Program Reviews

I loved taking this course at Via Lingua. It was interesting, challenging, stimulating and it gave us the opportunity to start practicing our teaching skills right then and there! It was fun, the teachers were supporting and their explanations were clear and on point. The assignments were interesting and useful. The class was small, which I think is a good thing, and full of interesting people from all over the world. It was amazing and it really helped me working towards my goals: I already have a two teaching jobs and I finished my course in October!

The location is excellent. Kadikoy is a particularly safe area and has a wonderful library boasting a sea view - perfect to study in! The course is intense and aimed mostly at teaching adults. It provides the initial qualification to specialise and diversify at a later stage. You may wish to brush up on your English grammar, as this is a significant part of the course, however there is plenty of support to help you meet the requirements. All the team are great! The instructors are extremely knowledgeable and very caring. Personally, it was a terrific experience that I would highly recommend!

This intense program is well organized and challenging enough to leave you feeling confident for the real world. They give a lot of hands on experience teaching groups & one on one students. The theory portion is good too, with brilliant local professors of linguistics & experienced teachers. The front desk staff is warm, friendly and helpful. The coordinator is caring. Overall they are genuinely interested in your learning and success. It's a very intensive course but the take away is well worth it.

The Via Lingua TEFL course in Istanbul was an incredible experience. The course was intensive but manageable and not overly exhausting. The trainers demonstrated exceptional competence and provided thorough and clear instructions supplemented by practical teaching exercises. The director's remarkable knowledge and helpfulness created a nurturing and effective learning environment. Moreover, the TEFL course in Istanbul was both academically enriching and practically beneficial. The curriculum included real classroom teaching practice with actual students, which was a game changer. It provided invaluable hands-on experience, significantly boosting my confidence as a teacher. This practical aspect of the course helped bridge the gap between theory and practice, making me feel much more prepared for a real-world teaching environment. Overall, this course successfully blended rigorous training with a supportive atmosphere, leaving me well-equipped for my future teaching career.

I was nothing but pleased with my decision to take my TEFL certification course with Via Lingua in Istanbul this past month. It was considerably intensive but I felt like the instructors were quite thorough and helpful. The material was useful and the teaching practices were excellent at helping me to build confidence and implement what I was learning in the course. The instructors were very fluent in English for the most part and very knowledgeable about the kinds of information they were providing to us. They were engaging and answered questions well. All of the staff at the school were polite, welcoming, and helpful and they will be missed. I couldn't have wished for more out of my certification course.

Although the trainers are not native speakers they all are really professional and has perfectly clarified the notion of TEFL methods. The pactice of teaching on the course is very inspiring. You will defenetely become more confident after this course. Staff is helpful and friendly and in coupla weeks you feel at home... My experience turned up to be quite unusual as I was the only student on my course. Actually I don't recommend such format of learning - too much attention to one student might make you exhausted. This program has helped me to realize myself as a professional.

I retired from full-time teaching in a private elementary school last year and decided to follow my dream of studying TEFL in Istanbul.

This excellent course prepares one for a meaningful, rewarding career in teaching English. Yes, it's every bit as intensive as advertised but absolutely worth it! The instructors are all top-notch and it's clear that they care about their students' success. They were always available to answer questions, give a little pep talk, or just listen to our musings. Their feedback on practice teaching lessons was supportive, with specific examples of where improvements were needed and encouragement to offer more of what most engaging to my students.

The largely interactive lessons helped us acquire in-depth knowledge of TEFL methodologies, grammar, language skills, lesson planning, classroom management, and assessment. The productive atmosphere of the classes and the goodwill of the instructors set me on course to begin teaching English with confidence and enthusiasm. The course books, abundant handouts, and links to helpful websites will be valuable resources for years to come.

One bit of advice: begin on the long-term assignments (portfolio, group project, and individual project) as soon as possible. This will free you up to spend the time needed to plan lessons and prepare for the final exam at a measured pace.

In addition to the interesting classes, the school’s lively surroundings made my time at Via Lingua Istanbul a memorable experience. I made new friends, immersed myself in Turkish culture and language, and cleared more than a few hurdles in navigating the challenges of everyday life in a new (but beloved) setting.

I knew what I was getting myself into before the course and it was everything I expected. The staff are great and help you in all ways to become the teacher you want to be. You won't get to explore much however since you'll be studying and preparing for classes most the time. During my course, Istanbul was hit with one of its worst snowstorms in 20 years and I had lots of laughs on my shitty luck. It is an experience you will hold dear in your life for sure. And if you have any problems Ismail is there to help you!

My experience of the TEFL course in Istanbul was an incredible experience. While all the experienced passionate trainers quenched my academic thirst, they also succeeded at reaching for us on a personal level and guided our training with specialized tips and hints that are tailored to our personalities and style in teaching. They have also established the fundamentals of modern methods of teaching English as a foreign language, all while making us feel comfortable and at ease in the school. By the end of the course, I was feeling as a well prepared teacher ready to take on a class with confidence. They have also gave a well rounded guidance for entering the market of English teaching in Turkey (especially in Istanbul). Overall the experience was very pleasant and I would recommend it for anyone wishing to get a teaching job in Istanbul or even for teachers in the making who would like to obtain the TEFL certificate in Istanbul for the experience of the city and teach later in another country.

It was a great course! I now have the expertise required to teach TEFL. The staff is amazing and the teachers are great! I think that anyone with enough drive can do this. The course was very rigorous and we learned a lot in terms of grammar and teaching practices. I made lifelong friends and my teachers are now my mentors. Teaching English is not as easy as it looks, therefore it's important to receive the proper training... There are myriads of TEFL courses to choose from online but they may not all be legitimate. I truly believe that I chose correctly. I even found a job straight out of the course! I cannot recommend it enough.