Vantage | 120-Hour TEFL/TESOL Certification | Hybrid Option

About

Vantage is an American accredited, internationally recognized, and validated by Lamar University (Texas, USA).

Thailand’s highest-rated TEFL program, established in 2007, offers two TEFL certification programs.

The in-Class Course is given onsite over four weeks. This includes six hours of observed teaching practices (OTP).

The Combined Hybrid Course is where you study teaching methodologies online first and then complete your OTPs in a real school.

All Vantage courses include a full practicum of six observed teaching practices with non-English speaking students in real classrooms.

Vantage provides lifetime job support. They will craft your own Power Resume, formulate a personal job search strategy, and coach you on interviewing techniques. Vantage alumni are working in Thailand, throughout Asia, and around the world.

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Highlights

  • Vantage won #1 in Instruction, Support & Job Assistance in the worldwide 2022 Community Choice Awards.
  • 4-Week, 120-hour, In-Class TEFL Training Course in Bangkok - Visa Assistance - 6 Job Support – Six Observed Teaching Practices in Real Schools -
  • Provide lifelong job support. They have partnerships with leading Thai English education providers that place hundreds of teachers in prestigious Thai schools every year.
  • Vantage’s Hybrid Combined Course—a blend of online study + observed teaching practice in real classrooms—was named #1 in “The 9 Best Online TEFL Courses.”
  • A TEFL Treasure Trove of information.

Related Programs

Questions & Answers

Reviews

4.99 Rating
based on 182 reviews
  • 5 rating 99.45%
  • 4 rating 0.55%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Instruction 5
  • Support 5
  • Value 5
  • Academic Rigor 4.9
  • Job Assistance 5
Showing 97 - 104 of 182 reviews
Default avatar
Greg
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Really Professional Course

I think that the course was really professional and extremely helpful for getting my new teaching career off the ground. The trainers are very knowledgeable, helpful and they provided a lot of extra information. They gave us a supplementary book which had a lot of useful information on Thai culture and customs and the best practice of teaching techniques.

Vantage’s lead teacher delivers the course material in a professional well structured, easily digestible way—and with a lot of humor which always keep us engaged.

The practicum was perhaps the biggest help in developing my teaching skills. It was a huge opportunity to have 10 hours of observed teaching, where we could try ourselves out in two very different environments at a Thai medical college and with younger kids in a government school.

I recommend Vantage without hesitation. I have enjoyed every minute and every part of this course. Vantage’s training center is well equipped and offers everything you need to become TEFL certified.

73 people found this review helpful.
Response from Vantage TEFL Certification

Greg was a super proficient non-native English speaker. At our advice, he took the TOEIC test and scored at the C2 level--970 out of 990 possible points. As a consequence, he applied at many schools that typically only hire native English speakers and secured a great well-paying position in north Bangkok.

Default avatar
Chris
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A Comprehensive Program

Vantage was a comprehensive course with great support.

Their TEFL curriculum is comprehensive and easy to digest. The additional supplementary material that Vantage created included emerging teaching techniques and assessment methods.

Any course is really only as good as its trainers. This is where Vantage really stands out. Vantage uses a workshop style to teach which creates a lot of discussions and keeps enthusiasm at a high level.

To me, the observed practice teaching was the heart and soul of the class. This is where my new knowledge was transformed into teaching skills. After each practice session, I got excellent feedback from the trainers, which jumpstarted the development of my teaching skills quickly and efficiently.

Vantage particularly excelled in job placement. Their dedicated Jobs Coach worked on developing my own Power Resume and interviewing techniques. He worked with me even before I left American and then networked me into their partner consultants. I secured a great job before I even graduated.

The bottom line is that I now feel highly confident that I can teach successfully. Without hesitation, I would recommend Vantage TEFL to anyone considering a teaching career. These are the guys you want to be talking to if you want to start a career in teaching.

74 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Pel
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Best Possible Start

Vantage was a great experience and the trainers the made the whole journey very enjoyable and fun. They delivered on everything they promised—and more.

