All quotes below are actual statements taken from course evaluations completed by course attendees. The original evaluations are on file at the TEFL Institute and can be viewed at any time.

What TEFL course graduates are saying:

The course prepared me to step in as a beginning teacher. The variety of teaching opportunities as well as a strong foundation were tremendous assets of the course.
-Jim (USA)

I would recommend this place over any other teaching institutes anywhere. It’s recognized by SUNY, the teachers were excellent, and it was relatively inexpensive.
-Kurt (USA)

The course was very well structured to develop teaching skills that were used in a number of teaching environments.
-Philip (New Zealand), soon to teach in Laos again

The course has helped me to fine tune my teaching knowledge and classroom management skills. All the trainers were very good and knew their subjects very well, so I have the utmost respect for my trainers.
-Alan (United Kingdom), on his way to teaching in Japan

An e-mail from one of our graduates:
Hi everyone, this is Shinejoy Shongzan, 2006 alumnus of The TEFL Institute!  I am now working in one of the prestigious International Schools here in Macau, China.
I want to tell you that some of my friends who are currently working with me would like to take the TEFL course in August 2006. I have given them your web address for further information.
I want to thank you for the great service and sacrifices that you have made while I was on your course. I will always remember.
Best wishes.
-Shinejoy Shongzan (Macau)


I feel ready to take up a career as a professional EFL teacher, but I want to take a long vacation first. I would recommend the course as I liked the small group size. Very friendly and competent trainers.
-Stefan (Czech Republic)


I will not be so apprehensive in the workplace as a result of the varied practice teaching experience I had to go through. I would recommend the course as it is quite challenging, but is still a nice environment.
-Amber (USA)


Practice teaching was quite hard but the course taught us a lot and it was worth every Baht we spent!
-Lynn (New Zealand)


I believe I am ready to take up a career as an EFL teacher. As it is, I find that we are all adequately trained in all aspects of teaching EFL. Great trainers! I would recommend the TEFL Institute (at Silom Plaza) to anyone.
-Robert (Singapore)


The 12 tenses and language terminology were quite challenging at first. Before TEFL, I was unable to understand tenses and terminology. Now I find that these two areas of English language are quite simple and straight forward. The instructors explained them very well and in an easy to understand manner.
-Richard (UK)


I feel I now have the skills to commence working in an educational environment, although more practical exposure will increase confidence. It was a valuable experience and tutors were well versed in their areas of expertise. The trainers were very knowledgeable and maintained a completely professional approach at all times while being very encouraging.
-Max (Australia)


I recommend this course to anyone. In fact I am already thinking of sending my son to do the TEFL course when he is done with his exams.
-Tanuja (Nepal)

I feel ready to teach. The course provided me with the background, methodology, practice and confidence that I will need to succeed out there.
-Peter(Canada)


In the beginning it was my lack of confidence to stand in front of the classroom that was demanding. Later this concern took a backseat to the demands of lesson preparation with limited time. Actual classroom teaching and the feedback was great! Continuous encouragement made me overcome all obstacles. I enjoyed the course, very challenging, very demanding! Definitely worth the investment.
-Brian (USA)


I’ve had to go through the whole process of learning how to teach and what to keep in mind while teaching. A challenge! I enjoyed it a great deal, I had lots of fun. Humor was a very important part of the lessons.
-Hyls (Netherlands)


I am not afraid of the situations I might have to face and actually look forward to the challenge of teaching. I liked all the speaking exercises and the practice teaching. The debriefings were also very important to me because it was comforting to know that my instructors had been in the same situations. It really does challenge a student but the sense of satisfaction is tremendous.
-Andy (USA)


I feel so much more confident about teaching than when I came in. It’s amazing that 5 weeks can make a lot of difference. Teaching at the government school was something I feared but it turned out to be a completely positive experience. The in class teachings were also very helpful because the students ask/challenge you in a variety of ways.
-Kamika (Thailand)


Confidence much improved, solid grounding in techniques, valuable classroom experience, good level of practice under the belt. Most demanding was having to present materials to an audience. Trying to learn that teaching ≠ lecturing. It was demanding and has given me a lot of satisfaction in the realization of a tangible level of self improvement/development.
More comments from Richard.
-Richard (UK)


All the trainers were very helpful and were always willing to give suggestions. All of them are very good role models. I will recommend this course because it is extremely useful and everyone would benefit from it!
-Lily (Bangkok)


