Bali - 4-week 140-hour intensive TEFL / TESOL course

To anyone considering obtaining their teaching certification in Thailand, I can thoroughly recommend Samui TEFL.

After 20+ years working in a corporate environment I decided to take time out for a sabbatical and explore a different path by volunteering to teach English in Cambodia. Although it was not a pre-requisite to have any formal teaching certification for the programme, I was keen to learn the necessary skills for preparing and delivering lessons and get some practical experience under my belt.

The Samui TEFL course delivered on my objectives and then some. Beyond learning good lesson planning and resourcing techniques and habits, I learned a lot about classroom management, the importance of making lessons fun and engaging for the students (regardless of age) and how to tackle common issues Thais face with learning English, particularly pronunciation.

While the course is intense at times, the classes were always energetic and entertaining, in no small part down to Kathryn’s passion and enthusiasm for developing teachers. The course is centred around practical experience rather than dry theory and the teacher practices provided everyone with an opportunity to teach young and mature students.

Kathryn and Ashleigh were very supportive of all the students throughout, whether giving feedback on lesson plans, assistance with CV writing or applying for/securing jobs.

I found the class size of 13 to be ideal. I was fortunate to have an amazing set of classmates from all kinds of backgrounds and experiences. We all bonded from day one and worked hard and played hard together over the four weeks which made the course all the more enjoyable.

A big thank you to Kathryn, Ashleigh and my classmates. I now venture forward to Cambodia (and beyond…) with the confidence I can put the skills learned on the course into practice.

I am so happy that I chose Samui TEFL to get certified. Both Kathryn and Ashleigh are the best! I learned so much in just 4 weeks. How to manage a classroom, Thai culture on what not to do/to do based on cultural norms, lesson planning and how to adapt a lesson plan for any age group are just a few examples. I am currently teaching at a school in Uttaradit, Thailand and I have felt 100% confident with any grade, subject or task the school asks me to teach. The course not only taught me how to be a great teacher but living on Koh Samui and meeting my fellow classmates from around the world was so much fun. Exploring Koh Samui or the other surrounding islands on the weekends or after school is a great way to have fun and make memories, all while working hard and learning a skill you can use for the rest of your life.

Samui Tefl has to be the most amazing experience of my life. Being dyslexic and knowing I find it hard to learn in a classroom setting I was worried. There was no need for me to worry, the teachers are always there to help and the support you get from class mates is amazing.
We all became one big family and I will forever be grateful to them for the help the gave me.

The island is beautiful and you are able to learn so much about Thai culture. It is very different to any other culture I have been able to experience. They are humble, caring and every morning the locals will say 'hello.'
Living is so cheap, we were going for meals at what we call the post office for around 50bht a meal (in gbp this is just over 1 pound).

I had so many worries coming here, I had packed my bags and left England with nothing to go back to. It was a gamble but I an certain I made the right choice.Hopefully I can stay in Thailand for a long time.
Thankyou so much to everyone at Samui Tefl. Thankyou to Kathryn and Ashleigh (our teachers) you have helped me become a better person, you saw potential in me and have given me the confidence to be able to do anything.
I'll be seeing you very soon ;-)

Dear Kathryn,

I hope this finds you well. May the following act as my review:

I completed my Samui TEFL course on the 24th June, 2016.

As a fully-qualified teacher, I undertook the TEFL course for purposes of career professional development. My dual aims in terms of outcomes from the course were:
i) To gain a better understanding, and enhanced professional capacity, to teach EAL students of Senior school age (11-16 years).
ii) To gain a professional qualification enabling me to teach in ESL summer schools/camps in Europe and the USA.

My review contains 3 component parts: content, teachers and facilitation.

Firstly, I found the content within the course to be very useful for anybody hoping to earn a TEFL qualification which is practice based. This course is particularly relevant for those who seek to work in the Thai education system. The intense and rigorous course involves teaching practicals in local Thai schools. This provides relevant and important experience ‘on the job’. All students are supported in seeking - and finding - employment at the end of the course which I think is the main asset of this course. Not only do students learn the requisite skills to teach English as a foreign language but, in addition, they are supported in finding work within Thailand. Nearly all students have jobs in Thailand at the end of the course if they have worked hard and meet the required standard, which is amazing and very reassuring.

Secondly, Kathryn and Rosanne are really kind and supportive of the students. Kathryn is a very experienced ESL teacher and I learnt so much despite being an experienced practitioner. Namely, the course reminded me of the necessity in making learning active and fun for learners, especially young learners. In addition, I was reminded of the fundamental necessity of resourcing lessons and activities properly. I was reminded of how the success of learning often hinges on this. Rosanne helps students upon arrival and assimilation and also helps students find work upon completion of the course (as does Kathryn). The centre is very well organised and both women are very professional. I know both very well and they are caring and considerate people. You can be rest assured that if you do this course they are trustworthy and reliable. You could not be in better hands!

