Alumni Interview with Yvonne Van Wyk

What inspired you to travel abroad?

When my children were younger I had to be at home to look after them. Now they are both grown up and independent. For the first time I had the opportunity to rethink my life and really do what I wanted to do.

I worked in Pharmaceuticals for the past 12 years and started doing online teaching to earn an additional income. This is where I fell in love with it. Doing a TEFL course enabled me to realize my dream to travel the world and at the same time earn an income.

I now have the wonderful opportunity to learn about other cultures while doing something I am passionate about. Some people would argue that during the pandemic might not be the ideal time to travel abroad but I beg to differ. Although there were a few additional steps to follow, the upside is that I get to realize my dream and time waits for no one.

Why did you choose TeachTEFL?

I did a lot of research when I started out. Looking at service providers offering the various types of courses, researching what was needed to be able to travel abroad and also the affordability of the courses was a determining factor.

After considering all my options and speaking to acquaintances and friends who did similar courses, I chose this specific service provider because I got a lot of positive recommendations pertaining to their content. Also, their pricing is very affordable.

Their before and after service was also rated very high by friends, which for me was very refreshing since we so often find these days that customer service is lacking.

What was your favorite part about Bangkok?

It is so difficult to quantify the experience into only one specific favourite part rather than the whole experience. Upon my arrival at the airport in Bangkok I was already impressed with the support I received as a foreigner. Throughout my experience the one thing that stood out were the kindness and willingness to help of the local Thai people.

Adding to this the delicious food and the beautiful places definitely served as an incentive to ensure an enjoyable stay. The cost of living is also very low which means extra savings can be utilized for more traveling.

How did the local program staff support you throughout your program?

Support started immediately once you register for the programme. Not only from local staff but the programme also has online support to assist you with any questions and queries every step of the way. This is definitely saving you a lot of time and effort.

This was especially useful for me since I mainly did the programme after hours and over weekends. They responded to emails immediately and you also have the option to phone should you require more detailed assistance. For me personally it felt like they valued my time and that I was an important customer.

What's one thing you wish you would have done differently during your time abroad?

I could have spent a bit more time trying to learn the local language. Saying that, I must explain first that I spent most of my time in a very small town and that they hardly spoke any English there. This presented a challenge in the beginning because simple tasks like buying something from a local market became quite difficult.

But in the end I managed to overcome this difficulty by learning simple phrases and also using a translator on my phone. The locals really appreciate the fact that you are trying to learn the language and do not laugh when you make mistakes.

Describe what a typical day in your life abroad looked like.

From Monday to Friday it was all about business as usual since it was more of a working holiday. Typically I would be at school from 8:00 till 4:00. After school I would go to the local market and buy dinner or fresh produce if I wanted to cook.

Weekends were the time where I could really just relax. Usually I would travel and explore all the tourist attractions or simply do some shopping. There was also a lot of times where I would be invited over weekends to spent with friends or simply to just do absolutely nothing. 

Sometimes you would get homesick but fortunately technology is so convenient these days that your loved ones are just a phone call away.

What did you enjoy doing in your free time abroad?

My free time was mainly during holidays and weekends. More often than not I would spend my free time exploring new places and visiting restaurants and coffee shops. My colleagues always made a point of inviting me to go shopping with them or even to spend time with their families. 

They loved showing me around, since Thai people are so proud of their heritage and their country. I also took time to spoil myself and relax. I found that I love the Thai comedies and on days where I needed to wind down I would watch comedies.

What type of accommodation did you have? What did you like best about it?

On arrival I had to quarantine in an ASQ hotel; the service was excellent and the food amazing. I then moved into a one-bedroom house. The unique thing about Thailand is that they do not have a traditional kitchen. Meaning to say the kitchen is almost non existent.

My kitchen consisted of a tap and a small washing bowl. I prefer cooking for myself so I invested in a one-plate stove. The bathroom had the usual: a toilet, shower, and a basin. I was fortunate enough to rent a place with a huge garden. This was my favorite part of the house because it was very private.

The house was surrounded by lychee trees and you could hear birds singing every morning.

What is one thing every future participant should know about your program before their program begins?

Research, research, research. Traveling abroad for a working holiday is an awesome experience but culture shock is definitely a reality. I managed to adapt quite easily to my new environment because I was prepared.

Before going abroad I did a lot of research about the culture, the people, habits, and perceptions. Don't only Google the pros, also Google the cons. Once you are in a new country you realise everything is different from what you are used to, so make the effort before you travel to research as much as possible.

Doing the programme was the easy part, living the dream was the challenging part.

Would you recommend TeachTEFL to others? Why?

Yes I would definitely recommend the programme and the provider to others. Doing the programme was my first stepping stone to reaching my dream. The service from the provider was excellent and it was a pleasure doing the programme through them.

They were professional at all times and made my life so much easier. Traveling abroad presents a lot of challenges like mountains of paperwork. The fact that the programme was easy and well structured made a huge difference. It cut down on processing time a lot in a long process that can take a lot of your time. The content was also excellent and user friendly.

What do you feel the biggest benefit of traveling abroad is?

For me personally, the biggest benefit is definitely self-enrichment. I am a better person today because seeing how other people live made me realize how much I have to be thankful for. I have learned that no natter what your ethnicity is we are all the same. We face the same challenges everyday.

It gave me a better understanding of cultural diversity. I also got to see amazing sights and eat great food. I've made wonderful friends and met so many kind and wonderful people. All these things make you a richer person at the end of the day. Because it was more like a working holiday I was able to also save some money for the future without compromising on quality.