Program Reviews

I learned so much more not just about the language but I got to really dive deeper into the culture of japan. I made friends from all of the world and would not trade this experience for anything. If you ever get the chance to go abroad take it. You will be amazed at how it changes your views. This program really exceeded my expectations. My host family was truly wonderful and I really felt a part of their family. If I have learned Japanese a few years earlier I wish I would have been able to study abroad there. I plan on going back next year for six weeks. There are so many fun and exciting things to do in japan. A tip is to get out as much as possible if you stay inside all the time you're going to miss all the amazing things that are included in the program.

Greenheart Travel allowed me to make my dream of living in France a reality by living with a family and teaching them English for a month. From the moment I committed to the program, the Greenheart staff were so supportive, organized, and welcoming. Over a month, I tried new foods, went to local festivals, improved my French, and even tagged along in a helicopter over the Pyrenees mountains. I learned so much about myself and my place in the world. I was able to do some traveling on my own of the region, but my favorite parts were everyday goings-on. My host family has become like a second family to me, and we are making plans to meet in a few months. I highly recommend GT to anyone who wants to travel and experience a country's culture firsthand!

This entire experience is hands down, the best experience of my life so far! I got to see France from a local’s view and completely immersed myself into the daily lifestyle and culture. My host family and I hit it off right from the beginning and that’s a huge part as to why this program went so well. I got to explore so much of southern France and a few other places. I figured out how to navigate myself in a foreign country which was a huge challenge at the beginning, but I became confident by the end! My host family hardly spoke any English when I first got there, mostly due to lack of confidence and vocabulary, but once we bonded, they were speaking English all the time! It was great to see them build their confidence by having to practice their English all day long!

I loved being surrounded by Spanish on the daily. And the classes in Spanish made it even better. It felt like every interaction was an improvement from the last. The teachers are kind and helpful, and I learned so many new things each day. They even helped with options on how to continue practicing my Spanish. The people in Salamanca are so friendly and the surroundings are beautiful. If you got lost or were trying to find out what you were supposed to be doing, you could ask essentially anybody, and they would be willing to help out. It makes you feel safer in the city too. I would recommend this trip to anyone, it's safe, easy to navigate (it helps if you ask the people around you), and has so many amazing sights. The museums are awesome and all the history is super interesting. If you want to practice Spanish and try something new, Salamanca is where you want to go.

As a recent college graduate with my BA in French, teaching abroad was always a dream of mine. Truthfully I did not do much research while looking for a program to fulfill this dream. I simply google searched “teach English in France” and greenheart travel was one of the first websites to show up. The recruiter/program advisor Savannah was very attentive, and always responded very quickly to emails. I signed up for the program pretty last minute (middle of January), and I left March 2nd. They were very quick and smooth with the application/ sign up process. Basically anyone who can pass the background check will be accepted into the program. A few weeks after applying is when you receive information about your placement, host family, etc... I will say if traveling by yourself in a foreign country scares you, this program may not be a good fit. The host family will only pick you up from the train station closest to their home, or obviously if they live near the airport they will pick you up from there. As I never travelled alone before, the idea of getting on a train (or multiple) from the airport with all my luggage scared me. Luckily my family lived a half hour from the Marseille airport, so I paid a little extra and did a layover in England and they picked me up in Marseille.

The program within itself was fine. Basically everything I expected it to be. I always felt safe and supported by Greenheart throughout the 3 months. However, if I could go back in time, I would not do the program. The truth is, there are actually a lot of programs in France that will pay YOU to teach there while living with a host family. This program cost me 2-3 thousand dollars. I understand this is how this program works and I’m not angry, because it is quite literally what I signed up for. When I was in France I met so many teacher assistants who were getting payed maybe 600-1000 euros a month. I regret not doing more research on teach abroad programs before choosing Greenheart, as now I feel as if I could’ve easily found a paid teaching job over there, or at least something where I wasn’t paying anything to be there. I also probably ending up spending an additional 500 dollars in transportation costs to travel to and from the school to home.

So my final advice to those interested in this program is to try to look more into paid programs first. They are more competitive, but if you have a degree like myself, you will should have no problem being selected. If you do not find a paid teach abroad program, I do recommend this program, as they offer much support and are trustworthy. Of course overall this was a very great experience and I can say I achieved a life long dream of mine.

Going to Berlin through greenheart was an amazing experience for me. There were a lot of people from a lot of different places, so I got to meet people from all over the world. In my room, we were one Turkish, two Belarussians and a Francoamerican - and that’s only our room. German classes were good although I think I should have been more militant about them putting me in the right class - if you go, make sure to be on their backs about that. The rooms were fine, we just didn’t have space to put away our clothes. The staff was really nice, and we got to do a lot of activities, with a lot of free time every day. Overall, I think this experience is totally worth it, especially if you find people who are willing to only speak german with you.

I have taught in a few countries now and the program in South Korea was the best for overall teaching experience. I was fortunate to have great co-teachers who really took care of me, the pay is great and I got valuable teaching experience. The EPIK program was the second time I used Greenheart Travel to help me. The entire staff at Greenheart is amazing. They have a lot of materials with information to help you prepare before you leave (like important cultural tips and packing lists) as well as information for your time in-country. They also encourage communication among candidates prior to your start date so you can ask questions, share information and get to know each other before you arrive. It doesn't cost anything.....why wouldn't you use Greenheart??

