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

I was in Shanghai teaching English for about six weeks. The school and accommodation were very central to the city. I worked four full days during the week, two half days and had one day off. There was also one long weekend off to allow participants some time to do some travelling on their own. So, it was quite demanding work-wise and we were in at the deep end, teaching in front of a classroom from the very start. The daily experience at the school was amazing. The school was nice, the teachers were extremely friendly and helpful, the students enthusiastic and fun. After my time teaching, I had about a week and a half before my flight so I got the chance to visit Beijing and Hong Kong for a few days each, which was amazing - independent travel after your programme ends is an absolute must, especially if you're as far away as China, Thailand, Colombia, etc.

The programme also comes with an online TEFL teacher training course, which has been very helpful and informative so far - might've been more helpful to start this earlier so I could try out some of the techniques etc in the classroom.

Gotoco's staff are also very friendly and helpful - when some of the participants were struggling towards the start, a staff member joined us in Shanghai and helped us settle in. Generally, the sense I get is that the staff are extremely competent and friendly but that the organisation is under-staffed. I understand this is a probably a consequence of their non-profit model, which is great because the trip is free for us, but what this means for participants is that independence and resilience are necessary even before you start travelling. Something to consider.

The only serious drawback of the experience was the seemingly misguided decision to work with the agency they chose in Shanghai. They were slow, gave no notice for decisions they made or meetings we had, didn't tell us about their reasoning, made a silly mistake on our visas - they seemed disorganised to say the least. I don't think this is just how people in their line of work are because of the circumstances. Gotoco's staff manage it well.

The lifestyle provided by having regular lessons at the nearby school, which had its own community, while having the freetime to explore other areas of Yangshuo freely, suited me perfectly. The small town in rural south-east China was beautiful, with mountain formations and wildlife I would never be able to see in the West. Mutual language exchange, both with children and adults was also incredibly satisfying. I have never spent such an extended time in a foreign country, which I think can be much more beneficial than merely travelling for a few days or weeks for tourism. I think visiting a country so removed from the west as China is also such a rare opportunity when the organisation involved can be intense, so I appreciate Gotoco's role in taking care of so much of that. The trip also inspired me to continue with Mandarin language studies which I had largely stopped a few years ago. And although I will still not be pursuing education as a degree, it has opened up my attitude to it as an occasional side-job. The introduction to China has also been incredibly interesting, particularly the social environment and their attitude to the government, which is less reported on globally, when only their economical stance or attitude towards citizens is focused on by the west.

Over summer I spent 5 weeks teaching in Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam and had an amazing time. The gotoco team were very helpful and made the whole experience enjoyable. The fact that everything is funded made it even better and much more accessible. I loved getting the chance to try out teaching and work to get a tesol qualification too. Plus the trip to Da Nang that they took us on at the end was brilliant - the perfect way to celebrate the end of the program and enjoy the last week with the friends we’d made over the course of the program.

Gotoco really is a life changing opportunity. It is so rare to gain the experience of teaching abroad without paying for TESOL.
You can spend a summer having transformational experiences that are different to at home, opening up your mind, gaining you both personal and professional skills, especially in confidence. You meet new people, you adventure, you experience culture, food, places that you'll be thankful for. Most of all you form a relationship with your school and hosts which you'll never forget. The language progression of the students was really impressive.

I had an incredibly enriching experience teaching at a primary school in Thailand. My time in Thailand allowed me to immerse myself in a vibrant culture while contributing to the education of young minds.
The warm and welcoming atmosphere of the school and community made me feel right at home. I was impressed by the dedication and enthusiasm of my students, who were eager to learn and engage in various educational activities. The school's administration and fellow teachers were also supportive and collaborative, which greatly enhanced my teaching experience. I really loved the experience.

During my trip to Thailand to teach, the highlights were the warm and welcoming Thai people, the delicious street food, and the incredible cultural immersion but meeting fellow program participants was the main highlight. Rapidly forming strong bonds, many of us remain in touch to this day, forging lasting connections from our shared experience.
My experience with the program was nothing short of incredible. It was a meaningful journey filled with personal growth, cultural immersion, and the chance to make a positive impact through teaching in Thailand.

I particularly enjoyed having a week of acclimatisation in a foreign city (Hanoi) with other participants, experiencing the country as many tourists do before being transferred into a predominantly local, non-touristy setting. Living in a city I would never visit, in a solid community of Vietnamese teachers with the comfort of other interns, was impactful. I could experience the culture and people more than I would ever on my own, forming routines and relationships, insights and experiences so different to my day-to-day life at home. This for me, was the highlight of the trip; surprisingly, the 'travel' felt much less real and rewarding than this.

My placement was to a fantastic school which exceeded my expectations; the resources, food, teaching and accommodation were superior to anything I could have imagined. The friends I made with local teachers were smile-inducing, and the generosity, kindness and hospitality were surreal (like nothing I've experienced before). I could not have been treated better if I were to own all the money in the world; our interactions with the staff and students were real and genuine and really thought-provoking in making me question my way of life back at home.

My experience with the GoToCo program in Bali, where I taught English as a second language, was truly remarkable and left an indelible mark on my life. Bali's picturesque landscapes and vibrant culture provided an enchanting backdrop for this teaching adventure.

One of the most striking aspects of the program was the warmth and hospitality of the local community. Balinese people are incredibly friendly and welcoming, making it easy to connect with students and their families. This created a conducive learning environment where students felt comfortable and motivated to improve their English skills.