Program Reviews

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.

At first, I wasn’t sure enough that I could even teach. I never taught before and all my experience was in a different industry. Moreover my confidence was low. I got very uncomfortable and nervous when I taught in front of students.

So I decided I need a professional teaching course and that led me to Vantage and TEFL training program.

I’ve learned a lot at Vantage. Their trainers are really great and I learned a lot of grammar that I didn’t know before. I had observed teaching practices which is very essential for a beginner This boosted my confidence and my nervousness went away day by day.

Vantage will really help you in regard to English structures, lesson planning, and teaching techniques. They will also help build your own Power Resume and cover letter which is a very big help in getting an interview.

If you’re considering a career in teaching then these are the guys to talk.

I took the 120 Hour onsite course in Bangkok, Thailand from January 6th to January 31st. In the January session I was the only student. My trainer was Chris Demetsopoullos. The course is taught by a very good teacher in a structured and comprehensive manner. The course goes through classroom management, parts of speech, grammar, lesson planning, special topics, and more. By the end of the course I felt confident to teach English, The 8 hours of teaching practice really helped.

Basically, If Chris the instructor wasn't there to teach the course I couldn't recommend the course. The course does have some areas that need improvement specifically in job support, guidance, and administrative decorum.

THE GOOD
- The course is structured and you’re provided with course materials. While not an extensive course on all parts of teaching and the English language, It covers a lot of aspects of teaching the English language.
- Most students do 6 hours of supervised teaching practice but since I was the only one I got to do 8 hours
- Chris, the instructor, is very good at teaching the course material. His twenty five years of experience in education shows through and through. His classes were taught full substance, humor, and nuance. Classes are engaging and he makes every attempt to make the material interesting and relevant. I learned more about grammar and teaching than I thought I could, and that has a lot to do with Chris’s teaching ability.
- Course work is manageable and clear from the start. You receive a trainee binder at the start of the course which contains all the work you’ll need to complete and turn in.
- Resuming building portion of the course was helpful. Lots of examples and knowledge on interviewing strategy.
- The course is accredited by Lamar University and you receive masters credits.
- By the end of the course I felt competent and ready to teach English in a methodical and communicative approach.

GENERAL NOTES
- Vantage English is a partner school of iTTT(International TEFL & TESOL Training) and teaches iTTT’s tefl course book
- If you decide to work in Thailand, Vantage has relationships with teacher placement programs. While not unheard of, Vantage receives a small compensation for placing students in Thailand with their partners.

My time spent with Vantage was nothing short of spectacular. Everyone was very welcoming and the trainers always extended their help when it was needed. Vantage TEFL is very supportive before, during and even after the course was completed.

Every lesson was taught so that everyone could learn. Every session was taught so that the students understood the information before moving on to the next unit. Vantage’s trainers always involved each student and made them feel like a team player.

The practice teaching was great! We taught diverse students in a range of settings. Teaching 6 and 7 years olds in a Thai government school with large class sizes of up to forty made me reach for skills I didn’t know I had. Then teaching smaller groups of 18 year old college kids in a nursing college was the other side of the spectrum. The valuable feedback I got from Vantage of each observed practice class made the next session that much better.

I never felt alone at Vantage and from the get-go they gave me assurance that no matter how many struggles that I would face, they would always have my back.

After the program was over I still received updates from the friendly staff and information about jobs available that fit my personal goals.

Thank your Vantage for the many opportunities that you provided and the long lasting friendship that we've made.

To be honest, I was a little skeptical in the beginning as to whether the Vantage TEFL course would be stimulating or interesting enough to hold my attention for 120 hours.
Vantage TEFL super exceeded my expectations in all areas!

Chris our lead trainer, has a couple of decades of teaching experience, and it shows as he gave us so many tips from his experience that you would not get on the online course. He’s a highly qualified trainer.

The communicative approach to language teaching—particularly the ESA method …Engage, Study, Activate was something new for me. I find this method works very well in theory and in practice…..it is basically a common-sense way of teaching a foreign language to non-native speakers.

We also learned how to formulate a viable lesson plan, which was the first step in our six observed teaching sessions. I got better and better every time I taught and I believe the self-evolution together with Vantage’s professional feedback was the key reason why.
The constructive criticism, support, and encouragement that the group received during the course has been fantastic and to leave knowing that that support continues is a wonderful safety net.

All in all, the course and the trainers at Vantage delivered a professional, world-class TEFL course.

I did a lot of research on which would be the best 120-hour In-Class program to take in Bangkok. That was the beginning of my journey.

For me the course content was really eye-opening. I learned a lot about the English language and how it’s structured--a language I've been speaking all my life!

The practice teaching is where it all came together. The theory of the classroom was put into lesson plans one language topic at time.

The Vantage trainers are experts at observation. They could immediately show me what my strengths were and identify any areas I needed to address. I got better with each of my practice sessions and my end I really felt I had the teaching skill set I need to begin my journey as a successful English teacher.

If you’re thinking long term—a career in education—this is the team you need.