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

This was a fun and cheap way to see a lot of China. The people who run the program are all very nice and well-meaning. The accommodations and the food are all fantastic. The teachers there and the facilities are all great as well. The days are very long, you typically work about 12 hours per day. The program will tell you that the tells are much shorter than they are. For example, I am aware of several programs which say they are 9am-6pm every day but they are actually 8am-9:30pm every day. This is just one example of the exceptionally poor communication. You will be unaware of what you're doing at any given time until 5 minutes before you have to do it. You will be waiting for a response from the program directors for days unsure of exactly what to do. They will tell you things and then tell you something entirely different 3 days later. In all honesty, it doesn't make the program any more difficult or less fun, it's just pretty annoying and causes a few issues when trying to plan things.

Interacting with Chinese students and learning about Chinese culture, sightseeing the beautiful nature of china and delicious Chinese food plus homestaying with a really nice Chinese family
We also discovered Jinan parks and springs
This was one the greatest experience that could happened to me and I might not explain this again
I am really grateful for this experience
It was full of happiness and I have learned valuable things
Thank you so much

I would recommend Gotoco to everybody who knows english as teaching in China would give people experience that they can not easily find
They can visit china for free and buy a lot of cute things
It was full of valuable experiences
It was beautiful and a great chance to get to know the Chinese culture and people
It has given me the independency skill
It has given me Independence and leadership and a great confidence . I would definitely recommend it to my friends as it is was a rich programme i have seen the nature, and culture.

This is the best way I could choose to spend my summer!! I met awesome people from all around the world that are now my friends and I had the opportunity to learn from the kids their habits and traditions. During this experience I had the possibility to visit Yangshuo and to do several activities. The school I was teaching in offered the possibility of joining several outdoor activities that offered the children and foreigner teachers a different way of learning. All the Chinese teachers were doing their best to help us despite our lack in Chinese language and we also learnt some basic Chinese from the kids.
This is definitely a unique experience and challenging as well but in a way that I could only benefit from it. I'm more confident and less shy now and definitely more responsible. As for me it was the first time in another continent I also learnt how to deal with the immigration processes at the airport and train station.

I really enjoyed my teaching experience in China. I was considering volunteering abroad for awhile but didn't know where to start, which was why I found GOTOCO so useful because they guide you through the application process and attempt to assign you to a school that matches your requirements. The application process was pretty smooth - aside from some visa issues that were more so the result of changes to protocol rather than any issue with GOTOCO, and the teaching went really well. The accommodation provided was very comfortable and high-quality, and the school and its staff were organised and helpful. I was able to meet many amazing people from lots of different cultures as a result of this program and couldn't be happier!
The only main issues I had was that I only found out my school in April despite applying in October, however I found the communication with the team to be very fast via email and they did try their best to answer any questions I had. Also, the school I taught at had very limited vegetarian options despite stating that I would be fine, so try and ensure the school you are given definitely are willing to provide a variety of food options if you are veggie/vegan! - coming from a veggie who survived on rice, salad and watermelon for two weeks ;)

Please tell us about some of your most enjoyable moments of the trip?
My most enjoyable moments are really making friends with some of the children, being able to chat to some of them for a very long time, and seeing them progress and learn something. Making new friends with fellow teachers, and going on all sorts of adventures with them was the absolute highlight.

How would you say the overall experience has benefitted you?
I am more confident, have gained teaching experience, have experienced some of Chinese culture and the customs in China in general, am now used to cockroaches big spiders, the heat, and operating in an environment where there is no English spoken most of the time. I've improved my leadership, time management and organisation skills, as I followed my lesson plan and taught 6 40-minute lessons a day.

What was the best thing about your experience in China?
It was an unforgettable experience to be a teacher in a foreign country and to be able to have an influence on the children's lives.

Would you recommend participating to a friend and if so why?
This is a character shaping and character changing experience, you discover a completely new side of yourself in such a foreign culture, it can't really be explained, you have to live through it.

The Yangshuo trip was very fun, meeting up with everyone else on the programme and exploring the beautiful scenery of the town. All activities were great but could of been organised better, but will be very difficult as the group was very large and people would often be late or change their minds.
Working in the Chinese school was very strange and confusing at first, there was very little information about what we would be doing up until the first day of teaching. However, once it got going, it was a very rewarding and fun experience.
Even though things would seem very confusing at first, it all works out and teaching in China is very fun, rewarding and a great experience that you would never forget.
The programme has given me experiences I will never forget. Being completely out of my comfort zone on the other side of the world made me more confident and created great memories.

Gotoco is an amazing company that helped me have some of the best 6.5 weeks of my life! They are very helpful throughout the entire process and always answer emails in order to make your experience as easy as possible.

I was put into a program where I stayed with a host family who were the owners of the school and I could not have asked for a better experience there because of them. They were welcoming and treated me like part of the family. They always wanted to experience new things and showed me so much Chinese culture. Dinners consisted of exchanging stories from our countries and learning from each-other.

Teaching there was really enjoyable and the students loved me. I was welcomed by all of them everyday and they were so fascinated to learn from me and to learn about Canada. In addition, I took part in many travel opportunities including going to Shanghai, Hangzhou, Qingdao City, and exploring every part of the city I was in, Jiaozhou.

Gotoco offers different amazing opportunities for those who want to travel to China and learn more about its culture and language. During my program in Beijing, I taught two adorable and energetic children from my homestay. At first, I was worried because I did not have much teaching experience. The kids also spoke very good English, so helping them improve their English skills was a little bit of a challenge for me. However, I had a fun time experimenting with different ways of teaching and keeping the children engage, stepping outside of my comfort zone and gaining confidence in myself.

The host family was very nice and welcoming, taking me out with the kids to watch movies or go to local restaurants to try various Chinese cuisine. They even brought me to Shenzhen with them for the Spring Festival.

I had a wonderful time on my program through Gotoco. Gotoco provided a great opportunity where I could travel to another country and discover myself in new ways.