Program Reviews

After a lot of deliberation and research on many courses for Teaching English abroad I finally decided on starting this new challenge with Samui TEFL, a small school on the island of Koh Samui, Thailand, which trains people of all ages to become proficient and creative English teachers.

There are so many schools and different programs on offer that the process of picking a school was frustrating and confusing. A real benefit to me was the honest and extremely prompt communication from Rosanne Turner, co-owner of the school and currently the course administrator. Having explained that I liked the course but had concerns about it being accepted in Vietnam as a sufficient qualification Rosanne immediately put me in touch with a contact in Vietnam who could give further guidance. Kathryn Webb, the course trainer and director, was also very helpful with advice from a different angle, having owned and run an English school in Italy prior to joining Samui TEFL. Despite several emails and many questions Rosanne was always extremely informative and even though it was potential business for her school she never came across as trying to sell the course. Her advice and opinions were unbiased and realistic and it was very comforting to get genuine, trustworthy advice from knowledgeable sources without feeling like there was an agenda or that it was seen purely as a business opportunity.

As for the course itself, day to day there was a lot of work. This involved theoretical work and learning grammar basics as well as teaching techniques, lesson planning and creating resources for the lessons. It can be quite intense at times, especially when creating resources before the teaching practices but Kathryn believes in giving students as much opportunity as is realistically possible to prepare in class and avail of her experience rather than flounder on your own after class, unsure of whether an idea will work or not. This in class preparation time makes things a lot less stressful and also means that there is less wasted time working on a flawed idea as Kathryn can quickly point out any problems and help adapt ideas so they will work better in the teaching practices.

Although there is a lot of practical time in class, work does have to be done outside of the school hours of 8.30am – 5.00pm and Kathryn is contactable via email with questions or to review lesson plans all evening and also early in the morning, I’m not sure how she is able to read and reply to everyone, but she does!

The teaching practices is a real strength for Samui TEFL as all teaching practices are with non-English speakers and no teaching practice is teaching your peers. The range of levels for the teaching practices is well organised with classes ranging from kindergarten all through primary age and even adult classes with the Thai Teaching Assistants from the International School of Samui.

There are other benefits, not necessarily educational, of doing a course on Koh Samui. Being a tropical island has it’s benefits when you do have free time with many beautiful beaches and tropical blue water to enjoy. There is also a bustling night-life scene in case you have a Saturday night free and there are walking streets and food markets in different areas of the island each night, serving delicious and very reasonably priced street food. The one downside to completing a TEFL course on a tropical island is having to do teaching practices in schools without aircon, as the combination of nerves and heat inevitably mean perspiration!

The accommodation for Samui TEFL is another bonus for this school. Most accommodation options offered are right next door to the school which is just a short walk from the village of Choeng Mon. Accommodation options range from a basic bungalow to a two-bedroom villa with a kitchen. The kitchen was great asfood could be bought from Tesco and cooked when it was convenient so relying on eating out every night was not an issue.

I think I arrived for the course quite well prepared. Suitable clothes for teaching practices is a must. Whilst there are options to purchase clothes on Ko Samui, the choice is not great. A better option, which I chose to do, is to buy clothes in Bangkok at one of the many shopping malls, Platinum is a good choice for value with wholesale options available.
I would recommend for anyone heading to do this or any similar course to bring a laptop. The school has laptops which can be used but if there are a number of students who need to use the school laptops there could be a supply problem. On my course one girl had an iPad but it seemed to be more of a hindrance to use than was worth it.

The highlight of the course for me (apart from graduating!) was seeing the children react positively and smile when they were praised, when they were involved in activities in class and when they got questions correct. This was especially nice when you knew it was one of the quieter children who took more encouragement to participate; often thier reaction would be subtle, a small smile to their friend after going back to their seat or after you give them a Hi-Five for joining in. From their little smile you could see that something had made their day, be it holding the teacher’s hand or getting a little smiley face on their worksheet, and it made my day as well.

A few further miscellaneous positives of the school are the welcome lunch provided by Kathryn and Rosanne and the close bonds formed from having a small class of no more than 10 students. Also, Rosanne and Samui TEFL really try to get all students successfully employed by the end of the course, and have dedicated jobs pages which are only accessible for past graduates.
Both Rosanne and Kathryn genuinely want to keep in touch with the students after the course and are interested to find out about their teaching experience in different schools which is nice and shows the personal aspect of this course.

The course at Samui TEFL helped me to develop new skills such as classroom management as well as improving my confidence with regard to having to stand in front of a class of 50 non-English speaking students. This was one aspect I was apprehensive of but I feel much more capable now than prior to the course. I have also improved my creative abilities thanks to having to make materials and lesson plans from scratch as well as my organisational skills, again from planning lessons in a methodical way, as taught by Kathryn.

Overall I could not have been happier with the course that Samui TEFL provide with the exception of a longer course being offered. Rosanne and Kathryn are a fantastic team who complement each other very well. I would certainly advise anyone considering a TEFL to at least get in touch with Samui TEFL and ask some questions.

