Program Reviews

The reason why I wanted to get this certificate is so I could travel around the world teaching, specially in Asia, and doing it in Tokyo was the best decision I have ever taken. I just finished the course and I already got several opportunities to teach in South East Asia! So if you like teaching and want to travel, this is a great way of doing it! You will learn a lot during the course, but the best part is that you actually get to put it into practice with kids, several one on one teaching sessions, and an english class at a college in Shinjuku. I really I learned a lot from Larry and David, I have already caught myself a couple of times in a conversation using the terminology I learned in the course.

The school is lovely as well as the whole crew. The neighborhood is gorgeous and it has an amazing park just a couple of blocks down. There are several convenience stores, delicious and very affordable ramen right around the corner, and the most incredible bakery to satisfy your sweet tooth! I stayed at Larry's house which is 5 minutes away walking. It is extremely comfortable and Yuko, Sean and Larry will make you feel at home.

Prepare yourself for a lot of learning, good laughs and amazing memories :)!

I recently completed the TEFL International course based in Tokyo. The experience overall was very rewarding and I highly recommend this course to anyone looking to become a TESOL certified instructor. The classes really help you get a much firmer grasp of the English language while giving you the necessary tools to build your confidence as a language instructor.
Larry and Dave are both very generous and encouraging instructors. They make it easy to ask questions and learn at a comfortable pace. The support received from the school is also very welcomed, especially for someone new to teaching. Overall, I rate this course highly and recommend it to anyone looking for a TESOL certification.

Hi.

My name is Iban. I´m teaching English in a language school in Pamplona, Spain.

I chose the 30-hour OTP course because I wanted to gain more teaching skills which could help me be more comfortable and confident in the classroom. Of course being able to write down on my CV that I had done this course was also an important element.

I can only say positive things about this course. I received wonderful support from my online tutor, I learned a lot about applying the ESA methodology. This course was great because I could do it while working at the same time, and following my own pace.

This course has also made me see the importance of appying the ESA methodology in each lesson.

I would definitely recommend this program.

Have you ever wanted to visit Japan?
Have you been considering getting into teaching?
Have you ever wanted to study abroad?

If you answered "YES" to any of the questions above then here is your opportunity.

To choose a path means to miss out on others. So how do we know which path to take? Will we make the right choice? You have a whole life to live and it's easy to think that in the future we might regret a choice we made now. But when we are afraid to commit ourselves and instead want to follow all possible paths we so often end up following none. To not make a decision is a decision in and of itself.

6 months ago I came upon 2 paths. I could have spent weeks or even months weighing the pros and cons of each. Instead, I made a spontaneous decision and choose the path less traveled. Now looking back that made all the difference.

This course and the people you meet along the way will change your life.

This class was a very memorable and informative experience. The instructors, Larry and David, were remarkably helpful and patient with the students, always willing to assist us in any way possible. The teaching experiences at the elementary school and at the university were enlightening and educational experiences for us, giving us useful information on how to improve ourselves as students. Highly recommend this course to anyone looking to get their TESOL certification or for anyone trying to improve their knowledge on the English language. You will not be disappointed.

This school promises that after you get certification, you can work in Italy if you 'bring the right documentation'.

This is a lie. You cannot work legally in Italy without a work visa or European citizenship. Language schools WILL NOT help you get a working visa as the beaurocracy is too complex and they already have European/British teachers.

I learned the hard way. I paid a lot of money to complete the iTTT program in Rome, I moved to Milano , and many schools want to hire me. However, they either needed a work visa/ or wanted to hire me illegally. I obviously don't have a work visa and I am not willing to take the risk of working illegally. Therefore I'm paying a lot MORE MONEY to go back to the USA and apply for a a student visa and pay and Italian language school thosuands of dollars to justify my student visa. If you don't speak Italian, you literally can do nothing in Italy and noone will help you (at the banks, post office, immigration office, italian embassy , etc).

Don't waste your money on this program unless you can obtain a visa before attending,

In addition - other misleading items: this program offers no work assistance besides giving you some websites to look at after completion of course.

When people are trying to find an educational program, it's really hard to determine if the program is actually worth the time and money. I was debating this when I signed up for the TEFL International course in Tokyo and I came to realize that it was definitely worth it. The teachers' methods are all about communicate language teaching as opposed to strictly teaching grammar rules and formulas, and they really helped us to look at teaching from the students' point of view. Aside from covering all the topics that are essential to teaching English, the teachers themselves were kind, friendly, passionate about teaching, and genuinely interested in helping their students succeed. I really enjoyed this class and am so grateful to Larry and Dave for their lessons and support. I've yet to apply for jobs, but the course has provided me with everything I need: teaching strategies, experience to discuss with potential employers, my own lessons plans and activities to present at interviews, and of course, a valuable certificate. I would definitely recommend this course to anyone interested in teaching English anywhere in the world!

