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

Gotoco made travelling to China much easier and less daunting than it would have been on my own. The application process was smooth and they sort out any queries fairly quickly. Such a great way to earn a TEFL qualification and develop new skills. I was matched well to a programme I enjoyed, met interesting people and saw places I'd never heard of before. My accommodation was located in a caravan park so I didn't get to live like a real local and the kids' parents were paying very high fees to attend our summer camp - but the facilities were very good (apart from the days they switched off the water and the electricity). I massively improved my confidence teaching drama, singing, dancing and baking as well as leading outdoors activities and joining in with the painting and drumming classes. Most of the local teachers at the camp did not speak any English, so communication was challenging but we always had at least one teacher that could help us out. Also, the trip to Yangshuo was class - really worth the visit. I understand that experiences vary depending on which camp you are sent to and how organised they are but personally, I had an extremely fun and enriching experience which I'd highly recommend.

I was at the camp for just over one month, and I can honestly say that every day I woke up happy to be at camp. There was never a time at which I felt like I should’ve been somewhere else. The camp staff and coworkers were a blast to be around. They were fantastic with the kids, and also helped the other English teacher and I assimilate into the new cultural territory with. I can not recommend the experience enough. I’m glad, to put it lightly, that I took a leap of faith to come to China this summer. My experience gave me a personal look at Chinese culture and has sparked an interest to stay in China for a longer period of time. Of course, Gotoco was instrumental in orchestrating the experience from application to camp completion. It is impossible to describe the fun that I had in my month at camp using words alone, but I can definitely reiterate that it was worth it and that I can’t imagine a better way to have spent that part of my life.

Teaching and being with the kids was really amazing. It was so great to see the difference inn them at the end of week, and how much more confident they were. I have made a friend for life in the other foreign teacher at the camp. I absolutely loved Yangshuo and being with him for a few days was great. We had some amazing laughs and the whole atmosphere at the camp was just very happy and uplifting.

It's a great way to explore a different part of the world which would otherwise be quite difficult to see. My programme was incredible, and the whole trip was life-changing. I love travelling, and I would absolutely recommend it to anyone else who is adventurous or just wants to see the true China.

I have hugely gained confidence and independence in the travel after the programme. I have made some amazing friends that I will never forget. I've had some life-changing experiences, that have shaped me. I have impacted the lives of countless children and that gives me a lot of pride.

The programme enabled me to visit a part of China I would not have otherwise visited and having an occupation upon arrival gave me the confidence to travel to China solo after the end of the programme, something I probably wouldn't have done otherwise. My favourite part of visiting China was befriending Chinese people and the Yangshuo trip. Having an organised camp enabled me access to an intense experience with Chinese teachers, the sort of local interaction that is difficult to achieve when simply travelling alone. Working days are quite long as even when you are not teaching you will be expected to interact with and oversee the children on the camp but this opens the door for a more immersive experience and provides constant exposure to Chinese culture.

My advice is be adaptable in every situation and have fun. Also, make the most of your time and enjoy every moment of it. I really enjoyed working as part of a team and making a difference in people's lives. Wanting to do something good that benefits others. I liked helping others and building good healthy relationship among my co workers. Also getting to know the students and learning each other's cultures. It was a great opportunity and gain a qualification. I would definitely recommend this trip to my friends and university students. It's worth it. And an unforgettable time. Everyone really had a great time and fun. If you get a chance go for this programme. It's something you can never experience anywhere else. Just go for it and see if you like it

It is a great experience in showing you what kind of person you are when you are thrown into a experience that is different to anything you would normally do. It is also a great opportunity to meet likeminded people with similar interested as well as mixing with people from different walks of life as yours. Furthermore Gotoco is also as close to being a real teacher as you can get with little experience, making it a great way to see if teaching is an option for you after university and to gain experience for your CV.

Teaching the children was the best experience on the trip as it gave me the opportunity to see what the real life of being a teacher was like.

Exploring Shantou and Chenghai was also a great experience as they are city that have not been touched by tourism and the people haven’t met many foreigners there, so everything felt very real and authentic. It also made you kind of like a celebrity and everyone wanted to speak to you have take photos with you. In the first week we were there we went to the park to play some American football and got surrounded by other 100 Chinese people wanting to join in.

Hosting the bilingual festival was also a highlight for me as it meant I got to interact with the kids and parents very regularly, which was very interesting. Finally, the downtime with the other participants was a lot of fun because we were allowed to do whatever we wanted as long as we were in the scheduled lessons. So things like chilling on the roof and having a laugh while overlooking Chenghai at night is a definite highlight for me.

I really enjoyed discovering Chinese culture: visiting places after class, eating local food, learning Chinese custom. I also really enjoyed spending time with other gotocoers in Yangshuo, as well as spending time with the teaching team during my placement.
I think the highlights of my experience are the trip to Yangshuo and the teaching part. The relationship you develop with Chinese students and the other Gotocoers is very rewarding. I would recommend Gotoco to a friend because the experience is unique and really enriching. Even if it is not an easy experience because days are long, teaching is tiring and being in a completely different country with a really different culture can be complicated, the overall experience is really gratifying.

I participated in the program this summer and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I think this was such a good opportunity to gain valuable experience, visit china and make a difference.
This program allowed me to visit china with free accomodation, food and a TEFL, on a budget. The only things I had to pay for were flights and my VISA, as well as the extra travelling I did after.
The company paid for a trip to Yangshuo after where we were able to meet other participants from other schools and exchange experiences. It did seem from other people that having a good experience was luck of the draw - it depended what school you got as they were all extremely different and what the other participants were like. Its also worth saying that the company give you information about the school and area before going out- although the information I received was completely inaccurate. The area was nothing like they said really, it was advertised as having lots of things to do and places to hike around which it didnt. it also said that we would be doing activities with the kids outside, but we did nothing like that except teach english. I think I only enjoyed the experience this much due to the people I met and my travels after. Had I not got on with the people, the teaching would have been far less enjoyable.
My only negative for the program was the lack of response from the company and the length of time it took them to respond to my emails; they were not contactable by phone either. This was annoying as when I initially started my application they were great at responding to questions but as soon as I had problems with anything such as my interviewer not turning up and changing the times, not hearing from the school or not recieving my deposit back, it took numerous emails to get a response.
Overall I would recommend this to my friends but make them wary of certain parts.