Program Reviews

I had an amazing experience, I met some amazing people and teaching was a pleasure. Getting to know and help students develop their English was rewarding, I had many conversations that were interesting. The students were at different levels which can be challenging but that is a good thing, helping students gain confidence is great and it also helps us as we learn things about ourselves to and I cannot wait to go back again.

So much fun indeed! Meeting new people and adorable kids was really amazing experience!
So many teachers from all over the world, with one wish, to help this kids to improve their english...
Im super proud and happy that i spend two weeks im programs and got the chance to do my TEFL certificate... I would recommend everyone to try their adventure here, for sure they will go back home full of impressions and new friends!

Angloville is a life-changer. In a time when opportunities for young people - and everyone else - are disappearing rapidly, Angloville and their partner PremierTEFL open up a pathway to teaching English as a foreign language that is incredibly fun, inexpensive, and easy enough, but also comprehensive and rewarding in experience. Why do one of those online-only or weekend-only courses for hundreds when Angloville's "AngloTEFL" scholarship lets you do it for a fourth of that cost and take part in their volunteering weeks around eastern Europe? I went all around Poland, a country from which we in the west don't expect much for whatever reason, and had the time of my life! The cities, the hotels, the food, the method, and above all the people -- from the time I stepped into Angloville, I stopped questioning my decision to leave home again and try teaching English. There's simply no better or more fun way to go about it out there. Not only do you get the certification, you get the experience, and you get to know people in a way you wouldn't just staying at hostels or working at a traditional language schools. The best feeling is having participants invite you to their homes after a program because you know they feel as enriched by it as you do; or running into the same people at programs, or coordinating where you'll be staying afterward because they're your new friends. What else can I say? It's amazing. Do it now. :)

If you’re reading this review, then it means you are looking for a fun volunteer opportunity with a language immersion camp. However, you’re curious to know if it is legit or a scam. Well, first, I will start off this review by letting you know there are many BETTER options. You should instead look into Diverbo and Vaughn Town. These programs have been around for a long time and are very good. Angloville is merely a (poor) copy that is only focused on cashing in.

Is it a scam? Yes, in the truest sense of the world, it is. However, it isn’t the sort of scam you’re used to because it won’t swindle you out of your money – at least not as a volunteer (it will scam you out of your TIME!) (read more below). However, the program does swindle the participants out of their money. They charge them an absurd amount of money (from 800€ for Juniors to 1300€ for Adults) for a horrible six days of “language immersion”. This program which operates in Eastern Europe is far more expensive than English camps in England…which is ridiculous.

If you’ve found Angloville, it’s because you’ve heard of it through word-of-mouth or online marketing. This company is very good at utilizing those avenues. It’s how they get their “cash cow” participants and their unsuspecting volunteers. Just because it’s one of the first programs you see organically on a Google search does NOT mean it’s good.

The Work
Angloville promises a free, fun and relaxed holiday experience for a week. However, this is so far from reality. For the six days at the camp, you will be working all day from 9 am to 9 pm (12 hours!) - absolute slave labor. You will never have time or energy to enjoy any of the amenities. The program is very unorganized and relies heavily on the volunteers to figure out how to make it a worthwhile experience for the participants. Even if you were getting paid some sort of stipend (which you’re not), it would not be worth doing; because by the end of the week, you will feel worse than when you first arrived!

I’ve volunteered many times before throughout my life, but have NEVER been treated like a work horse and with so much disregard.

The Venue
ALL of the venues are quite a distance away from the main cities – usually in the middle of nowhere. Some of the programs venues are nicer than others, but none are as nice as they should be for the price that the participants are paying (anywhere from 800€ – 1300€). The staff at these venues are usually very rude, there is never working Wi-Fi since the venues are far from any cell towers, many of the amenities are non-functioning, and very poor options of food.

The company cuts corners with their venues in order to pocket as much as possible. I stayed at a venue which was terrible. However, I was told many nightmare stories from other volunteers about the worse venues that they were placed before.

You are typically put in a small room with two other participants. There’s never much space to really settle in and get comfortable. Also, you are partnered with volunteers who could be much younger or older than yourself and with vastly different personalities. It is not uncommon for fights and uncomfortable situations with roommates to take place.

The Food
The food was absolutely atrocious. We were served the grossest meals such as pasta with yogurt (YES, with YOGURT on top), gross dumplings, and a plethora of other unappetizing and unhealthy options. The volunteers and participants with dietary constraints often had a difficult time getting fed.

Many of the junior participants told me they had much better food at their school cafeteria!

