Enriching experience, relevant tools and skills, warm environment

Ratings
Overall
5
Instruction: 5
Support: 5
Value: 5
Academic Rigor: 4
Job Assistance: 5
Review

To provide context, this was a mid-career break for me. I wanted to travel and learn a skill, so I decided to get certified to teach English even though my previous career path was not in education and I was also not decided if I would actually go into teaching. However, the skills learnt can be applied to many aspects of a job, not just as an EL Teacher.
It was definitely a great choice to take the course at Via Lingua Florence. Florence was amazing with its picturesque buildings and rich history, the school is located in the heart of the historic centre and I got to walk to school everyday surrounded by so much art and culture. The teachers and team at the school were very supportive, sincere, and genuine. Never once did I feel like I was the odd one out being the only Asian face on site. The workload might seem intimidating at first, but it was given out and worked on in chunks so it was manageable, and you will feel really proud of your achievement at the end of it.
The classes were relevant, grammar (once a hated subject) became my favourite, which speaks volume of how enjoyable it was, and I was being taught how to make it enjoyable for my students too.
The constant feedback given for our participation in class, for teaching practices and for our general progress was really clear and constructive. You also get to evaluate yourself in a journal so you can keep track of your improvements.
I was very fortunate as I had awesome classmates from different parts of the world whom I got to work with, which made the whole experience very enriching as you learn from each other. The classes draw many interesting people with many interesting stories to tell, so that was one of my biggest takeaway from this experience.

After completing the course and doing a bit of travel around Italy, I did a short volunteer stint teaching English in Thailand to University students. The course equipped me with the structure to make my limited time with the students more fulfilling.

As said the course doesn't only teach you how to teach English, but provides you with skills you can apply in any job - presentation skills, public speaking, planning and communication strategy etc.

I would give a 100% yes if you are considering on taking the course.

Would you recommend this program?
Yes, I would
Year Completed
2017