The job services were fantastic! Through one of their consultants, I even found a contract teaching position before the course was completed. I graduated on a Friday and starting work the following Monday—with some serious celebrations during that weekend.

More importantly. I learned the skills to become a successful teacher—and that included a lot of valuable teaching techniques. Not only did I have to teach six practices classes, but I had to observed and give feedback on even more. We gave lessons in both a government school between the ages of 6 and 13 and also at a nursing college. Students and staff, there were between the ages of 20 and 50.
The lead trainer’s knowledge of the English language is exceptional and his teaching techniques are inviting as he challenges the students in a positive manner.

I ended up learning a lot about my native language and even about myself. The lessons I gave built a lot of confidence and prepared me well for my new teaching position.

Looking back I am glad I choose Vantage TEFL Certification. They gave me the best possible start to becoming a teacher. They also delivered on everything they promised.
Thank you Vantage for the excellent service provided.

80 people found this review helpful.
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Alex
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Offering Everything it Promised

This course beat my expectation. Yes, I had to handle a lot of new content, but it was kept manageable within four weeks. The other students here came from all ages and many walks of life, making this experience a memorable one. The Vantage team was filled with great personalities, especially the lead trainer Chris whose personality makes the course an enjoyable experience.

The practice teaching experience was the heart of this course. We taught at both government school which gave us outstanding insight into how to manage a classroom full of children and later at a nurse’s college where we how to deal with teaching adults
The feedback we received after each teaching practice session to the key to the development of my teaching skills. I was able to learn from my mistakes and then incorporate the ‘best practice’ in the next lesson. I particularly found learning how to create effective lesson plans to be useful because it helped me formulate better teaching strategies for students in my future classes.

The job assistance here has been helpful. Specifically, the jobs coach Kevin offered great job opportunities with reputable institutions that offer great benefits. Furthermore, , his assistance in resume crafting and interview guidance was a helpful addition to the course that made me better prepared for contacting and communicating with potential employers.

The other students here came from all ages and many walks of life, making this experience a memorable one.

Vantage’s TEFL course offers everything it says it would—and much more beyond your expectations.

78 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Dea
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Completely Confident

Vantage’s course is workshop based which I loved because it meant a smaller sized and more intimate group, where we could really engage with our fellow trainees as well as the lead trainer. Chris was very knowledgeable as he has over two decades of experience as a teacher, trainer and a materials developer. I think I learn much more this way than in a traditional lecturer approach typical of your average TEFL.

The practice teaching was great! We first learned how to make lesson plans step-by-step. Then we taught the students the lessons we created and received great feedback from Vantage’s trainers after each lesson. This really jumpstarted my teaching skill development as it helped me improve on certain things I needed to work on and build upon my strengths.

By the end of the course, I gained the knowledge and confidence I needed as a new teacher. I’m confident I could teach English pretty much anywhere.

Vantage has their own Jobs Coach, and during the course, Kevin already put out my resume, so interview and had a job offer by the last week. A good salary and even medical and dental insurance were included in the package. This position has been a great experience since.

Vantage completely prepared me to step confidently into a classroom. Thanks guys!

90 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
G.
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Super Confident

Today, I feel completely confident that I can start teaching English to anyone, anywhere. If you want to successfully stand in front of a classroom, you need to get your training at Vantage.

This was a really great course with a ton of personal support. The training team was there for me every step of the way.

The curriculum is exceptionally well written and I was glad to learn it has been validated by an accredited American university. The lead trainer has two decades+ of experience and he teaches with a lot of discussion in more of a workshop style. The materials were colorfully delivered and any formal content like grammar is covered in a very engaging way, which kept my enthusiasm at a high level. The time just flew by.

Having said that, for me the practicum was the heart and soul of the course. It was my observed teaching sessions where my new knowledge was morphed into teaching skills. After each of my practice sessions, I got great feedback from the trainers. That really helped me to improve my teaching skills after each class I taught, so by the end, I was really sure of myself in the classroom.

