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

Applying for Gotoco was the best decision I ever made. It was a fantastic opportunity where I was able to experience the Italian culture, as well as gaining more skills on to how to teach children the best and achieve my TEFL qualification, which has allowed me to grow as a person and become more independent. In my first two weeks, I was worked in a summer camp in a small Italian town. My third and fourth week, I was placed in a summer camp in Bolonga, where I was worked with three other co-counselors, making great friendships. Both host families I stayed with were incredible and were so welcoming, and I still keep in contact with them now! This was an amazing experience, which I highly recommend.

I joined the gotoco program because it seemed like a fantastic way to travel, gain a TEFL qualification and help advance my career. I have no regrets taking on the program. In many ways it was more challenging thatn expected - basically doing a full time job unpaid (though with accommodation/food). I felt gotoco did not aptly prepare us for how to prepare and perform lessons and also did not have the best communication. However I thoroughly enjoyed my time there, met many friends and learnt a lot. I would definitely recommend to friends though would advise they prepare themselves outside of the program and dont expect great communication.

Applying for this program has been one of the best decisions I could have made this year. It’s given me the opportunity to grow as a person, become more independent, experience different languages, food and culture and travel around Thailand whilst also working and gaining experience in teaching English to Thai children. I Couldn’t recommend this program more, not only have I travelled and gained experience but I have also made some amazing friends for life who I have been able to travel with for the last year.

I was placed in a summer camp through the organization LSF in the Verona province, Italy. We started with a 1 week training in an Italian town near the beach, where I met co-counselors from across the world and had so much fun while training. We then moved with 2-3 other co-counselors to our designated summer camp locations and lived with host families. I had so much fun and learned so much. I loved meeting people from all over the world, getting a more personal understanding of Italian culture, and learning skills of how to teach children best. I lived in a small, semi-rural town near Verona so I appreciated learning what life is like there. One of my favorite moments was the final 'show' that students at my camp put together. They invested a lot of energy in it and everyone enjoyed it, especially the arts and crafts portion of it.

The application process with Gotoco was very straightforward and the Gotoco team answered my questions very quickly. I did not expect to be placed in a camp because I applied late, but Gotoco immediately forwarded my information to a camp and I received a response right away, which I greatly appreciate.

Overall, you'll learn a lot about being a summer camp counselor, will meet people from across the world and hopefully have lots of fun!

This is an amazing way to see a new part of the world and truly experience life there. You will be fully engrossed into the culture and work with likeminded others. The social scene is enhanced greatly with the friends you make along the way but provides a lot in itself.
The time and care taken by the staff is wonderful, and they make sure to help you feel as involved as possible, trying to make your experience even more memorable.
Definitely something you should consider when looking at overseas programs!

There is a whole world out there and GoToCo have helped me experience a new section of it. I would never have been able to be in the position where I am now without the support from GoToCo. Leaving the UK to live in a different country was made a lot easier because of funded flights and stipends. Being apart of the GoToCo community also allows for a strong support network. I have gained a CertTESOL qualification through the programme from not cost of my own. A very special programme and I couldn't recommend it more to anyone.

It's a great opportunity to experience a new country and culture, to gain experience in teaching, and to gain confidence in travelling, and navigating new countries. It gives confidence in looking for jobs abroad and the experience may open up new pathways in life, particularly if you don't know what you'd like to do.

The programme was run well, with a good mix of teacher training and cultural activities. The experiences were varied and gave us a good introduction to the country and local life.

I enjoyed the host I stayed with and the opportunity to meet the students and the local teachers. Being placed with other volunteers was also very enjoyable. I feel like living in rural T allowed me to experience the real culture and understand my students better. Some good examples are: Watching the children remember the lessons I taught. Dancing and singing with the students during English camp, eating Thai hot pot in the evening with the teachers and the host while being eaten alive by mosquitoes. Jocking with the other volunteers while preparing lesson plans.

An overall fantastic experience that provided immense value to all those involved. A perfect first step into the experience of travelling paired with the perfect opportunity to give back to the local communities accommodating your stay.
The teaching allowed me to develop valuable skills in communication and patience and enhanced my experience of Bali significantly. Spending time with the kids felt really special and has left me with lasting positive memories, from teaching them to chant the lyrics to 'We Will Rock You' to introducing the game of duck duck goose to them and watching them run around endlessly in circles.

I found the YMCA training camp activities to be alot of fun. Bringing these activites to use in school were a great success as the kids really enjoyed them. My highlights would have to be meeting my fellow gotogoers as I found they were all extremely nice and have made good friends with them as we went exploring together. I would recommend to a friend as I feel the overall experience was amazing and is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I feel the overall setup was very professional. I am definitely considering applying for another Gotoco programme.