Teach in Europe - Recommended TEFL Course for Americans

It's easy to take an online TEFL class or find the cheapest place that will certify you, but when it comes to being prepared to actually Teach English as a Foreign Language, The Language House is where to go. It's an intense 4 week course but by the end you feel ready to go out and teach for a living. They still keep it fun by arranging activities and reminding you that you're in an incredible city. TLH takes care of it's students and has a great network in Prague and around the world, there's a constant stream of job offers for graduates. I would recommend anyone looking to teach abroad to get their TEFL certificate at The Language House.

I had an excellent experience with The Language House! I took the TEFL course in May and with their support and assistance was easily able to find full time teaching work in Prague. The course was demanding yet effectively prepared me to begin teaching immediately in a way that no online course ever could. In addition to the instruction, we were also shown around Prague and received assistance with finding housing and other tasks necessary to live in a new country. I remain very close friends with the majority of my TEFL course as well as my instructors. I would highly recommend this course to anyone considering a TEFL program.

I decided to come to Prague and go to TLH on a whim, not really knowing what to expect. I met my classmates, and thought, "man we're just a bunch of young 20-somethings, fresh out of college." The course itself is super intense, but it finishes quickly. The amount of information given to you is a little overwhelming, but you get exposure to teaching English almost straight away. I had no background teaching English, accept for a two week stint I had in China about two years before I was in Prague in 2016. The good news is that you don't need any kind of background. I majored in anthropology in college, and never in me dreams thought I would end up here. Anyways, if you don't have any experience with teaching, don't worry. They will teach you EVERYTHING you need to know. And then they'll stick with you and help you be successful. And they'll remember you, even if you're gone for a full year. When I finished the course, I still had one more year of college left, so I returned home to Michigan to finish my education. Earlier this year, I decided to actually move to Prague, and I have been enjoying my time here ever since. The staff at TLH even remembered me, even after a full year had passed! They even remembered my name! Crazy! When I made the jump across the pond, I had the same fear you're probably having right now, "Am I going to be able to find a job?" Well, let me reassure you, that is not going to be an issue. If you search hard enough and send out enough emails, finding employment in Prague will not be hard. Also, the community here is so supportive, and they will help you find a job! Additionally, the Czech Republic is in the dead center of Europe, so anywhere you want to go in Europe (or even the world, really) is easily assessable. I actually just returned from a weekend trip to Berlin, and resume my normal work week tomorrow. Saving money is not really difficult either, so don't worry about that. Traveling around Europe is cheap. I paid about 38 euro to and from Berlin and 25 euro a night at a hostel. Cheap and easy. I hope you come to Prague!

Okay, so I blog, so its going to be sort of a "bloggy" review. If you don't like to read, sorry not sorry.

Where do I start?
I moved to Barcelona, Spain and after my Spanish classes and learning that my only source of income as an American in Europe will be to teach English, I decided to better my skills by getting certified. Now I could have just looked for a program in Spain. And, in fact, I did! I learned about The Language House, in Prague, 7 months ago through a friend, and decided to compare the programs available to me here in Spain to The Language House. Let me tell you, Barcelona has my heart but the TEFL programs do not compare. First the value I was getting with The Language House, as far as resources, housing, experience, and in-depth skill development blew other courses I found out of the water. Second the price! The price was cheaper compared to my runner up in Spain. The runner up tried to price match, but I still went with The Language House and I am glad I did. I truly did extensive research when I was choosing a TEFL program. I conducted interviews! Like you want me at your program, sell me! (There were many reasons for that, which I will not go into details on. LOL!)

The Staff
The first person I talked to was the owner. I was in Prague unannounced during one of my "interviews". I recall the doors being closed (the school had just finished a course, thus the school was closed), and talking to Chris W, who was in New York. It was around 4am, not sure what he was doing up, but he answered and was extremely helpful. As you know first impressions are everything, and the accessibility of the owner had me leaning over the fence. Chris W set up a meeting with Nica, a visa guru. My case was special and extreme and many people like to think they're a guru, but Nica is really the VISA GURU!! I had 14 days left on my tourist visa and she found a solution in which I did not have to go to my country of origin and apply for a visa there, I did not have to hide from boarder control, and I can get my visa quickly. She jumped through many loop holes. A true GURU!