A great instructor is hard to come by, so I felt like I struck gold with Dave and Larry. I've never felt so nurtured in a classroom. They were very kind and helpful in sharing their expertise with the class, after all they have both lived and taught in Japan for the past 30 years.

If you have any hesitance or reluctance in coming to Tokyo or if you've never been here, fear not! Dave and Larry are at your beck and call with answering any questions you might have about life in Tokyo. I was very nervous about taking the leap and leaving home, so I emailed Larry several times leading up to the program. He was very helpful in preparing me for this trip and my time in Tokyo.

Of course while they provide a comfort zone for your life in Tokyo, what they are really doing is helping you prepare as much as possible for success through this rigorous program. There is quite a bit of work, but the classes and assignments are very well thought out and meaningful. I felt so well prepared for the following interviews and felt comfortable speaking with the different schools and companies, understanding the jargon and responding like a TESOL professional.

I also was able to take with me the 60+ combined years of experience teaching English in Japan that Larry and Dave shared during class. They have some great stories that bring insight and life to what you should expect in a future classroom.

During my time there, I decided to do some volunteer work at a language cafe in exchange for room and board in Shinjuku to save money (via workaway.com). I had class all day and worked 15 hours a week at night and I managed to be successful at both, so don't be daunted by the workload. It is very doable. My sleep suffered, but this was due to my inability to say no to the city and invites from new friends to go sight-seeing. Some of the friends I made were older students I taught as part of the course!

Tips:
-Do not procrastinate on work and at the very least skim the day's notes after class. At the end of the program when it's time to take your test, it will feel like a year has passed with all the information you've covered.
-Team up with your fellow classmates in studying and working together on assignments. It's so much more fun. I also learned a lot from my peers, as some of them had previous teaching or tutoring experience.
-Get there early (and caffeinated if that's your thing)! Some of the material can be dry, but very necessary. Don't waste time, because there is a lot of material to cover and it is all very helpful. You are only hurting yourself by missing any information.
-Have fun (though it is impossible not to with teachers like Dave and Larry)!
-Come in with an open mind. Don't let Tokyo scare you. Don't let strangers scare you. I can't believe the friends I've made during my short stay so far. Japanese people have been very helpful in me getting around when I was lost or wasn't sure about something.
-Study some Japanese. (You really don't need any, so don't worry.) I came with some hiragana memorized and the general greetings. I wish I had studied a lot more. I got by with the help of English signs, strangers, my hand gestures, friends and Dave and Larry, but it would have been nice to be a little more independent.

Just some last bits about the people. I felt at home with these instructors. It isn't a large company so you get that family-run business feel and get as much one-on-one time as you need. They are very accessible and make themselves available if you need anything.

I had a fantastic experience with TEFL International Tokyo. Larry and Dave have a wealth of knowledge and experience that was helpful to me throughout my time. They have an excellent attitude and enthusiasm that is infectious, and their knowledge of teaching in Japan is incredibly extensive. Their job support was one of my main selling points, and they have an excellent track record in that regard as well. The course is the perfect length, being only a month long, and provides plenty of material that will prove useful in the world of teaching any kind of English in any kind of setting. Along with material, they provide plenty of opportunities for you to hone your teaching style. We performed one-on-one lessons, small group lessons, children's lessons, and university lessons; all hands-on experience. I would highly recommend this course to basically anyone who can afford it. It is worth every penny.

My only negative about the experience had nothing to do with the course itself, but with ITTT TEFL. ITTT TEFL's communication was so poor and suspicious with me initially that I didn't even believe the course and location were real. They were reluctant to give me any factual information about the location and contacts, to the point where I had to send friends of mine already living in Tokyo out to find the location. If at all possible, find some other way to contact Larry and Dave, via Facebook, email, or otherwise.

So here's the deal: ITTT serves as sort of a hookup to bring students in to the school, but the actual school is run by Larry and Dave. ITTT won't tell you even where the course is, and it makes the whole operation seem fake. I emailed Larry directly, and he told me the address within the day. I suggest that when asking about details you contact them directly. Aside from that, the course itself was flawless. All of us did very well, and none of the work was particularly stressful for any of us. I had a job lined up before I came, but Dave gave me some very useful pointers on visas and teaching in Japan generally, helped several of the other trainees with their applications, and directly referred one employment opportunity to us that happened to pop up during the month. Some of the other reviews I read complained that the practical teaching was only one-on-one or one-on-two, but this has apparently changed. We each taught 2 one-on-one lessons self-arranged, 6 one-on-one-or-two lessons through the school, one full class lesson at a university, and a section of a full class lesson at a preschool.

Larry and Dave are two great guys who really love their craft, and I would recommend the course 100%.