Program Reviews

You don't really know how much paperwork the process of moving to a new country requires until you're in the middle of it. Luckily, I worked with Georgie and Teacher's Friend and was able to get everything together and move to Vietnam completely prepared (and in a relatively short amount of time)! She helped make sure I had all the correct information and forms, and connected me with people in Hanoi so I had friends from the moment I first stepped foot in the country. One gal who Teacher's Friend connected me with has remained one of my closest friends in Hanoi and frequently goes on weekend adventures with me, as well as just local outings to try another delicious dish.

I'm incredibly grateful for finding Teacher's Friend and all the help Georgie did to get me to Vietnam in one, relatively calm, piece.

Teacher’s Friend Vietnam is an excellent service that I would highly recommend to anyone hoping to find an ESL job in Vietnam before they arrive.

From the very beginning, I was a fussy client! I was previously teaching ESL in Shanghai, China and hoping to move to Vietnam to be with my girlfriend, who is a Vietnamese national. As I would be living with her, there were various parts of the service that I would not need to make use of. Also, having already experienced teaching ESL in China (where the ESL system has many similarities but also some differences to the system in Vietnam), as well as hoping to fit my teaching career around the life I wished to lead while living in Vietnam (i.e. teaching during typical office hours, specific age group, work permit etc.), I had various specific requirements that I wished to address when signing the contract.

The Director of TFV, Georgie, was extremely courteous in the service she provided to me. She was willing to kindly alter the terms and wording of the contract to accommodate my specific requirements, and then followed through on every word!

Within a week, a host of employers were contacting me to arrange interviews for jobs that were exactly the kind of role that I was looking.

If you are hoping to land an ESL teaching job in Vietnam before you arrive, or are already there but moving from one city to another and want a job ready in your new city before you arrive, you can trust TFV to help you, advise you and follow through on your contract.

Recommended!

It can be difficult to figure out where to start in Vietnam. Getting a good job is all about getting you foot in the door. Teacher's Friend provides that foot in they door. I taught part time and they helped me get nice classes that paid well with nice reliable employers, which can be difficult to find in Vietnam. I also found other classes from the contacts provided by Teacher's Friend. I highly recommend Teacher's Friend, they were always there if I needed any support along the way and helped to point me in the right direction.

I wanted to teach in a university in Central Vietnam in the Spring Semester, 2015, and could not develop any interest despite my teaching in China a year ago. Possibly, my age (66) was a problem. I went to Vietnam in February thinking I would have better luck in person. Alex suggested I try volunteering in Ho Chi Minh City which I did.
One of the people Alex contacted to learn if he could help me was a university student in Danang. I told him my story, and he shared it with his professors. As a result, I visited Danang for an interview. After sharing information, my wife and I were offered teaching responsibilities at very good university pay for an academic year (and possibly longer if we are mutually satisfied with the outcome). Learning who to contact at Vietnam universities and what they wanted was difficult for me to learn. I am confident that without Alex's efforts, I would not enjoy this opportunity.

Moving to another country is always going to be a hugely exciting, but equally as daunting task. Getting to grips with a new culture, a new city and a new language can get a bit overwhelming, so having someone there to guide you through it makes all of the difference.

Hanoi is an amazing city; rich in culture, vibrancy and teaching opportunities. Finding the right opportunity, however, is not as simple as you might think.

My girlfriend and I both chose to move to Hanoi, hearing that there were so many teaching positions available. What we weren't told is that quite a few of these positions are with untrustworthy employers. Finding TFV has made everything so much easier. We now have jobs at respectable, legitimate Language centers, live in a lovely apartment and feel like we are part of the city.

Alex (company owner) has been great with helping us find work. He has a vast network of language centers and schools that he works with, and helped us choose one that suited us best. He was also there to give interview advice and tips, and provide help with teaching specifically in Hanoi.

Although we didn't take the full package (as we heard about the company once we had already gone through the grueling task of finding our apartment), our experience with TFV has been nothing but positive. If you're thinking about taking the plunge into the world of ESL teaching, then I can't recommend Teacher's Friend and Vietnam enough.