My Experience
It was time for me to start the course. The course is labor (I'm American) intensive. I am not sure when I became so sensitive, but I did cry. LOL!! Look, I've been out of school for like 5 years! Anyway, everything about that course was as it should be. You are there to learn, to try, to fail, and learn again. The staff is there to help you succeed and they want you to! Overtime, you get better and lesson planning becomes so easy! You become patient and comfortable in silence when teaching lower level ESL classes. You become creative and develop skills you did not think you have. You have your classmates that want you succeed as well and are there to help you. You have the staff you are available to guide you, and you can use them as a student for a mock class. You have an abundance amount of resources and The Language House community is so strong you have previous students you can lean on. I swear to you the community is so rich. You have someone like me, who decided not to stay in Prague, who can help if you need advise or help with job placement in Spain. If you wish to go to China, there is an alumnus that you can connect with. Its a community; a teacher-hood. Alumni are everywhere, and even on the internet teaching! Your course will become your family with ties lasting outside the program.

How it helped me in Teaching?
When I returned to Spain, I was hired to teach at a summer english camp in Girona. I had to teach 15-16 year-old ESL students for 3 hours a day...during the summer...at a camp. If you're not catching my tone: my classes were outside next to a pool with nature as a distraction. Of course I was nervous because who isn't nervous their first day? However, when I had to create lessons that will keep their attention for 3 hours, it was really a breeze! I am not kidding. I was able to recycle lessons and build upon it. I had to teach 3 hour classes for 9 days. My students were so sweet! They told me I was the best teacher ever, and was able to explain why in English in complete grammatically correct sentences. Because, of course, that's the point.

Review
I know this was pretty lengthy but I wanted to share my true thoughts on this program. Things truly happen for a reason and it led me to The Language House in Prague and I am ever so glad it did. :)

The Language House in Prague, CZ is a well-run, well-organized program, and they really do the most to take care of you and make you feel confident about teaching. I can honestly say I felt ready to teach after taking the course. I met great people and have great memories from it.

Beyond that, the staff if friendly, helpful, and they know how to make the course fun and exciting. Teaching has brought all kinds of good things in my life and I have to thank the program and staff for helping me prepare for a job I love doing!

You won't be disappointed with TLH. Sign up and do it!

Jake

I completed my TEFL course at The Language House a few months before I left to serve in the Peace Corps in Lesotho, Southern Africa.
While being a primary school teacher here (Lesotho) is very different than what I did at TLH, I am still so happy that I went to the language house. The staff was excellent. The students with whom we practiced were superb. Prague is amazing. I learned a lot about teaching English and I have put those skills to use here in Lesotho. I'm also excited to teach adult classes when I go back to the US.
One thing that's really exciting and helpful about TLH is the alumni community it provides. There are TLH graduates all over the world, so finding a job, connection, or someone to visit will be easy!
You could just do an online program for TEFL, but why would you when you could spend a month in Prague, meet awesome friends, learn a lot from some highly educated folks, and have the time of your life?!
Go to The Language House. You won't regret it!

Traveling and working in a foreign country is a great experience that will bring many fantastic opportunities to your life and being a English native speaker it is an easy way to make these dreams come true. The course that THL provides makes it a smooth transition into a new culture in Prague. They not only make you feel comfortable in a new place but also provide an education that prepares you to teach English as a second language to all ELL levels. You get hands on learning experience and support for your career. They are positive, fun and a great team! :)

Going to the Language House in Prague changed my professional and personal life in such a positive and meaningful way. It is a challenging course that really pushes you to think critically, create compelling lessons and build on your confidence as an instructor. It is professionally run, and run with a lot of heart. The staff care about you and want to see you succeed. Feel confident knowing the investment you are making, in moving abroad and taking a TEFL course with the Language House is not only worth it - it will change your life. I went through the course eight years ago and some of my best friends to this day are people I met through this school. My tenure as a language teacher informed the professional choices I made once I left Prague and my confidence speaking in front of groups was greatly influenced by my time at the Language House. I am now a Development Manager of a non-profit, and do a lot of writing for the organization - I credit my grammatical skills to the one and only King TEFL ;)