Program Reviews

I will never forget my first month in Barcelona last September. It was exciting, overwhelming, and full of adjustments. Getting certified to teach, adjusting to a new country, and exploring my new home was a lot to take on in just a month. That month was well worth it. I became comfortable teaching English through hands on experience and was supported by a great staff. I also met my new lifelong friends and landed my first teaching job. After that month I knew I was where I was meant to be.

Seven months later I am still in Barcelona with many of my friends from my TEFL course. These past months have been filled with so many experiences, obstacles, and memories that I will never forget. Teaching English abroad is definitely not easy at times. There will be obstacles that you will encounter but don't let them stop you.

I have two months left in this remarkable city and I am enjoying every second of it. This city is full of amazing people and opportunities and I am so lucky to be here. Living in Barcelona has truly been the experience of a lifetime.

LanguageCorps directed me to a great TEFL program in Barcelona. I was really impressed with the standards and quality of the course, and felt really prepared to start teaching English. I was in a really big group (40 of us) so we got less individual attention than normal, but they still were able to help us get on track. Barcelona is a great city to teach English in...Madrid probably has more opportunities, but I think Barcelona overall is a much nicer city...can't beat the beach right there!!

LanguageCorps was a great way to be introduced to a totally different country. I went to Cambodia in 2009. The one or two extremely helpful staff acted as your translator and helped figure out visa situations, housing, job placement and so many other little things that would be near impossible without the help of a local. The other amazing part of the program is bonding with your group of fellow teachers the first 2 weeks in Cambodia before most go off and teach in Thailand or Vietnam. You are instantly in a social scene with these people as well as the staff and the languagecorps alumni still living in Phnom Penh. Even when the groups separates after 2 weeks you now have friends to visit in surrounding countries.

As for the quality of the training, I was somewhat unimpressed for the price. One or two trainers were experienced educators and were able to pass on helpful knowledge for when we would start teaching. A few of the other trainers had no clue about teaching, but stood in front of us bumbling on and on to try and pass the few hours they had with us.
The refreshers in grammar, punctuation, and tenses were helpful although I still felt under-prepared once I started teaching. A lot of it is left up to you to learn as you go, which is ok and understandable since we only have 2 weeks together.

The following 2 weeks of in country training consisted of language training and practice teaching.

The Khmer language training was really great and allowed me to learn useful phrases and words right away. We even went out in a group to a small store and had to buy things without using English. The practice teaching was hit and miss. I ended up teaching to different random people everyday that were brought in to act as students. Others got to teach the same kids over and over at orphanages.

Overall I think langaugecorps is still worth it (if you get the more basic/cheaper packages). You will meet awesome people (local and fellow program participants) that you will bond with, you will get a nicer, smoother intro to a completely foreign country than if you were to show up and try to get work on your own. You will have a network or past and future languagecorps participants in your area.

No one can prepare you to teach English in a first world country in 1 month (people take 4 years to teach in their own country), however I think lanaguagecorps could have done a better job with the time they had with us. They know this and were trying to improve, so I'm sure its somewhat better now. Either way, if you understand this and know what your getting for your money I'd say do it.

My experience with LanguageCorps was one that I will always look back on with fondness. In 2009 I chose LanguageCorp to enroll in an TEFL certification course in Florence, Italy. LanguageCorp took care of everything that I needed, from setting up my housing in Florence, helping me figure out transportation to and from the school, to helping me develop a great CV.
I had an amazing time meeting and spending time with my classmates from all over the world! We not only emerged ourselves in Italian culture, be we were able to learn from each other as well. We had a great time in and out of class.
During my training, my instructors were easily accessible outside of class for extra help and were patient with me as I learned all of the grammatical ins and outs of the English language that we native speakers sometimes take for granted. Earning my TEFL certification was not difficult, but it was challenging at times, which helped me to stretch and grow as a person. Having my TEFL certification is a great asset to have and opens up opportunities for continued travel and additional income. I couldn't be happier that I chose to follow my heart and go places I had always wanted to go!

Before leaving to Ecuador, LanguageCorps did an amazing time at answering all of my question (and I had lots of them!) in a timely manner. They were very patient with me in every regard and they helped with my itinerary. They certainly made sure that everything was running smoothly and that I was all set to go. Once in Ecuador, they handed me over to EIL Ecuador (Experience in International Living) and they were absolutely fantastic. The staff at EIL was nothing less than friendly and helpful.

The one concern that I had about teaching abroad through this program was that a job was not guaranteed; however, EIL was very proactive about finding places where we could apply to and interview for. So they made that aspect of the program a lot less nerve-wracking. In fact, I had a job lined up before the end of the TESOL course was done, and so did a lot of my other classmates.

Overall, my experience with LanguageCorps and EIL Ecuador was great. I would recommend not only going abroad through LanguageCorps, but I would also recommend that you think about going to Ecuador. It was breathtakingly beautiful, so much fun, and an experience that I will never forget!

The LanguageCorps program is great. It provides you with all the information and hours you need to succeed at teaching abroad.

After two weeks of classroom learning in Cambodia, I went to Thailand to do another two weeks of student teaching. I personally decided to return to Cambodia where local staff helped set me up with schools around Phnom Penh. I had a few job offers within two days, but I allowed about two weeks to choose the ones I really wanted.

I was qualified to teach at a university, a language school, a private high school/middle school and a grade school. So I did them all through two education systems!

LanguageCorps was not my first foray into the world of expatriate living (I had currently served in the US Peace Corps in Africa), but it was definitely a new and exciting experience.

I can't imagine taking TESOL classes in America and then applying them abroad. This program nailed it and I have already recommended it to a few friends.

