2017 got off to a wonderful start, in large part due to Stephen’s positive outlook and natural leadership skills.

What did you get up to during the last weekend of the TEFL course?

I spent most of the weekend finalizing my student profile assignment and then studying hard for the exam. I did give myself a few hours on Saturday night to drink wine and watch Netflix.

You took the practice exam on Monday; how did it go? Did it help prepare you for the real exam?

It sure did, I was able to get an idea of how the exam would be set out and what areas needed the most understanding. Without it, the real exam would have been far more difficult.

Were you happy with your final EFL teaching practice session?

My final teaching session was my best one. The pressure was off a bit so I was able to relax and just have fun with it. The students noticed, as did Sue (a trainer) who was observing.

You might need to do a demonstration EFL lesson to land a good job. Do you think the course prepared you to successfully deliver a demonstration lesson?

Having to prepare the six lessons has definitely taught me enough so that when I do need to do a demo I feel confident that I can deliver.

Taking our TEFL course isn’t all fun and games.

Trainees tend to get stressed out about the final exam. Was it as difficult as you thought it would be?

I’ve never been good at exams and this is the first exam I’ve had to sit in 30 years. Yes, the stress was unbelievable and even though at 8am Tuesday morning I thought I would be fine, I did get mind blanks during parts of the exam, causing me to lose silly marks for things I actually knew. No more exams for me.

How did you and your fellow trainees celebrate the completion of your TEFL course?

We all went out for a nice dinner and drinks together on Tuesday night after the exam. It was so nice to celebrate together. Then on the last night of the course, we went out to celebrate with our trainers, which was good fun.

How does it feel to be a newly certified TEFL teacher?

This is the best feeling. The importance of learning how to plan lessons and deliver lessons cannot be discounted. Having the actual certificate (that you have earned), makes it all worthwhile. Every potential employer wants to see it.

Are you happy with your decision to take a TEFL course?

100% happy. Now I am ready to teach and feel confident.

What was the toughest part of adjusting to life in Thailand?

I’ve been to Thailand many times before so know what to expect. The two biggest things for me are adjusting to the food (food poisoning at some point is to be expected) and it took a couple of weeks of getting used to throwing toilet tissue into a bin and not flushing it down the toilet.

Looking back, is there anything you would have done differently?

No. The course is laid out in such a way that I was able to plan enough down time to study time. It definitely helped that I had been to Phuket before and had already done the touristy things.

Are you looking forward to getting out into the real world and find a TEFL job?

Already in it! About to start a one month contract at a government school in a district 108 km north of Bangkok called Saraburi. Excited and nervous at the same time, but I do feel very prepared after the TEFL training course.

Would you say that TEFL Campus Phuket lived up to your expectations—be honest.

Totally. While Phuket isn’t my favorite destination, it is very easy to live there for a month. The school is conveniently located which made transport a non-issue. The course was what I expected, the support was more than I expected (and is still on-going), and the confidence I now have after completing it is totally worth every cent spent.

The post TEFL COURSE DIARY: Stephen’s 4th week at TEFL Campus appeared first on Teaching English in Thailand.

Stephen and his fellow trainees headed to Phi Phi for the first weekend of their TEFL course.

The first week of the TEFL course is always impressive. Trainees get to meet new people from different parts of the world, teach real students for the first time and get a chance to settle into a routine. If Week One of Stephen’s TEFL course diary is any indication, his experience was no different.

Let’s find out if Week 2 of the course carried on in the same manner.

What did you do over the first weekend of the TEFL course?

Eight of us went to Phi Phi Island for the weekend. In unseasonably bad weather, it bucketed down all weekend but we didn’t let that stop us having a good time.

Are you settling into the TEFL course routine?

Very much so. Knowing in advance what we are doing every day and when we are teaching makes it easy to get into the routine.

Freakish rains hit Phuket in January and Stephen was not happy about it.

How did you feel before your 2nd teaching practice session?

I was more nervous for the 2nd than the first. It may have been because it was on the Monday straight after the big weekend and I was tired.

Did lesson planning get any easier?

It should have. I got way too consumed by the board work being perfect that I did three drafts. This took up way more time than necessary. However, I did go into the lesson very well prepared.

We covered a bit of classroom management in Week 2. Have you been able to put this to good use during your teaching practice?

Classroom management is one of many components of teaching. The biggest thing that any teacher will encounter is that the students will want to slip into their native tongue when talking to each other. By learning the subtle techniques to get them to speak English (without singling out or getting angry – both big no-no’s especially in Thailand), it was easier to manage this.

After six hours of lecture on English grammar, does it seem daunting or interesting?

Having not studied grammar for more than 30 years, the first three hours made my brain hurt. However, the second lesson was much easier to comprehend. It is important to understand how different grammar points are used when planning lessons. When you get a grasp of it, grammar can actually be interesting.

What do you think of phonology and the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)? Are you more aware of how we make sounds within a language?

This is like learning a brand-new alphabet all over again and it isn’t easy. Sounding out words is very important as it is the main way we teach English. By the end of Week 2, it is obvious there was a lot to learn and reviewing what we’re learning in class is starting to be another key component of successfully completing the course.

What better way to meet buckets of rain than with buckets of fun?

The TEFL course finishes on Friday at 12.30 every week. Is this enough time to relax over the weekend and have some time to explore Phuket?

For those students who don’t have Thai Language classes on Friday afternoon, 12.30 is the perfect time to get out on a Friday and get a start on recharging the batteries. But here’s a tip: after the second weekend of the TEFL course don’t go out and party the whole time. There are assignments due and revision to be done. Make time for this or you will get behind.

