Gotoco FUNDED TEFL Adventures (Bali, Thailand, Colombia, Europe, SE Asia!)

Gotoco FUNDED TEFL Adventures (Bali, Thailand, Colombia, Europe, SE Asia!) Reviews

Amy
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Gotoco Experience

Most memorable moments:
Teaching everyday
Going on the school bus
English camp
Playing ping pong after school with students
Muay Thai fight
Thai football game
Trying new foods in the village and meeting local people

The experience was extremely memorable and rewarding and nothing like I've ever done before. I met amazing people, did amazing things and went to places I would've never been able to go on my own. Highlights were teaching and living in the local community, being fully immersed into the lifestyle.

My experience was extremely good with this program, I made good friends and connected with the local community. I managed to travel on weekends and make the most of my time in Thailand.

What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?
Jellyfish !
Dan
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Travelling in China

I had an excellent experience teaching abroad through Gotoco - they were very helpful throughout the process in helping organise my placement in China and they gave very useful assistance in organising visa and providing me with pre-travel information. I spent six weeks teaching in Beijing at a partnering summer camp, which I felt was really helpful in developing my organisational and presentation skills.
Furthermore, Gotoco also organised a really enjoyable end-of-program trip in Yangshuo - the scenery there is absolutely incredible, and accommodation in and travel to Yangshuo were both fully covered.

What was your funniest moment?
Performing a karoake duet with a Chinese guy in an Irish pub in Yangshuo
Pros
  • So many new experiences
  • Really fun post-program trip
  • Opportunity for post-course solo travel
What other participants should know
  • Still have to pay for flights/visas
Francesca
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

GOTOCO China Trip

My trip to China, including both my placement at a Summer camp and the after programme trip in Yangshuo was absolutely incredible. It was a fantastic experience, both to grow my own confidence and abilities but also to explore the culture of a country that I would not otherwise have had the opportunity to visit. My time in China was extremely varied, and I was lucky enough to spend time in both a particularly urban and then more rural area of the country. I had a wonderful time, making friends for life, and I would absolutely recommend this programme.

What was the most nerve-racking moment and how did you overcome it?
The first time travelling solo in China, trying to conquer the public transport system and the complexity of the train stations in China. But making sure I allowed myself enough time, and asking for help with a translator meant I had no issues on all the many trains I took throughout my trip.
Pros
  • Opportunity to try incredible food and explore different places
  • Practical experience in the classroom
  • Opportunity to develop language skills
What other participants should know
  • Very long hours and hard work
  • An expensive trip
India
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Amazing opportunity

Incredible opportunity which was very affordable, with wonderful people and staff who were really supportive. The pre- and post-programme trips were wonderful and the teaching job itself was really rewarding. The TEFL course was a great opportunity for those who would like to pursue teaching. We had lots of independence during our placement, which meant we got to explore Vietnam on our own which was great. Overall, this was a brilliantly run programme which was fantastic value for money and one of the best experiences of my life. Would recommend!

Jaeda
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Gotoco Thailand

Gotoco gave me the opportunity to develop my professional teaching skills in Thailand. Seeing the effects of my lessons on the students was so rewarding, and getting to experience daily life within Thai culture was valuable and unforgettable.

The planned trips on either side of the programme were immersive and a great way to build friendships with the other participants that last beyond the programme's end. The TEFL course was straightforward and helpful when it came to lesson planning for the students.

Sabrina
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Worthwhile experience

This was really fulfilling as an experience - I learnt so much about teaching and gained loads of confidence, made many new friends, and got to learn about and live in an entirely different country from the UK. We really bonded with the children over the course, and it was a great experience to see them grow, thanks to the assistance of the lesson plans. It was an intense schedule but entirely manageable, and the end-of-programme trip involved many fun activities, the highlight being white water rafting! Would definitely recommend this if you are not sure what you want to do in the future but want to gain many valuable skills.

