Reviews

Provider: The Cultural Exchange Project

Program: Paid Summer Teacher in Thailand

This program was sold as teaching at a summer camp in a location of your choice. In reality, it was not a summer camp. We were dropped into the middle of an active school year, which we only discovered upon arrival. I was placed as a substitute teacher splitting time between two schools in Bangkok, leaving me with no way to establish a community. It was an incredibly lonely experience. While the established XploreAsia teachers at one school were kind and friendly, those at the second school were exclusive and unfriendly, which only added to my isolation. The teaching environment was also very difficult: • Lack of classroom support: With only one or two exceptions, the full-time Thai teachers talked over my lessons. Because of this, the students did not respect me or follow directions. • Poor resources: The sub plans left for me were bare-bones or incomplete. The supply closet was nearly empty, and the few materials available were either broken or missing essential pieces. Beyond the classroom, the logistics and safety support were severely lacking: • Compensation and visa issues: Because of the visa we were advised to get, our employment wasn't even legal. We were paid under the table in cash and had to pick up our pay at obscure locations. • Accommodation failures: XploreAsia offered no help in finding housing, leaving me to arrange my own accommodation. When I arrived at the hotel/apartment I booked, no one was there, leaving me stranded in the middle of Bangkok with nowhere to stay. • Lack of follow-through: Despite the situation, there was very little follow-through from the organization to ensure I was safe. When I tried to voice my concerns about my workplace, they offered very little help. While I did enjoy orientation week and getting to know the other 3 teachers doing the summer program, we were split up and lived very far apart. The classes we had to take at Xplore were a mixed bag. Some of the classes, like the Thai language class, were super helpful. The teaching classes, however, felt like a waste of time. The people in my summer cohort (a total of 4 including me) were all experienced teachers and we had to take teaching classes. Overall, I would not recommend this summer program. The experience was misleading, lonely, and deeply disappointing.

Provider: Seamester Study Abroad at Sea

Program: Seamester: Bali to South Africa - 90 Days

I had never lived on a boat before which I’m guessing most people can relate to. If you are open to new things and keep a good attitude this will be a great experience for you. There will be struggles but that’s the point and you will have a blast getting over them.

Provider: studyTEFL

Program: Accredited 120-Hour TEFL/TESOL Course $29 with certificate

The course is nicely balanced between grammar, receptive and productive skills, and how to teach. The vocabulary and games units were especially helpful, and it was nice space out the tense units so that I could learn each group and common errors and corrections separately without needing to worry about forgetting everything. I think online teaching should either be splashed around everywhere or be optional as I don't really ever intend to teach online: the thought actually makes me shudder. The certificate is very attractive and the QR verification worked when I tried it not long after I finished.

Provider: TEFLmasters

Program: Accredited 120-hour TEFL certification course from $34

Happy I did this and I feel more confident for taking notes and watching the lessons. I can't compare with anything else because this was my first online course and I have no English teaching experience, but the course helped me cover everything from basic parts of speech to different sentence complexes and that kind of thing. I knew many things from just naturally speaking, but it gave me the metalanguage and confidence to be able to pick out mistakes and (mostly lol!) be able to explain what students do wrong with language. The classroom management ideas are certainly useful and I knew they would be, but it was the motivation information that made me think about games and activities as more than just fun. The course had more than 20 units full of ideas and I think this alone was worth it, but they also provided me with a few packets of digital lesson plans and job information. Everything I could think I wanted was there except maybe individual videos covering every concept. They did show some concepts with their long lesson videos though. I have finished more intelligent on teaching!

Provider: The TEFL Org

Program: 250-hour Level 5 TEFL Diploma with The TEFL Org

I highly recommend TEFL.org. I found the course material challenging at times to help me grow into the sort of teacher I want to be. I had no experience with teaching before I took the program and found myself looking forward to coming back to learning more.

Provider: Isla Internships Abroad

Program: Global Development Internships in Kosovo

I came into this internship hoping to gain experience that would help me in my career, to travel and learn about a new culture, and to make valuable friendships and memories. My summer in Kosovo with Isla and The Ideas Partnership checked all of these boxes as well as opening up opportunities, relationships and experiences I couldn't have imagined myself having. Through the university course Isla hooked me up with, I met an ethnographer who invited me on a trip across the countryside to film for her tv show. Isla's Albanian language classes allowed me to connect with the staff and children at my work despite a language barrier. I gained knowledge of how an NGO runs and the important methodologies behind ethically serving and working with a community. I enjoyed my work and my time abroad so much that I continue to work as an international remote intern at my org The Ideas Partnership where I'm now creating a pen pal project to connect American kids and Kosovan kids. I got everything I wanted and so much more!

Provider: MAXIMO NIVEL

Program: Volunteer in Latin America! Costa Rica, Guatemala, & Peru

My first time travelling and i couldn´t be happier having chosen to volunteer with IVHQ. They organise so many amazing free activities, and are great with their support. Everyone is so kind and always eager to help.

Provider: Isla Internships Abroad

Program: Global Development Internships in Kosovo

Spending 10 weeks in Kosovo was an amazing experience. From learning bits of the language and the deep history and culture, exploring the city, its cafes and restaurants, to hiking and travelling to nearby countries on weekends ( Montenegro, Albania, North Macedonia, Turkey and Greece), my time spent there gave me a summer to remember. Isla Internships Abroad made me feel incredibly safe and supported while interning abroad. I enjoyed my placement working in women’s rights, empowerment and policy advancement. I enjoyed meeting many other Isla interns and spending time with them while in Kosovo. I’m so grateful to Isla Internships Abroad for helping me experience such an amazing summer!

Provider: International Volunteer HQ [IVHQ]

Program: Volunteer in Special Needs Care in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

My time spent volunteering in Vietnam has taught me not only about the Vietnamese culture but also about the cultures of the volunteers that I befriended. My time in Vietnam has taught me to never assume without seeing it for yourself. Initially, I had thought that it would be difficult to adjust in a place that I had never stepped foot in before. Yet, by the end of my trip, I was hoping that I could secretly extend my stay. I felt more homesick coming back to my actual home than when I first landed in Vietnam. The coordinators, the volunteers, and the locals helped make my experience smooth and fun. Thank you, Vietnam, and thank you, to all the coordinators that helped make this possible, for teaching me that it's not always so scary to step outside of your comfort zone.

Provider: Teach Explore Asia (XploreAsia)

Program: Xplore Thailand TEFL Program with Guaranteed Placement

I had a great experience teaching English in Thailand and thought Xplore Asia did a fantastic job with their orientation and placement! Xplore Asia helped me with the placement and visa process of my experience, and I also attended the week orientation in Hau Hin. The orientation was great with teacher training and cultural education. They also have an online in depth cultural course you can take before which I think really adds to the experience. I’d recommend this experience for folks at all levels if you want to have a career as a TEFL teacher or it’s just something you are looking to do for travel and to gain a unforgettable cultural experience!