Program Reviews

The highlight for me was reaching all of my SMART goals that I set before the trip. I ended up doing Muoy Thai twice a week and losing 9kg in 6 months. I practised my Thai and can now understand and speak small phrases in a conversation. I have tried different Thai foods at loads of different restaurants. I managed to create a healthy routine that allowed me to socialise, have alone time, work out and get work done efficiently.

I was quite an uptight person before the programme and really wanted to adapt the Sabai Sabai attitude. As things constantly change within Thai school schedules this allowed me to overcome being uptight and learning to go with the flow, as and when plans change, than to get frustrated.

Amazing experience, a great way to practise teaching, explore new countries/ cultures and meet likeminded people. Everyone on the Gotoco team was very welcoming and supportive throughout the whole process, they did an amazing job at keeping us safe and informed whilst teaching and travelling. I had a really good time meeting new people from across the world and forming friendships whilst exploring new places together. Definitely worth experiencing, such an immersive, rewarding way to spend Summer!

In July 2025, I had the opportunity to join a two-week intensive summer camp in Guangzhou, China after being recruited by Gotoco. Gotoco handled the recruitment and placement, while the camp organisation itself provided support on-site. I worked as an English teacher, focusing on both language development and public speaking, following a CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) approach. The camp provided pre-designed lesson materials, which made preparation easier, although I still found myself spending a couple of hours most evenings adapting content for my classes.
Alongside teaching, I was also involved in leading afternoon craft sessions and organizing evening activities like games. These parts of the day pushed me out of my comfort zone but turned out to be some of the most rewarding. I especially enjoyed working closely with the students and watching them grow in confidence over the two weeks.

The camp was certainly intense. Each day was fast-paced, but I came away with stronger teaching, leadership, and communication skills.

One of the most memorable moments was our camp dance. The kids loved it so much that we ended up performing it constantly. Even now, whenever I hear the song, I feel like dancing along again!

I would definitely recommend Gotoco to anyone looking to step outside their routine and have a short-term adventure abroad while gaining valuable professional experience. As each camp is unique, your experience may vary depending on the placement, but for me, it was a memorable adventure.

Great staff, great participants, and a wonderful opportunity to work abroad as a teacher!

The Changsha Summer Programme lasts for 4 weeks, where two of those weeks involve teaching at a designated school. The first week involves an induction week and the final week becoming a "holiday retreat".

If you are interested in visiting China first hand then this programme provides is a great opportunity to visit if you are looking for a unique summer experiences, while having the satisfaction of improving students' English language capabilities.

After Thailand, I felt totally different, made me way calmer, laid back, and I'm just at way more peace. In Thailand, the people were very nice, and everything just worked; nobody told you that you can't do anything. The kids were lovely to teach, the food was amazing and cheap, and I totally absorbed the laid-back energy of the locals.

Gotoco were really good with the support and guidance they gave; nothing would have been possible without them, and Emma was a great coordinator.

In addition to the regular teaching, we also had a few English camps, which were just so fun for everyone. The kids absolutely loved them at every school

I had a great time on the Gotoco Hunan programme this summer. One of my overall highlights was being able to explore so many new places, as no two locations were identical. Every town, neighbourhood, or sometimes even street had its own charm. It made me feel like I could explore forever and still find something new. Another highlight would be every time I made a breakthrough in reaching my class. Being able to connect to them despite not speaking the same language fluently was special.

I would highly recommend the programme.

The experience of teaching my own class of students, making friends with other gotocoers, gaining teaching skills, meeting new people in a local context and exploring northern Italy! I also loved being immersed in Italy and its culture

I would recommend gotoco as it was a great way to gain teaching experience in a way that would otherwise not be possible and I loved exploring northern Italy for the 2 weeks - particularly Lake GardaIncreased my confidence in my own skill set and how comfortable I am in gaining new experiences outside of my comfort zone alongside valuable teaching experience and immersion in a different culture and new country.

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.

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.

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.