Lastly, the location of Samui TEFL is truly unique. The location of the language centre in Choeng Mon is a relaxed, beautiful setting on the tropical island of Koh Samui. Although I opted not to stay at the recommended accommodation provided as part of the course, I do know that it is highly regarded and the other students really enjoyed staying there. Koh Samui is the perfect place to do a TEFL course. The island is fun and there is lots to do and see. The cost of living is very affordable, making this course a cost effective option compared to completing a course in Europe.

This is amazing course on a beautiful island, so just go and do it! I was lucky enough to have a fantastic group of students, of all ages, this made the course fun :-)
Kathryn is an incredible teacher, you will learn so much and you can really see her experience in this field. She will instill confidence and you will learn a lot!

It wasn't an easy course by any means....be prepared for hard work and to put the rest of your life on hold for 4 weeks! It is all worthwhile though and will make you a better prepared teacher :-)

Rosanne does help with finding work afterwards so it's pretty much guaranteed that you will get a job if you want one.

It was a great experience, hard work but very rewarding, I have no doubt that this is the best course on Samui :-)

To all future TEFL students and individuals thinking about making a difference in other people's lives. My name is Irene and I completed the course on the 16th of September 2016. This was by far the best decision I ever made in my life!

At first I thought to myself: "Me? A teacher? I have never taught English to foreign students!" I gained confidence after receiving amazing support and additional information that answered all the questions and doubts I had with regards to this career change so I took a leap of faith and here I am today - a qualified TEFL teacher!

You can't get any better than the TEFL course in Koh Samui. The support, patience, guidance and advice we received is unheard of! Kathryn and Rosanne are two amazing individuals! Kathryn has such a broad range of experience and knowledge and she is hands on in every aspect of the course. Rosanne is excellent in providing information and giving advice with regards to jobs and the island in general. The fact that every student in the TEFL course passed is living proof that they are experts in their field of work.

I am now living in Chanthaburi - a beautiful town in Thailand pursuing my career as a teacher and making a difference in other people's lives. There is nothing more rewarding than 35-40 confident and smiling faces everyday practicing the English language.

I recommend the Samui TEFL course to anyone who has an interest in teaching and making a difference in Thailand. You get to work hard for 4 weeks while enjoying the breathtaking island vibes - what more could you ask for!

Make a difference and sign up today!

Hi we are Matt and Alice, we travelled to Thailand on an adventure to find a way to teach English as a foreign language. We chose Thailand on a whim, having always dreamed of moving out to Asia to teach, but we never expected their TEFL course to be as amazing as it turned out to be. We were very fortunate to have enrolled on Samui TEFL! We found the island incredibly beautiful the perfect place to study for a TEFL.

The course itself was very informative and we both learnt a huge amount about how to teach English to Thai students. Our teacher, Kathryn, was magnificent. She was very knowledgeable, patient and caring with her students. We thought that Kathryn was also great at bringing out the best in her students. The course focused around making learning fun and interactive, which really engages Thai students. We found that the course did get intense at some points, but the excellent class of passionate TEFL students helped each other to get through the tough days. Overall we found that all the hard work became worth it when we ventured into the classrooms in a Thai school to be greeted by huge smiles and joyous faces from the Thai students.

Rosanne was an amazing help, both with looking for jobs and for general information about the island. Everyone who wanted a job had got an offer by the end of the course! We managed to get jobs on Samui so we get to stay on the island!

The course was amazing, we met some fantastic people, learnt a huge amount about teaching and got to experience living on a tropical island! We would highly recommend the course for anyone who is seeking an adventure or looking for a change in their career and wanting to make a difference.

I was becoming sick of my everyday routine back in the states. Same job, same commute, day in and day out. I knew it was time for a real change. A friend of mine mentioned that I should look into teaching in Thailand. At first I thought she was crazy, but then I started doing some research and found the Samui TEFL program. I read nearly 20 reviews and they all said how epic the course was! It is affordable, on a beautiful island and is highly recommended and respected all over Thailand. Kathryn is an amazing instructor and a truly great human being. She has multitudes of experience and brings out the best in you. The course is no joke. It is a lot of information and at times will test you, but isn't that what life is all about? To grow and change we must step outside our comfort zones and see what we are really made of. Samui TEFL is the most hands on, and well prepared TEFL course in Thailand. You will not get more information, communication or knowledge from any other course. This is the real deal, complete with in class teacher practices with real students in real Thai classrooms. Rosanne was simply amazing when it came to getting our CV's in order. She responds timely to emails and gives any and all advice one could ask for. Some of my fellow students and I had great jobs lined up by week 3 of the course. I gained invaluable knowledge about teaching and I learned even more about myself in the process. You'll make life long friends and have amazing, funny and stressful times together! Samui TEFL gave me the confidence and experience I needed to become a teacher.