Online vs. In-Class TEFL

I deliberated about my getting TEFL qualification either online or in a traditional class setting at school. After researching and checking out the internet I finally decided on a school because I wanted the experience and advantages that only a live trainer could give.

Through many reviews I came across Vantage and I was taken by the overall professionalism—particularly the quality of their training.

Our tutor Chris has over two decades of teaching as well as an extensive training background. He was able to explain things in a clear way that I would never get from an online-only course.

He likes to make a lot of whiteboard explanations, Here he takes the coursebook text and makes it so much easier to understand—again something you cannot get from an online course. He also uses a workshop style and doesn’t just lecture his students. You’re asked to think and deliberate about something before an answer is given

There’s a lot of material to cover—this course is intense—but it’s given in a highly engaging style that makes the experience all that more enjoyable.

A key element of our training was our observed practice lessons. Given at a local college, these were invaluable, allowing us to practice the teaching methodologies we had learned. I believe I got better with each class I taught.

Unfortunately, our TEFL course in the classroom was cut short by the arrival of the Coronavirus as the Thai government force all schools and private academies to shut their doors.

That didn’t stop Vantage. They were highly creative and very flexible were able to migrate over to a video conferencing platform. We didn’t miss a beat and I still got the personal teaching that I had signed up for. Nothing was an obstacle for the Vantage team.

I’m would recommend this school to anyone looking for a TEFL course or for a new career teaching overseas.