The Results of My Research

I spent a lot of time researching TEFL courses including online and face to face courses. I made the decision that an In-Class course would be far more beneficial, as it offered was a practical component to the course of real-time teaching with real non-English speaking students.

My investigation led me to Vantage as it met all my expectations. First and foremost, it had to be internationally recognized and accredited by a reputable educational Institution. Secondly, they had to have more than just a couple of hours of actual teaching practice. Thirdly, the trainers not only had to meet but exceed stringent academic requirements for teaching TEFL. Having Cambridge University accreditation and backed by Fort Hays State University certainly met the criteria. Kevin, the Courses Director, answered all my follow-up questions and showed me around their training center.

Teaching a language is much more about getting the students to speak—and motivating them to do so. The course pushed me well beyond my comfort zone on some occasions. Trainer Chris was always there to encourage us. As a trainer, you would be hard to find someone any better. With the level of experience he has, his knowledge of the industry and how he always goes above and beyond with every aspect of the training. He will do everything in his power to ensure that you are prepared and confident with teaching English to others, as well as making sure you are enjoying the course. And he does this all with a sense of humour.

I certainly had many rewarding experiences during the practicum sessions. Without the 6 hours of observed teaching we were required to do, I would have found it far more difficult to become a confident teacher. While I was more than nervous at my first session, by the sixth lesson. I felt far more confident, relaxed and knew what to expect from the class and from myself. The feedback from Vantage and my fellow trainees were, productive, and invaluable. The Thai students were fantastic, very polite and a joy to teach.

By doing this course, be prepared to step outside your comfort zone. The experience, feedback, and encouragement received throughout the course from the team at Vantage are second to none.

Doing my TEFL training at Vantage was an amazing experience. The course certainly gave me the necessary skills to be able to successfully teach English as a second language.