The Staff
I felt terrible for the staff, many of whom seemed completely worn out and void of happiness. I can imagine they are miserable, as it seems the senior management of Angloville doesn’t value anything but their bank accounts. And it’s a real shame because some of the staff are actually good people.

The Volunteers
The volunteers of Angloville all come from different walks of life. Some are old and some are very young. Some are native speakers and some are learned speakers. Some are nice and cool, and others awkward and quiet. There is high school clique-ness that often occurs, which is annoying to be around. There have been many times where there were fights amongst the volunteers. I believe a couple of stressful days stranded far away from the mainland with this abusive program takes its toll on people.

The Participants
The participants are absolutely great. However, I’m certain this isn’t something that is unique to this program. I would imagine all camps throughout the EU have great participants. The people who participate in these programs are children and adults who are truly interested in improving their English and enjoying a week of camp. They are very enthusiastic and you can become very attached to them in such a short time.

I must say that it really hurts me to know they are getting taken advantage of by this scam-like program that is charging them absurd amounts of money and given very little in return.

Better Alternatives
If you really want to volunteer your time and energy for a language immersion camp, then I would highly urge you to do so with one that values your time and offers the best experience. I have heard amazing things about Diverbo and Vaughn Town. Volunteers of theirs say it's the best experience. Great venues, great food, great people, very organized. I’ve never done either of these programs, but I trust my sources. Do some research of your own into these and make the best decision.

It was great. The locals were nice and interested, I had a good time. I also learned a bit of Romanian. I'm planning to go back and work there as a permanent English teacher. It seems to be easy to find a job in Romania as an English speaker but it's not. I love the country so this is why I joined. I guess Prince Charles's love for Transylvania convinced me, for this beautiful peaceful places.

This was my first Angloville experience, having participated last year for the first time on a similar organisation's project. I was aware of what would be expected of me and the type of week it would be. It excelled my expectations. I stayed in a place called Chojnik, in Southern Poland, a couple of hours from Wroclaw. Everyone who took part was friendly. The leaders Ryan and Mattie were laid back but instilled a discipline in the group because you WANTED to do the best for them. Great enthusiasm from everyone. As with my previous experience, volunteers were from across the pond as well as England, so its great to share travel experiences and tips with them and from them. The Polish participants came from all walks of life so there was never a dull moment as far as topics for conversation went. And of course, as a volunteer, your board and lodging is free. Comfortable room, shared with a very easy to get along with roomie. Ryan checked out our social habits before pairing people up which is useful if you tend to be an early riser and earlyish to bed. The Chojnik venue is totally tranquil, with lovely walks that can be taken in free time. Would definitely recommend Angloville from my experience and look forward to taking part in more, if they will have me, in years to come. Some volunteers use it as a means to travel continually, especially from the USA, and work out a schedule that takes you from venue to venue. Cracking idea!

In September 2015, I joined Angloville in Hungary at Hotel Nyerges. This was my first experience in such a program. I applied to this program to have a unique experience in my humdrum life. Plus, I couldn’t say no to see Budapest and stay free of charge at a resort with a pool, thermal bath, and Jacuzzi, including free board and 3 meals a day for one week. Of course, I had to work, but, somehow, after a vigorous week, I felt rested and re-energized.

When I applied, I was concerned that the program was a scam -- too good to be true. However, I did a proper research on the program and didn’t find any negative comment or even a warning to stay away. So, I decided to apply thinking that if it was a scam, they would ask me for money at any point during the application process and even after. However, they never did. In fact, administrators of the program were friendly, positive, and professional.

Last, but not least, I was concerned that I wouldn’t be accepted. Though I earned TEFL Certificate, and my English language knowledge, I believe, is on par with most of English-born speakers, I was apprehensive due to my accent. My accent is not thick, but it stands out. Nevertheless, I was accepted into the program. As Gideon (my Skype interviewee – talk about a new experience) told me that having a different accent in the program will be beneficial to local participants since people of the world speak in English with different kinds of accents and exposing themselves to one would be a great experience. With such positive feedback, I was ready to head out to the land of people who grow wonderful wine (though a bit too sweet) and speak one of the craziest languages of this beautiful planet.

Before coming to the program, I received all of the itineraries that included step-by-step explanations about the tour of Budapest and of the program itself. Of course, one requirement was to provide a confirmation number of my in-bound flight to show my commitment to the program.

