Teaching internship & TEFL Certification (Thailand, Vietnam, Europe, China, India)

The 6-month program in Thailand provided a valuable chance to gain hands-on teaching experience and fully immerse myself in the local culture. I grew both personally and professionally while receiving strong support from the program team.

That said, being based in a rural area with limited time off during the term, and accommodation that lacked cooking facilities, made some aspects challenging. Overall, I recommend this program to anyone looking for a meaningful international teaching adventure!

The Gotoco Thailand 6-week programme was an amazing experience! Alongside completing a TEFL course, you have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience teaching at a school and also have free time to travel around the country! It was such a unique experience that allowed you to see a new country through a different lens than a typical tourist, providing the opportunity for personal and professional growth. It was also a great chance to meet other like-minded people in your cohort as well as meet new friends from a different country. I was personally placed at a school near the Cambodian border, so had the opportunity to visit Angkor Wat in Cambodia during one of the weekends - a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

During the 6 weeks of teaching, I loved having the opportunity to visit local and national landmarks. At my placement school, the teacher who was the main point of contact, Kru Lek, ensured that we were able to see local landmarks and immerse ourselves in the culture, not just of Thailand but of the local region, Sisaket.

Overall, I felt that, through the programme, I got to have new experiences and learn about a new culture as well as about myself in a way that I haven't been able to do before. I also think the programme helped me to grow in confidence and become more comfortable as a leader, be it as a teacher or just in a group setting in general. I think that the programme helped me to improve my communication skills and ability to work and travel independently.

I also appreciate that Gotoco facilitates wider participation, allowing people from a range of backgrounds to have an experience that would not otherwise be available to them. I would highly recommend it!

If you are considering teaching and living abroad, I cannot recommend gotoco enough!

Gotoco offers a wide range of programmes in different cities across Vietnam, so there is something for everyone.

As for my placement, I volunteered as a kindergarten teacher in Ho Chi Minh City. This placement helped me gain new skills, qualifications, friends and all while living in a new country.

The placement enabled me to connect with the kids, local people and culture in a way that is not possible through short and rushed trips. I have been the kind to cram as much as possible in a short trip but this experience made me aware of more impactful ways of travelling and connecting with people and cultures.

This programme has made me see that there is a host of opportunities around the world, beyond the conventional career routes.

So for me, Gotoco has been more than a teaching and TEFL placement and I hope more young people could benefit from opportunities such as this.

I had a brilliant placement at the school which I miss to this day! It was fantastic to be able to live in India as a local for 6 months, being supported by many people. My biggest challenge was creating content for my students, but I also loved the flexibility we had in that. I always wanted to visit India, and I’m grateful to have been able to be there for 6 months. I tried so many different foods, experienced a different climate, learnt about a different culture and way of life, attended local festivals,visited beaches, churches and temples and made new friends.

I would definitely recommend this programme because it offers an incredible opportunity to gain hands-on teaching experience while immersing yourself in a new culture. Teaching in Thailand helped me build confidence, improve my classroom management skills, and adapt my teaching style to different learning needs .One of the best parts of the experience was the connections I made-with students, fellow teachers, and locals. I felt welcomed into the community, and it was amazing to see my students grow in confidence as they learned. Living in Thailand for six weeks also gave me the opportunity to immerse myself in a new culture, try local food, and experience daily life in a completely different environment.

I recently completed the Gotoco TEFL teaching program in Vietnam. The overall highlight of my experience was being a teacher in Vietnam for three months. I was based in Thai Binh City, this was a very unique experience as it was off the tourist map and meant I experienced living and working as a local. The kindness of Vietnamese people and the children's willingness to learn cannot be unstated. Working with energetic kindergarten kids meant that the days were enjoyable and I was able to approach teaching from a fun perspective. Teaching is a very fulfilling role and seeing students progress made the days even more special. I taught a variety of ages, including older students which meant preparing them for their ILETS exams, which I recently found out one of my students passed! This was fantastic news for me and highlighted the positive impact teaching can have on student's lives. I would recommend Go to Co to people who are thinking about foregoing a career in teaching. The three-month programme offers an authentic experience into what teaching as a foreign teacher is like day to day in rural Vietnam. Go to Co is a pathway opportunity to explore whether a teaching career is the right move, whilst also providing a chance to explore a new country and experience the rich culture South East Asia has to offer. One of my most enjoyable moments from the trip was completing the Ha Giang Loop with my Go to Co group. Travelling around the North of Vietnam on the back of a motorbike is an experience of a lifetime. Travelling on narrow mountain roads, villages in Ha Giang were beautifully unique and offered a window into life into rural Northern Vietnam.

I really enjoyed my time with Gotoco. I went away to Thailand last summer with them and it was an incredible experience. I got to meet so many people with similar interests as my own on the program who I made very strong friendship with and still see regularly in the UK. It was a wonderful opportunity to try lots of new food and put myself out of my comfort zone with new things. I also learnt lots and professionally developed from doing the TESOL course. I would really recommend Gotoco to everyone!

It has thrown me into the deep end of teaching and adapting to a new culture. I am more confident and capable of creating resources from scratch. I have learned a lot about teaching and how a school in India works. Learned so much here, can confidently walk into any classroom in the world to teach English. Shaped my cultural understanding of Kerala. Given me purpose and a direction in life.. lots of ups and downs but in the end, I made the most of it. The Onam festival at the start! Teaching the kids, and forming friendships with Gotoco peers. Cultural immersion was amazing with lots of dancing and singing. Made lots of friends and really enjoyed it. Taking ourselves out at weekends when to Alapuzha for my birthday and Munnar twice, varkala was great, sun bathed and swam in the sea. Explored Thrissur. Felt like home by the end.