Reviews

Overall, I loved my time in Costa Rica. However, if I had the chance to do it over again, I would have probably picked a direct exchange program where I was more fully immersed in the culture/language, but there were many qualities of the USAC Heredia program that make it valuable especially for those who haven't traveled much or don't speak Spanish. Pros: The home stay!!! I loved my familia tica. The food was great, the house was always perfectly clean, and I got to go on trips with my host family. It was sad to leave and I'm still in touch with them! Opportunities to meet other local university students at UNA. Gustavo, the Spanish track IV professor, was INCREDIBLE. The bus system in Costa Rica is awesome and I got to travel almost every weekend Cons: Surrounded by other English speakers. -Classes are not very rigorous or challenging. -Not great for students who already speak Spanish conversationally. - Sometimes the program directors are a little disorganized. I'd love to see USAC allow students to enroll in classes directly at la UNA.

Since arriving in the southeast of Spain at the end of September, my experience teaching abroad has been nothing short of unforgettable. I came to teach English to students in Spain along with my sister. RVF International, who handled getting us set up in Spain and matching us with a school, made it easy for my sister and I to do everything together. We are both teaching at schools in Bigastro, Spain, even though we live in Torrevieja. The school and teachers have been friendly and patient, even though my Spanish isn't advanced. Plus, through living near the beach in Torrevieja and teaching beneath the mountains of Bigastro, I've been able to experience different scenery within the span of an hour bus ride. It has been a pleasure to absorb the best of Spanish culture, we even went to Madrid and saw genuine Flamenco dancers! My Spanish is improving, as well. I would certainly recommend RVF International to anyone looking for a unique way to make an impact while seeing the world from a different perspective.

I had a very good experience with Maximo Nivel and the Childcare Pollitos. They were kind and I had the feeling that I could do something for them because they need helping hands and every helping hand is welcome.

The TEFL Academy course was well-structured and informative, covering all the essential aspects of teaching English. The materials were clear and engaging, with practical examples and useful assignments. Overall, it was a great learning experience that prepared me to teach with confidence.

I chose to go abroad to Rome because it was my dream to experience the food, architecture, history, and culture up close. I chose to go abroad with AIFS because it offered the perfect timeline (J-term), it partnered with my home university, and it had the best combination of included housing, trips, food vouchers, and a super cool admin staff. I went to the Colosseum, Roman Forum, several wine tasting classes, and a cooking class through the program! I also went to Florence and Assisi. I chose to use the transportation package so I had an assigned travel buddy to go to the airport with me so I was never alone and I had transportation from the airport to the hotel where we met up with AIFS. My class on Italian Culture was super informative and I used the concepts I learned about Slow Food while abroad by finding high quality & fresh dining experiences (aka the BEST gelato ever). I had the benefit of going into the program with friends but I made great friends with my apartment-mates and the other girls from my school in my class. We'd gone to school together for years and somehow never crossed paths. I never would have imagined being confident enough to connect with strangers before studying abroad. I'm more sure of myself and I know that I can handle being in the real world by myself. I'd really recommend AIFS for anyone who wants to learn while abroad, but still focus on having the best, most authentic, and transformative experience ever.

It was a great decision to spend my educational leave (Bildungsurlaub) at the LTL language school in Taipei. Here are the reasons: + very professional teachers (mine were Tammy, Francine, Yunni and Wolfgang) who + explained grammar and new vocabulary (and its differences to similar words) very understandably; + explained everything in Chinese (at my B1-Level course) which let me immerse myself into the language very well; + are proficient in English so that they can offer English translations, if necessary; - one teacher‘s pronounciation was a little bit unclear and another‘s Chinese characters’ handwriting sometimes a bit difficult to read; + the teachers adjusted the class content to my personal needs (e.g. not only sticking to the book but also taught me other vocabulary when I said that I would like to learn more about a certain other topic); + created an open learning environment that never made me feel bad when I couldn’t pronounce a word correctly or so; + only gave few homework; - once a teacher mixed up the schedule and came half an hour too late, but > + she made up for it by offering another additional class time; + in general, the teachers rather taught a few minutes longer than shorter, so in total I might have had more than one free extra hour of classes. Besides, there are additional reasons, why I recommend LTL in Taipei: + opportunity to book a course for only one week and different amounts of class hours, group and/or single classes makes LTL very flexible; / 6 hours per day is veeery intensive, next time I might switch to four hours per day; + nevertheless, the mix of group classes and private classes was awesome; + very small groups (in my group class was only one other student); - ca. 750€ per week is quite a lot of money (but worth it); + very helpful staff (e.g. Alin, always there for questions); + organised community events (such as a very fun Lasertag evening with teacher Alice and daily lunches with lovely Riona); + workshops about Chinese/Taiwanese culture (e.g. Mahjong with teacher Tammy). Recommended!

As a Japanese, I was very anxious about volunteering in Germany. However, the members of the Excellence Centre dispelled my anxiety within a minute of meeting them! They are so cheerful and friendly. I had a wonderful time with my friendly colleagues and cheerful, hard-working students. And I could also go on a wonderful city tour and Arabic Course. Regarding the Arabic Course, they teach us with the first step of learning new language step by steps. I have finally could introduce myself and make a small talk in Arabic. From above, I highly recommend this programme to anyone who wants to volunteer in Europe for a short period of time!

I had an excellent experience completing my TEFL course entirely online with The TEFL Org. From start to finish, the quality of the online learning platform was superb. User-Friendly Platform: The system was incredibly easy to navigate. The course materials were well-organised, making it simple to track my progress and study at my own pace, which was essential for fitting it around my schedule. Engaging and Informative Content: The modules were comprehensive, covering everything needed to feel prepared for teaching both abroad and online. The mix of text, videos, and practical examples made the content really engaging and easy to understand. Great Tutor Support: The feedback I received on my assignments was detailed, constructive, and prompt. Having knowledgeable tutors readily available for support and guidance significantly enhanced the learning process. Overall, I highly recommend The TEFL Org for anyone looking for a high-quality, flexible, and rewarding online TEFL certification. I feel well-equipped and confident to start my teaching journey!

It was a great experience. The grammatical points were well explained, and the various quizzes helped me understand the material better. Additionally, some grammar points were taught live by the instructor in class, which allowed me to see in full detail how an educational topic is taught. Some of the courses had assignments that gave me the opportunity to implement everything I had learned throughout the course by writing lesson plans or similar tasks, and if I ran into a problem, a private tutor was available to remind me of the necessary points. Overall, I was very satisfied with taking this course, but after completing it, I came to the conclusion that for those who want to teach outside of their home country, it might be better to attend in-person or live online courses so that they can become familiar with people who have different accents and continue their journey with more confidence.

It was an absolutely amazing and rewarding experience to teach English and Study German at the center. I really enjoyed being able to plan and tailor lessons to my students needs and abilities. It was great to meet people from all over the world and learn about each others cultures, language and traditions. I also enjoyed learning German and appreciated the mix between written lessons and interactive lessons out in the community. Sharing breakfast together every morning at the center was another highlight that made me feel supported and welcomed. Sincere thanks to Rafat, Muaz, Dusan and team for your meaningful work, friendly community and this fantastic experience. I will remember it fondly forever.