Xplore Myanmar TEFL Program with Guaranteed Placement

I got in touch with XploreAsia as a partnership to begin an internship in Cambodia. However, they asked me if I was willing to take a position in Myanmar due to my lack of experience. Cassidy and Mike were nothing but supportive and helpful during my consideration period and when I eventually decided in the long term it would be best for me to gather experience in Myanmar before moving to Cambodia they went head over heels in helping me with a placement and all the logistics of moving to Myanmar (it's NOT an easy location to gain entry into, but XploreAsia made the process feel extremely smooth). From the second I got off the plane to now spending 3 months at my first ever school and passing my probation period and signing a contract, I highly doubt I will leave my position in the near or even far future! Myanmar is a beautiful country with amazingly warm and welcoming people. I have had all the time in the world to allow this feeling to sink in due to XploreAsia and their on ground NELCXplore make the whole transition extremely stressful free.

I have been a teacher round about three years but I feel like I still need to learn how to teach the students. So, I joined Tesol class and it can give me a lot of knowledge and the instructor can train us a lot.At first, I didn't have enough confident to teach the students.Now, my confident level is higher than before.This class can give us energy and power to teach the students.

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Had such an amazing time learning, and have made friends for life. Cant thank the guys at Xplore enough! Now the hard part starts, I have all the skills needed. Time to put them to use! Tr Michelle was amazing and Daniel got me place at an amazing school. So so happy!

Teaching in Myanmar is the opportunity of a lifetime. If you are looking for a truly authentic, raw experience, where you are able to make a real difference in a country that is rapidly developing, look no further. The assistance that is provided is second to none. They take the stress out of planning an amazing adventure, leaving you with memories that will last a lifetime. The support they give you doesn’t just end after the course and placement. They also arrange teacher meetups and events. Last week we went bowling, it was so much fun! Originally when I completed my TESOL course in Thailand in 2016, I planned on sticking around for just 6 months. I loved it so much, I extended my contract for a year. Then came back again, this time to teach in Myanmar. I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to leave. The company supported me every step of the way.

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The people are very friendly. The organisation is still much smaller in Myanmar than in Thailand, but it has the potential to grow. The staff were friendly and helpful. I was assisted in getting travel plans and even in getting a SIM card.

My life changing journey originally started in Vietnam: I attained my TESOL certification and I was almost immediately placed at a prestigious language center after the completion of the course. I was astounded at how fast XploreAsia was able to place me especially given that I had no teaching experience prior to arriving in Vietnam. I really enjoyed my time in Vietnam and I would definitely go back for a longer term contract - but first, my goal is to see as much of Southeast Asia as I can before settling. With that being said, I am currently in Myanmar and I just recently started my new placement - again, thanks to XploreAsia. After I was done with Vietnam, I took about just under 3 weeks off to explore more of Vietnam, and then I was ready for the next phase of the adventure. I gave XploreAsia about a 2 week notice (prior to coming to Myanmar) and by the time I had arrived in Myanmar, they had already gotten me a placement and established accommodations for me close to where I would be teaching. I am thoroughly enjoying the adventure right now, and look forward to the next destinations: Thailand, South Korea, China, Czech Republic. Best of all, there is only a 1 time fee to get job placements at all these countries - the service that XploreAsia is providing is outstanding, and they even check up on me every so often to make sure that I am doing alright.

