Program Reviews

I normally never write reviews but I truly believe ITA deserves a glowing review because of how amazing this certificate school is. They are so approachable, helpful, clear and offer a solid network of alumni that help's you take the next realistic steps into moving overseas. This course was easy enough to do well in but hard enough that you actually learned a lot and feel more confident in teaching overseas. It is set up in a easy to use way, consisting of a straight from the text book quiz(s), non critiqued personal opinion peer participation question and a larger homework assignment that is straightforward and doable. The people I have come in contact with have all been very kind, honest and real so you feel cared for and not left in the cold especially with all the questions you have regarding the process of teaching overseas, which can be incredibly daunting. I was doing a lot of research about which TEFL course would be the best and I am so glad I chose ITA...would take it again in a heartbeat if I needed certification. As someone who is always reading reviews, I hope this helps some people who are on the fence take the ITA plunge and get's them started on their overseas teaching adventure! :) good luck and God bless!

From my first inquiry to my last week with the program I was impressed. I loved that I has the same support counselor to talk to before diving into the program. My instructor was no different and very attentive to our class. The lessons and practice assignments made my transition as an English teacher much easier. I was well prepared for my first interview and job. The certification has never been rejected and I had many offers before selecting my current school. I can't thank them enough for helping me to change my life/career and to follow my dreams- who knew it was so easy if you just put in a little work!

I have been trying to figure out which direction I wanted to take my life. I was close to the end of getting my degree in school and I was desperately trying to figure out what I wanted to do next. I knew that I wanted to travel and see the world, but I wasn't sure how. Then I kept hearing people talking about teaching English abroad. It was something I've always heard people talk about, but it never really crossed my mind as something I would do. I put in my information and received a call from Chelsea, my admissions advisor. I had PLENTY of questions to ask Chelsea had an answer for every single one of them. She was very nice and patient and I appreciate her being so clear.

So after months of deciding, I finally got on board and signed up for the online course. I really enjoyed it. It was an active class, where you had a chance to create your own lesson plans, and learned about different teaching methods for students. Emily, the online instructor, gave very informative and great constructive criticism which helped me improve weekly. Erika, my Student Affairs advisor is awesome! She helped me narrow down which place I should go, and she helped me polish my resume and my cover letter.

Now I currently teach English online and I absolutely love it! I finally feel like I am heading down my destined path and I can't wait to continue this journey and move to Costa Rica summer of 2019. I think that this is a great school to attend because not only do you get a lot of information on countries, they prepare you for it. When I found out that the advisors I've been assigned to will always be my advisors as long as they are there, I knew this was a good decision. It brings the opportunity to build a great rapport.

I have been thinking about teaching abroad for so many years. I finally decided to go through with up because... why not!? I found ITA Costa Rica in Barva, Heredia, through searching ESL teaching programs abroad. ITA Costa Rica was the one I found the most positive reviews about. While reading about the program I had the best feeling about the program. It was a sense of comfort and I felt like it was a true educational program that would prepare me the best for teaching English as a Second Language. Once choosing ITA Costa Rica I had a sense of peace and I felt like I was about to make the greatest move of my life.

* Reasons why you SHOULD take this course:
- The course instructors, Luke and Melanie are absolutely amazing. You are given so much guidance throughout the whole process. They are both experts in TESOL and give you so many helpful resources & tools throughout the course.
- Starting with the first day of class, your mind will be put at ease with what you'll have to do and what is expected of you throughout the course. Everything is organized very nicely day by day. You are shown how to navigate the calendars, teaching schedule, moodle (where all course info will be available online), and where all the essential things are in Barva to help you be successful throughout the month.
- Without a doubt you are able to walk into this course with out any teaching experience and walk out feeling confident about how to be a teacher in the TESOL world. So don't be intimidated!!!
- It is not overwhelming if you stay on top of the work and if you have good time management skills - you will be fine!
- It is a very affordable program!
- You have the opportunity to stay with a homestay family - and you should definitely do it!! It gives you such a sense of security to have a family and they truly do care about you. They are supportive, extremely nice and cook amazing food! It's an easy way to experience the culture and practice Spanish.
- You are living in a beautiful country - obviously :)

My expectations were very high coming into this course, and still they were exceeded. I met some of the best people in this course & they have prepared me amazingly to be a teacher. They introduced us to many people who are directors of language academies. Most of them personally know Luke and Melanie & they trust that the class prepares us well. I was even hired before the course finished because they knew that I would be able to teach efficiently if I made it though the course. That being said, the course is so doable. It’s all very practical and the instructors help you every step of the way. Overall this course was so fun and helped me not only be a fantastic teacher, but it helped me be familiar with Costa Rican culture!

