TEFL Courses & Certification in Russia

I went to Barcelona for my TEFL class in 2019 because I wanted to tour graduate schools to find the master's program of my dreams. I was nervous about traveling alone internationally for the first time and thought that it would be a waste to be in Spain for over a month with nothing to show for it when my trip came to an end. That's when I decided that getting TEFL certified would be a great way to spend my time in Barcelona between college visits; as a bonus, I could teach English on the side when my program starts. I didn't know what I was getting myself into. I nervously excited booked my flight and started my TEFL journey. When I arrived in Barcelona my TEFL advisors had already helped me set up housing with these two lovely girls who welcomed me and gave me tips about the city. One of the girls was even a graduate of ITA. She was so helpful and gave me advice on my coursework and even let me practice some of my skills with her. My TEFL instructors we wonderful people and even better teachers. I learned more in my one-month TEFL program than I did in most of my college courses. After my TEFL course ended I went back home to the States and continued working to save money for my master's program. I moved to Barcelona in 2020 during the middle of the pandemic and because of my TEFL certificate, I was able to teach English online to pay for my rent and other expenses for the next two years. During that time I met my partner who just so happened to also be a TEFL-certified English teacher. We bonded over our teaching experiences, traveling, and the fact that we both taught for the same online English tutoring platform. Currently, we live together and teach in Seoul, South Korea. Since moving here I have paid off half of my student debt from my Master's program and will have the other half paid for by the end of my contract. ITA has allowed me to meet wonderful people, graduate with a Master's, find the love of my life, live and teach in South Korea, and pay off all of my student debt. I will be forever grateful.

This TEFL course has helped me understand how to become a stronger teacher and has given me the tools/resources to continually improve upon that. I have enjoyed every week of the course and hope to utilize the strong TEFL community moving into the future. After near completion, I am glad to have chosen the International TEFL School over other options as it exceeded my expectations. More than anything this course has allowed me the mindfulness of how to approach the world of teaching and provided a strong base to build on.