The different practice teaching environments were most helpful to me in my development as a teacher. They really showed the different dynamics in the classroom and made me adjust accordingly. I feel that I have learned so much! I rank the trainers very highly for their professionalism, enthusiasm and patience with even the most difficult students
-David (France)


The course was very demanding re. time management and I was at times overwhelmed with the workload. It is a well organized course and it lived up to my expectations. The trainers were all supportive and encouraging and made an effort to present the material in interesting ways.Real experiecne in the Thai government school classroom helped me see the issues I may be faced with. Having the range of practice sessions was valuable. I would recommend the course with a warning about the amount of time needed to do it well.
-Ros (Australia)  


I enjoyed the course very much and feel it was very thorough. All my trainers were great, and I will recommend the course highly!
-Mark (USA)


The course has given me the confidence and useful knowledge to be an EFL teacher. The grammar review was very helpful and provided techniques to present something dry in a structured and entertaining way. The practical teaching expereince was very helpful.
-Doug (Australia)


This was a great course to learn teaching techniques, and tips and tricks, and a real confidence booster, but it could have gone on for another year for me! I would really recommend this course especially if you want to make a career change!
-Goong (Thailand)


I feel confident that I have learned enough at the TEFL Institute to be a solid, organized, effective teacher. A beginner yes, but one with great experience behind him already! Most helpful course segments were practice teaching, cultural information, grammar review and teaching methods and the initial in-class teaching presentations. I felt the course was excellent and will recommend it.
-John (USA)


When I first arrived here, I had absolutely no idea about teaching. But in these five weeks my confidence has grown. …It was a bit of an uphill battle at times but one definitely worth fighting…. The most helpful course segments for me were specifically grammar and the activities…. Although it is an intensive course, the workload is manageable as you know what to expect. With the right preparation and desire anyone can pass this course and become a teacher!
-Ritu (India)


This was an intensive course! It was certainly worth my time and money and I enjoyed it very much. I am now working on completing my Master’s degree (with Buffalo State College, State University of New York at NIST and the nine earned TEFL credits) and will learn more theory as the TEFL course focused mainly on the practical aspects of teaching. The practice teaching in three different environments was helpful in that it fit all learned material into real scenarios. I will recommend this course to anyone wanting to extend their professional training.
-Connie (Hong Kong)


These five weeks have given me the knowledge, experience and confidence to become a successful EFL teacher. The Thai culture lessons and class discussions were most helpful for me as a new comer to Thailand. The exposure to varied, real teaching environments and extremely helpful feedback given by trainers afterwards were excellent. I would certainly recommend this course!
-Andrew Robertson (UK)


Excellent trainers! They made us enjoy the whole course, gave us a lot of useful information, and I am now working on completing my Master’s degree with BSC, SUNY (Buffalo State College, State University of New York) here in Bangkok.
-Naina (Thailand)


Most helpful for me personally was the varied practice teaching and feedback, the resume workshop and the grammar part of the course. For me it was very valuable to put the theory into practice in my practice teaching and reflect on it afterwards. The trainers are positive, friendly, professional and encouraging at all times. I would recommend this course because theory, practice and guidance give you what you need to go on with TEFL.
-Kim (Sweden)


This course has helped me gain more confidence and comfort in front of a whole class. I did enjoy the course; it did challenge me. The course is a good one for future teachers and all your instructors have great personality. I will recommend the course.
-Nick Beland (Canada)


What I liked best about the course were the three different practice teaching environments and the debriefing of our own teaching. Learning about grammar and how to teach it was very helpful. The trainers at TEFL are excellent: Patient, helpful at all times and committed to having us learn. I would recommend this course!
-Fany Hou, (Taiwan)

I recommend the course! I feel that I am much more ready to start teaching than if I had not taken the course. The eight hours of practice teaching were most helpful to me in perfecting my teaching skills. The trainers were excellent, and the varied teaching expereince gave an idea of the potential career path and the skills needed for each group.
-Mark Stevenson, (UK)


The course was demanding in that I had never done any public speaking before this course. The course eased me into it and now I feel confident speaking to groups! I did enjoy the course very much, it was worth the investment, and I would recomend this course to others because I have gained a lot from it.
-Molly Hinds, (Scotland)


I was impressed with the teaching of the course and the instructors' enthusiasm. Often it is a bit easy to become jaded, but it was the opposite here. Superb trainers.
Practicing all the skills we learned about in our teaching really made them sink in.
-David Schuback, (Australia)


