Text & Talk TEFL Course Review

Teaching English abroad may sound glamorous to those who haven’t done it before. However, when faced with awed students for the first time, I realized I need more than just English-Speaking skills.

I enrolled with Text-and-Talk TEFL Academy and it was one of the most fulfilling experiences I had. The course materials were impeccably written with a sense of concern for the local learners. With the amount of time given to read and answer the manual questions, I would say I have much respect to the author. The modules provided a lot of what is needed to plan your lessons, teach and deal with your students. Another aspect that was taught was being able to entertain your students. This proved to be extremely important when teaching young learners and can still be applied to older groups.

During the course, the trainers shared all the necessary methods of teaching in order to become the quintessential teacher. I learned how to properly convey what I know, and concept check the students to make sure what I taught, was understood. I learned how to prepare proper lesson plans using the PPP methodology, which I think is the most effective way to teach.

I really enjoyed the color analysis activity during the course. The activity showed us the best colors that matched our personalities and we were recommended local stores that sold affordable clothing for if we wanted to enhance our wardrobe.

At the end of the course, I conquered my slight fear of speaking in front of an audience. This was done through various daily practice exercises in a simulated, real classroom setting. The practice teachings were definitely a great experience and we were able to improve our teaching styles with the help and coaching from the TEFL Team.

I also learned how to handle various problems that may occur in most Asian school settings, like wide-eyed students who will have no idea what you’re talking about, students who will lose focus and distract others and more. I learned how to do verbal and non-verbal communication, and which one is more effective in certain situations. Most importantly, the TEFL Course opened a shut window, an opportunity for personal growth.

All that being said, I would say I learned more than what I expected, and it was an amazing experience. I would like to give a big thanks to the TEFL Team for all they have done, from preparing all of our lesson materials, to facilitating the practice teachings and corporate field trip, to the amazing surprise video on graduation day.