Program Reviews

The start of the rest of your life!

I can remember the first day like it was yesterday. The sun was beaming down and it was a glorious day to start my life in Prague. The staff were friendly and really welcoming and I was excited to start. We got all the information about the course, not really taking much in, I was like a kid in a sweet shop, I just wanted it to start. However there was more planned, quick whistle stop tour of Prague itself. Great first day. The days turned into weeks and the weeks become the month, and then everything had finished. Yes it was stressful, yes I was stressed, but the people you meet and the experiences you gain are definitely worth it. I would recommend this course to anyone. The teaching experience is daunting at first, but you get used to it....you have to!

Thank you to everyone involved, and I have certainly made some friends for life.

I absolutely loved my four week TEFL course through Smaller Earth. It was an extremely rewarding experience both culturally and educationally. Not only was my teacher a wealth of knowledge, but the rest of the Smaller Earth staff was nothing but helpful. Our program coordinator Shannon facilitated us through the entire course as well as job, housing, and visa assistance. Four months into my life in Prague I have a job I love, am exploring a beautiful and culturally diverse city, and I could not have done it without the amazing people at Smaller Earth.

I completed my TELF course in July 2014. After leaving a large company to come teach English abroad, I was nervous about finding a job and succeeding at something new. This course and program ensures that you are able to find a job after the course should you wish to stay, and even makes it very easy for you to apply. All you really have to do it look at the recommendations and apply! The interview is up to you. As far as the course goes, this program sets you up for success. With various lessons to teach with different themes and support for planning, I felt at ease while teaching in front of Czech students who only had a intermediate knowledge of English.

On a whim, I started googling TEFL courses about a year ago when I stumbled upon Hello Academies. What really sparked my interest about this course was not only the location, but their overall simplistic and user-friendly style. This course really focuses on the individual and making your stay in Prague personal and enjoyable. From the moment I spoke to Shannon during my Skype interview, I felt secure in my decision to move abroad. All of my questions and more were answered in a thorough and respectful manner. The staff at Hello Academies is incredibly helpful not only with TEFL related topics, but with flat searching, visa assistance, and job assistance as well. By the end of the course I had a flat near the city center and a wonderful job at a preschool. Although this course makes for an intensive 4 weeks, it thoroughly prepares you for various teaching positions and you can use your TEFL certificate all over the world. They cover everything from lesson planning and structure to teaching methods, and provide you with loads of references for your future teaching needs. Teaching real english language learners was a great benefit of this program in that you were able to directly apply the skills you were being taught and even gain perspective into your own teaching style by receiving feedback after each lesson. My experience with Hello Academies was truly wonderful and I was impressed at the level of dedication and helpfulness of the staff. They really want to see you succeed which makes all the difference. I would recommend this course to anyone looking to teach English aboard!

Well I've been in China for about a 1month and like 14 days. I've been to 5 different cities (with my host family) now we live in Shanghai. It has its ups and downs, like when you get to drive out to the countryside and pick fresh cherries after the rain fall. Or the family says we are driving somewhere let's go. Then you end up rushing back to the house for your passport because the place you were driving was the airport to take a flight to another city. You know little things. BE WARNED : Chinese people don't plan ahead, don't tell you somethings wrong until it's too late ( unless you're like me and ask for a weekly update on how they think you're doing, which no other au pair does haha). Also they spoil their kids and drive crazy. BE GLAD : Chinese people are mostly wealthy so you can do cool fancy stuff at times, sometimes go on vaca without their Au pair so you can do fun stuff while they're gone and will tend to give you more money than your monthly pocket money if they like you.

I say come if you want to or miss out, but all of us have done it or are doing it so we won't look back wondering what if. The question is, will you? :o
if you have questions or want to know more about my trip heres my info
instagram: LEX_ZAVIER
email: juezno@gmail.com
skype: pshr10
wechat: awsugarcookies

I absolutely loved my time as an au pair. Because we lived with a family we experienced Spain's distinct food and way of life to an extent you can't get any other way, while also getting money to fund other experiences. I made so many great friends from all over the world and was able to see so much of Spain. I suppose there was support if we needed it but I was ready to be completely independent so I loved that we had that opportunity. Spain is truly an amazing country with such vibrant life so I can't imagine going anywhere more fun and with such a diverse range of activities to occupy myself with. The matching process to a family was very efficient and my family was so incredibly nice and helpful. For me it was such pure fun I didn't even really notice how much of the language I was picking up or what a colorful culture I was adjusting to.

If you're planning a TEFL course in Prague, or anywhere for that matter, make it this one! Adrienne is an incredible, thorough teacher with experience teaching a range of ages and abilities on several differnet continents. Her approach simplifies everything, and through her personalized approach, you'll come out a confident, capable teacher. Shannon and Tomas provide excellent assistance throughout, ranging from help with finding accommodation, locating a post office, or simply a great restaurant to try. If this isn't enough, remember that Prague is a beautiful city in which you will never run out of great things to see or do. In summary, fantastic staff, a great location, and a genuinely great experience. I wholeheartedly recommend this course!

Hello Academies was such a wonderful experience. Adrienne was an amazing instructor who really personalized every lesson to each student. I was part of a small class which, at first, I was nervous about. This actually made my experience here better. Shannon and Tomas are so helpful and really make sure you have everything you need while taking this course, and well after. Any questions, concerns or issues you have will be taken care of or assisted with. I am so happy I decided to go with Hello Academies because it was such an amazing course. There is nothing I would have changed about my experience and if you are thinking about doing it, you should stop thinking and sign up. This course will prepare you for any TEFL job you want and more. Prague is a beautiful city that you will regret not seeing.

Where to start... Too many good things about this course!! I believe the first and best thing to mention is the staff: they really are always there for you, for anything you need from housing, jobs, help with coursework...anything. The facilities are good, though as someone mentioned would be cool to have a proper kitchen to cook great meals at :)
The teacher is amazing and really knowledgeable and if you pay attention, you will go far on the teaching business. Best of all, they make teaching fun around there, though despite some hard work there is never too much pressure to handle (well, except maybe before the first couple of lessons you will teach).
Jobs are going to be easy to find with this certification, so despite being a bit expensive consider this: one month and you are a qualified teacher, able to teach anywhere in the world. Worth it!

The TEFL trainer was a great teacher who was very helpful in every aspect and organized this course beautifully. I enjoyed teaching our private students and experiencing what it feels like to learn a new language during our Czech lessons. While this course was very intensive, I now feel prepared to teach English professionally. One of the best parts of this course was the job assistance. I was placed in a job before I even graduated! This took a lot of the stress away about finding a job in a new country and made this experience one that I will always remember. I also really enjoyed the different events that were planned for us because we got to see a lot of Prague and meet new people. I would recommend this course to anyone!