Via Lingua

Via Lingua

Why choose Via Lingua?

Via Lingua is a worldwide educational organization, with schools and offices in numerous locations. At Via Lingua, our main goals are to assist our students in developing their English language teaching (TEFL) skills in a professional, stimulating, and supportive environment. We aim to provide our students with teaching job opportunities throughout their TEFL career, thanks to their comprehensive training at Via Lingua. In addition, we hope to raise the standard of English language training and instruction around the world. Our personalized mentoring and job guidance program offers each student the opportunity to explore the world of teaching and traveling via language. Our mission at Via Lingua is to train and coach global professionals who are thoughtful, creative and effective practitioners of teaching English as a Foreign Language. Student-centered learning reflects historical and contemporary knowledge, theory, cross-cultural awareness, and ongoing best practices in the field.

Founded
2000

Reviews

Default avatar
Jan
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Istanbul Via Lingua

The location is excellent. Kadikoy is a particularly safe area and has a wonderful library boasting a sea view - perfect to study in! The course is intense and aimed mostly at teaching adults. It provides the initial qualification to specialise and diversify at a later stage. You may wish to brush up on your English grammar, as this is a significant part of the course, however there is plenty of support to help you meet the requirements. All the team are great! The instructors are extremely knowledgeable and very caring. Personally, it was a terrific experience that I would highly recommend!

Default avatar
Kateryna
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Very effective course

This intense program is well organized and challenging enough to leave you feeling confident for the real world. They give a lot of hands on experience teaching groups & one on one students. The theory portion is good too, with brilliant local professors of linguistics & experienced teachers. The front desk staff is warm, friendly and helpful. The coordinator is caring. Overall they are genuinely interested in your learning and success. It's a very intensive course but the take away is well worth it.

Default avatar
Artem
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Practical and Effective TEFL Training Program

The Via Lingua TEFL course in Istanbul was an incredible experience. The course was intensive but manageable and not overly exhausting. The trainers demonstrated exceptional competence and provided thorough and clear instructions supplemented by practical teaching exercises. The director's remarkable knowledge and helpfulness created a nurturing and effective learning environment. Moreover, the TEFL course in Istanbul was both academically enriching and practically beneficial. The curriculum included real classroom teaching practice with actual students, which was a game changer. It provided invaluable hands-on experience, significantly boosting my confidence as a teacher. This practical aspect of the course helped bridge the gap between theory and practice, making me feel much more prepared for a real-world teaching environment. Overall, this course successfully blended rigorous training with a supportive atmosphere, leaving me well-equipped for my future teaching career.

If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?
If I had to redo the TEFL course, I'd change how I completed my self-assessment portfolio. Starting it earlier and regularly updating it would have made tracking activities chronologically much easier and more effective.
Pros
  • professional trainers
  • real classroom teaching practice experience
  • helpful staff
Cons
  • limited free time
Default avatar
Emily
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

High Quality TEFL Course

I was nothing but pleased with my decision to take my TEFL certification course with Via Lingua in Istanbul this past month. It was considerably intensive but I felt like the instructors were quite thorough and helpful. The material was useful and the teaching practices were excellent at helping me to build confidence and implement what I was learning in the course. The instructors were very fluent in English for the most part and very knowledgeable about the kinds of information they were providing to us. They were engaging and answered questions well. All of the staff at the school were polite, welcoming, and helpful and they will be missed. I couldn't have wished for more out of my certification course.

If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?
Please prolong your stay in Istanbul or Turkiye! The course is very intensive and therefore I didn't have much free time to explore Istanbul throughout the weekdays or even on the weekends. I came two weeks earlier to explore eastern Turkiye but wished that I had had more time to see Istanbul. Please don't make the same mistake I did!
Pros
  • the fluency of the instructors
  • the quality of the material
  • the teaching practices
Cons
  • not a lot of free time
  • intensive workload
Default avatar
Lera
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

TEFL course Istanbul

Although the trainers are not native speakers they all are really professional and has perfectly clarified the notion of TEFL methods. The pactice of teaching on the course is very inspiring. You will defenetely become more confident after this course. Staff is helpful and friendly and in coupla weeks you feel at home... My experience turned up to be quite unusual as I was the only student on my course. Actually I don't recommend such format of learning - too much attention to one student might make you exhausted. This program has helped me to realize myself as a professional.

Pros
  • affordable food
  • multinational community
  • opera nearby
Cons
  • bad tap water
  • too much grammar on course

Programs

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Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Steve Patten

Job Title
Head Trainer
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What is your favorite travel memory?

Getting lost in Tokyo! I boarded the wrong train and ended up at a rural station where no one spoke English. Luckily, I was rescued by a Japanese family who, although they spoke little English, befriended me and took me for a meal.

We became great friends and are still in contact today. I plan to visit them in 2020 when I attend the next Summer Olympics.

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

Absolutely. Being a member of the Via Lingua family is a wonderfully creative, supportive and challenging experience.

Working collaboratively with colleagues continually provides me with new ideas and approaches. The positive and critical feedback from both fellow instructors and trainee teachers has never ceased to stimulate me to improve and grow.

What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

Many students remain in contact with Via Lingua via our alumni association so we frequently hear of their progress in the field of TEFL.

The best story is of the trainee teacher who, after teaching for several years post qualification, continued her studies with one of our partner universities. Receiving study credits in recognition of her Via Lingua qualification, she not only went on to complete her MA TESOL, but also to secure a teaching and research post at a leading US university.

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

I would choose the Via Lingua CTEFL program.

This is such a great way to both access the world of language teaching and immerse oneself in a new culture. The course provides a perfect balance between theory and practice.

Skills and knowledge introduced in the training sessions are applied in the classroom, where trainee teachers work with authentic second language learners. In addition, living and studying in a culture different from one's own is both a challenging and rewarding experience, one which lasts a lifetime.

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

Via Lingua is unique in the field of TEFL training programs because it offers a holistic approach that provides opportunities for trainee teachers to:

  • study and work alongside experienced TEFL teachers;
  • apply theoretical knowledge when working with multiple levels of authentic second language learners (a minimum of 10 hours practical experience);
  • engage in guided research projects and activities;
  • immerse themselves in the culture of the host country and learn a foreign language;
  • further develop existing skills and talents;
  • develop skills and qualities associated with life-long learning.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

I believe that there are three key factors involved here, all of which are fundamental to the way Via Lingua has designed its business model: invest in the professional development of employees (the training staff), invest in identifying the needs of clients (the trainee teachers), and invest in research and development (language acquisition, training programs, and training materials).

Professional Associations

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