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

I learnt a lot about another culture and different ways of living and thinking. This has benefitted me a lot as I feel more educated about these things. I felt inspired to learn about Chinese history, language and Chinese politics. I also learnt to be more accepting and to be more relaxed about things outside of my comfort zone. I enjoyed teaching despite the lessons I was told to teach themselves were routine and outdated. It was great to see when students were enthusiastic and enjoyed lessons, and was also wonderful to see a shy student give a question a go. I enjoyed all of the cultural excursions, especially going to Nan'ao Island .

Gotoco is an amazing company with extremely helpful people who are dedicated to make sure that you are spending the summer of your life. I have been impress countless times by their desire to help up. The selection process is long but useful as they make sure to find the perfect project for you, and the one that I was assigned to could not be any better.
Thank you Gotoco, I will definitely come back next summer.

I definitely would recommend Gotoco to a friend and already have! The reasons I’ve given people include the opportunity to go to the other side of the world and experience a completely different culture one may be accustomed to. Also, going to a rural area and partaking in meaningful work was humbling and has definitely changed my perspective on things. Thirdly, the opportunity to meet some incredible people from around the world will allow one to broaden their horizons. And last but not least, the fact that accommodation is paid for means it’s a no-brainer!

Working with a gotoco program was a great experience. I was able to quickly and cheaply plan an amazing trip to China, and it was such an amazing experience. Every part of the process was smooth, and teaching at my program and working with children felt very rewarding. The program specifically was a summer camp, with a range of ESL activities, and the students were all adorable and very kind. We had a lot of fun teaching them English, and I even taught them a fair bit of swimming as well.
You also will meet many awesome people from around the world, who are all friendly and willing to help you with anything along the way. I think everyone should experience a different culture at least once in their lives, and I think many people don't understand how rewarding the experience can be. This along with working on a TEFL certificate at the same time makes gotoco a once in a lifetime opportunity for people across the world.

One of the best experiences I had is when some of the teachers in my accommodation and I went to Dongwan Guanyin Mountain. We ended up having the peak of the mountain all to ourselves and watched the sunset among amazing temples and scenery.

Another amazing time was in Yangshuo, when a bunch of us went to a beach by the river that runs past the city. The scenery was amazing and the walk there was gorgeous too. Also, the area around the beach was very rural, so I felt I got to experience another part of China than the very urban and modern side I had seen so much of.

My favourite lessons with the kids was by far the ones I taught about animals, nature and the environment. It was so uplifting talking to the children about these topics as many of them seemed to have a lot of passion for the topics. One of the 3rd years could even tell me about a whale found with its belly filled with plastic that had been a big case in Norway earlier.

My experience in China has firstly made me a lot more independent and confident about traveling alone. I have also learned that teaching is a career that I could pursue in the future, as I really enjoyed teaching. It has made me more confident about talking to large groups and taking control of a situation.
The trip has put me in situations that required me to think and plan that I don’t face in my daily life. My time in China has also opened my eyes to what the country is really like and has made me a more open-minded person.

Meeting new friends on the programme was one of the best parts. Experiencing together a completely different culture was exciting as well as challenging at times. The hospitality of the organizers was also a great thing which I will surely remember. Additionally, the independent traveling I managed to do with the friend I applied with was incredible and I consider that Gotoco deserves credit for giving the opportunity to participate in such programs for free, emabling participants to save money and travel.
The highlight of the lessons was seeing the kids learn so quickly and apply what they've learnt in real life situations. In terms of outdoor activities, I really enjoyed kayaking on the enormous lake we lived by. The cultural clash I encountered was full of interesting experiences, but the highlight was seeing the Yao people live their rural lives. Expectations of China are always surrounding urban environments, while nobody speaks of rural areas. This chance I got was unique and I consider myself enriched by this new perspective on life of the Yao people.
The Gotoco experience surely broadened my horizons. Having never been to East Asia before, this was one of the most challenging journeys I have ever done, from which I have learnt a lot. Going out of my comfort zone is a huge bonus and I believe this will prove to be useful in the future. Additionally, teaching English has benefited me personally as well as professionally. By teaching I have gained a new perspective on the English language and its philosophy, which I consider helped me improve my overall English skills.
The best thing about my experience in China was getting to know its people and making new friends on the camp. I believe this will remain in my memory for the long term and I am keen to keep in touch with everyone I met.
I would recommend any friend to take part in this as it is a unique opportunity to explore an otherwise relatovely closed place. However, I would advise him/her beforehand to be prepared for different circumstances.

Volunteering at Guizhou Forerunner College gave me the opportunity to meet people from all over the world and make new friends. This was a great experience for me, because being a teacher for the first time allowed me to understand how much work teachers have to put in, to keep the students engaged during English lessons.
It was surprising to see how interested and keen, both adults and children were to learn English, this made me understand how valuable a small contribution is at GFC.
I heard about GFC’s summer camps through Gotoco, and I am glad I was able to participate because I had a chance to improve key skills, like communication and team work by working with the other volunteers and teachers.
I have learned a lot from the other volunteers and I received a lot of help from the other teachers and staff members at GFC.
I would like to come back in the future for other projects, because I had so much fun during the activities and trips organised by GFC and also to meet again with all the volunteers and staff members.

China has been an incredible adventure and I am grateful that Gotoco gave me the opportunity to travel here.
I believe the experience has benefited me in terms of my cultural knowledge of East Asia, which I found different from what I've expected.
The teaching has helped in gaining valuable experience in working with kid, especially that don't speak very well my language.
The fact that I've got to spend a month in a rural area in China has been the best thing about my experience.
I believe that China is a must see and volunteering here is something every youth would enjoy.