I worked with LanguageCorps to obtain a CELTA certification this past fall (2011). The whole experience was wonderful. LC helped me every step of the way, from the initial application to securing a place to live during the program, and even offered to help arranging plane tickets and visa applications. They were very communicative and open to questions, and that took away a lot of the nervousness for me. I had a great time in Sevilla and I would highly recommend LanguageCorps for anyone who is thinking of teaching abroad.

When I researched this program, I was looking for an excuse to move and live abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina. LanguageCorps gave me a trusted, legit training and initial set-up and community that made my transition abroad much smoother and more comfortable than it would have been otherwise.

I completed the class and was very well prepared to teach English. I made friends in the class who are now my best friends, two years later. I taught English to professionals for a year which was a very valuable experience. I learned so much about the English language, about international business, about the corporate world and about Argentina. This is just a broad overview - my students taught me about psychology, politics, economics, culture, travel, philosophy and we shared a lot of laughs.

After a year, I wanted to pursue a different career path, but stay in Argentina. My experience with LanguageCorps and teaching English had created a very solid foundation for my life in Buenos Aires. I discovered that my experience as a teacher was a very valuable professional stepping-stone which prepared me for my next position as a corporate recruiter.

LanguageCorps was amazing. If you open yourself up to the possibilities of living abroad, you will learn, be challenged, grow and are certain to have adventures.

With what the program claims to offer, I believe they do an excellent job of following through. I completed the course in October 2011 and had two teaching positions within the first week of certification, both of which I held until I returned home in February (most people work for at least a year, but I had only planned for a shorter stay). The course prepared me for the classes I taught, but it is only a four week course so do not expect to be mastered in teaching when you begin.

LanguageCorps is also always available for questions during your time there, when I needed a visa to enter Vietnam for a vacation they responded right away with the best place to get one and how much it should be. I also became friends with the local employees and it was nice to run into them around town and see a familiar face.

Although many people look at the cost of the program and wonder if it could be worth it, the first month alone includes two weekend trips (Angkor Wat and Sihanoukville), excellent housing, and transportation. Furthermore, within a few months of teaching, you can easily make up the cost of the program. It pays for itself, though, with the amount of networking, support, and comfort it provides in a completely foreign land.

I am a former LC Grad who would talk to LC prospects while I lived in Bangkok. Here is an email I had received from a former prospect. Below the Prospects email, you'll see my response to her. I changed her name in the email for her privacy.

Hello Mr. McClurkin,
My name is Jamie, and I am writing to you because I am interested in becoming involved in the Language Corps' TESOL Plus program in Thailand. In a few months I will be graduating from Hiram college, and plan to take some time off before heading to graduate school. I'm very interested in becoming involved in this 10-month program because it seems to offer exactly what I'm looking for- the opportunity to enrich the lives of others, gain experience abroad, and teach. As I begin to make decisions about where I would like to spend the next year or so, I need to streamline my list of interests and start investigating their details. I was hoping you could share some of your thoughts and feelings about the program, and any personal advice on how teaching in Thailand has been for you. Have you had any problems or difficulty with Language Corps' program? Would you do anything differently? Do you feel anything is lacking or not easily available to you? I am also particularly concerned about healthcare... not because I'm frequently ill, but more so because if anything were to happen, I worry international healthcare may get complicated or expensive. Nor am I sure how insurance works outside the United States. I imagine you must have a busy schedule, but if you have a few moments to help illuminate what this opportunity can really be like, I would deeply appreciate it!
Thank you very much!
Jamie

Hello Jamie,

The Language Corps(LC) program is an excellent opportunity to go out and get experiences from all ends of life.

When you get to Thailand and start teaching, you will see that the majority of teachers took TESOL courses that cost a lot less money, but what you get from LC can't be matched.First, when you arrive to Cambodia, then Thailand, all your accommodations are factored into the price and it is all taken care or for you. Which is huge! Just one head ache you don't have to deal with. Then when you finish the program, as you might think, sometimes being away from home is a huge decisions and sometimes you can get a little home sick, but LC does a great job curbing this feeling. Once every couple months someone contacts you and touches base. It doesn't sound like much, but when you have been away from home it really helps to think that you are not alone.

Having the start of your program in Cambodia is great and it allows you to connect with other people that are in the exact position that you are in. Also, it's like a mini vacation before you have to go to work. I have personally made life long friends from LC. Even though the people in my course are in different cites and countries, I am still in contact with most of the them. Last week I was in Singapore with some of my class mates and this week, I'm visiting some other LC mates in Vietnam. The thing about being a LC grad is that we are all over SE Asia and you can contact any of us about anything if need.

As for problems with the program, I have not had any. But for you being a woman, my one suggestion is that you want to get out of Pattaya, and you want to get out quickly. It is a safe city and there are some cool things there, but it is a dirty, dirty city.

Health care in Thailand is excellent and very inexpensive. I'm an extremely adventurous eater and I ended up getting food poisioning. I was in the hospital for 24hrs, and my bill came out to $20 including meds. People come to Thailand to have operations and cosmetic work done because the quality of work and also price. The dental work here is equally sound. Last week I got my teeth cleaned, and got 2 cavities filled for under $50(which is a $400-$500 bill in the States).

I can't really tell you about life needs in other parts of Thailand other than Bangkok. If you decided to come to Bangkok, you won't be missing much from home. Everything is here. I would say if there are some certain types of foods that you love, make sure to bring the spices. From my female ex-pat friends, they say that if there is a specific type of makeup that you like bring it.

I hope this gave you an idea on what you have in store. You know that any decision you'll make will be the correct one. LC is an amazing opportunity, and if you choose to take advantage of the program you won't regret your decision.

Good Luck With Graduation,

Ron McClurkin