Vantage Siam (Vantage TEFL Certification)

I deliberated about my getting TEFL qualification either online or in a traditional class setting at school. After researching and checking out the internet I finally decided on a school because I wanted the experience and advantages that only a live trainer could give.

Through many reviews I came across Vantage and I was taken by the overall professionalism—particularly the quality of their training.

Our tutor Chris has over two decades of teaching as well as an extensive training background. He was able to explain things in a clear way that I would never get from an online-only course.

He likes to make a lot of whiteboard explanations, Here he takes the coursebook text and makes it so much easier to understand—again something you cannot get from an online course. He also uses a workshop style and doesn’t just lecture his students. You’re asked to think and deliberate about something before an answer is given

There’s a lot of material to cover—this course is intense—but it’s given in a highly engaging style that makes the experience all that more enjoyable.

A key element of our training was our observed practice lessons. Given at a local college, these were invaluable, allowing us to practice the teaching methodologies we had learned. I believe I got better with each class I taught.

Unfortunately, our TEFL course in the classroom was cut short by the arrival of the Coronavirus as the Thai government force all schools and private academies to shut their doors.

That didn’t stop Vantage. They were highly creative and very flexible were able to migrate over to a video conferencing platform. We didn’t miss a beat and I still got the personal teaching that I had signed up for. Nothing was an obstacle for the Vantage team.

I’m would recommend this school to anyone looking for a TEFL course or for a new career teaching overseas.

I’m probably not the first teacher to stand in front of a class without any proper training, but that’s how I would describe my first year as an instructor in China. And while I really enjoyed my time there, I soon realized what I needed a solid foundation if I were to do this as a new career. I needed the know-how to plan and then deliver a successful English class.

After a lot of research, I came across Bangkok-based Vantage. They came with excellent recommendations as I also wanted to make some good network connections.

I knew I made the right choice from the first day of the course. The camaraderie between all trainees and our lead trainer Chris was very high. Chris has a unique method of training that’s engaging and puts everyone at ease. We went through a lot of material in this course and I can truly say there was never a dull moment.

The six hours of observed teaching was a fantastic experience. To be able to put into practice our newly taught skills and learn from our mistakes was invaluable. The feedback we got after each class we taught was key in the development of my teaching skill set.

Unfortunately, I had to leave Bangkok at the end of the second week due to the coronavirus crises before completing the course in-house. Vantage didn’t miss a beat as the next day they extended their course to include video conferencing I completed the second half of the course at home in Australia.

I believe we have also made some good friends with Vantage but also the other trainees. The networking has already begun with trainees exchanging ideas since the course has finished.
Vantage’s course is intense and comprehensive.

The entire team at Vantage was always there to encourage me and my fellow trainees. And Vantage will always be there to assist us as we go into our newly chosen professions with our recently gained knowledge.

I have to be completely honest, when I started this course, I felt nervous and I was apprehensive. I’m not a native English speaker, but when I met Vantage trainers Chris and Kevin my nervousness went away. These guys helped me every step of the way.

Our lead trainer, Chris shared methodology, lesson plans, phonology and much more; not only from the coursebook but also from his considerable experience as a teacher and a curriculum developer.

We had to do observed teaching practices at nursing college. The first practice teaching lesson was quite challenging for me. I have some experience teaching young learners, but not teaching adults. Chris was always there to give us positive encouragement. He always pointed out the best ways of teaching. I got better throughout this part of the course.

Trainer Ryan told about the Thai language, Thai culture and, importantly, the dos and don’ts in Thai classroom.

Halfway through the course, Covid-19 situation blew up and some of our classmates had to return to their countries and we couldn’t study in a single classroom as a complete group but that didn’t stop Vantage. We completed the course using a video conferencing platform called Zoom. We didn’t miss a beat!

On the Jobs front, Kevin also helped with resume writing, interview and thank you notes. He was always ready to help.

Thank you Vantage for all of your considerable help, your knowledge, and your expertise.

I was on holiday in Bangkok late last year when I decided I wanted to live and work in Thailand.

Teaching English presented a lot of opportunities so I began researching Bangkok-based TELF providers so I could become a certified instructor. I knew I could get trained much better in a real classroom so I focused on brick-and-mortar schools rather than online-only providers.

Vantage fell within my radar and made my shortlist. So I decided to go talk to them and see their training facilities first hand. I sat down with Kevin and Chris for well over an hour. They gave me a tour of the facilities and they answered all my questions. Three months later, I found myself back in Bangkok and enrolled in their 4-week TEFL course.

Vantage’s TEFL course is intensive, but the trainers are always engaging. It was never boring. You will stay busy for the month you are here, but it is never overly demanding.

The live teaching sessions are irreplaceable—particularly for those new to teaching. The feedback I got for each of our six observed practice teaching sessions was invaluable. I got better with each class I taught.

It’s a very comprehensive course is and covers every aspect of teaching English abroad. Vantage does an excellent job at preparing you for a career in teaching EFL and I would recommend them to anyone who, like me, was embarking on a new career.

I originally was scheduled to attend Vantage’s February TEFL course, but I had some visa issues at the last minute. So I immediately contacted Kevin and he quickly put my mind to rest by transferring me into their March course.

Then over a series of phone calls we revised my Thai visa strategy and with separate Letters of Intent and Accommodation which Vantage arranged, I entered Thailand without any problems whatsoever. Trust me, their pre-course support is second to none!

I was not disappointed in their TEFL course either. The Vantage trainers were highly professional, super knowledgeable and, importantly, had a great sense of humor. That was important because I’m always the one making a lot of jokes.

The lead trainer has decades of classroom experience and his practical advice of what to expect and do in the classroom went far beyond the coursebook.

We got great help for each of the six lesson plans we had to create for our observed practice teaching sessions—each one had to be on a different language topic. Then we got excellent guidance after every teaching session and were presented with a new challenge for our next class.

When I was teaching, I also had to observe the other trainees teach and it was incredible to watch all of us get better session by session.

Vantage has a Jobs Coach and he trained us in resume writing and interviewing techniques. We even made a video of myself talking about lesson planning show I could showcase myself and my proficient English to potential employers.

This was a fantastic course. I’m professionally certified and now I'm ready to teach.