dependent on completing the course and qualification). This isn't particularly hard to do but it takes a while. I haven't received my money for the flights back yet and I returned from 3 months in rural Colombia in December, and have had the qualification finished for a month now without being marked. Despite this, I had the best time, had amazing opportunities to travel, and met some really lovely people. I didn't find it too intensive, but I know others on a different programme that had it harder in the city and were less connected to the other participants. If you want to do teaching I would highly recommend but make sure it's something you want to do before going out, and keep a good record of everything to have continuity in the school's curriculum (depending on where you are this can be a management issue). I had done some TEFL training previously and thought it helped because the training given beforehand for my programme was limited. I would do it all again if I could go back, as the community there was so prevalent and I experienced things I never had before.

Gotoco is an amazing company that offers people from any background an opportunity to teach and travel. They organised accommodation , transport and food and have us activities that were cultural and fun to bond and get to know the area. My summer with Gotoco was the best summer and i experienced so many new things and travelling at 19 alone was difficult but Gotoco made me feel very safe and i grew my confidence. We also had a week off to travel where was wanted and most people made the most of there time and did everything bali and the surrounding islands had to offer

Please tell us about some of your most enjoyable moments of the trip?
I enjoyed that I learned so much from the students as much as they learnt from me. I enjoyed learning how to live in a new city very different from london.

What was the best thing about your experience?-Trip to the Amazon
-Teaching at my wonderful school
-Learning Spanish
-Discovering a new culture
-GOTOCO trips to the fruit market and Villa de Leyva
- Our GOTOCO coordinators were incredible.

Would you recommend participating to a friend and if so why?

Yes:GOTOCO is an amazing program and what I love as well is how as a corporation you make space for people who aren't super well-of financially and you provide as much support as you can.

How would you say the overall experience has benefitted you?The program has helped me get (hopefully soon after marking) a TEFL qualification, taught me indirectly how to deal with my social anxieties and allowed me to do something fulfilling and worthwhile whilst travelling!