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

I have learned so much in my 40 days in Thailand, about myself and Thai culture. I lived with a host family during my stay, and getting to see and experience their way of life was an enriching experience and one I could not have had, had it not been for GOTOCO. I also met amazing people who were participating and learnt so much from them as well. The people taking part in the programme as well as the leaders were incredible and I'm so thankful I got to meet them all. The teaching was fantastic, the students were so happy to have us there and we were too! We were able to partake in their cultural activities whilst at the school and learn about their way of life. Overall a truly unique and enriching experience.

It was a great Experience met many people and learnt a lot, and saw the hidden gems in Italy whilst staying with the host families. The teaching in schools can be hectic but it's worthwhile because you can form priceless memories. It can be overwhelming but it gets better. Would recommend coming to the camps with an attitude to learn and grow and this will make it even more memorable.
A great place to network and find people with many similarities and also a place to meet other university students or professionals.

This experience was an extremely rewarding and a once in a lifetime experience for me. It is something that has changed my outlook on my own future and career and it is a career I will take into consideration. The program has definitely boosted my communication and teamwork skills and I have been able to communicate with many different people in a short time period. This is an experience I would recommend to anyone looking to get out of their comfort zone for the summer but without being completely alone. I have made many friends and I will 100% do it again next year.

The highlight of the program is friendship. Before going to Spain, I wasn't expecting to make friends. I supposed that everyone there only wanted to finish the program ASAP and get the qualification. Instead, I have made some excellent friends who have helped me immensely in my personal development. My overall experience in Spain has been superb. I am delighted with the programme. Even though it was pretty stressful and something unpredictable happened, it made it even better as we can learn how to deal with unexpected circumstances and develop our leadership. The program is highly influential in my personal development. I was not confident at all before joining this program because of my experience. However, the participants there helped me a lot as we had numerous conversations, eventually leading to close friendships. Additionally, the program has trained my leadership attributes and problem-solving skills. It has also benefitted me greatly in teaching and learning as I have understood the difficulties non-native English speakers have encountered.

This programme was really great for experiencing Italian culture and was unique as I got to stay with host families which was really enjoyable. This involved home cooked Italian meals and being shown around Italy by locals. Staying with host families was my favourite part of the experience as it allowed me to be fully immersed into the culture. I also really enjoyed how the teaching was presented as it was fun and very different to traditional classroom based teaching. The programme also involved moving locations each week which I liked as I got to see a lot of Italy, especially places I wouldn't have ordinarily gone to. The summer camps were also really fun and really rewarding, especially watching the final shows the children presented at the end of the camp. I would recommend this programme as I think it is a great way to travel and experience a new culture if you are on a limited budget, whilst also gaining teaching experience. It is also great for meeting new people and making friends all over the world.

One of the most enriching experiences of my life. Learning about the culture of Colombia and intricate parts of both the English and Spanish language really allowed me to truly get immersed. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to work abroad.

I had the opportunity to create relationships with Colombians at my school and partner organisation YMCA and those have given me future opportunities. The Gotoco cohort we went with are still in contact and we are all great friends now. The work is challenging but completely worth it.

The fact that the program is so affordable is mind-blowing considering what a great time I had. I got to meet so many lovely people that further introduced me to Chinese culture. It built my confidence and developed my leadership skills which will benefit employability in the future. One of the main highlights would be watching the children develop their English skills and see how their confidence as they were able to express themselves more. Finally, the application process was mainly straightforward but I did receive my placement quite late and so I had limited time to get my visa.

I had an amazing experience with Gotoco teaching in Shanqiu all summer 2019. The students were so happy and willing to learn, and I made so many great friends through the program and locally in China. My favorite part was our “camping” field trip with the students where we hiked, rafted in the river, and learned lots of history of the monks in the mountains. I would definitely recommend teaching with Gotoco! I also loved coming up with lesson plans at the local coffee shops and made friends there that gave me some inspiration for lesson plans. My favorite lesson was having a tea party and reading/ acting out Alice in Wonderland with my 8 year old class!

Going to Hangzhou for a month was an incredible experience where I discovered a completely new culture, made many new friends and came to understand the challenges of teaching English. Although I would highly recommend this program for those in the process of learning Chinese as it could be very difficult to communicate, this did not stop me from having a great time. Days were spent teaching English and participating in activities with children, as well as getting to know the fellow staff. Would highly recommend!

Amazing opportunity to explore China and experience a brand new culture and meet new people. Also a great way to experience what teaching might be like as a career. Overall was a really rewarding and worthwhile way to spend the summer.
I was teaching at Yangzhou Global IELTS and had accomodation at a nearby hotel and received a food stipend. The staff were really friendly and helpful. There were other interns on the programme which was nice as it meant we had people to travel and explore Yangzhou with.