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.

Video and Photos

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 129 - 136 of 182 reviews
Default avatar
Wayne
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Learning to Walk

Vantage’s professionalism consistently surpassed my expectations in their one month TEFL training learning course!

I learned a ton about teaching techniques and educational theory from the Vantage curriculum. But their lead trainer, Chris, put in all in perspective for me given his 25 years+ experience of teaching overseas. The wealth of his classroom experience that came out in our classroom discussions put a lot of what the course book said into perspective.

Vantage particularly excels in their practicum—the observed teaching practices—where my new teacher skills were born. After each teaching practice, I was given fantastic feedback from the trainers that showed me where I was strong and, diplomatically challenged me in areas where I still weak. But before I enter the classroom, I first had to learn how to make a lesson plan that would successfully meet the learning needs of my students.

Vantage also met my special requirements. I use a service dog and they were able to both find me accommodation that would allow my dog ‘Tagg’, but they even found a way to use Tagg’s highly trained obedience regimen in to a hugely popular and highly effective practice class.

In Canada, I was a popular keynote motivational speaker—based on my book ‘Moving Forward’. The one absolute I’ve consistently advanced in my talks is that we must walk before we run in any avenue of life. Vantage’s program completely embodies just that!

They also helped me achieve a highly competitive advantage in the teaching marketplace. The Power Resume they created was miles above what I had before. Just the week after graduation, Vantage’s powerful networking resource landed me interviews with leading recruiting companies in Thailand,

To those seeking a high level of professional training, Vantage is the best choice you could make. It comes highly recommended.

67 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
M. Marie
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A Veteran American Teacher Takes TEFL

I have worked in the US education system—mostly in California—as a teacher and as an administrator for over two decades. I decided to do a TEFL certification as I want to expand my teaching qualifications to students studying English.

Thailand offers many TEFL program choices. I read many of the reviews and contacted the key schools. Vantage responded immediately with full information on my questions regarding accommodation options, travel, and visa arrangements—basically everything I wanted to know about TEFL. In the end, I felt completely confident in choosing Vantage for my certification.

As a veteran teacher, I have trained under many different models of teaching methods. The ESA (Engage, Study, Activate) approach which Vantage implements is super teacher and student friendly. Lessons were easy to create and could be adapted to the specific needs of my students.

Chris, the lead trainer, has decades of experience and it shows. He’s unbelievably knowledgeable of all aspects of teaching English. Any questions I had regarding my lessons or material presented in class were answered very thoroughly yet easy to understand. This is an intense course—it’s only four weeks. And while there were a few times where I did feel a little overwhelmed, the lessons were engaging, meaningful and, importantly, fun. Vantage really helped me change the way I thought about teaching in a positive way.

Another fantastic aspect of Vantage is I was able to implement my lesson plans with real non-English speaking students at a nursing college. I saw firsthand the effectiveness of the ESA method. My Thai Students were fun to work with—even though they were at an A1/A2 level of English. The entire experience was incredibly rewarding.

Vantage has their own Jobs Coach. Kevin sat with me one-on-one and we created a created a “power resume”, which including a video and cover letter. My new resume highlights my strengths and is so much stronger and effective. I was also coached interviewing strategies and tips, many of which I wasn’t aware of before.

Finally, a word about the accommodations. The recommended apartment where I stayed is located in a great area—surrounded by wonderful cafes, fantastic food markets, shopping centers, movie theaters—and much more—all within a 10-15 minute walking distance. This area is incredibly safe, inexpensive and fun.

My TEFL experience help me see the endless possible opportunities of teaching English abroad. It also renewed my excitement about education. Vantage absolutely receives my highest recommendation for TEFL certification.

60 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Daniel
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

The teaching practice was PHENOMENAL!

I chose to study with Vantage TEFL due to their unique offering of the Combined Course. The course curriculum I did online over three months as I was working full time. Then, during a 2 weeks annual leave, I did my practice teaching in Bangkok afternoons/evenings.
Vantage was more than accommodating and let me attend any of their regular sessions with their full-time students that I chose.

The teaching practices were eye-opening. I had to do one lesson plan for my online portion. Now I had to do six more—each one on a separate language topic. I got great feedback on each one so by the time I stepped into the classroom I had a plan that I was more than confident would be successful.

It was extremely satisfying to put my lesson plans into practice and see the real-life application of my online learning. And after delivering each practice teaching session I was ‘debriefed’ by the trainers on my teaching performance and what they would like to see in the upcoming session.

I learned a lot of knowledge on the online part of the course, but it was only through real teaching that my knowledge became teaching skills.

Having gone through the combined course, I believe I was sensible with my decision as it allowed me the flexibility to study when and where I wanted, but still receive the same high-quality qualification.

I would have no hesitation in recommending Vantage TEFL to anyone considering such a qualification and the practical exposure offered in a course like this offers an unparalleled experience to any solely online class.