Read Stephen’s account of Week 3 here.

The post TEFL COURSE DIARY: Stephen’s 2nd week at TEFL Campus appeared first on Teaching English in Thailand.

Always smiling. Always positive. Meet Stephen (Sydney, Australia)

Come on, admit it: You want to take a TEFL course in Thailand and start teaching abroad but you’re worried about all the what-ifs. What if I can’t find a job? What if teaching isn’t for me? What if I get culture shock? What if my TEFL course is terrible?

These are all perfectly understandable questions and there are a lot more you need to ask yourself before uprooting and moving across the world.

In fact, a TEFL course isn’t for everyone, but for those whose calling includes living abroad, learning from new cultures and helping others acquire an invaluable skill, taking a TEFL course is far easier than you think.

How easy is it? Just ask Stephen. He’s an Australian from Sydney who made it his mission to follow his dream and he didn’t let anything get between him and his goal to teach English in Thailand.

He had to delay his course two times but he got here in the end and now he’s about to start a great job at a Thai university.

Read about Stephen’s great insight for TEFL course trainees, honest opinions about his time on the course and inspiring words for those who can’t get past all those pesky what-ifs.

Stephen and the other trainees pose for a post-welcome meal pic.

Summarize your first week in three words.
I had fun.

What were your first impressions of Phuket when you finally arrived?
I had been to Phuket before and it was great to be back.

Were you happy with your accommodation?
Yes. Lek at the front desk is very welcoming. The woman is here all day, every day; I don’t think she sleeps.

Were you greeted by TEFL Campus staff once you got to Phuket Town?
I had booked my own accommodation for a few days before the course was meant to start. And I had already met the Course Director on a previous visit so we arranged to meet the next day at TEFL Campus.

What did you see and do before the course started?
I was lucky enough to be here for New Year’s so spent the weekend in Patong to celebrate buy ambien in spain with friends.

How did the first day go?
It was great. The Course Director provided us with a really good orientation; things were well explained and expectations from both sides were made clear.

Stephen, Lee and Gena enjoying a nice up of coffee at a local cafe.

What do you think of your classmates?
We have been blessed to be ten other amazing people from all walks of life, but who have managed to gel so quickly together.

What did you learn from watching experienced teachers in the classroom?
Exactly how a lesson is given and what process needs to be followed.

How did your first teaching practice go?
It went surprising well. My advice is to accept this is your first lesson; you’ll be nervous; you’ll make mistakes, but you’ll learn and grow from it.

Can you give us your impressions of the lectures so far?
The lectures have been constructed very well and are delivered in an order that makes sense. But be prepared for a lot of theory and be ready for loads of grammar work—vital grammar work.

What surprised you most during the first week?
How well we all got along and how well my first teaching lesson went.

Stephen, Vika, Miranda and James enjoying a well-earned local beer at Reggae Bar after the first week of their training course.

Do you have any good advice for pre-arrival preparations?
Do some research on Thailand and Phuket. Don’t just arrive and expect to have every little thing explained to you. Southeast Asia is very different to where most people are from; there are things that you’ll find challenging and confronting.

What’s your best advice for the first week of the course?
Be open minded. Be ready to learn. Pay attention. Take lots of notes and don’t be so hard on yourself with your first teaching practice. And most of all, enjoy it, it is an enjoyable experience.

Click here to read about Stephen’s second week on the course and be sure to contact us for further information. You can also apply for the course and commit to finally achieving your dream of teaching English abroad.

The post TEFL COURSE DIARY: Stephen’s 1st week at TEFL Campus appeared first on Teaching English in Thailand.

Colby and Quico posing for a pic with Thai students back in August ’16.

Since TEFL Campus opened its doors, we have constantly tried to ensure our TEFL course is as good as it can be.

One of the best ways we do this is by asking our graduates to assess their trainers, our course and our facilities. This method of evaluation gives students the chance to rate their overall experience at TEFL Campus, and it is only fair we should receive feedback after spending a year assessing over 100 teachers.

 

How do we get the graduates’ feedback? At the end of every TEFL course, we ask graduates to fill out an anonymous survey. We make it clear to everyone that we won’t open the surveys until the course is finished so they have no fear of repercussions if they wish to express dissatisfaction.

Amy’s Thai students took her out for dinner and karaoke on her last night of teaching.

Trainees are asked to rate us on a 5-point scale in over 40 different areas of the course. Areas include everything from curriculum and accommodation, to job support service and our Thai staff. Our lowest rating in 2016 was a 4.1 for our computers–an issue which we’ve already addressed by upgrading RAM, internet speed and hardware.

We’ve included a summary of the most important aspects of the course below.

The majority of reviews and comments — even the critical ones — we received from past trainees were constructive, which is hopefully a reflection of the constructive advice and criticism our trainees received during their teaching practice.

Soaking up the sun over a well-deserved weekend on the beach.

All of us at TEFL Campus are thankful for our graduates’ feedback. Because of this information we are confident we’ll improve our weakest areas in 2107. We’ve already implemented plans to update our technology used in lessons, purchase new course books and consolidate course materials into one course manual.

If you’re looking to improve your teaching skills, or to simply enter the classroom for the first time as a certified EFL teacher, the best thing you can do for yourself is to take a TEFL certification course.

Contact us now for more information on how we can help you achieve your goals in 2017.

If you’d like to read comments graduates have made in their surveys, please visit the testimonials page of our website. Comments start just under the orange line, slightly down the page.

The post Learning from learners: TEFL Campus satisfaction ratings are in appeared first on Teaching English in Thailand.