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TEFL International Vietnam

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Why choose TEFL International Vietnam?

TEFL International, an American-owned group and a global leader in TESOL training, has been a constant presence in Ho Chi Minh City since 2004. Our offerings are diverse, including a fully-accredited, four-week, 120-hour intensive in-class course, alongside flexible combined and online options to suit different learning styles. Each in-class or combined course features trainer-observed in-class practice with real students in colleges and grade schools throughout the city. With over 30 years of collective teaching experience in Vietnam, our trainers provide a rich pool of knowledge and expertise.

Join us for an enriching journey into your teaching career, supported by the experience and global reputation of an American educational organization.

Website
www.teflvn.com
Founded
2004

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Reviews

ESL Chef
George
49
Australia
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program
Program:
In-class TESOL: Real Teaching Practice with Vietnamese students

A new career and new adventure

Feb 12, 2019

i was a chef for 10 years before deciding I needed a change of pace. A mate from school was working in Vietnam and he recommended I come here and try my hand at teaching.

There were 10 of us on my course. Apparently that is big for them. They like to keep things from getting too big so they can focus their attention. I was the second oldest. Most other trainees were just out of college. It was a mix of people from Africa, India, Vietnam, Europe as well as native speakers like me.

Now I hadn't been in a classroom since high school so, to be honest, I was quite intimidated. I felt kind of lost at the beginning but Diem and Andy and Jason were really supportive as were my fellow trainees. I liked how they broke down the process into steps, it felt like following a recipe.

The most important part was the classroom practice. If I hadn't gotten that feedback i dont think i would have survived teaching on my own. Thanks Diem especially. She was strict and I needed a kick in the bum to take things more seriously.

One of my classmates complained that there wasn't a guaranteed job. But i now know people who work for the center they trained at and they aren't very happy. And to be honest you don't need it in Vietnam. I had a job in less than 2 weeks after the course finished and half of that was because i took a short trip after the course finished. The beach in Phan Thiet is great!

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Pay attention to the grammar lessons. OMG the test was hard. You think you're an English speaker so it will be no problem. WRONG! I didn't study and failed the test so I had to retake it. Thanks again Diem for coaching me through it...again. You're the best!
Default avatar
Andrew
45
Canada
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program
Program:
In-class TESOL: Real Teaching Practice with Vietnamese students

A great way to start your career

Feb 12, 2019

This program opened so many doors for me. I had been teaching in Saigon for a year but I couldn't get an interview with any of the top schools in the city without a TESOL certificate. I had an online course but places like British Council wouldn't accept it. Right after I completed it I had the chance to work for universities and the best language centers in the city

This course also taught me so much about being a teacher. The online course I had done really didn't prepare me to be in the classroom. To be honest, I'm ashamed of the quality of my teaching from before the course. Thanks to the help and coaching I got from Mrs. Diem and their team of tutors, I became a much more confident teacher and i saw an immediate improvement in results from my classroom.

13 years later I am the one doing the hiring and if someone comes to me for work without a certificate I send them to TEFL International

What was the most nerve-racking moment and how did you overcome it?
Classroom observation. I had never been observed before and i was worried that they would tell me everything was wrong. And I had made quite a lot of mistakes. But they were so supportive and explained clearly what i needed to improve and more importantly why it made things better. I still apply to lessons today in my teaching 13 years later.
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Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Andrew King

Program
In-class TESOL: Real Teaching Practice with Vietnamese students

Why did you choose this program?

I signed up for TEFL International after a year of teaching without a proper certificate. I had an online TESOL, but the top employers wouldn't recognize it. At the time, you had the choice between CELTA and TESOL here in HCMC.

I decided on TEFL International because it had the reputation of being the most supportive course in the city. I knew plenty of teachers who had taken a CELTA and said that it was like a military bootcamp. In contrast, everyone who had studied with TEFL International talked about how friendly and fun the trainers were. It was also noticeably cheaper while still being an internationally recognized certificate.

What did your program provider assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

I was already living in HCMC at the time, so I didn't need help with anything. But they did help other trainees organize some nice accommodation.

To be honest, accommodation is really easy in HCMC. And some of the horror stories I've heard from other centers' accommodation make me glad I didn't sign up with them.

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

Listen to the feedback. It might sound harsh sometimes, but it really makes all the difference to your teaching. I hadn't realized how much I had been doing wrong in my teaching before the program. In hindsight, I'm embarrassed of the lessons I provided. My online TESOL did nothing to prepare me for the realities of the classroom. It was only when I got earnest feedback that I really became a teacher worth my salary.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

  • The first week is all theory and practicing the methodology with the other trainees. This is really nice, because a lot of other places get you teaching by day 2 just to scare you. I think that is BS.
  • Starting in the second week, you focus more on lesson preparation and then doing 1-on-1 teaching, and then finally teaching a full class of students. You have 6 of those you need to complete. They are pretty nerve-wracking, but you get really great feedback from it. By far the most valuable aspect of the course.
  • By week 4, it's all done and you just have to submit your materials portfolio and do the test on pronunciation and grammar. These are surprisingly difficult if you think you know it already, so I recommend paying close attention to these lessons. They do give you all you need to ace the test if you swallow your pride and accept that, as a native speaker, you don't know your own language that well.
  • Then it is the graduation party and off to your new career as an EFL teacher!

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

I was mostly scared of being ripped off. I had heard so many horror stories and I thought I wouldn't be able to trust anyone. But outside of internet and some bad apples in the tourist area, I've found that everyone has been genuine and kind and honest. Do your research on online operators, especially making sure you can locate them in the real world. But the world is a kinder place than message boards make it out to be. Also keep in mind that a lot of complaints on the internet are made up by competitors.

Should I sign a contract before I arrive?

Here, in Vietnam, most well paying jobs are actually found on the ground. Online recruitment is often several dollars lower than what you can get here. Even if they offer signing bonuses, it rarely compares to a what you can earn at a better paying job. While this might be different for other countries, I always feel sorry for people who get to Vietnam on contract only to find out that their colleagues are earning 20% more or higher.