I feel that I have been prepped well to take up a career as a professional EFL teacher.
Getting ready for teaching my lessons was specifically demanding for me initially. The trainers are very good. They gave us the example to learn from, set the example and we followed. I would recommend the course to everyone! It was an excellent experience, I would almost do it again.
-Jeffrey Kern, (USA)


I certainly have a strong knowledge and practice base for teaching at this point. The rest will come with experience teaching full time now. I have learned that there is no easy fix for teaching and that you have to use your imagination and all resources to teach English. The trainers always had time and were happy to answer all of our questions patiently. I learned a lot in this course and would recommend it.
-Richard Kearney, (Australia)


"The emphasis of this TEFL course was on practical teaching which helped me identify my strengths and weaknesses in teaching English in Thailand. The course was challenging, but a relaxed teaching style made it enjoyable and ultimately a very rewarding experience."
-Michael P., Limerick, (Ireland)


"I highly recommend this course not only for the varied practice teaching environments, but for the quality trainers. I knew nothing about teaching when I first came to TEFL, and in this short amount of time I have been taught, tested, encouraged, critiqued, and inspired. A steep and exciting learning curve and a heck of an experience."
-Laurence M., Khon Kaen, (Thailand)


"The varied teaching practice has really prepared me for my new job. I have gained a lot of confidence and learned so much in these last five weeks! Great trainers who challenge you but are always there with friendly encouragement. I definitely recommend this course and the TEFL Institute!!"
-Nanthida K., Sukhumvit, Bangkok, (Thailand)


"The instructors guide you through the various teaching techniques, but they also allow for you to be creative and introduce your own style to the lesson. I really liked the friendly and encouraging atmosphere."
-Chris Dwinclan, Middlesex, (England)


"The Six week program at the TEFL Institute was thoroughly enjoyable, whilst preparing me for the Professionalism & teaching in Thailand to the greatest details."
-Ruairi Cunningham, (Ireland)


"Both 10/10. The trainers at the TEFL Institute have a wealth of experience and the grammar is spot on."
-Peter Friar (UK)


"This (course) is one of the best things I have done for myself that I can recall.  I feel confident that I can be a good teacher.  I am working already."
-Dan Eggar (USA)


"The trainers there are really good.  I think I'm going to take the ideas and styles and adapt it to fit my personality regarding teaching.  I would certainly recommend it (the class) to my friends."
-Rosarin Khaniyou (Thailand)


"The main thing this course has given me is confidence.  I now believe that I can be a good English teacher.  I now feel that I want to do the best I can for every pupil I have.  Now that this test is over I realize just how much I have learned in such a short space of time, all the practical knowledge and philosophies of teaching have actually sunk in!  Not to mention the much needed refresher on grammar.  I realize that a friendly, happy class-room is a much more productive one because I have been through one now for the last six weeks.  My initial reason for teaching English in Thailand was necessity but I have fully reassessed this over the past six weeks.  I really enjoy it and feel I am doing something worthwhile.  Long may it continue."
-Michael Magee (UK)


"The trainers: very patient, very calm, very encouraging, full of fun, really cool people.  (About practice teaching) at first I was very nervous but once I started it went on really well.  It was fun teaching and I got good feedback.  It sure was worth the investment and I had a wonderful time meeting everyone here.  The course was excellent."
-Rekha Sirinarang (Thailand)


"Absolutely worth the investment.  120% trainer rating for the trainers.  They showed their vast experience in the world of education - I hope just a little rubbed off on me."
-Terence Corney (UK)


"I enjoyed the course and it was well worth the investment.  Thanks for all you have done for me and the trainer did a great job teaching grammar"
-Neil Glassberg (USA)


"The most important idea that I obtained from this course is that teaching requires a lot of patience.  This is the concept that you have to know to be the right teacher.  Other useful information I learned is about sentence structure (grammar).  My strategy is that I will teach students in plain, simple and understandable language. "
-Victor Nelson Bautista (Philippines)


"While there have been many important ideas in this course, the concept of creating a classroom situation where the students are active participants, rather than passive receptacles for the teacher to fill with knowledge is the most important one for me to concentrate on.  Finding new ways to get the students to fine/discover/create using their own minds is the ongoing goal for me.  I love the course.  I actually looked forward to being here everyday, and will miss this time it is done.  Worth the investment? You betcha!  Excellent trainer.  The trainers constantly demonstrated how to perform as a teacher -- how to handle the students, kept the learning enjoyable and interesting.  I have already recommended this course to a number of people.  Great course -- great instructor!"
-Darryl Marzyck (USA)