My first experience with Angloville (not counting my Skype interview) was during the Budapest tour where I met the Anglos for the first time. The tour guide, Eva Kleyer, was a good guide and provided interesting information about the history of Budapest. Yes, there was a lot of walking, but we also traveled on the local bus and metro. The tour consisted of Buda Castle, Hero Square with the local castle (where a traditional festival was taking place), and random visits such as to Jewish controversial monument, a playful fountain, and monument to Soviet regime and a statue to Ronald Regan on the same square. The tour ended with a lunch.

The program
First and foremost, I want to send positive energy and evaluation to two organizers and administrators of the program Fanni and Sebastian. They were extremely dedicated to the program. Both of them went beyond and above to make sure the program ran smoothly and was interesting, exciting, and fulfilling for all particinants. Due to their dedication, no one had to worry about administrative aspects and activities of the program.

The teaching/tutoring consisted of already pre-planned questions and idioms that we had to discuss with English-learners. Of course, we didn’t have to stick to the provided questions. Many talked about topics that either were connected to the theme of the lesson or about something else entirely. Furthermore, there were group activities, two-on-two activities, and, finally, a presentation on any topic that an English-learner would like to talk about. Anglos, for the final project, worked only as mentors. Overall, the organizers did a phenomenal job with preparations and running of the program. Pre-planned lessons were difficult to talk about but were not a hindrance. After all, when intelligent people come together, conversations become quite interesting.

Last, but not last, group activities were fun and exciting; really took people out of their comfort zone. The environment was safe, I believe, and it allowed participants to be a bit foolish that was welcomed. Two-on-two conversations were rare but more useful. One such activity was a telephone conversation. I wish we had more of such activities.

My recommendation about the activities would be to create more useful activities that are challenging but not too philosophical because some one-on-one discussions had such great conversations that 45 minutes for an activity wasn’t enough. A lesson is as good as the activity that ends on time.

As for Hotel Nyerges, I would say that the place was great. It was homey. The air was fresh (considering I came from NYC) with lots of animals. Plus, there was a Jacuzzi, a thermal bath, a pool, and great menu (did I mention this before?). However, the place lacks an air-conditioner in the rooms or even a good fan.

In the conclusion, I would highly recommend for any English-speaking individual (who has a good knowledge of it and either was born in an English-speaking country or has a mild accent, like I do) and those want to improve English to jump into this program head first. It would be a new experience and meeting new people of different backgrounds and experiences is always a great idea. You will work hard, but you will relax and won’t feel too stressed out (imagine having an activity in a Jacuzzi). This was definitely a different kind of vacation that I would do again.

Angloville was a wonderful experience! The online TEFL course provides great practical information for anyone considering teaching English. The course is well set out and has videos to watch, links and tips that are very helpful. The actual Angloville programmes were fabulous. We really enjoyed meeting the local participants, talking with them about their lives, the culture and country, politics, films, all sorts of things. Participants on the programmes had different interests and careers and great senses of humour! It was great to be able to support them in improving their language skills and/ or develop confidence in conversational English. I am a trained teacher and have had English teaching experience in other countries so was very much at home here. My husband though had no teaching experience and knows very little about English grammar so was a little nervous before it started, wondering if he would be very useful- it turns out he loved it!! Not scary at all, very personable and we were well supported. The programme was very well organised and led by down to earth friendly co-ordinators who valued the effort we put in and created a great atmosphere for participants and volunteers alike. We enjoyed social time with participants and other native speakers and had time for ourselves as well. The setting was wonderful, food very good and we enjoyed yoga by the water each morning! A terrific experience I can highly recommend. We are already looking forward to doing more Angloville programmes in the future!

An exquisite volunteer opportunity for trainee and experienced English teachers alike. The Polish participants are so attentive that conversing with them is a true delight. The venues are luxurious with wonderful, traditional cuisine and a relaxing atmosphere. However, the greatest praise must be reserved for the highly competent and well-qualified coordinators who perform their jobs perfectly. They train trainee teachers to become TEFL-certified. Furthermore, even though I had been teaching for seven years before attending the course, I found their coordinators to be highly insightful in terms of pedagogical awareness, more so than their comparative trainers on PGCE courses. They are eager to help all volunteers merticulously attending to career development needs. I would give this course my unconditional recommendation.

I had a wonderful experience in the Czech Republic as a volunteer for the Angloville program. I did this program as part of the TEFL scholarship. I am an English teacher in Spain and highly valued the program structure and activities. I learned a great deal about life in the Czech Republic and had a wonderful time conversing with my fellow native speakers and Czech participants. This is an excellent way to travel to a new country on a deeper level. I talked to so many people from many backgrounds and it was a truly rewarding experience.