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

Volunteering at an English language school in China for 6 weeks has been very fulfilling and I will not soon forget it. During the program I was given the opportunity to explore the local areas and experience the real China, and make close friendships with the other volunteers. The program provided a short training course on how to teach, and at the end of every term (3 weeks) there was a festival to showcase the talents of the kids and the volunteers to the parents.
After the program ended, I have been able to travel to several other locations in China which I previously would not have been able to do without being accepted onto a program in the first place. I had an amazing time and I’m thoroughly glad that I chose to spend my summer in China.

I had an amazing time in China which would never have been possible without the incredible opportunity given by Gotoco. I felt completely safe in China as I always had contact with Gotoco through Wechat or email.
One of the best parts of the Gotoco programme was the couples days I spent in Yangshuo. It was a great chance to relax and bond with other Gotoco people who had had similar experiences and exploring the scenery with other participants. It is the most beautiful place I have visited and was the perfect end to the trip.
I would definitely recommend the programme because not only does it provide an incredible opportunity to travel independently but also provides you with essential skills that can be translated straight to a work environment.

What I most enjoyed about this programme was the fact that I got a really immersive experience of Chinese culture. I loved meeting lots of Chinese people, who were very friendly and made a real effort to make us feel welcome, even trying to teach us some Mandarin! I think that that kind of immersion is really impossible to achieve just by going somewhere as a tourist, and that this is the main selling point of a programme like this. In addition, I feel that I gained a lot of confidence and important skills through teaching. I really enjoyed interacting with the kids on a daily basis and I think that the experience of different cultures was mutually rewarding. In addition, on the programme I got to see some beautiful parts of China, and experience them in quite a unique way.

Genuinely, doing Gotoco was one of the best experiences of my life. I was more than sceptical about going and extremely nervous about travelling to China on my own to the rural-ish area of Southern China, Rongxian in Guangxi, and as many other people would agree, had never done something like this before! From the moment I arrived I felt at ease and the teachers gave us a really warm welcome and made us feel safe.

I was very glad to have been put in this programme that had such kind and welcoming teachers and parents. The students were keen to learn and it was fun teaching the different ages.

The thought of going to China on my own was so scary and now i have done it i feel so much more confident and now feel able to do other trips and teach in other places. I saw things I've never seen before and experienced a completely new culture. Teaching was such a good experience and something completely new.

If you decide to do the placement, you should definitely go to Yangshuo as offered by Gotoco. It is a beautiful place and cycling through the mountains and rafting down the Yu Long river was one of the best experiences of my life. I was really lucky to have got on well with the other volunteer on my placement and felt that it was such a good way to meet likeminded people and hear from other volunteers who did other placements around China.

Overall, I'd recommend people to use Gotoco if they want to experience something completely new, in a place that is unique whilst gaining a TEFL certificate. I never thought I'd actually go as I was sceptical at first at how legit it was. Yet, Gotoco communicate with you throughout and you get put into a groupchat with representatives from Gotoco who can help if need be. We also were put into a groupchat with the other volunteer and the lead teacher of the placement to get to know them before arriving.

Obviously each placement is different so one experience will vary from another, but most people I met at Yangshuo had had a good experience on their placement. I was really happy to have gone with Gotoco for the placement and hope that other people will feel confident to go to China too.

I think the program is a great way to experience Chinese culture first-hand and not from a tourist's perspective. Teaching on the summer camps is a very fun and rewarding experience.
The opportunity to go to Yangshuo at the end of the trip is a great way to meet other volunteers from around the world and explore a stunning rural area of China.

I thoroughly enjoyed my experience with Zhuhai Youngster Club. The training week at the beginning was a good way to get to know our Chinese hosts before the summer camp began. I also felt that it was a good way for the volunteers to engage with the lesson plans and discuss any ideas that we had about the teaching.
The summer camp itself was very enjoyable. In the lessons we often played games to help the children learn vocabulary, which they enjoyed. The teaching was a good way to improve my self-confidence at public speaking and it was rewarding to see the children's confidence at speaking English improve over the course of the camp.

The afternoons were spent playing sports such as Badminton, Tennis, Golf, Skiing and Kayaking. I enjoyed being in the outdoors and being able to relax with the children outside of the classroom environment.

As the title says, I’ve never had a better time. You should be prepared to work very hard, as I worked long hours 7 days a week (though this does change depending on where you are sent), but it was very rewarding and the Gotoco staff are very helpful. If you have any issues at the camp, they will do their best to mediate - and I know some people who got moved if they didn’t enjoy their school.

The week in Yangshuo at the end is the perfect way to close your Gotoco experience - 24/7 fun. It has a great mixture of outdoor activities (hiking, kayaking, cycling, swimming, etc.) and a good touristy town centre, with plenty of restaurants and bars. The activities are all arranged by Gotoco, and they are extremely flexible - if you don’t like their activity, and would prefer to do something else, they will do their best to help you.

I have absolutely loved the Gotoco experience and would recommend it to anyone considering applying. There have been so many highlights, from watching a Guzheng show, going tea leaf picking to even attending a Chinese wedding! Gotoco offers the opportunity to fully immerse yourself in Chinese culture which has been so valuable. I have become a lot more independent since participating in the trip and I feel a lot more confident in travelling abroad now. I also feel that my leadership and communication skills have developed during the experience. The location of the programme was also brilliant with Yangshuo being an absolutely beautiful area. I have met some great friends during the programme who I hope to stay in touch with. I cannot recommend this programme enough!

This is a great opportunity to explore ‘real’ China. The local knowledge provided by the interns and other colleagues working at the camp was also invaluable. Not only did this make it so much easier navigating China and we were exposed to aspects of Chinese culture that you wouldn't be as an average tourist. This made my experience seem really aunthentic! Getting home cooked Chinese meals was definitely one of the highlights of my trip.

Yangshou was a great way to end my time in China - it was one of the most stunning places I've ever visited and the activities organised by the staff there was a great way to meet other Gotocoers. It was really nice to come together at the end of the trip and share our experiences.

I enjoyed my month being exposed to the chinese culture.