A Foot in the Door for Living Abroad

This program condenses years of training to teach into a matter of weeks. I have multiple degrees from university, but had never taught in my life. In a demanding few weeks, however, I was provided with enough methodology and practice opportunities to feel comfortable and confident teaching everyone from children to teenagers to adults twice my age.

In the LiveTEFL program, you secure a spot amongst a rag-tag group of people who want to explore the world and learn at the same time, so your companions make the program a special experience. Even if you're coming abroad entirely on your own, you'll be a part of a team from day 1. That makes the transition to living abroad smooth and supported. Note*, while the website says that class sizes are capped at 9 people per TEFL program, my program had 13 people.

That said, there are no shortages of jobs or demand for English teachers in Prague, so allay any worries or fears you may have on that front. That's a concern that is not worth having. However, you should be prepared to save a significant amount of money before you come, because (if you're American or need a visa to work here), you will have to wait until your visa comes through to get paid. That said, there is a lot of private work that pays from the outset, so it's possible to make a living wage. That extra padding of saved money, however, is nice to have.

Regarding the course itself: you're taught by several teachers, so you'll learn several different teaching styles that you can pick from to form your own style. This is particularly helpful if you've never taught before, because the sampling of methodology is easily absorbed. The actual content of the course is not challenging. You'll learn methodology and lesson planning, and you'll brush up on several different forms of grammar, but nothing is that difficult. I think most of the challenges of the course are in the long hours, so don't take it too seriously. You're in an incredible new city with a brand new group of ready-made friends, so take the time to unwind at the weekends.

All in all, LiveTEFL sets you up with the necessary skills, provides visa assistance (though, the cost of the visa is not included in the program fees), and helps in the job search. Finding a job is the easy part. The hard part is calling home to tell your family that you're never leaving Prague.