I chose the program because it had great reviews and looked like a hands on experience instead of just the basic online TEFL qualification. It had plenty of information on the website that enabled me to make an informed decision on whether this type of program would be right for me.
Alumni Spotlight: Lucy Marks
Photos
Lucy is a 21-year-old English Literature graduate from the United Kingdom. She graduated in June 2017 with a BA Hons and since then has gained a TEFL certificate and worked with children in the Czech Republic. She hopes to go back to the United Kingdom in the near future and complete a PGCE to be a secondary school English Literature teacher.
Why did you choose this program?
What did your program provider assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?
My program provider assisted me with finding accommodation for the first month of my stay, advice on how long I would need to be financially secure before I would be able to find a job as well as the questions I had about job prospects.
What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?
I wish I had known how intense the program actually is. It is a very long month of hard work and plenty of hours once the program had finished for the day in the school, planning lessons for example. I also wish I had known how much I should have saved financially for rent and living costs.
What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?
You spend all day within various classrooms with various trainers and students. Your day starts at 8:30 am and finishes at 6:00 pm officially, although you spend many hours of the evening after that doing lessons, revising and completing essays.
You are required to complete essays during the weekends and your free time is limited during the month of your TEFL course.
Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?
My biggest fear was not making friends on my course. I overcome this by just being myself when meeting people, which meant that I did make friends and I didn't feel self-conscious. My views about my ability to make friends as an adult have changed dramatically, as I realized that it is even easier to make friends as an adult through the use of social media and shared experiences.
What was your social life like outside of the TEFL course?
The social life is great once your have all your lessons and essays and revision up to date. You spend plenty of time with the same people day in and day out in the formal class environment so it is good to get out of that and go out to bars and to get food together as a group.