Program Reviews

I’m a Canadian expat who has lived in Thailand for 30 some years. Covid dramatically affected my business in the hospitality industry, so I needed another income source and I looked at teaching English as a variable possibility. But I had never taught before and really didn’t even know how to get started until I found Vantage.

Vantage TEFL, with Chris and Kevin, is without doubt an invaluable asset that I would highly recommend.

In just four weeks, I learned from 2 professionals with a wealth of experience, what it takes to create and deliver a successful class. In effect, to become a “good” teacher.
I gained confidence with each practice lesson I taught, and the feedback I got guided and directed me to comfortable and confident with each subsequent class.

I’ve been taught methodologies how to teach that makes it engaging and fun for both the student and teacher. More importantly, it enabled my students to use English to speak in a second language.

I now have the confidence to teach anyone, anywhere.

The course has now ended, but the help does not. Kevin caters to what age, level, school, you might like to teach and guide you to several opportunities of interest.

If you need to start a new career as I did, these are the guys to be talking to.

I wanted to make a career change into teaching English abroad, but I had no formal training nor experience. A friend’s recommendation and my subsequent research pointed me to Vantage.

Vantage turned out to be an impressive program. I cannot overstate the support I was given and the overall quality of their TEFL training. My self-confidence grew dramatically as I went through the course, and I had a solid job offer by the time I finished.

Last year, in a pre-COVID era, I wanted to do some advance study. At Vantage’s suggestion, I enrolled in their Combined Course, which allowed me to access their online TEFL course book for self-study. The plan was to come to Bangkok early this year and do my observed teaching practices in Thai schools.

COVID put a halt to the Bangkok training. However, by that time, Vantage had developed their virtual program. I switch to Virtual Vantage, which allowed me to get practical teaching experience—with real students in a live class--via Zoom.

Kevin and Chris always went the extra mile. They directly monitored every class I taught and followed up with a one-on-one video conference to discuss my strengths and identify areas for improvement. A lot of what you read about online teaching is really about one-on-one instruction. Teaching a group online is way different—definitely more challenging than individual coaching and also being in a traditional classroom.

If you can succeed in online group teaching, you definitely will excel at classroom teaching. And at rate, I’m really glad I now have online teaching skills as I see this as rapidly growing market for teachers.

I’m already putting all my training to good use. The week after graduation I’ve had my first classes and Vantage’s teaching materials, methods, and invaluable feedback enabled me to guide engaging and productive classes. The ESA teaching formula I learned allowed me to quickly ascertain the student’s language level, and guide a conversation that included my being able to practice some grammar points.

Most importantly, Vantage’s program has given me the self-confidence to rapidly refine my teaching ability. People skills are crucial, as is the willingness to listen to the student. The deceptively simple approach of asking the students what they want to get out of the classes, along with their interests, is worth its weight in gold.

I did a lot of research before committing to this course.

I have a bachelor’s degree in education and formal training and experience in this field. So I was more than a bit skeptical of what a one month TEFL course could add to my skills and background.

This course completely exceeded all of my expectations. Chris, the lead teacher, has decades of knowledge about what to teach and how to teach it. Kevin is their Jobs Coach and he’s a pro with creating resumes that are impactful and giving career advice. A great teaching position was found even before I finished the course!

The Vantage team have created an environment that promotes hard work and all the tools to grow into a successful English teacher.

Their observed practice teaching sessions were amazing. First, we taught primary aged students in a Thai government school. Later we taught college students online. To experience both a traditional classroom and an online platform really gave me a great feel for the spectrum of English language teaching.

I walked away with confidence and tools for further developing my teaching practice.
Was there anything not to like? Hmmm…well I graduated on a Friday and started my new job on Monday…maybe a bit of a break would have been nice.

I would recommend Vantage again and again to anyone considering a career in teaching English overseas.

I had been teaching privately for nearly a year when I approached Vantage. They say you can’t teach an old dog, but there were a lot of new techniques I learned during this course that really opened my eyes.

During the first days of the course, I was introduced to the ESA methodology that provided me a whole new framework on how to prepare a class lesson—something I didn’t do before.

Before when I taught my private classes, I would just go through the course book. Often my students would begin to be ‘less enthusiastic’ once the formula of the book became routine.
Now I have a whole new way of structuring an entire class so my students are much more engage and get more speaking practice.

In our practice teaching sessions—in a classroom with young Thai students—we got excellent feedback after each class.

Vantage really prepared us for all kinds of teaching. We also taught college aged students online. A lot of what I learned in the classroom was valuable for online teaching, but not everything. Not everything that works in a classroom can be replicated on an online platform. I also needed to learn new techniques for internet teaching and I had to prepare group activities would be effective online.

My class finished on a Friday and the next week I was still working with Vantage on formulating a personalize job strategy, which included a great new resume.
Vantage will go the extra mile to ensure you’re getting started in a good job with a reputable school.

If you interested in more than just a job, but a successful career teaching internationally, Vantage are the guys to talk to.

I have just completed my teaching training course at Vantage TELF and it was such an absolutely incredible experience.

Even though I had worked for a couple of years at a private language school tutoring prepping high school students in their English and in science courses, I was still anxious because of the doubts I still had about my teaching ability.

Vantage soon laid that to rest. I was taught how to frame a class within the ESA teaching methodology. I learned how to really engage my students so they would actively participate throughout the entire hour. I discovered it all starts with a professional lesson plan and learning how to formulate these was one of the best outcomes I got from this course.

You get lots of teaching exposure at Vantage. They told me that teaching skills are born in the classroom, and I now know what they mean. The feedback I got from my observed teaching practice sessions, made me a better teacher each day.

This course is intense. We covered the coursebook with lots of practice teaching all within one month…but it felt like only a week has passed by.

For anyone who wishes to start a successful career as a language teacher, I highly recommend Vantage’s TEFL course.

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.