Program Reviews

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.

We were the “Covid-19 class.”

Every day more restrictions about group assembly were announced. Then, a little more than halfway through the course, the government forced many businesses—including private schools—to close.

The Vantage team, with creativity and perseverance, completed the course on schedule by using a video conferencing platform. The first half I did in Bangkok and the rest I completed at my apartment in Hua Hin.

I couldn’t be happier with the experience. Vantage trainers, Kevin & Chris could not have done a better job.

Our instruction was outstanding because, the lead trainer, Chris, supplemented the coursebook with his two decades of own teaching experience and knowledge. He presents the way he teaches his students to teach. His teaching style is a perfect model to emulate and he makes an excellent role model.

Even though the course was more intensive & demanding than I anticipated, it was never difficult or boring. We were engaged the whole time, and the energy and camaraderie kept everyone going.

A key requirement of the course is the practicum, which is six hours of observed student-teaching. Here we got to try out everything we learned about lesson planning, presenting, and organizing suitable classroom materials.

I had previous teaching experience. I have been teaching in a Thai high school for one year leading up to my TEFL, but when I took Vantage’s training I realized just how much I had been winging it, improvising along the way.

Vantage TEFL was an excellent decision because they taught me the latest, most successful teaching methodology. Now, I have the foundational skill set to teach anyone anywhere. I can now create lessons that are engaging, and help students truly learn English well.

I’m motivated to go back to my high school for another year with a lot more knowledge, confidence, and know-how along with a variety of teaching activities to put to use right away.

I’m pleased with Vantage’s job services too. Kevin’s resume and interviewing modules and ongoing job support was great. I know I can always turn to him and Chris for guidance and support when applying for the best jobs in Thailand in the future.

I spent a lot of hours looking at various TEFL programs and everyone seemed to offer more or less the same thing. Then I came across some really positive reviews about Vantage. That led me to their comprehensive website and eventually their YouTube channel where the course director detailed some very worthwhile information in a series of videos.

I had no teaching experience so I was a little nervous at the beginning, but after I met the Vantage trainers, I knew that these guys got up in the morning to help me!

Their lead trainer, Chris, first taught us how to formulate a professional lesson plan. He was a fantastic trainer and role model. His intensive lessons were always well presented and informative. And we were always engaged. The time just flew by.

Unfortunately, our time in the classroom was cut short due to Covid-19 yet we still managed to complete this fantastic course. Vantage’s creativity and expertise in switching to a video conferencing platform really saved the day!

Our entire class can bear witness to the support and encouragement Vantage provided us throughout. Yes, 5 stars without hesitation!!

I did the Combined Course at Vantage. That meant I first did the coursebook online at home. Then I spent two weeks doing my practice teaching at a Thai military school where I taught Thai primary level kids and then at a college where I taught 18 and 19-year olds.

The online course consists of 20 units followed by a summative task. I had to take a quiz on each unit before I was allowed to move on. I also had full tutor support during this part of the course.

In Bangkok, I did my observed teaching practices under Vantage’s supervision. I was told that this is where the knowledge I learned in the coursebook is fused into actual teaching skills I can use in the classroom.

After each of my six practice sessions, I got valuable feedback from the Vantage trainers.
I could see a big improvement from my first and second class to my last class. Today, I feel confident to teach English to anyone as I have the frame of reference to structure a class and the know-how to deliver it.

The team at Vantage is great. Besides being highly professional, they became great friends and the kindness they extended to me was unsurpassed. I was invited to sit-in any of the In-Class sessions I wanted.

A big thank you to the team at Vantage. I am ready to teach!

I initially signed up to take Vantage’s Combined TELF course, but I decided to change to their In-Class Course. The Course Director was very accommodating in letting me switch and it was all done with a couple of emails. He also quickly answered my questions about the course, TEFL and what I would be able to do with my certification afterward.

Vantage’s lead trainer, Chris, was very knowledgeable and he has about 25 years’ experience in the education industry. He’s a first-class coach.

He made a significant amount of material we had to go through both interesting and enjoyable. He uses a workshop style which I believe is more engaging and the activities we went through made us thoroughly understand the methodologies and techniques we were learning. Vantage run small classes to accommodate this style.

The practice teaching sessions were done with diverse types of students. We went to a local military school was quite challenging for our first lessons. These were primary classes with 5-6 years year old students. And as is typical in Thai public schools, the class size was 30+, which made teaching a challenging experience, but one does learn when thrown in deep water.

On the other side of the spectrum, we also taught young adults of 18 and19-year-olds at a nursing college in small classes of some 12 to 16 students.

Vantage also have their own Jobs Coach, and I worked with him creating a personal Power Resume and Cover Letter. He also taught us interviewing techniques and job hunting tips.

Overall it was a great learning experience, but a challenging one. I’m very confident that as a new teacher I can go out into the world and confidently and deliver successful Englsh classes.

I did thorough research before choosing my TEFL course. I read many reviews of many programs but, in the end, Vantage seemed my best choice. It didn’t hurt that they were the first to respond to all my questions.

Although it took longer for me to choose, Vantage has far met my expectations.
Vantage provided me with the foundational skill set to teach. I learned not just about teaching techniques but how to apply that in a classroom setting. I discovered that classroom management is a key part of delivering a successful lesson.

Truth be told, I was nervous at first. But in going through my six practice teaching sessions, I discovered I got better—and more confident—step by step. But in the end, I was ready to teach anywhere.

Vantage also made the course fun. Yes, we had a lot of material to digest, but the classes were always engaging and the trainers were very knowledgeable.

If you’re looking to get on the road to teaching English, Vantage is the people to talk to.