I had previously backpacked to Myanmar in 2015. I was on the tail end of a 3-month backpacking trip and had decided to extend my trip just a few more days so I could visit this country. I did not know or expect that after I came to Myanmar I would not want to leave. If you have been to Myanmar already you probably already know this and if you know someone whose been then you've probably heard them say it: I love the people in Myanmar. It is not a novel idea or one that will blow people away with its profoundness but it cannot be overstated that the people of this country make you want to stay. There is an atmosphere of genuine caring and a feeling of safety (both physically and emotionally) here that would make even the most rigid curmudgeon come out of their shell. I think it was most accurately summed up by a Myanmar person I met when they said "we may not be the richest in things, but we are the richest in heart". So after my travels I came back to the US but couldn't get Myanmar out of my head. Being back in the US felt so fast-paced (side note: if someone in Myanmar says they'll meet you at noon they mean they'll meet you at 2!), so harsh (no one was randomly inviting me into their house to share a meal and conversation), and so divided (not to mention expensive!). For sure there were things I appreciated about being in a fully developed country. I had my Western comforts like cheeseburgers and ESPN. Things were much cleaner and organized. I could communicate with everyone and had friends and family around. However, all of these comforts did not extinguish my Myanmar fire. Within about two months of being back in the US, I was researching teaching opportunities in Myanmar and finally found an agent company connected with XploreAsia. Within a couple of weeks I was signed up to teach abroad and left just a few months after! Coming to Myanmar this time I knew what to expect. I had signed on to teach for a year thinking I would get my Myanmar fix in that time and could then go back to my normal life in the US. Two years later and I still can't leave this country. My first teaching job was in a small, vacation town called Pyin Oo Lwin also known as "the city of flowers". Pyin Oo Lwin (POL) is a beautiful town and is somehow even more relaxed than Yangon. I was seemingly the only Westerner working there and could count on my hands the amount of Westerners I met who were traveling through. I was only there for about four months but in that time grew very close to my school, students, and community. I could take weekend trips to Mandalay, Shan State, or Bagan but found myself wanting to spend as much time in my community as I could. I lived in the guest room of a local family whose children were endlessly curious about what I was doing. I would walk to my school in the morning often being flagged down by a random townee on their motorbike, "Teacha! I drive you to school!". I had "family dinners" with the school staff most nights and taught the local Myanmar men how to play card games, yes, there may have been some whiskey involved with that too. In four months, I grew closer to that community than I thought imaginable. To this day I still talk to many of the teachers and staff from POL and will host them for dinner if they come to visit in Yangon. After POL I moved back to Yangon where I had first done my TESOL training. In Yangon I worked mostly at a preschool. Words cannot describe the level of cuteness one experiences when working at a Myanmar preschool. The kids are respectful and eager to learn but can barely contain their excitement to work with a foreign teacher. I should say here that if you are coming to teach in Myanmar and have a beard then be warned that it will be tugged and pulled to exhaustion. Just in general, if you are teaching preschool be forewarned that your body will become a jungle gym! In Yangon I also taught classes from kindergarten to adults but focused mainly on preschool. Even when you wake up and are having a bad day, it's impossible not to smile and forget it all once you walk into a classroom filled with children screaming "Good morning teacher! I love you teacher! How are you?!!" If that doesn't melt your heart then you and the Grinch might have a dinner date in need of being set-up. I spent eight months working at NELC BAK's preschool and have a feeling I will look back on those days as some of my warmest memories. Maybe because I already do. At this point I had fulfilled my contractual obligations, yet I was simply not ready to go home. I had made a new home for myself here. I had friends both local and ex-pat that I still consider truly close friends. I was apart of a rugby league and a basketball league. I could speak the language enough to get around and partake in small talk. I had started dating a Myanmar person and had become close to her family. I had made a new home. So I started working for a local company as a placement coordinator. My new job allows me to work with people wanting to come over and teach here just as I had two years earlier. I place new teachers at schools around Myanmar that I have built relationships with over time. Once a new teacher comes abroad I use my experience here to help them get settled and get them ready to live and work in their new home. I still teach a couple times a week though I mostly work with adults now. The work is not always easy but I am always enjoying myself and am truly appreciative of the opportunity and experience I have here. Our office is one of the only language centers in Myanmar whose teachers are all native speakers and most of our staff is local Myanmar people so it is a great mix of people. I started my adventure here with the intent to meet new people and get a perspective on a different culture. I've ended up finding a new home. I cannot say that Myanmar is for everyone. It requires patience, flexibility, and sometimes and strong belly or weak nose. If you do find that you Myanmar is the country for you then it will be near impossible to leave. I am not rich in things here but now I am rich in....well, you get it.

