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

The program was very enjoyable with a very diverse group of councellours, the social aspect of camp was fantastic. I made some very good friends from Africa, China, America and numerous places in Europe. The mix of individuals created an environment where you could learn alot.

Working with kids was challenging as their logic is very different at aged 12 and arguments for silly reasons were common. Having said this, when teaching then and leading activities through the day it was mostly fine and very rewarding to see them having fun.

The staff at the camp spoke great English which helped the transition from English to Chinese culture go smoothly.

The hours were longer and I had fewer breaks than I had been told so prepare for that but overall it was a good experience.

This trip opened my eyes to Chinese culture and teaching as a profession. I spent three weeks with an amazing group of likeminded people, teaching inspirational children and working with other talented teachers. I had not taught before so walking into the classroom was daunting to start with, but after a few days it felt natural. We had two days to settle in before teaching, where we met our fellow gotocoers and teachers and were introduced to some teaching techniques. We each had a different area to teach, e.g dance / drama / P.E and could make up our own lesson plans. We had free evenings and weekends which we made the most of by getting taxis to local towns and cities. The five day stay in Yangzhou after the teaching was a perfect retreat after our hard work and gave us a chance to spend more time together as a group.

I had the most amazing experience in China teaching English. The activities were all amazing and I saw so much of the area. I would definitely do this again if I get the chance! I met some really great people who I know will be friends for life. I improved my Chinese and accumulated lots of new skills. This experience has built upon my CV but was also a great way to spend my summer. Whilst teaching I had so much fun travelling and exploring and I really enjoyed my time there. Through this programme I visited Guilin, Yangshou and Nanshan. We were really well looked after and I felt very safe throughout the duration of my stay. I experienced a whole new culture in which I learned lots of new things about the country. Guilin and Yangshou are two beautiful places I want to visit again.

My experience volunteering in the south of China (Yangshuo) has been one of the most incredible experiences that I had the opportunity to live, the best moments have been the activities with the children, the English classes where you felt they wanted to learn and the desire they had to know about you and your country.

The best of the experience was the cultural exchange, meeting such wonderful people and having the opportunity to help.if I would repeat it again, it has been a magical month.

I would recommend the program to everyone because I think that living a volunteer experience abroad has to be vital in today's society. Is a program that help u as a human being. So don’t hesitate if are thinking in offering some help and go for it, I can tell that u are not gonna regret it.

All the best,
Eva Álvarez, Spain.

It is a great opportunity to meet new people from all over the world during an opportunity of a lifetime! The programme offers a chance to try teaching, meet new people and learn more about China- what is there not to love? I truly have no regrets and will definitely remember the experiences and adventures that I had.

Teaching foreign students has really made me learn and adapt to different styles of learning from the kids. I have become far more observant in the way people respond to what I say and how I can best communicate an idea. I have also taken the opportunity to improve my mandarin skills.

The experience of teaching children was also very exciting and I certainly learned a lot and tried to improve as time went on.

As a first year university student, it is definitely a great chance to develop your skills and have an adventure at the same time

It was absolutely great to be in Lingshan, a small town full of amazing people.Victor and his family treated us as we were part of the family which was something outstanding, they took care of us, cooked different food every day and took us to beautiful places. The school and students were incredible, teaching them was a pleasure and the last day was very emotive.

The experience with Gotoco was also really good, eventhoug I was very confused about china and all the document that I needed, the process was very easy and all the emails with the information were really usefull. If I needed extra help there was always someone replying the emails very fast.

I have learnt professional and personal skills that will be very useful for my future. It was my first time teaching and after the experience I feel I am a lot more confident. Teaching in Lingshan was a unforgettable experience.

In overall, the experience was perfect, something that I will never forget.

A great way to get into travelling alone if you've never done it before as you are put in touch with loads of similar people from all over the world and Gotoco provide a lot of support before you get there and while you're in China as well. I worked in Yangshuo which was amazing and the school Gotoco placed me in was fantastic - the staff were incredibly helpful and supportive in getting us used to teaching etc.

A great way to travel while also getting something for it - i.e. the TEFL which would usually cost you and you get to do the training abroad. For me I would have gone ahead with the program even without the offer of the TEFL after having such a great time so the qualification is a bonus! Even without, I enjoyed the travelling and immersive experience of living in China for an extended period of time and the teaching has given me so many skills that I can put on my CV and use in the future.

I love China and speaking Chinese with locals. I shed a lot of preconceived notions that I didn’t know I had. This trip has made me realize I lot of things that I’m glad I have realized. I have grown because
of teaching English in a foreign country and seeing the world is so big. This is especially important for Americans because we live in a bubble, and the rest of the world is different. Because of my program,
I am a better communicator and I am more assertive. In my experience, China is a place where if you want something, you can only rely on yourself to get it. My experiences have made me more confident in pursuing what I want. Overall, I am fortunate to have gone on this program, and I feel like I have changed as a person. Everyone should go on some trip like this to see the world, and Gotoco is a good option especially for those interested in teaching.