I recommend Vantage’s TEFL course without hesitation to anyone who wants to be a professional teacher.

82 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Clint
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

The Extra Mile

I highly recommend Vantage’s TEFL course. The training was world-class and the trainers were great and highly knowledgeable. They go the extra mile to make sure they develop you into a professional teacher and then find you an excellent teaching position. This was particularly important to me as I was new to teaching and making a career change.

My observed practice teaching sessions were where I really developed my teaching skills. After each of my six observed practice teaching sessions, I got a ton of great feedback from the trainers that made a huge difference in my performance in my next class.

I’m now 100% confident that I can walk into a classroom anywhere and teach anyone English.

Even after the course was finished, Vantage gave me a lot of personal help. I had to leave for the US immediately at the end of the course, but when I returned two weeks later and I got additional face-to-face consultation in developing what Vantage call their Power Resume and Cover Letter. Then the put me into the extensive network of recruiters and schools. I had offers coming in within days!

If you want to teach in Thailand—talk to these guys.

85 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Dong Ping
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A Mandarin Teacher Becomes TEFL Certified

I already had a job as a mandarin teacher. I took a TEFL, which many see only as an English teaching qualification, as I wanted to be a better language teacher in both Mandarin and in English.

When I met the trainers at Vantage, they told me how their ESA teaching methodology can be applied to any language and that they had already trained Mandarin, French and Spanish language instructors who were now teaching to great success.

The course was very well structured with teaching theories, methodologies, and teaching approaches But to really learn to teach using the communicative approach, we actually had to teach in front of real non-English speaking students.

I wasn’t too confident at first to stand in front of a live class and teach in a language that was not my own. My first teaching lesson was (I think) OK, but not a good as I wanted. However, the professional feedback I got from Vantage really jump started me in my second session—and I got subsequently better with each of the observed classes I taught.

I’m now completely confident. I can design a professional, effective lesson plan and successfully deliver a class—not just in my native Mandarin, but also in English.

I highly recommend Vantage. These guys are professional-class trainers and they gave me the foundation to be a professional language teacher.

80 people found this review helpful.

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Why did you choose this program?

I decided to do my TEFL when I was stuck in a dead end job with zero ambition. I looked at various way of traveling the world while earning some money and came across TEFL, and decided that I have nothing to lose and everything to gain. I love children and that is a main reason why I decided to do the TEFL.

What did your program provider assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

I sent an email asking about the course and what it would entail. The institution (Vantage TEFL) I worked with had fast responses and answers to all my questions. They made it very easy to understand the requirements with constant feedback. I never had any doubt that I could do this through the confidence they gave me. A truly professional approach and I really enjoyed the journey of doing my TEFL.

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

I moved to Thailand without doing any research about my surroundings and the cultural differences were the most challenging when I moved here, but people are so polite and friendly (it is contagious) that you adapt easily. I wish I knew about this earlier, as I would have loved to do this earlier in my life. Last piece of advice is to not underestimate the course as it was intense but enjoyable, and I truly believe, after this course I can teach English as a second language to anyone willing to learn.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

My course was a 9:00 to 17:00 on weekdays for a month long. It is long days and sometimes you had to get the the facility at 07:00 to do practice teaching. On an average day, you are guided through the English language and it is not to teach you English it is to help you to teach English. You also get exposed to practice teaching, which really helps you gain confidence as an English teacher and removes all doubt you would have (I also had a lot of doubt and anxiety, but the practice teachings ensured that I gained confidence and became comfortable in teaching).

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

Biggest fear I had was that I never left my hometown for more than 6 weeks before. I always thought how would I adapt to a place I do not know and people that I do not understand? To answer that question, the answer lies within yourself. You need to decide that you want to do this. Once you open yourself up to the idea, it is strange how things just fall into place through meeting amazing people and experiencing unique cultures.