I think the best way to sum up my feelings for the Samui TEFL course and the team there, in Rosanne and Kathryn, would be to say that I would happily recommend any family member or friend to undertake the course without any hesitation.

I am now over halfway through the course and I am very impressed with it. The first week is a bit crazy as we are given so much information. From week 2 onwards it is a lot of fun, it's amazing that we get to experience teaching so early in the course as it enables us to find our strengths and weaknesses early on so we know what to improve on straight away.
Kathryn is a really amazing teacher, she really knows her stuff! She is very good at giving constructive feedback and you can tell she really cares about all her students. Rosanne offers a lot of support as well and we are able to email with any queries we have regarding the course, our CVs, etc. I am very very happy with my decision to embark on this adventure with Samui TEFL!

I looked at a lot of different TEFL courses and I couldn't be happier with my decision. This course fully prepares you for your future as a teacher in Thailand or elsewhere. Though the class is intense, if you use your time wisely there is plenty of time to roam around the island and enjoy yourself. Rosanne is very helpful with everything you need before, during, and after the course. Kathryn is an amazing instructor and her knowledge of teaching went far beyond my expectations. For anyone interested in TEFL, this is the class for you.

I absolutely loved the course.. I found it super intense but also exciting and nerve wrecking all at once.. The experience you gain is well needed once you step into the teaching world. I am thankful for the confidence I gained through the tefl course and friends and memories I will cherish for a lifetime!!

Before I decided on Samui TEFL I wasn't sure which course to choose or how beneficial a TEFL course could be for a qualified teacher... I was definitely right to choose Samui TEFL and whether you're a teacher or not I highly recommend doing this course before teaching English as a foreign language! When booking onto the course Rosanne is very helpful and responds quickly to all of your questions and our trainer Kathryn was certainly more than what I had hoped for. She is a great trainer and will look after you while you're in Samui.

I hope you make the right decision! :)

Myself and my boyfriend researched and pondered over many courses throughout South East Asia. We were very apprehensive about choosing a course. Now we are over the moon we chose Samui Tefl. I don't think there could be a better course out there. You will not be disappointed!

Rosanne is an amazing course coordinator and will be there for you before, during, and after the course for anything you need. Kathryn, the course trainer was just terrific! She has a wealth of teaching ideas, making sure each lesson is filled with fun activities! She can solve any solution with all her creative ideas! Kathryn will answer your questions anytime of the day.

On this course you will have a perfect balance of fun and learning. The course is intense but there is plenty of time to relax, explore the island and spend time with your new friends!

I can't fault this course in any way! It was one of the best decisions we ever made as a couple! Now we have a world of opportunities awaiting us, very exciting! Thanks Samui Tefl! :)

Choosing a program was the hardest steps of this journey so far. I read all of these reviews and contacted many different companies before settling on Samui TEFL. I wanted a course that was engaging and fun yet pushed me and enabled me to feel comfortable in the classroom. This course did all of that and more. Kathryn is an amazing trainer with so much knowledge and patience and Rosanne answered all of my annoying questions before I arrived. I don't have anything to compare the course too, but I don't need to. This experience will be on of the best experiences of your life and if you choose Samui TEFL you can be assured that your first month here will be everything you need it to be.

If you are still unsure, take a look at the facebook page where you can see pictures from teacher practices to graduation.

I was checking for some TEFL school on the Island and finally I made decision to join Samui TEFL. I felt I could get what I expected since the first few days until the end of the course. Love to join their class and love teaching practice. They really help to guide you what will you meet when you out to the real world of teaching. Join them and you won't be dissapointed!

Samui Tefl is the best choice any future teacher can make on their journey to Thailand. I will be forever grateful for the opportunity that Rosanne and Kathryn gave myself and a friend when we were stuck, as our original plans to study at a TEFL school in Bangkok fell through. We contacted Rosanne on the Saturday morning asking her if there might be any possibility for us to join the March course as we've already started arranging everything and an unfortunate event might end our dream. Rosanne spoke to Kathryn and made additional space for us to be able to join the course and get all the needed experience. Kathryn is by far the most dynamic teacher I have ever had and I never knew it would be possible for anyone to teach that much in a month. Rosanne assisted us with well needed guidance on what the right choices would be and how we would go about starting a teaching career. I met some of the most awesome people on the course that I will call friends forever. The course is not easy and you should not expect a walk in the park, but all the hard work does pay off. You will leave Samui TEFL as a changed person.

If you're looking for a TEFL course anywhere in the World - stop here and sign up! It took me 3 days to get on board and I've had no regrets since. The course was intense and took us out of our comfort zones, but we did well, proving so much to ourselves. I still use the A/B cards that I'd made while doing the course in March 2013!

The "after course" support is what overwhelmed me the most - although they don't guarantee you a job, they won't rest until you get one - they made sure I got one! :)