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

The students were really kind and funny and I enjoyed feeling independent and adventurous. I saw really interesting sights that were very different from my home. My best experience was renting a moped in Yangshuo and driving around the countryside and seeing Waterbuffalo. My school did not have a lot of organized activities and had no excursions or outdoor activities. There seemed to be poor organization. They mostly left me to myself. The best activity was a Chinese cooking lesson. It improved my confidence and perspective as well as gave me experience travelling abroad on my own. It improved my maturity and ability to command a room and instruct students. Helped me to navigate travelling on my own and dealing with unfamiliar situations. The overall uniqueness and adventure of the experience pushed me out of my comfort zone and forced me to challenge myself, I saw how people live outside the US and it gave me a better understanding of how things work beyond my small realm of past experiences. As well as the friendliness of the Chinese people and that you never knew what each day could hold.

I think the satisfaction of seeing the kids achieve things they were afraid to do and building their confidence over the week was something really enjoyable. Being able to take part in these activities with them and participating in their fun, whilst also seeing them learn and grow was something amazing.

For me personally, the friendships I made have been really memorable and spending time in a place where camp culture is really strong was a very enjoyable experience. At Camp Greenwoods it was mainly outdoor activities - seeing the kids confidence grow just in the short space of a week was amazing.

It was also really fun to be able to participate in all the activities that we don't really have the opportunity to do at home. I think that this whole experience has helped me grow as a person. I've learnt to become more patient, and I feel as though my confidence grew over the 4 weeks as well. By the end of it I was leading a couple of activities and was really able to connect with the kids, which I think is what helped my confidence. Working with kids of a different cultural background has also helped me become more understanding as you begin to learn to appreciate the different ways in which people react to things and the different ways in which they learn. The best thing was definitely the people. Both the staff, foreign and Chinese, as well as the kids, made this experience one of my most memorable. The directors of the camp were very welcoming and open, and the staff all became really good friends. It made for a very fun environment to work in and a place that really helped you grow as a person.

The teachers took us on days out each week and showed us the most amazing places that we wouldn't have known to explore otherwise. However, the highlight was travelling to Yanshuo after the teaching was finished. Getting to know the children and what they enjoyed meant that the lessons became more and more fun each time, as I knew exactly how to keep their interest. To begin with, my classes changed each week which made it hard to connect with my students, but once I was given a permanent class the whole experience became much more enjoyable. It has helped me to gain the confidence to teach and travel to other countries across the world, and through it I have made lifelong friends both in China and back home in England. Travelling to Yangshuo at the end and exploring it on motorbikes.

The most enjoyable parts were meeting all the new people. It was nice to be able to teach at a university, because many of the students were my age. Because of this, we were able to make friends and do activities that we liked doing.

I made a lot of friends from all over the world in China. It was really nice. When I was teaching at the school with middle-school aged children, it was so nice to teach. They were all so excited to learn, so they were very engaged in my activities. I think that going to China really helped me grow more confident. To go to a country where I cannot communicate was a big challenge for me.

It was my first time traveling abroad, let alone traveling by myself. The whole trip was a huge learning experience for me to gain confidence. Once again, the people I met at the school, in Yangshuo, and in my teaching team were all amazing people. I know that they will be my friends for a very long time, and that I will still be able to talk to them years down the line.

Also, China is a beautiful country, and taking the train to Yangshuo was such a good way to see the beauty of a part of the country.

I liked living with my host family after having initial worries, as they were very friendly. They gave me presents at the end of the trip, and paid for all of our trips out to see the different sights of Hangzhou. I also enjoyed playing games with the children in my class as they always had a lot of energy. I went to Yangshuo and went Whitewater drifting which was very fun. I enjoyed visiting different landmarks of Hangzhou with the family. It gave me confidence that I could be pushed out of my comfort zone and get by. I did not receive the support from the school that I thought I would in terms of helping me with my lessons, so I had to quickly adapt to my surroundings in a very unfamiliar environment. I had to quickly make decisions and it developed my problem solving skills. Spending time with my host family and meeting new people.

The most enjoyable moments of my trip fell into my larger sensation of amazement experiencing totally new cultures and being in a completely different environment. But beyond this general overall enjoyment, I'd have to say that I remember excursions to the Great Wall and the walled city of Pingyao with particular fondness. I would advise future Gotoco-ers to travel as much as possible whilst in China - done right it can be quite inexpensive! I particularly enjoyed forming a relationship with my students over the course of my trip to China. By the end I was personally proud of their achievements in English and so encouraged by their continued progress. My trip to China has made me more confident in my world outlook - most specifically as a traveller. Having been immediately apprehensive about placing myself in a country whose language I am unfamiliar with, and whose culture is largely alien from that of the UK, I am now comfortable finding myself in new environments and can't wait to travel to and around China, East Asia, and indeed the larger world again. The best thing about my trip to China would have to be the people I met. Both fellow gotoco-ers, Beijing expats and Chinese locals were so welcoming and happy to help in any way they could, and immediately made me feel at home.

Some of my most enjoyable moments of the trip happened thanks to the other volunteers involved. I liked the community feel and positive atmosphere that was built throughout the programme. I also really enjoyed getting to experience life in real China and being put into contact with so many different adults and children from all different walks of life was really eye-opening. One of my most memorable moments was meeting with all of the volunteers for the first time at the Olympic Sailing Centre in Qingdao! It was very exciting getting to see it in reality. The highlight of the lessons was probably getting to know all of the children and helping them to learn English. Teaching them in the classroom and watching them develop their skills and abilities was really rewarding to see. The outdoor activities at the camp were really exciting and I particularly enjoyed snorkelling and riding on the segways. Watching the children (and volunteers) overcome their fears during the activity helped the group to bond and added to the general sense of community. Volunteering in China has definitely benefited me as a person as it has allowed me to face and overcome challenges that I didn?t think I would be able to. Planning, preparing and teaching age appropriate lessons and activities to classes of 30 children (most of whom had different learning abilities and varied English skills) has built on my own personal confidence. Due to limited resources I often had to think on my feet and be creative in my approach. Ensuring that all children were engaged, interested and motivated during lessons and games has really helped my communication and people skills. I think the best thing about my experience in China was getting to see China in its true light. I got to live and work in a country with a completely different culture to what I was used to, which was at times slightly unnerving but was extremely exciting. Working with and supporting the children in learning new skills which will hopefully have a long-term effect on their language abilities was really rewarding. Meeting all of the other volunteers was also a highlight and most of us will stay in contact after the programme has ended.

Building relationships with the students, and seeing their progress in the time we were teaching there was very rewarding. I loved meeting the students and fellow teachers. Embracing a new culture through the routine of day-to-day life and cuisine was a good experience, and perhaps better than usual as we had an opportunity to immerse ourselves. My highlight was the trip to Guangzhou, where we had an opportunity to do a wide variety of activities including horse riding. Encouraged me to travel more, especially in China, and motivated me to learn Mandarin and explore other opportunities in China. I've gained lesson planning skills and teaching skills that I did not have before. Sharing new experiences with existing friends and new friends I made on the trip.