Program Reviews

My partner and I decided to take a risk and work abroad. We did some research on different TEFL courses and came across Samui TEFL through an agency called OVC. Deciding to do our TEFL course through Samui TEFL was definitely one of the best decisions that we have ever made!

Samui TEFL offers you so much more than any other TEFL company. Yes, the costs are a lot more, BUT the knowledge and skills that you gain at the end of the course is definitely worth every cent. Samui TEFL doesn't only offer in-house theory classes, but they also expose you to Teaching Practicals that allows you to experience the world of teaching English as a Second Language to foreign students.

The trainer, Chiara Gasparotti, who facilitates all the classes is such a star! She puts so much thought and effort into all her lessons and genuinely makes every second so enjoyable. Her assistant, Off, is just as awesome and always willing to help. They literally break their backs to ensure that you are equipped and skilled for your Teaching Practicals too. The classmates that we worked with also made the course so much fun and bearable. We got the opportunity to learn about different cultures and all the team work also allowed us to gain some knowledge on different classroom ethics and lesson plans.

Samui TEFL does not only ensure that you become a well qualified ESL Teacher, but they also assist you in job placement. Jane Openshaw, one of the teacher trainers, helped my partner and I throughout the whole process. She assisted with all the documents and ensured that the necessary parties received all the required information. We are both currently teaching at the same International School in Sihanoukville, Cambodia and are looking forward for what's ahead.

We definitely recommend Samui TEFL to anyone who is looking into completing their TEFL course through a good company!

Keep up the good work, Samui TEFL!

If you are looking for a very high quality, high standard and extremely well run TEFL course, then Samui TEFL is definitely the right place for you.
Samui is a beautiful island rich in Thai culture and a great place to study, I managed to go for a quick swim everyday. Our class was very multicultural and we all quickly became a community working together to help each other achieve the highest standards we could.

The training centre is simple but is well organised and provided a great environment for us to learn together, good air conditioning and all the facilities needed to put lesson plans in to action. The trainers are excellent, very experienced and passionate about teaching. Each lesson is amazingly well organised and really makes learning fun. Wisdom is in abundance so make sure you listen up and prepare for a great challenge.

The course is pretty intense but incredibly rewarding, you will definitely get good pay back if you put the effort in. We actually taught at an international school, a local Thai primary school and for those of us who wanted to do so, at an adult language school. When you graduate you really feel that you have achieved something significant and that you have gained the confidence to start the TEFL journey, especially after actually doing real teaching in real Thai schools with real kids!

Friendships made on the course will last forever and through the powers of social media we all keep in touch to discuss the next steps in our journey and the jobs we are undertaking. As I write this I am on my way to the UK for my first teaching job within 2 weeks of graduation, where to next ?

I chose to take a TEFL course on Samui, as the prospect of studying on a tropical island appealed to me, and it did not dissapoint! Samui is a fantastic island in the south of Thailand, and being able to relax on the beach (just a few minutes walk from the school!) after a hard day studying was brilliant. The school provided everything we needed to take the course - pens, pencils, white board pens etc as well as free wifi water and hot drinks. There is also printing facilities and so much arts and craft items to use for teaching aids. Chiara , the TEFL teacher, was superb. She made everyone comfortable and eased us into the course and before we knew it, the first week had passed - and i was amazed at how much material had been covered, and more importantly that material had been taken on board as well! Chiara is a very experienced language teacher, and included many techniques that have been tried and tested in the classroom. My coursemates on the course were also great, and we bonded well taking full advantage of being on a tropical island. We were given plenty of material, so when it came to our first teaching practice, we all felt well prepared to go and teach the kids in the school. We had the oppurtunity to teach in an international school, a government school as well as some adults who were learning english. This gave us a good overview of the different environments we could be teaching in, and the potential issues we could face. Throughout the course there was help provided in applying for jobs, as well as perfecting your CV. Overall i would reccomend this course, as Samui is a fun island to stay on for 4 weeks, and the quality of teaching and assistance offered is excellent.

This review has taken many months to write. Each time I've attempted to write one there seems to be more instances where this specific course and the tools given to me by the highly skilled and specialized teachers has come into my daily life and been a savior to teaching.

