Program Reviews

The current, on-staff TEFL instructor has extensive experience teaching English on 3 different continents and genuinely cares about the quality of the course. I thoroughly recommend SmallerEarth. They are knowledgeable, helpful, and love what they do. Can you ask for more? The first week can be a little tough with information overload, but the last 3 weeks go quickly once you start teaching in the evenings. Prague is a great city with lots to do. Shannon schedules fun outings and I recommend taking a free tour of Prague. I haven't been in Prague more than a month a half yet and I now have a TEFL certification, a great flat in a beautiful part of the city center, and multiple, well paying positions teaching English. If you are hesitating. Don't. It's entirely worth it.

A day to day review of this course would not only take a long while to write about, but would be difficult to remember all the good stuff, so I will give some examples. The staff is crazy helpful with anything and everything. From making sure you have sufficient internet access, materials to complete the course, several times things were purchased by the staff out of the goodness of their hearts, (e.g. pens, binners (twice), plastic inserts). This was most helpful to me as they understood money was extremly tight and they helped when they could. Whenever I needed to stay late to use the internet, as I did not have a computer or internet access outside the classroom, someone stayed behind to allow me time to get things done. There was always someone around to help with lesson planning, if you were stuck or needed that little nudge to get you going. The office was open every morning at 9 o'clock, again something I appreciated very much. I didn't encounter any difficulties other than getting on a subway train going in the wrong direction a few times, because someone was always there to assist you. All throughout my 4 weeks all employees and teacher were very communicative (like the teaching method). I hope to see them all again in the near future.

This was a great pilot course. I learned a lot and felt that by the end of the course I was ready to teach English in Prague and abroad. Throughout the course we had a lot of fun events planned for us which was nice to have things to do when you move to a new city. I made a lot of friends during these four weeks and feel that it was definitely worth the investment. Prague is a great city and this is the best way to work and travel in Europe. I would definitely recommend Smaller Earth to others.

I am very satisfied with my experience working with Smaller Earth. I was looking at several of their programs but chose this program in Europe. I have always wanted to travel and Prague seemed to be the most centrally located making travelling easier. After getting all of the information and talking to the program coordinator, I paid my deposit and here I am! This program has gone by so quickly and I have learned a lot. It is a very intense four weeks but I feel like I am able to confidently teach English to others. Adjusting to a new country is always hard no matter which country you move to, but all of the different activities and cultural trips made me feel a lot better about living in a new place. Also the Czech lessons were a life savor! If your looking for an adventure and want to try something new I would definitely recommend this program for you.

I love Prague and everything about this city. It is so much fun and there is always so much to do here that you will never get bored. Choosing Smaller Earth to complete my TEFL through their pilot program was a great decision. It was very affordable and had a lot of benefits compared to other programs when I was doing research. I felt really prepared after I graduated and was able to get a full time teaching job at a preschool right after graduation. Getting my TEFL allowed me to make a good living in Prague and helped me earn enough money to travel on my days off. I love how exciting my life has become and I am very thankful that Smaller Earth helped me with this opportunity.

I wanted to work and travel in Europe and thought that teaching English would help benefit my career. I looked at programs and was impressed by Smaller Earth and all of the programs they offered. Any questions that I had were easily answered and deciding to do their pilot program was a great decision for my career. I found a job right away after graduation and have no complaints about this program. I love Prague and travelling in Europe.

Smaller Earth was very helpful in choosing the right program for me. They had 24/7 assistance if I had any questions or concerns and were with me every step of the way. I would highly recommend Smaller Earth and their TEFL program!

Been here in Vietnam since end of August 2012... 3 months and going strong! Having so much fun, in a really good placement with very kind and affectionate staff. The locals are really great people and had minor incidents.

The staff at TTV are beyond helpful. Any little problem you have, they will be dealing with it right away no questions asked. They are very insightful and always there to help you teach.

I've been teaching in Saigon for a little over 3 months now and the time of my life doesn't even come close to describing the fun I've had, the Friends I've made and most importantly; what I've learned from my time in Vietnam. It all started with a sweaty week of the most wide ranging and informative orientation I have ever received from a company I've worked for. The basic Vietnamese lessons were very useful. Once you learn how to order a Banh Mi and an Iced Coffee you never look back. Then came my placement, which I was quite anxious about beforehand. Rumours of the Chinese Border and Floating Shack Schools abounded but luckily I ended up staying right in Saigon. But Vietnam is such an ever changing and wonderful place that, looking back now, you shouldn't worry about it.

I have always felt quite safe in Saigon. Needless to say there are certain places you just don't go but you get that in any city. 99.9% of Vietnamese people I've encountered are willing to lend a hand in any situation whether it be kickstarting your Honda or helping you cross 12 lanes of traffic.

As for the placement and the support I received before and now during the contract; I couldn't ask for more. Any question great or small, personal or general is answered and you will be assisted with any issue you may have with your placement. I've found that no issue is too great or too small for this company and its staff. Any Medical concerns, Visa Troubles, Travel and Accommodation issues were all comprehensively dealt with.

One thing I would advise to anyone thinking of applying to this Internship Programme is to be patient. It's South East Asia and Vietnam is still very much a Developing Country, despite what the cities and coastal paradises may offer. Vietnamese people have a set way of doing things as you will discover in your placement. You will see things, taste things and experience things you couldn't imagine in your wildest dreams. But it is all worth it.

I had a great time during the four week course in HCMC. I had never travelled overseas by myself before and was quite nervous, but the support from the staff before, during and after the training has been nothing but excellent. It was good to have step by step instructions as to what to do when stepping off the plane, how to pick up my visa and go through customs. Important also was that someone was there to pick me up and take me to the right place.
Being part of a small friendly class meant that we become quite close as a group, to each other and to the staff. We worked hard but had fun at the same time. I always felt safe in Saigon and quickly learned things like crossing the road, avoiding being run over by motor bikes and how easy it is to use a taxi.
On completion of the course I felt as if I was equipped to start my journey as an English teacher. I was placed, along with one of the other interns, with a company who own 8 schools in the central and southern parts of Vietnam. We were sent to the Mekong Delta to teach but not just in one school like most of the interns but in two towns/schools. This is a great adventure for both of us and we absolutely love it. Because we are living in smaller towns that are not on the tourist route, we are made to feel very special. The staff at both of our schools have made us feel welcomed and have looked after our needs.
I have loved learning new things nearly every day. Living and working with the people of Vietnam is something I will treasure forever. You do not experience the "real" Vietnam just by visiting for a few days or even weeks. You need to get into the lives of the local people.
I would recommend this course and experience to anyone who is thinking about it.