Teach English in Cambodia with LanguageCorps' TEFL Certification

In 2008 I joined Language Corps teacher training program. Not only was I able to visit, train and travel around Cambodia I was given invaluable tools that have stayed with me to this day.

The Cambodia Language Corps team were amazing, they handled everything professionally and were honest about the ESL teaching experience.

In the short time I was with them I was able to get the skills needed to sustain me in my current company and indeed give me the advantage over my competition during my most recent promotion.

I have nothing but good things to say about the instructors. Everyone is very personable and has given me great assistance and advice.

However, I do have several criticisms.

1) The resume/CV building part of the course seemed, to me, to be just time filling nonsense. In two minutes there could have simply been a template designed on Microsoft Word and distributed to the students, rather than spend 1.5 hours writing on the board what needed to be done.

2) When the course was over, no one at the hotel (Marady Hotel) told me I would start to be charged the Saturday immediately following the conclusion of the course on Friday. One would think there would be at least a weekend grace period to find new accommodations. On the contrary, I went to check out on Sunday afternoon and found out they charged me for the two days. No one said anything about this beforehand nor offered any reminders.

3) The job assistance feature I felt was lacking. We were told to have a copy of the CV and a picture. But some of the "affiliated schools" (for lack of a better term) requested cover letters, glossy CV's, color pictures, etc. We were not adequately prepared for that and it was rather embarrassing. I got my job due to luck, I knew a teacher before hand and he got me in. A Language Corps friend of mine still does not have a job after 1 month and is now leaving for China.

Small potatoes though, I'm nickpicking on what otherwise was a fantastic experience with a great group. The trips to the beach and Angkor Wat were particularly memorable. I would do it again in a heartbeat. My criticism are more aimed at making the LC experience better as a whole, so as to grow your company even more.

I felt that for the price paid for accommodation it was not good enough. All though it was nice it was still way more expensive than the local guesthouses which is pretty much the same but definitely more than half the price. The support given during the training was good but afterwards in terms of helping to find a job I felt there was not too much support.

LanguageCorps was a great way to be introduced to a totally different country. I went to Cambodia in 2009. The one or two extremely helpful staff acted as your translator and helped figure out visa situations, housing, job placement and so many other little things that would be near impossible without the help of a local. The other amazing part of the program is bonding with your group of fellow teachers the first 2 weeks in Cambodia before most go off and teach in Thailand or Vietnam. You are instantly in a social scene with these people as well as the staff and the languagecorps alumni still living in Phnom Penh. Even when the groups separates after 2 weeks you now have friends to visit in surrounding countries.

As for the quality of the training, I was somewhat unimpressed for the price. One or two trainers were experienced educators and were able to pass on helpful knowledge for when we would start teaching. A few of the other trainers had no clue about teaching, but stood in front of us bumbling on and on to try and pass the few hours they had with us.
The refreshers in grammar, punctuation, and tenses were helpful although I still felt under-prepared once I started teaching. A lot of it is left up to you to learn as you go, which is ok and understandable since we only have 2 weeks together.

The following 2 weeks of in country training consisted of language training and practice teaching.

The Khmer language training was really great and allowed me to learn useful phrases and words right away. We even went out in a group to a small store and had to buy things without using English. The practice teaching was hit and miss. I ended up teaching to different random people everyday that were brought in to act as students. Others got to teach the same kids over and over at orphanages.

Overall I think langaugecorps is still worth it (if you get the more basic/cheaper packages). You will meet awesome people (local and fellow program participants) that you will bond with, you will get a nicer, smoother intro to a completely foreign country than if you were to show up and try to get work on your own. You will have a network or past and future languagecorps participants in your area.

No one can prepare you to teach English in a first world country in 1 month (people take 4 years to teach in their own country), however I think lanaguagecorps could have done a better job with the time they had with us. They know this and were trying to improve, so I'm sure its somewhat better now. Either way, if you understand this and know what your getting for your money I'd say do it.

The LanguageCorps program is great. It provides you with all the information and hours you need to succeed at teaching abroad.

After two weeks of classroom learning in Cambodia, I went to Thailand to do another two weeks of student teaching. I personally decided to return to Cambodia where local staff helped set me up with schools around Phnom Penh. I had a few job offers within two days, but I allowed about two weeks to choose the ones I really wanted.

I was qualified to teach at a university, a language school, a private high school/middle school and a grade school. So I did them all through two education systems!

LanguageCorps was not my first foray into the world of expatriate living (I had currently served in the US Peace Corps in Africa), but it was definitely a new and exciting experience.

I can't imagine taking TESOL classes in America and then applying them abroad. This program nailed it and I have already recommended it to a few friends.

With what the program claims to offer, I believe they do an excellent job of following through. I completed the course in October 2011 and had two teaching positions within the first week of certification, both of which I held until I returned home in February (most people work for at least a year, but I had only planned for a shorter stay). The course prepared me for the classes I taught, but it is only a four week course so do not expect to be mastered in teaching when you begin.

LanguageCorps is also always available for questions during your time there, when I needed a visa to enter Vietnam for a vacation they responded right away with the best place to get one and how much it should be. I also became friends with the local employees and it was nice to run into them around town and see a familiar face.

Although many people look at the cost of the program and wonder if it could be worth it, the first month alone includes two weekend trips (Angkor Wat and Sihanoukville), excellent housing, and transportation. Furthermore, within a few months of teaching, you can easily make up the cost of the program. It pays for itself, though, with the amount of networking, support, and comfort it provides in a completely foreign land.