Via Lingua International LLC

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the American Institute. Through the TEFL course I learnt new skills and certainly improved my teaching skills. I appreciated the Tutor’s very much and found their feedback and lessons very useful. They were empathetic and very competent. The only suggestion would be to perhaps provide some direct contacts with schools looking for English teachers in the city of Florence or in Tuscany.

This experience changed my trajectory in life, only for the better!! I met friends that I will carry with me for life while building skills in and out of classroom. I came in with no teaching experience and left feeling confident in my ability to teach students. The practical experience of teaching community students was invaluable. I’m excited to see where this takes me!

I discovered the beauty of the city through the eyes of the people I met. The course is very well organized, intensive and interactive. The teachers are friendly, knowledgeable and supportive. The course location is right in the city center and if you choose to stay nearby, you will fully immerse yourself in the culture! Be curious, excited and motivated! You will definitely enjoy this course! Best of luck!

I cannot recommend this course enough! Whether you are completely new to teaching or looking to sharpen your existing skills, the Via Lingua TEFL course more than delivers. I had previously taken an online TEFL course but felt that it only covered the bare basics. Under the guidance of the awesome instructors at Via Lingua, I loved the in-depth lessons on grammar, pedagogy and lesson planning (to name just a few). The sessions were interactive, engaging and definitely memorable. A big 'thank you' to Stephanie, Jackie, Ellen and Alex for the help and encouragement every step of the way (especially when I forgot, yet again, to ask comprehension check questions during my teaching practice). Grazie mille!

This was an amazing course! As it's a four-week course, it's intensive, but still allows time to enjoy Florence and even take some day trips. It also allowed plenty of teaching practice time, with a variety of levels, so I feel very prepared to teach on my own. The teachers/trainers were all so helpful, clear, patient and fun so it was a welcoming and safe learning atmosphere. It was really wonderful and I'm so glad I took the course!

My experience was definitely one to remember. The support and guidance was excellent and I really felt like I was learning from the best when it came to organising lesson plans and effectively conducting an English lesson.

To put it simply this course is wonderful. While it is very challenging, which it should be, Maria is amazingly thorough. She is kind, helpful and very approachable. Alexandra is also amazing and kind. The school is in a fantastic location in the harbor with lots to do. I will always cherish my time at Via Lingua Crete.

I got so much out of Maria's course, her teaching methods, and just being around her in general during this program. She is a phenomenal instructor and really took the time to meet the needs of everyone in our class. She has a way of explaining difficult concepts so that they are truly accessible to students. Maria is also just an incredibly kind person and she made sure to take the time to socialize with us and share with us her beautiful family which created an atmosphere of fun and authenticity that I so appreciated. After the course I felt very prepared and so much more knowledgeable, which allowed me to pursue work in writing and marketing at a totally different level than I was able to before the course.

My time is Greece, and specifically with Maria, was life changing. The TEFL course was helpful and allowed me to work while abroad, which I loved, but the relationships built and the experience I had with the culture was something that's impacted my life forever.

When I signed up for the TEFL course in Crete I had no idea it would turn into one of the most fulfilling experiences I could ever have. The course was so well structured and administered by Maria, our course administrator, that it really helped me develop new teaching techniques and gain deep knowledge into TEFL instruction. Maria was the heart and soul of this course without whose help and guidance I would not have obtained all this invaluable knowledge and insight into TEFL training. Having been teaching English for 15 years before enrolling into the course I can definitely say that courses such as this are rare in Greece and administrators like Maria are even rarer to find these days. I would like to thank Maria for this amazing experience and I feel honored to have been taught by her and her associates.

I can not say enough about this course! I had the most amazing time! Not only is it an incredible experience, but for how quickly the course goes by, and as much content as you have to cover (it's definitely work! It isn't a blow off course!) I was very impressed by Maria, our teacher and how knowledgable she was and how helpful she was! She wants you to succeed and will do her best to help! She's so incredibly kind and just a warm personality that made being that far away from home so much easier. For a person who wants to have a completely new adventure in life, and to immerse themselves in a stunning location, I would highly recommend!

I was signed up for the Peru course but serendipity lead me "accidentally" to Chania and Maria. As a non-traditional student, middle-aged, travel alone for 7 months. Maria welcomed me into her school and heart. She patiently taught me the dreaded grammar, supported my desire to stay on longer in Greece and showed me what a real gifted teacher looked like. I hold those days in dear memory and hope to return one day!

Maria is an absolute angel, and made the whole experience completely delightful in addition to productive and educational. Chania is gorgeous, and the Greek students we had the opportunity to teach could not be more charming or sweet. I cannot recommend this experience enough!!!

I learned a lot from this course and am so happy I decided to get my certification in Crete! The program is excellent and Maria was an outstanding teacher. She is well-organized, personable, fair, and really cares about each student's understanding and success. Since I finished the course, she had been very helpful with providing resources to find jobs and connecting us to recruiters and past students with employment opportunities or information. Thank you for everything!

Aside from asking my fiancée to marry me :) The fact is, my decision to go to Crete and participate in the Via Lingua TEFL certification course changed my life's trajectory, and every significant life event thereafter can in some way be traced back to my decision to take this course. That includes meeting my fiancée in London while working in international education -- a field I got into by way of my TEFL experience! Maria, the head teacher and program manager, is a wonderful, warm, kind, brilliant, and inspirational human being. She made me so excited to teach English abroad. She went above and beyond in connecting me with a previous course graduate who in turn helped me get my awesome teaching job in Istanbul. Chania is a perfectly beautiful little Cretan city. The beaches, people, food, and nightlife were amazing. It's a place that will always hold a special place in my heart. I would recommend this course a million times over. Do it. Let it change your life like it changed mine.

Getting my TEFL certification through Via Lingua in Crete was a great experience. I took the course in July/August of 2016 and learned and improved so much in the time of the course. Maria is an incredible teacher, engages her students and is truly passionate about teaching. The instructors gave detailed advice after each lesson and we're always willing to help with any questions!

I did my TEFL training with Maria in July of 2012. Maria is one of the best teachers I have ever had, and I was inspired by her patience and willingness to share every bit of her knowledge with us. I've been teaching for four years now, and her example is still one that I look to as a goal! The school, the students, and the program as a whole were the perfect blend of adventure and instruction for me and I'm so happy that I did my TEFL program here. I'm still in contact with Maria and have been back to visit her since I graduated!