I have no doubt this is one of the biggest changes I made in my life and I have no regrets that I did it. Sometimes fear dictates our decision making, but just think of all the amazing experiences you will have and be able to share with your friends and family when they come visit.

What do I think prospective travelers would like to know?

My answer will be based on Thailand, as this is where I am currently.

Firstly, food is absolutely amazing. I have gained so much weight just by indulging in Thai cuisine.

Secondly, make sure that, if you want to work here, that your employer can speak English where both parties understand to avoid unnecessary confusion.

What would I change or do differently?

I have not been here to long and I would say there is currently nothing I would change, as the experience has been challenging and breathtaking at the same time.

Last thing that I would say: do not run from you fears. Embrace them and just do it; you will not regret it.

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Chris Demetsopoullos

Job Title
Lead TEFL Trainer
Headshot of staff

Chris, tell us about yourself.

Originally from the UK, I started my teaching career in the early 1990s where I taught a diverse range of Thai students. I then moved up to positions of corporate English assignments, which led to work as a developer of customized curriculums -- increasingly in digital eLearning materials -- for business skills courses and workshops.

Today, I specialize in one-on-one Executive Coaching for personal development programs and Leadership Coaching for Thailand’s blue chip corporations as well as being the Lead Trainer for Vantage’s TEFL program.

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

I have many years of business English teaching and corporate training with previous companies, along with training materials development.

However, I’ve really honed that skill with Vantage, as we offer customized corporate training programs — business English and management and corporate skills on an exclusive basis.

We specialize in blended learning programs, so a new and important skill I’ve developed is eLearning instructional design.

I’ve also become a teacher trainer since working at Vantage Siam, for which my experience and varied roles have been invaluable. Vantage has given me the opportunity to grow and develop professionally, and I’m sure there’s more to come.

What is the best story you’ve heard from a return student?

We had a recent trainee who had had a rather troubled past. He decided to essentially “grow up” and better himself by getting himself a respectable career.

He contacted us and, after meeting with him, we were pretty sure he could become a good English teacher. However, he had very little confidence that he could make it.

We soon discovered he was very good at drawing out language from the students by use of questions, prompts and cueing during the first phase of the ESA methodology (Engage, Study, and Activate).

With subsequent training in the Study and Activate phases -- along with observed teaching practices -- he became highly effective in delivering a class to non-English speaking students in a live classroom. In short, this ‘raw recruit” became a highly skilled teacher. The surprise was that we had no idea in the beginning how good he would turn out to be.

We then helped get him a good teaching position at a prestigious school that is very appreciative of the way he motivates his students into successful English language acquisition.

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

Vantage has always embraced the cutting edge in educational technology. We were among the first to offer customized courses in English for Special Purposes. We embraced eLearning and blended instruction in our classrooms in Thailand over fifteen years ago. We have been advocating computer-adaptive proficiency testing. Later this year, we will be educating the market in the first speaking and writing tests to be scored by AI technology.

And while we teach an American accredited TFFL course, we do supplement the curriculum with an introduction to both assessment methodology and emerging teaching technologies.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

I think one of the key factors in being successful is the ability to re-invent yourself -- or at least being open to change. And to change yourself effectively, you need to be able to hear what’s going on in the world around.

We like to think we’re good listeners. We listen to a couple of key voices to help point the company into head winds that we lead us to future successes.

We listen what the market is telling us in terms of what skills schools need for successful teachers.

We also hear what our TEFL candidates tell us during our time with us. We look at what skills they bring on day one --
what we do throughout the course -- and what the final product turned out to be. In other words, how well can they teach in a real classroom at the end of their training.

And finally, we follow key thought leaders in the education field. People that are talking today about what may be mainstream in learning tomorrow.

About Vantage TEFL Certification

American Accreditation | Internationally Recognized | Earn 3 College Credits Established in 2007, and Thailand’s highest-rated TEFL program, Bangkok-based Vantage TEFL offers two separate TEFL certification programs. Our award-winning program is a 120-hour In-Class Course that’s given over four weeks. This includes six hours of OTP (Observed...

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