Program Reviews

I attended Vantage’s TEFL Certification course and I found the program a key ingredient in terms of my overall teaching development.

I came from a ‘non-teaching’ background as I had a degree in engineering and worked in that field upon graduation.

I was a champion debater and did a fair bit of training both in school and in my first few jobs. I really loved it the communication skills I had to use so I decided to become a full-time professional teacher was the career path for me.

I actually found my first English teaching job my last week of the course so I was still doing my observed teaching practices while I was getting paid to teach kids on the weekend.

The training – particularly what I got through Vantage’s observed teaching practices (what they call the ‘practicum’) was invaluable and I don’t think I could have “faced the kids” if I hadn’t already got the foundation skill set at Vantage. The practicum classes weren’t small – typically around 15 students or so. Some of my teacher friends told me their practicum classes were only 3 or 4 pupils. I think the bigger size help me in that’s what I faced in my first teaching jobs.

While the teaching of real students under observation was for me the most valuable part of course, the theory and grammar explanations were also highly valuable.

I also learned how to develop a killer resume that really sold my skills. Their interview coaching session was also highly valuable and I learned how to handle objections such as “we only hire native speakers.” Something must have worked as I got two good job offers with a couple of weeks of graduation – both which came with business visas and work permits.

Vantage’s course wasn’t easy. It’s intensive and I had a lot of materials to go through. On the other hand, it was all very useful and I was taught how to blend what I learned in my TEFL classes into a real live classroom.

The course was excellent and the Vantage instructors and staff were professional and friendly.

Chris, the main course instructor was knowledgeable in the grammar review, assisted in developing our classroom management skills, gave one to one help with lesson plans as well as offered helpful feedback for the teaching practicum. He has some real world insights and practical “what to expect” for teaching for Business English with corporate clients, private tutoring and teaching into Thai schools. Overall, Chris was very professional, helpful and dedicated to getting your best work out of you.

Kevin, the Managing Director presented some great overviews on Cambridge testing for language levels. He offered on the ground knowledge of the local area which was helpful to many in my class. Kevin also presented a few lectures on resume building with a transition into job interviewing success and the job search process. He was dedicated to helping the students move on from the course to finding a job.

Ryan the testing specialist at Vantage offered a few classes on Thai language and Thai culture workplace do’s and don’ts. Ryan was knowledgeable, friendly and always willing to help answer questions.

Overall the Vantage staff was professional, friendly and dedicated to the students’ success. I highly recommend the ITTT Bangkok TEFL / TESOL certification offered at Vantage. The instructors are professional / friendly, the course content was excellent (grammar review very helpful) and the teaching practicum at the Nurses' College gives you valuable classroom experience.

Two thumbs up to Chris, Kevin, Ryan, Peach and Dao and all the Vantage team. They made it all run smooth and fun for the fairly intensive 1 month program.

The course handbook and content was well presented and easy to read. I highly recommend the ITTT training /certification experience with Vantage.

I am an experienced art teacher from the USA and the Vantage staff knows how to help you build on your experience to bring out your best. They are very dedicated to your success in teaching English abroad.

The Vantage TEFL program was a huge benefit to me…helping from beginning to end.

The course is demanding and covers all aspects of English teaching from grammar to phonetics to student assessment. We did three tests during the course to ensure that we mastered all the materials.

The Thai lessons they do as part of the “foreign language experience” are probably unique to the school and it puts you on the other side of the desk and gives an excellent perspective of the challenges of learning a foreign language.

As good as the class was, I found the Observed Teaching Practice was the most demanding part as I was teaching real Thai students in a real school. We had to create successful lesson plans that worked within the framework of the school’s schedule and what the students required.

The feedback I got from the lead trainer Chris from each session contributed a lot to my development as a teacher. I was making a career change from a physiotherapist, so I really needed advice and guidance on how my teaching skills were developing.

The job coaching services were another area that Vantage really excelled. I got to work one-on-one with Kevin in developing a highly effective resume and cover letter that would showcase what I could bring to the table. They even developed a video highlighting the advantages of my multi-lingual background and how that could be a benefit to my future students.

Something must have worked. During the last week of the course, one school asked me to come in based on the “strength of my materials.” And I was talking to multiple schools…

I would recommend Vantage to anyone – particularly those who want to change career paths.

I had little idea what to expect when I signed up for the course. I knew I really wanted to teach but didn’t know much of what that would actually entail. Initially, I thought the course would be pretty basic, not take too much time, and not be too difficult.

I was in for a big surprise.

I observed experienced teachers and my peers, completed multiple class projects and taught six hours of English to students of different proficiency levels. I got a lot of valuable feedback from the trainers, which made a noticeable difference in my subsequent teaching performance.
I had to relearn a lot of grammar. And I was taught and tested on phonetics.

Nothing about the course was easy. It was a lot of work. Throughout the entire course, I was taken out of my comfort zone, but the bottom line is I now have the skill set to successfully teach. I’m now 100% confident that I can walk into a classroom anywhere and teach anyone English.

Vantage gave me a lot of individual support outside the classroom. I even got a one-to-one resume writing session! These guys want you to succeed and become a teacher who can make a difference in their students’ lives.

I would point anyone interested in teaching English overseas to Vantage’s TEFL program.

I was a bit different than my fellow TEFL trainees as I currently teach kindergarten in Myanmar.
So I already had a lot of experience working with children in an English-speaking environment in a real classroom.

Having said that, I gained a great deal from Vantage’s TEFL course as I have learned a lot about the methodologies and techniques in teaching a second language. This course has made me a complete teacher.