69 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Joss
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

My TEFL Journey

The Vantage instructors and staff were highly professional, super knowledgeable and, importantly, had a great sense of humor. The lead trainer gave us an easy-to-understand grammar review. He has decades of classroom experience and his practical advice of what to expect and do in the classroom went far beyond the course book.

We got one-on-one help and feedback for each of the six lesson plans we had to create for each practice teaching session. These all had to be on a different language topic. Then we got great feedback on each session as well as a new challenge for the next classroom. We also had to observe the other trainees and it was incredible to watch them all get better day by day, session by session.
Vantage has a Jobs Coach and he trained us in resume writing and interviewing techniques. I worked with him on creating my own Power Resume and other job supporting materials like cover letters and thank you notes.

The Vantage trainers have lived in Bangkok for years so they imparted a ton of local knowledge about the Thailand which was very helpful to many in my class.

This was a fantastic course. I’m now professionally certified and I'm ready to teach.

66 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Brad
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A Professional Teaching Certification

Though I already had success as a teacher, I wanted to learn best teaching practices for teaching students learning English as a second language. I chose Vantage as it’s certification came from an American accredited university.

The course was very insightful on all levels. I first learned how to formulate great lesson plans that would be successful in the classroom.

Vantage emphasizes the ESA teaching methodology and it’s a smart and more effective than the techniques I had had been using before. I will continue to use this technique moving forward.

Many schools I taught at previously had no course plan little in materials. Beyond the actual learning experience, Vantage gives its students a vast database of teaching books, worksheets, video and other relevant materials that will be a big head start in my next professional teaching assignment.

Another big plus—in terms of employment—were photos and videos of me teaching a real class that I agreed to have posted online. I can show these to prospective employers and they can see me actually teaching. The fact that the practice teaching is done in a real nursing college will also be impressive to an interviewer. This will be far more persuasive than interviewing with an online earned certificate with which requires no real practical teaching experience to acquire.

I attained world-class teaching certification from an internationally recognized school. As a result of Vantages professional training, time-proven techniques, and expertise in job placement, I already had a full-time teaching job only days after finishing the course. I can’t imagine a more satisfying experience.

65 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Charlie
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

I’m ready to teach!

Vantage TEFL was both a challenging yet a highly rewarding experience.

I first learned how to create a lesson plan that I could resource materials for and then successfully deliver to a class. I received the right tools to effectively reach all age groups of students.

The observed teaching practice was extremely helpful and this is where I really developed the skills I needed to learn how to teach. I found myself improving every lesson—both through my self-evaluations and the excellent feedback provided by the course instructors.
In addition to critiquing my last performance, I was always given a new challenge to incorporate into my next teaching session.

I am confident that the knowledge I’ve learned and the skills I have formed in this course will stay with me throughout my teaching career.

65 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Jack
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A Class TEFL Provider

Even before I left Texas, I was getting all the information from Vantage I needed to get me to Thailand and enrolled in the course effortlessly.

In the course, we learned about what teaching EFL involves and reviewed the basics of English. I liked the way we alternated between the two. Chris, the lead trainer, is incredibly versed in all the topics introduced. His whiteboard work offers shortcuts and mnemonic devices to remember things (like key grammar points). To top it off he has a good sense of humor so the class flows along nicely with a few laughs between and during unit teaching
That brings me to the heart of the course—the six observed teacher lessons. This was the heart of the course in my opinion. It started the second week of training so I had near instant classroom experience. In the end, you had the knowledge and the skill of what teaching EFL was all about. I would never have been able to get in front of a class without an experience like this.

Kevin is their Jobs Coach—the trainer for the resume writing and interview techniques portion of the course. This information and preparation were excellent as it is geared toward finding a teaching position in Thailand. He is a wealth of information about Thai job sources and the global EFL industry.

59 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Win
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Amazing!

This course absolutely opened my eyes to everything about teaching.

The Vantage trainers are highly experienced both as teachers and in career coaching and job sourcing. The TEFL course itself is really well-structured and highly organized. I've learned a lot about teaching methodologies, teaching techniques, and classroom management.

I enjoyed the course toughly even though it was a little intense to finish up the 120 hours of study and 6 hours of teaching practice in just one month. Vantage always kept its classes engaging and even, for the most part, fun.

I’ve gained a ton of self-confident from this course. During my 6 hours of teaching practices, I saw myself getting better with each teaching lesson. I got a lot of great observations from Vantage’s trainers and advice on enhancing my teaching to the students.

I made some friends for life in this class. More importantly, I’m ready to teach in any classroom any time. If you want to become a professional teacher, I believe Vantage is your best TEFL option.

58 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...

  • Go Overseas Award
  • Go Overseas Award
  • Go Overseas Award
  • Go Overseas Award
  • Go Overseas Award
  • Go Overseas Award