My month in Myanmar as a volunteer English teacher was one of the most fulfilling, rich experiences I've ever had in my entire life. My experience exceeded my expectations by far. In fact, I feel as if I was there for six months instead of only one as I learned and did and saw so much. I enjoyed all the classes and teaching assignments I was given, but I particularly enjoyed teaching at the monasteries and nunneries in the countryside the most. My teaching assignments at these locations exposed me to a very special, very important part of Burmese culture and I feel extremely honored to have been able to serve the underprivileged children there. I will always be exceedingly grateful to XploreAsia for making it possible to achieve my dream of teaching in Myanmar. XploreAsia assisted me with all my immigration documents, arranged my housing in advance, arranged my transportation to/from the airport as well as to/from the schools. Not having to worry about my lodging or transport was exceptionally helpful as I was able to focus my energy on lesson planning and preparation rather than logistics in a unfamiliar third world environment. I was very well looked after by the staff. I will definitely reach out to XploreAsia again when I decide to embark upon my next volunteer adventure and can recommend them without reservation to anyone looking for the same.

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Coming to Myanmar was definitely a culture shock...even after spending 8 months in Thailand. After a couple of weeks, the generosity and sincerity of the people and their culture envelops you with a feeling I have never felt before. I do not regret one minute joining the course! If you are adventurous, willing to be flexible, and love working and traveling off the beaten path...Myanmar and NELC-Xplore is your ticket.

I came to this country knowing virtually nothing about Myanmar. I was hesitant to come just because it seemed so different from other places I had ever been. I was unsure what to expect...I came with the intentions of staying for 6 months and hoped I wouldn't regret my decision - that was more than 16 months ago. Moving to Myanmar has been the number 1 best decision I have ever made. The people of Myanmar are friendly and welcoming; I am continually amazed by the generosity and love that is extended to me. I have had opportunities to teach adults in local Government sects as well as children in orphanages and monasteries. Myanmar has been shut off from the rest of the world for a long time and this has had an obvious impact on the country's development. I love being a part of the education and growth of the local people while their country grows and developments. I can see the impact that my teaching has on my students and I know that as their English improves, they will have opportunities they would not otherwise have.

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I came to SE Asia to teach, travel, and figure out if I wanted to make teaching my career. Through Xplore Asia, their programs, and their placements I was able to all of those and then some. I took my TESOL course in Chiang Mai and had a very cool experience throughout; my instructor Michelle was great, she was able to give examples as to how what we were learning applied to an actual classroom during our lessons, and the English camp was a joy to be a part of (1st picture attached). On our long weekend a group of us from my TESOL group took a trip to Pai, Thailand and it was, in a word, amazing. The scenery and the feeling of the town made for a trip I'll never forget. I was placed (hired by a school through Xplore Asia) in Phuket, where I taught English and Science to 5th graders. My Thai homeroom teacher was incredibly welcoming and helpful. My apartment was a 12 minute scooter ride from the beach (2nd picture attached), I quickly made friends with the other 12 Western teachers in the school as well as several local restaurant owners. I stayed in Cherngtalay, Phuket for one semester but was unable to stay due to my college student loan situation. After applying and being interviewed, I was hired by NELC Xplore, Xplore Asia's joint venture in Myanmar with a Burmese English center and school. There I taught in both Yangon (the commercial capital) and Nay Pyi Taw (the governmental capital). In Nay Pyi Taw I taught at the Myanmar Ministry of Commerce, where I had the most enthusiastic, respectful, and kind students I've ever had the good fortune of teaching (3rd picture attached). In Yangon I taught at another Ministry of Commerce branch (with students just a great), along with the University of Medicine II and classes in NELC Xplore's office. After achieving what I had initially come to SE Asia to do, I'm currently back in SE Vermont and applying to several graduate school programs to get my Masters degree in teaching. Without the experience that Xplore Asia facilitated, I would not be where I am today personally or professionally.

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I decided to do the TESOL course with Xplore Asia as I preferred to do the course in Thailand than England and I am so glad I did. It helped enormously to start the process in Asia, not only to get experience of teaching in a different culture, but also to start to make friends who also are going to be living in Asia, and of course you are in Thailand and not soggy England. The move to Myanmar was simple and straightforward as was accommodation. The school is well run and teaching the students is fun and rewarding. There can be very few countries like Myanmar left in th world, the people are amazing and it is truly something I will never forget!

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Myanmar people are the friendliest people I have ever met. The best thing about Myanmar is that life is very simple here. XploreAsia has been very helpful in terms of helping me learn the ropes in a foreign country, finding a suitable placement and accommodation for me etc. Through the program I got to meet, interact with and form friendships with new people - teachers from Europe and the US as well as local teachers. Overall, this experience has been and continues to be an invaluable one.