MediaKids Academy

Try to teach higher-level students. The students aged 12-14 (Mathayom one) that I teach barely speak English so it is quite difficult to teach them. However, the older students are mostly a joy as they know enough to make the classes fun. Also, the other school in my town with English teachers seems to be a lot nicer, so try to get the best school you can.

On weekdays, I teach and then hang around my apartment. On weekends, I am with my girlfriend doing fun stuff. Monday through Friday are spent doing various productive things and by the time Friday afternoon comes along, I am itching to get away from the students so it is nice to leave my town and go to where the (relative) excitement is in Udon Thani.

My biggest fear was that I wouldn't be prepared enough to teach. My company provided me with most of the tools for success, so now it's easy. I was intimidated by the sheer volume of students in each class (some as many as 48) but after a few weeks, and after I'd established control (control is key to success!), that intimidation went away.

You have to pay a bit for your accommodation, Visa extension fee, and Visa for Laos when you have to go there to get your Working Visa for Thailand. Other than that, everything is really cheap. If you're not an overzealous spender, you can probably spend only $60 (two days' pay and you get paid for every day and even weekends) in one week.

I've heard so many inspiring stories from GoTEFL graduates about their travels, teaching, and cultural experiences.

One of the girls who did the GoTEFL course with me trained at a Muay Thai gym right next to our accommodation during the course. She became close friends with the trainers, despite none of them speaking English.

She continued training in the town where she was teaching, but eventually moved back to Chiang Mai and started to seriously train at the same gym. She eventually went on to fight in real matches against great Thai fighters.

It's inspiring to see someone get so involved and push herself out of her comfort zone. I encourage everyone to get involved in the culture and the community to get the most out of your experience just as she did.

There are many TEFL programs and job placement programs out there. But what makes GoTEFL unique is the combination of all the things you're looking for in a TEFL program:

• Low upfront costs: 120 hour TEFL courses typically cost around $2,000. We provide the same course at a lower upfront cost ($1,200) to provide this teaching opportunities to more people. It's important to get teachers to come to Thailand to help improve students' English skills, and we don't want a high course fee to deter you from coming over.
• In classroom training: most courses don't offer the opportunity to practice skills before you teach for the first time. Some programs do, but they are only within the confines of the TEFL classroom with only your trainer and peers in the course. We provide the opportunity for you to actually teach a full-length lesson with a classroom of Thai students at public schools in Chiang Mai. Most people get nervous about this, but that's ok! You'll have six practice lessons before actually going to teach on your own. You can hone and perfect your skills and figure out what your teaching style will be. Hands-on training is the best way to learn how to teach English as a foreign language.
• Language and culture: We include Thai culture lessons as part of the course. This is especially important as the culture in Thailand and in the classroom are very different. Oftentimes, people fail as teachers because they don't know anything about working in Thailand and cannot adapt. It's proven that the teachers who receive practical Thai culture lessons are way more successful and happier in Thailand than those who come uninformed and unprepared.
• Job placement: What makes GoTEFL particularly unique is the guaranteed job aspect. When we say "guaranteed," we really mean it. Before you even arrive to Thailand, we have a teaching job already reserved for you. Part of the interview process includes a chat with one of our placement specialists. They will ask you about your qualifications, your teaching preferences, your what your looking for in your experience in Thailand. This discussion helps us to find the perfect school and location for you. So there is no need to come to Thailand and compete with other teachers for interviews and teaching positions. We have that all booked and prepared for you as soon as you confirm your spot with us.

I'm especially proud of the team I work with because we have all worked in Thailand for many years and are dedicated to supporting you. While some programs are like a revolving door of TEFL students, we really take the time to get to know you personally and support you before, during, and after the course.