I came to realize how well designed the Vantage program is. It basically delivered everything it said it would do and it offered even more than a traditional problem. Vantage is also an authorized Cambridge English, so we also studied about how to assess a student’s English proficiency level and the testing methods with which to do this. I’ve since discovered this isn’t covered much at all in other courses.

This course is intensive. It’s not for those who want something ‘easy’ to gain a teaching credential. You’ll be more than busy for the four weeks, but at the same time, even for an experienced teacher like me. I felt like I learned a tremendous amount.

Our observed practices, which we did with some 10 students in our class, was great. The feedback we got from the trainers was always focused on how we could be better in our next observed teaching session. They had a way of presenting weakness as challenges and I could see how both I and the other trainees got a lot better as the practicum went on. This was for me the most important part of the class.

In addition, to resume writing and job interview techniques, I also got a personal individual session on building my own resume.

Everyone at Vantage was super helpful and they really put the student’s interest first. I would recommend Vantage to anyone who wants to become a successful teacher.

A very big "thank you" for all you guys have done for us to succeed.

I had never stood in front of a class in my life and I was not really a confident “public speaker.” At the point of my first peer teachings, I really thought I couldn’t do it.

But then the methodology lessons and grammar review that was built into our own lesson planning, in the individual style of each trainee, turned into a first “real” lesson given to the nursing students. This was one of the most beautiful days of my life!

The stage fright was soon forgotten, the lesson went smoothly and the students were involved and eager to learn. And they wanted more!

The professional guidance by Chris, the first trial runs of peer teaching, the observations and subsequent feedback helped us steadily improve. I’m now looking forward to starting teaching English within a couple of weeks.

Thank you, Chris, for your patience, your sense of humour and the cohesion in our group! Thank you, Kevin, for your personal help on my CV and having found simple words to express complicated situations.

This being said, it was a tough time. Many evenings of working late…but the effort and time invested were definitely worth it!

I was a little different from the other trainees in my class in that I had worked as a teacher in before I took my TEFL course. I already had significant time working in a classroom. Having said that, I came to realize how well designed the Vantage TEFL Certification program is. It basically delivered everything it said it would do and then more.

Yes, this course is intensive. You’ll be more than busy over the month, but at the same time, even for an experienced teacher like me felt like I learned quite a bit.

We did our observed practices at Thailand’s oldest nursing college. We had some 15 to 20 students in our class.

The lesson planning we got from trainer Chris really was an invaluable help to keeping the students engaged through the hour. His feedback afterward was equally valuable. He had a way of presenting weakness as challenges and I could see how both I and the other trainees got a little better as each and every class we taught during the practicum went on. For me, this was by far the most important part of the class.

The TEFL requirement was for 6 hours of observed teaching, but we got a significant number of extra hours (at our request) because “our” students also wanted more English lessons. I believe they liked us as much as we loved them!

Everyone at Vantage was really helpful and they really put the student’s interest first. I would recommend Vantage to anyone who was serious about becoming a successful teacher.

I was initially interested in doing a CELTA course, but I chose the Vantage TEFL program in the end as I have an interest in teaching kids and the former focuses its training exclusively on adults.

I also wanted a global recognition, and the American accreditation of Vantage was an important consideration. Vantage has external moderation of all its courses and, as I learned during my research phase, that this is an essential requirement of any educational accreditation.

The course itself was great. It was very intensive as it covered more material than I first thought.

The heart of the TEFL program was the practicum. The live teaching that we did in front of first and second-year university students was fantastic. We had good sized classes that ran right on schedule so we have to learn to be precise in creating lesson plans that would factor not just the class content, but the time constraints of the class as well.

I also had to observe other teachers – both experienced instructors and new trainees like myself. Detailed observations were required that I then had to discuss with the lead TEFL trainer.

The students were really fun to teach. I think I learned as much about Thai culture as they did English! This was a great course, excellent taught and very well organized.

We were been very lucky to have Chris, who’s a highly experienced teacher as our Lead Trainer. He’s been doing this something like 25 years as a teacher and a trainer. He also has extensive experience in developing customized courses and curriculum development. This was really evident (and more than helpful) in the feedback I got in creating my lesson plans.

The teaching practice sessions at the nursing college for the teachers and students gave me a completely different outlook on how to teach people from a different culture with different learning backgrounds and different language proficiency levels.

The sessions we did about language proficiency were eye opening. This was something I really hadn’t considered before. We learned how to ascertain the language proficiency level of an individual student and then create lesson plans that were tailored for the English level of that student.

Chris’ feedback after every session was extremely valuable and this helped me to better my teaching until I reached a point where I was considered to be quite good.

I’m already working at a school, so I really didn’t sign up for their job consultation services. Nonetheless, their resume writing and interviewing techniques are techniques I will definitely use in my next job search.

I would definitely recommend this TEFL training to anyone who has the passion for teaching.

I did the Combined online and, from Vantage, the classroom package. It was an amazing experience. The online section of the course allowed me to learn at my own pace and worked full time at the same time. This part of the course is extensive and covers everything. The video portion supplemented the text well.

However, the online course alone didn’t make me feel that I was ready to teach. I felt I have an idea on how to teach, but I was still anxious about doing the practicum teaching.

Chris and Kevin from Vantage invited me to join the current In-Class course, not just for review, but to participate in the peer teaching activities of the class. I talk to Chris about my anxiety in doing the practicum and he assured me that peer teaching will help me prepare.

I was hesitant at first but it worked out well. Peer teaching was a very helpful tool in boosting my confidence before the practicum. The feedback from Chris and insights from my co-trainees were priceless. I also observed how my co-trainees were teaching and learned a lot from them. After several peer teaching runs, I felt much better and was confident to be in front of a class.

To sum it up, I feel I am a better teacher now than before I started the course. The certificate is worth every penny spent.