Think not the concepts are absurd or outdated (for they are) the reality is that alnodt everything you learn through this course works. You just don't understand the context yet.

If you are considering a TEFL course choose SamuiTEFL. Go in and try to absorb everything that you humanly can whether you think it relevant or not, there will be a day when use it and are thankful.

Managing your interactions with the children you teach and the students on the course with you will ensure that you get the maximum out of this course. It's predominantly about how much love and happiness you can share and the tools this course gives to ensure it.

(pro tip)
The beer is good but expensive. Get "local" whiskey and sprite for a winning evening.

Samui TEFL provides their students with the essentials needed to succeed in a classroom setting. Prior, during and after the course has completed, the TEFL staff are there to help. Whether it be with accommodations during your stay in Samui, packing, professional clothing, cultural norms or job placement; the staff is available and willing to help. It is up to you, as a student in the course, to listen, corporate and work as a team player to gain the most from this experience.

Samui TEFL was recommended by a friend, and I would recommend this course to anyone searching for a TEFL course led by experienced professionals in the education system.
I thoroughly enjoyed the interactiveness of the course, the time spent with the students in the Thai schools and preparing the lesson plans together as a class.

The time and energy the TEFL staff put into this course is evident. It was a pleasure to be a student and learn from instructors who are so passionate about their jobs.

Good luck, and thank you Samui TEFL!

I had never travelled, taught, or heard of a tuk-tuk before flying to Thailand to pursue my TEFL certification. Thank goodness for the exceptional team at Samui TEFL. Inside and outside of the classroom, I never had a question that went unanswered. I always felt supported and rooted for, and when you’re a world away from home – that is invaluable.

Our teachers were dedicated to preparing us for classrooms of our own. I quickly learned how much thought, strategy, and preparation goes into each and every lesson. By the end, I wanted to send fruit baskets of thanks to all the teachers I have had. (It’s a lot of work!)

But it’s rewarding work. You’ll see the smiles on the students’ faces when you bring boxes of resources for interactive, fun practice lessons. The course is so worthwhile in that it stresses bringing creative approaches to education. It’s a hustle to learn to teach in four weeks, but this program will ensure that you leave with a strong foundation which you can build upon and tailor to wherever you find yourself teaching next.

And Samui TEFL helps with the “what’s next” part, too! The team made sure that we had access to and were connected with prospective positions. They will guide you through preferences, locations, and contracts.

My experience with Samui TEFL was positive and impactful. I learned so much and made fabulous friends. Bring an open mind and a willingness to learn, and the course won’t let you down.

Thank you, Samui TEFL!

Hi, my name is Stuart.
I have lived in Thailand for the last eight years. For seven of these years, I have worked in most countries in Asia and in all of these countries, English is not the first language. Living in Thailand where English is a subject for all students, I have witnessed and experienced the difficulty people have had with speaking English. With my experience, I believe I can make a significant difference to help children and adults to learn English.
From contacts I have in Bangkok, I knew of the Samui TEFL school and that it had a very good reputation, and I was not disappointed
Everyone in the school was helpful. Our instructors were professional and very proficient in teaching the TEFL program.
The students came from different countries and with them their diverse backgrounds, it really helped the class dynamics.
The course takes place on Kho Samui island that immerses you in a unique and beautiful culture. The opportunity during the course to have practical experience teaching at the local schools with the Thai children was enormously beneficial.
Once the course was completed Samui TEFL was instrumental in helping all the student get jobs. I now some On-Line teaching and will continue to work helping English teach in Thailand.
The friends you will make and skills you will learn makes this a lifetime opportunity you shouldn’t pass up.

Hello, my name is Frank. After graduating with my bachelors degree in May I found myself looking for something new and challenging. I heard about Samui TEFL from a friend online. After doing some in depth research I decided that Samui TEFL was the correct choice.

Everyone in the program is so helpful and inviting. From the first day to the last day our instructors were dedicated to the success of each and every student. The course is not easy but you are given the tools to succeed. The instructors give constant support and show that they believe in you as the student. Samui TEFL is a program that works.

The course takes place on an island that emmerses you in a unique and beautiful culture that can only be found on Ko Samui.

I’ll always be grateful for the experience this program gave me. I was able to find a job and start within a month of graduating from Samui TEFL.
The friends you will make and skills you will learn makes this an opportunity you shouldn’t pass up.