What was your funniest moment?
Running outside on the school track when there was a massive downfall of rain during a typhoon!
Pros
  • Great teaching experience
  • Good accommodation
  • Great group of people to work with
What other participants should know
  • Much more expensive than anticipated
  • More photos/videos taken on the programme than expected
William
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Gotoco China Programme

I recently completed Gotoco's summer camp teaching programme at an international school in Guangzhou, and I can confidently say it was an outstanding experience from start to finish. Gotoco's support was exceptional, particularly with visa assistance and pre-departure preparations. They guided me through what can be a complex process, making everything smooth and stress-free. Teaching at the international school was incredibly rewarding. The students were well-behaved, enthusiastic, and genuinely keen to learn, which made every day enjoyable. The TESOL course was rigorous but excellent quality. While challenging, it provided me with valuable skills and knowledge that directly enhanced my teaching effectiveness. One of the highlights was meeting like-minded people who were on the same programme. The connections I made and friendships I formed really added to the overall experience. The end-of-camp trip to Yangshuo was absolutely fantastic, a perfect way to conclude the programme and experience more of China's incredible culture and scenery. This programme exceeded my expectations in every way. Gotoco delivered on their promises with professional support, quality training, and an unforgettable cultural experience. I would highly recommend this programme to anyone considering teaching abroad while gaining valuable qualifications.

What was your funniest moment?
Singing karaoke in Yangshuo with Chinese locals
Pros
  • Great support
  • Enthusiastic students
  • Meeting like-minded people
What other participants should know
  • Flights were expensive to get out there
holly
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

China programme

My experience on the China programme in Hunan was incredible.

While teaching is at the forefront, it's so much more than just that. You completely immerse yourself in Chinese culture, teaching in places far from where tourists normally go. And although you're doing the teaching, you learn just as much from the kids about their culture - even a bit of Chinese (though they will laugh at the way you pronounce it).

You also meet so many interesting people who are also participating, meaning that you can go through the experience together. During the day, we'd share ideas for class or talk about how our lessons had gone - talking about funny things that had happened or when something you tried to explain wasn't working. In the mornings/evenings before/after school, we would go out together to visit the local area - going on hikes or getting bubble tea, or going shopping. Then, at the end of the programme, we had a great trip with loads of activities planned and plenty of time to unwind after all the teaching and come together to talk about our different experiences at different schools.

What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?
after a group trip to the Irish pub on the end-of-programme trip, a couple of us went to a barbecue restaurant and asked for the waiters' favourites. she brought out crickets and trust me they were sooooo good.
Pros
  • going off the beaten track in China
  • meeting lots of likeminded people
  • cultural exchange
What other participants should know
  • quite tiring - be prepared to do quite a bit of preparation work
Henry
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Gotoco China experience

My experience with Gotoco in China was amazing! I had so much fun with all the other English teachers there and made so many new friends and the culture of China was so different but amazing to see.

The actual English teaching camps were so much fun as well, my classes were very well behaved and I had loads of fun teaching them and the kids had a lot of fun learning from me as well - they even gave me lots of little things to take home which was so sweet!

And the end of programme trip was so much fun, getting to do and see all those amazing things was just such a good way to end the trip!

What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?
Snails! I'm quite a fussy eater so I knew that I would have to try lots of new things in China but snails was probably the weirdest thing I ate, but surprisingly they weren't too bad!
Pros
  • Meeting all the other wonderful English teachers on the trip
  • The excitement and engagement from the kids was so lovely to see
  • The end of programme trip which had so much to offer
What other participants should know
  • For me, the food was a slight con because most of the food I only tolerated, only a few things did I really like
  • The cost of the flight, although lots of expenses were already covered, the cost of my flight was quite expensive
Kieran
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Funded Teaching Experience and Travel in China

I completed a GOTOCO summer program in Hunan, China. Other than travel expenses and any personal extras I wanted, all of the costs in country where funded for the just over 3 weeks that I was there. It was a wonderful experience which was incredibly fun and rewarding. Being surrounded by other participants for the duration of the program was incredibly fun and entertaining, and let to some great memories. The time spent teaching in the schools, whilst tiring at times, was incredibly rewarding. It was an amazing experience to get to know your class over the time with them, and seeing their confidence and English proficiency improve was very rewarding. Also getting to see more parts of China that you wouldn't normally see was also an amazing experience. I would definitely recommend this experience for anyone who is interested in teaching and loves traveling.

What was your funniest moment?
The moments spent socialising with the other participants in the evening; playing drinking games or pool or just exploring the cities we were staying in were very fun and it was great to get to know many of the people on the program.
Pros
  • Opportunity to explore China, and parts of the country you might not otherwise see
  • Great way to get some teaching experience in a low stakes way
  • A great social experience surrounded by lots of fun people
What other participants should know
  • It is very hot in summer in China!
  • At times it can be a lot of work, so it is just best to be aware of that before you commit to the program