As soon as I stepped off the plane in Santiago, I could immediately tell that I was going to like Chile, and once I met my host family in person, I knew I was going to love Chile. I could not have been matched with a better host family. This was my first time traveling alone, so I did experience a little bit of homesickness for the first few days, but my host family loved me like I have been apart of their family my whole life.

My teaching experience was unique in that we did not really have formal lessons. Instead, my host family preferred to learn solely through conversation and everyday routines and activities. I primarily lived with and taught a 71 year old lady, Sonia, who is absolutely precious. On weekends, we stayed with her daughter and grandchildren. While I was teaching Sonia English, she taught me how to knit and make sopaipillas.

My host family loved showing me around their country, and I was able to do a little bit of exploring on my own. The Chilean landscape is absolutely incredible. We visited the mountains and the beach, and it took about two hours to get to each location. I wish that I had spent more time in the country to be able to visit the north and south of Chile. I guess I will just have to go back!

The month I spent there flew by! When it was time for me to leave my new Chilean family, we all cried, but thankfully, technology allows us to stay in touch.

I couldn't recommend Greenheart Travel or this specific program enough. Everyone I spoke with along the way was incredibly helpful and encouraging. This has been an absolutely amazing experience!

I did plenty of research about teaching abroad before choosing Greenheart Travel. TEFL certification and placement programs come a dime a dozen now. The difference with Greenheart, though is I felt support from initial contact even up to now almost a year later. The school yera has concluded and the memories I've made as a EFL teacher in Thailand I owe much of the smooth transition to Greenheart.

I appreciated that my questions were answered promptly and the staff were helpful and professional. Their partner in Asia that actually handles the teacher placement portion on the ground work well with the Greenheart setup.

Although I have a masters degree and prior TEFL certification, I chose to add on the optional TEFL course. I highly recommend you so so too! If you've taught in a classroom before, great. But teaching in Thailand, to Thai kids, in a Thai school setting will be very different. The TEFL course not only included a jam-packed orientation week, but the conclusion of the course required a 2-day teaching camp and that was life-changing! Those kids changed my ideas about wanting to be a teacher. Their energy, smiles and warmth oozed through my soul. It's because of the TEFL program that I decided I wanted to continue teaching.
Had I just taken my placement after the orientation week and skipped the TEFL course I would've sorely missed bonding experiences with other program mates (some I mad great friends with!), learning valuable techniques to teaching in a Thai classroom, and made transitioning to Thailand life much smoother.

Marie Kondo was on to something in her book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. The book centered around the question “Does it spark joy?”...for me this simple question changed my life. As a overworked American passionate person about education, I found myself experiencing a burnout that was draining my life. I knew I needed change and my wanderlust soul was beginning to consume my thoughts. That's when I found Greenheart Travel...and I would have to say that's when Thailand found me.

After months of research on living and teaching in Thailand, I found no other organization that offered the structured support and guidance to live this dream like Greenheart Travel. From visa, resume, and cultural preparation, Greenheart made the adventure possible, easy, and informative. Kara answered every question that I had and continues to be in contact since I've been here. If you are reading this, it means you are thinking about embarking on this wild adventure...and as many Thais would say "why not?" Haha Go for it! It will change your life!

The TESOL course with XploreAsia prepares you in every way they can to not only be a great teacher but also how to culturally adjust to living in Thailand. Some participants from other partnered organizations with XploreAsia had horror stories of their preparation agencies...none of which I could relate to because Greenheart provided so much detailed information on what to expect and how to prepare.

Now, you might be asking "Is it all sunshine and rainbows?" Well, if you come in April or May, you have the sunshine part right as it is quite hot and the sun can be quite intense haha But as someone who hates cold weather, I lather on the sunscreen with a smile and carry an umbrella with me everywhere I go (comes in handy to shield the sun AND when it just randomly rains out of nowhere). Eventually you'll get used to the sweat...so don't sweat it ;-)

As far as adjusting to life in your placement city, you may experience a shock from going from being around people 24/7 during the TESOL course and having everything planned, organized, and easy to moving to your placement city alone, lost, and possibly not being able to communicate well. Buying the right size sheets at Tesco or Big C may be more of a complicated task than one realizes when you can't read the packaging and the sales assistant doesn't speak English haha After awhile you'll begin to adjust to venturing out on your own and depending on your placement, you may meet other foreign teachers who will help along the way. I live in the heart of Bangkok and I honestly think it has made my transition a bit more convenient and easier to adjust to. I quickly set out to make local Thai friends which has been a benefit in multiple ways! Thais knows all the good places to eat, the secrets of getting around, and best places to visit on holiday ;-)

There are many things I have come to love about Thailand. The food, the weather, the beautiful landscapes, and the low cost of living are just a few to mention about living in the "land of smiles." However, to me, the most important and refreshing has been the laid back "mai bpen rai" lifestyle. If you don't know what that means, look it up...you'll enjoy the research. It's been a game changer for me. Bringing me back to my point about Marie Kondo's "spark joy" mentality, I have come to love, embrace, and appreciate simplicity.

There is just something to be said about simplicity; it’s simply liberating and Thailand is a perfect environment to experience and embrace it. I am loving it more and more each day and if you were like me...stressed to the max all the time because of the rat race of your culture...I encourage you to simply ask yourself "why?" Then take a look at Greenheart's Teach in Thailand opportunity and ask yourself "why not?" haha You won't regret it.

I wish you the best on your quest for adventure.