Teaching internship & TEFL Certification (Thailand, Vietnam, Europe, China, India)

I participated in the 3 week programme in China in January and had the best experience! Everyone on my programme was so friendly and the Gotoco staff and partnering organisations were also very friendly and supportive throughout my time in China. The programme was challenging but in a positive way that grew my confidence and knowledge about other cultures and education. During my time on the programme I got to expand my teaching skills, specifically TEFL teaching and classroom teaching large groups of students. As well as this, I had the opportunity to try lots of new food, visit Zhangjiajie national park and see pandas! I would recommend Gotoco to anyone!!

This was an amazing experience, I felt like it was a great opportunity to explore a country. Throughout the program, I felt like we were well looked after in terms of accommodation, food, and other trips and activities - most of which was paid for by the schools. I found it was a really nice way to learn and explore China, with support so that the cultural differences didn't feel overwhelming. At the end, we had a trip to Zhangjiajie which was also incredible to see.

Throughout the program, I made some great friends and I'm so glad I've had this experience. I signed up quite last minuet, and felt the communication was good and any questions were answered quickly pre-travel. The course was a lot of work and I wish I understood more before the program began in terms of what I needed to prepare and that I had access to the information we were taught during the introduction once we arrived.

After the program began, it sometimes it felt like information was not always passed along, or communication was a bit slow. But then I understand the schools can change their plans/ minds right up to the last minuet, so definitely need to be okay with just going with the flow and last minuet changes.

However, I am so glad that I did this program It was very tiring but really rewarding. Need to go in with an open mind and be okay with taking things as they come, but I was an amazing way to explore the culture and to try something new!

The GOTOCO programme was a great programme to join, I met some lifelong friends on my programme and gained valuable teaching and volunteering experience. At the end of the programme they planned us a lovely post-programme trip to Zhangjiajie, China. In the couple weeks my small group taught in 3 schools in Qiyang, Zhuzhou and Yueyang. It was an amazing opportunity to travel and immerse yourself in the culture. Most of the schools were amazing and we were welcomed warmly by the school, teachers and students! Also, in terms of timings and planning the programme was very last minute with things constantly changing which can be very stressful. Overall, I would definitely recommend this programme, especially if you're looking at teaching, volunteering or just wanting a new experience.

GOTOCO was a great programme to join, I met some lifelong friends on my programme and gained valuable teaching and volunteering experience. They planned us a lovely trip in some ancient towns which was all paid for and depending on your school/college, my small group had the weekends to travel around China. We visited Changsha, Zhangjiajie, Fenghuang, Furong, Beijing and Singapore whilst living in Hunan province for 3 months. It was an amazing opportunity to travel and immerse yourself in the culture. I cannot say this for every programme, but I was fortunate enough to have an amazing college, the teachers were so welcoming and the students were some of the kindest and hardworking people I have never met, I still keep in contact with some of them! There are a few downsides to the programme, I personally don't think there is enough clarity and communication at points with regards to preparation and teaching but i am uncertain whether this may vary for different programmes in other countries. Be prepared to very lenient and have last minute plans and information given to you. Overall, I would recommend this programme if you're looking at teaching, volunteering or simply wanting to go out of your comfort zone, it was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

The Thailand 6-month program program was a great experience. The program involved a long induction and training process before we were sent for a brief time to practice at a camp, and then to our placements in a school. This program did not feel rushed and allowed me to slowly build my confidence as a TEFL teacher. It also meant that securing a continuing placement after the program ended was very easy. Gotoco was always able to provide support or insight on issues or possibilities with our placements. Prior information given about the Gotoco course was limited and something to keep in mind if that is a concern for you. However, the program was surprisingly smooth and successful despite this.

I spent one month teaching English in Romania, facilitated by Gotoco. Overall, the experience was great!

I submitted my application to Gotoco in December. They contacted me again in early April to say I had been offered an interview for a place in Romania. I heard a week later I got the position.

Once in Romania, we were given a day's training to prepare for the program (having done some preparatory work before). Once we were, it was really hands-on - we spent a few hours teaching each day, followed by several hours of activities. Although we were only teaching groups of children for a few days, it was lots of fun, and there was a real sense of community amongst the trainers, even between the English speakers, and those from Romania.

Overall, it was a great experience, but it's really full-on. It really teaches you to think on your feet, take the initiative, and dive in! But I, and the rest of my team, all had a great time. It gave me a lot of useful experience which I've since used for my future career.

While funding isn't necessarily the best, nor communication, overall it was quite straightforward and Gotoco certainly offered ample support if it was necessary.

Gotoco is a great way to gain some insight into if you want to go into teaching, or (in my case) gain some volunteering experience, a free TEFL qualification and opportunity to travel abroad and meet new people. I met some great friends, everyone at my school was so lovely and welcoming, and I got the chance to see and learn so much about Chinese culture, and see so many stunning places I never would have got the chance to go to, like Zhangjiajie, Changsha, Furong, Fenghuang etc and I lived in Changde which was a small but lovely city with still plenty to do. Everyone at my school as well as the local co-ordinators were really great and helped resolve any issues I had while I was there, and also organised funded trips for us on weekends. I unfortunately got food poisoning on my third day in China and had to go to the hospital, but was supported throughout it all, and the local co-ordinators stayed with us at the hospital, helping us translate etc, which was amazing, and I could trust that in any emergency they would look after us.

The only cons I have were that I didn't feel like the training I received from Gotoco was sufficient. I received only 2 days of training before I was expected to go to my school to teach, so if you have no experience teaching be prepared to be thrown in the deep end. I would also caution anyone thinking of taking part that your school will be your main support which I don't think is super clear on the website. In my case, that was fine as my school was great, but I've heard from others that their school was really unsupportive and they had to leave their program, so unfortunately I think your Gotoco experience relies on the specific program and school you are at. Also if you take part I would say be prepared to be super flexible, as other people have said in their reviews Gotoco tend to give information quite last minute and their communication is not always great, which was quite frustrating at times. Despite this, I had a great time and these are just a few things I wish I knew before I took part/ would make my experience better.

My experience with Gotoco was the most unforgettable experience. It allowed me to not only be able to travel but to also push myself out of my comfort zone and become an even more confident person in all aspects of my life both professionally and personally. With the help of the company, they gave me training to be an English teacher and stand up in front of a class to help make a difference and teach English. I got to immerse myself in a new culture and learn about Thailand's traditions while also having free time to explore the country on my days off.