I completed the ITA TEFL course in Costa Rica. The coursework was very challenging and kept me busy with work the entire month, however, my classmates and I still found time to get away on the weekends to enjoy the natural beauty of Costa Rica.

While I understood a lot of Spanish before arriving, my speaking ability was very limited. Staying in a homestay, I had the opportunity to learn so much, as well as getting excellent meals and having my laundry done, allowing me all the time I needed to complete my coursework.

The instructors were very knowledgeable and although I was wondering during the first two weeks if they were trying to weed us out due to the intensity of the workload, I came to understand that they were just ensuring we were fully prepared.

3 weeks into the course, I applied for a job teaching English in the Galapagos Islands, a dream location for a former science teacher! Within three days, I had been interviewed and offered the job! The morning after completing my TEFL course, I was on a plane to Ecuador.

At least once a day, I use specific information, tricks, activities, or grammar learned during my course, and I can still hear my instructors voices as I teach.

Don’t expect this course to be an easy A, even for the most experienced student. I have 2 masters degrees, and this was the most work I’ve had to do for a course ever, but every assignment has proven to be valuable.

I took it upon myself to walk into the ITA office several years ago merely inquiring about my options for my [then] pipe-dream of living and working abroad. From start to finish, the staff was extremely helpful and gave me the tools I needed to feel more confident regarding my experience of teaching abroad and has since opened up quite a few doors over the years.

Compared to many people I know, my TEFL certification experience was unique in the sense that I was in a classroom for a month-long practicum. Although ITA offers an online course which I have also heard great things about, I preferred to be in a classroom and interacting with other people in the same boat as me.

ITA was the boost that gave me the courage to move halfway across the world in 2013, and nearly five years later I'm still finding the course beneficial. One of the reasons this program is unparalleled to others in the market is the fact the alumni groups exist. I've been teaching English in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam for a little over a year now and have connected with so many awesome ITA alumni here through the Facebook groups. It's honestly been an invaluable asset to the certification itself. In addition, the South Korea Alumni group connected me with one of my closest girlfriends I've met abroad; same with the Vietnam group.

While I didn't initially move abroad to teach English in Vietnam, I'm glad the path brought me here, as not only is it one of my favorite countries on our planet, but my entire experience in Saigon has been completely transformative. I largely have ITA to thank for that, as I may not have had this opportunity otherwise.

All in all, I had a wonderful experience and cannot recommend the program enough.

I had been contemplating taking the TEFL certification course for over a year and had ben speaking with ITA TEFL Academy for some time. I registered at a time when I received a great discount in the price of the courses and I was very satisfied. The courseload was a bit difficult because I was a high school teacher with a full load at the same time. But I persevered and am at the end of my Practicum. I was very satisfied and would recommend this course to others.

I'm so glad I chose this program to begin my journey to teach abroad because an ITA Alumni is the reason I got a job overseas so quickly. Upon completion of my course, which I was able to do online while also taking college classes, I saw a post in the ITA Taiwan Alumni group where someone had a job opening at their school and was able to message this person and get an application in right away. It was a very quick process and I did not have to do much searching on my end for a good job overseas. If any of my friends or family wishes to teach abroad in the future I will 100% reference ITA to them.

There are lots of TEFL course options. I would highly recommend International TEFL Academy. I opted to complete the on-line course. The materials were appropriate and adjusted for on-line learning. I had access to resources during my course completion, while I completed the practicum and life-long job guidance. How great is that!? In addition, there are so many resources about job searching and preferred schools. A great choice and so much value to the course.