Destination TEFL Bali, 140-hour 4-week TEFL/TESOL course

The TEFL center is located in Sanur on the dual carriageway- getting there by foot will leave you sweaty so rent a bike or take a taxi. Inside, you'll find Widi- a Balinese admin who will do her best to make your trip amazing, she's incredibly friendly and I still talk to her every now and then.

You'll also see Georgie; the TEFL teacher. She offers sage like wisdom to both teaching and life abroad having spent nearly 10 years (i think) teaching in Asia in all realms: online, schools, TEFL training and the english speaking test (a test non-native speakers have to take to prove they speak english to a high enough level, I have no clue what its actual name is). Georgie has helped me with everything I can think of, Visa extensions, restaurant recommendations, job seeking and everything in-between.

My experience on the course was unique having spent the entirety of it on my own (accompanied by two incredible women (Georgie and Widi)). Georgie hadn't taught one-to-one before and the course is definitely tailored around there being more than one student but we made changes and I dont think my experience was negatively hindered by this. Having done the course by myself I have no clue how Georgie is with a big group of students. I felt like I could always ask Georgie anything I wanted to, often she would try to explain things in a way I would understand, some people have said she can be very quick, I didnt think so. She has a very hands on approach to teaching and enjoys active activities making things very student centered- you should follow her example when teaching.

The course featured a mix of teaching techniques, lesson planning techniques, classroom management as well as some english lessons to explain different tenses you already knew but didnt know how to explain. I found that my interest and knowledge of the english language grew after having done the course. The last 2 weeks of the course are intended for practicals- you leave the center with Georgie and go to various schools around Denpasar/Sanur to do practice lessons on real students. You'll get a mix of age ranges (I taught Kindergarten, 1st grade, 5th grade and adults) as well as a mix of different lessons to teach (Vocab, grammar, tenses etc.).

In week 3 you are led by Widi on an excursion to a new area of Bali (all expenses paid for). I went to an ancient temple in Ubud, followed by coffee tasting and then dinner overlooking the mountains and rice fields. I'm not sure if she tailors each of them to the individual students but for me it was the perfect day out. In addition to this, theres a welcome and graduation meal paid for by DTEFL.

In my teaching practicals, Georgie gave me a TON of feedback, way more than I could handle. This is a good thing because you'll end up a better teacher for it but after a really stressful lesson, its kinda in one ear and out the other. Sometimes I felt like I was a really bad teacher but in hindsight she was trying to be as helpful as possible.

The center provides tea, coffee and ice cold filtered water (the coffee is Nescafé) and is fully air conditioned. The bum gun in the toilet has really good pressure. The surrounding area features really good restaurants.

I spent ~8 hours per day with Georgie, if you're looking for a better recommendation, you're not gonna find it.

It's an intense course which truly prepares new teachers for what they are about to undertake. The course is guided brilliantly by experiences TEFL teachers and they provide amazing course work in addition to supporting the soon-to-be teachers in a foreign land typically thousands of miles away from their homes. The intimidation of working abroad is diffused by the Georgie, Willy and Widi and they make the process, while challenging, enjoyable. The feedback is amazing and gives the students a sense of pride in doing what they are doing.

I feel so fulfilled to have been given the opportunity to complete this course and work in Asia. I am beyond where I ever imagined myself to be as a teacher thank to the help of the TEFL team. I cannot recommend the TEFL course enough as you will not only broaden your horizons for travelling, you will also make friends for life and share a experience of a lifetime with these people. My confidence and knowledge of teaching has grown immensely throughout the course. The guidance received by the TEFL team goes beyond just teaching as they have the experience of travelling themselves and can give helpful advice. As a student who has completed the TEFL course I would highly recommend this course to anyone I ever meet as it is an amazing experience with amazing opportunities.

Moko and Georgie are both great at what they do. Georgie offers insightful feedback and really works to help you succeed as an ESL teacher.The students at the school where you do your student teaching are also very nice and attentive. Moko has built some great connections with local schools, which helps students both during the course and after. If you're nervous about leaving home, know that these two will take good care of you and help you navigate any obstacles during your time in the course.

Everything about this experience was a 10/10. You feel incredibly grateful towards the wonderful teachers that help you along the way and at the end of the course you will find yourself amazed by how much you were able to learn and grow in such a short amount of time. The training is challenging, but 100% worth it in the end! My friend recommended this program to me and I would happily recommend it to anyone who is thinking about teaching abroad. It is the opportunity of a lifetime and incredibly rewarding experience.

I think it’s as organized as it can be. many factors can be unpredictable sometimes, like who is going to be part of the program, schools changing schedules last minute, misunderstandings happening due to the diversity of the group youre with… etc … so just be adaptable and flexible, open and understanding, and most importantly focus on yourself and your growth, development and learning experience. You’re here for YOU not anyone else so just make the most of it and keep a good attitude and dont forget to HAVE FUN!!! Because it is a lot of fun.

The training you will receive at Destination TEFL is unparalleled. You will be surrounded with friendly faces to accompany you along the way. From cultural excursions to in-school practicums, you will be fully immersed into Balinese culture. You will grow not only as a teacher but as a person with Destination TEFL. Then after you are finished, you will be given help towards applying to schools to teach in. The prospect of yea hung abroad is no longer daunting because the course has given me all the tools to be a successful and confident teacher.

I really enjoyed this course, i wasn’t sure what I would learn about teaching English - turns out there’s a whole lot, it’s extremely challenging but highly worth it. Its really well done and a lot of fun! I’ve made amazing friends here, I’ve seen a lot by doing the culture activities through the course. You’ll get 24/7 help/support with anything from the trainer and centre manager. I stayed in suda house which was great, the landlord is extremely accommodating and the room is clean and comfortable.