I took the decision to take this TEFL course as I have always dreamt of teaching English but I was originally influenced by my parents and environment to pursue a business career (Economics & Law studies in Switzerland, followed by a BSc in Business Management in the UK, and finally five years in the “corporate world”). I recently realized I should pursue a teaching career as I have been tutoring children and (mostly) adults for over ten years and really enjoyed it, but never seriously considered making a full-time career out of teaching.
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Languages open up the world and speaking three languages myself I want to share this treasure with my future students. And once I had decided to become a teacher, and more specifically a language teacher, I realised it would take a minimum of 6 years of studies and training in my home country Switzerland to then maybe get a teacher’s assistant job for another 4 years, whilst a) competing with younger and cheaper labour, and b) following a strict and inefficient ,,way of teaching a language. I also didn’t want to stay in the same environment I had experienced for over twenty years and wanted to have some independence in my class, and teach in an area of the world where English is more “needed” than in Europe. After some research I figured that South-East Asia would be the ideal place for me, and so far I don’t regret my choice for a single minute.

On this TEFL course I expected to be taught some of the necessary tools to fill my teacher’s toolbox. I was given creative ideas on ways of explaining grammar and everyday use of the language to students, especially those from Thailand and of a young age as I have really only taught French/English speaking adults so far.

After having completed the course I feel that it matched my expectations, I had been taught which are the main problems Thai students have regarding pronouncing English words such as Consonant Clusters (CC), Final Consonant (FC) sounds, Fricatives (F), where the Stress (S) lies and the issues they have pronouncing the “l” and “r”. I have also been taught techniques on how to help them pronounce difficult English words such as Back-Chaining, which quite frankly was a revelation. Finally, I have also been given some great ideas on how to motivate or cool down a classroom full of children through pacemakers and very creative games and activities they might like.

It is an intensive course, you will have to work quite a lot and dedicate at least two or three hours after class for your homework and preparing for the next classes. Get on the island at least a week before the course starts to sunbathe and party otherwise you will just want to go to the beach everyday straight after class, it is a very beautiful and fun place to be. Secondly, make sure you get along with your fellow students, you don’t want any negative distractions because the lessons and homework involve a lot of group work. Thirdly, since you are in Thailand you should get used to the respect teachers get and how highly they are regarded so a) your behavior and appearance outside the class must be impeccable, do NOT get into any trouble and respect EVERYONE especially in the area around the school since the locals WILL recognize that you are a teacher trainee, especially if you carry the Samui TEFL branded bag with you, do NOT become an obnoxious drunk “farang” (Thai word for foreigner), b) respect and listen to your tutors, they are amazing: highly trained and give great insight on how the Thai students and culture work. Point four, sometimes you might find a few activities or ideas slightly strange, but remember that Thailand is probably on the other side of the world from your home country and the course is tailored to the Thai market and focuses mainly on how to teach children. You will likely teach kids in Thailand due to demand and for your work permit.

My expectations of the course have been met because it prepared me extremely well on how to teach children in Thailand, both in terms of the pronunciation issues they may run into, and the grammar. I have also been taught how to
I knew the course would be tailored to the Thai market regarding issues the Thai may have with learning English. However, I wish I had been informed beforehand about the strong focus on teaching children since I would have preferred to teach adults. I acknowledge now that this is wise since the demand for Young Learner Teachers is higher and makes the work permit easier to obtain. I am however very excited about my new job on the island in an international school

By far one of the best teaching/learning experiences I've ever had. You learn so much in a short space of time but the way the material is presented, half the time it doesn't even feel like you're really learning. Katherine makes it so fun and engaging and also includes EVERYONE! Every lesson has a "purpose". You'll take away so many valuable lessons and use them. Even if you're not teaching after the course, they'll still come in handy in everyday communication engagements. Also, you meet really cool people and make so many good friends. The support there is really like no other. They make sure you're going to be well taken care of by whatever school you may have an interview with and has plenty of advice on what to look for in a school and the area. Even after graduating and finding a school, Katherine and Chiara are still checking up on me and making sure that I'm okay and happy with my school and life after the course. I would recommend them to anybody looking to get TEFL certified ANY DAY. I would take it again, if I had to.