ITTO Review by Laura, May 8, 2010

I have been taking the TEFLcourse on-line since January of 2010 and almost done with it. I am working on my final project. Overall, I highly recommend ITTO. I have found the course to be interesting. Much information has been given in regards to teaching strategies. I have found my instructor to be most helpful. I can totally rely on her with feedback. Lesson Plan guidance is awesome! I have been given feedback from the instructor and if ever I feel incertain I email her and she quickly responds and always sends suggestions, so that I may better improve myself. All the information I have received and seen is truly insightful. I look forward to visiting ITTO in July as I will be taking my teacher practicum there.

ITTO Review by Jack, October 4, 2010

I took my TESOL course online and I think its great. The lesson plan is carefully laid out to you. The instructor is great and gives you the best feedback in planning your lesson plan. The course gives you detailed lessons about what to expect in teaching English. I am glad that I took this course and you should too.

ITTO Review by Aaron, October 14, 2010

I took my TEFL course onsite in Guadalajara, Mexico. It was simply fantastic! The professionalism of the staff, trainers, and support staff is simply amazing. I can now say that I am a fully qualified and capable EFL teacher.

Plus their job placement is wonderful! ITTO does indeed deliver on their job placement guarantee. They found me and excellent job with a school in Mexico and I am truly enjoying my time here.

The onsite TEFL curse in Guadalajara Mexico is definitely the best option for becoming a certified EFL teacher.

ITTO Review by Daniel, October 14, 2010

My experience with ITTO was wonderful. The course is intensive and has to be taken seriously, but it’s a lot of fun and you get as much out of it as you put in.

They have great trainers and the overall course fulfills any expectations. I am not taking advantage of the job placement at the moment, but I will surely consider it in a future. The TEFL course offered by ITTO is definitely a great option!

ITTO Review by Mia, October 14, 2010

I loved my ITTO experience! My teacher was excellent and the staff was humble and helpful! You will make excellent friends and even enhance your Spanish skills. If you are looking to improve your teaching ability or polish your grammar this course will help with both. Thanks ITTO!

ITTO Review by Amanda, October 14, 2010

I took my TEFL couse in Guadalajara. The 4 week intensive course was great. The trainers are really excellent. They know the in’s and out’s of the program and are wonderful sources for information. When you do your practice teaching, you are given lots of great feedback. The staff at ITTO really do go out of their way to help you when you need it. They really want to help you find a job.

It was an amazine experience. If you are thinking of taking this course I would recommend it to you.

ITTO Review by EsDavid, October 14, 2010

I took the 4-wk TEFL/TESL training course at ITTO Guadalajara from 30 Aug, 2010 through 1 Oct, 2010. I highly recommend taking the course on site to take full advantage of training with colleagues and, more importantly, observing and practice teaching at imac, ITTO’s partnering school. The TEFL/TESL course is intense and challenging, the ITTO staff is courteous, knowledgeable, accommodating and supportive, and the practice teaching with its professional evaluations is rewarding and inspiring. An added bonus - a primary attraction for me – is that ITTO’s job placement team is committed to guiding you through the interview and placement process in order to uphold ITTO’s job placement guarantee. I so appreciate the opportunity to train under and work with such professional, reliable and trustworthy people. You will, too.

ITTO Review by Bethany, October 15, 2010

I just graduated in September ‘10 from ITTO in Guadalajara, Mexico. The program was fantastic. It was four weeks of intense classes, but I now feel very equipped to teach English as a second/foreign language. I also was able to do extra training packets for free the week following the course. Those packets gave me more training in specific areas as well as looking great on a resume.
My teacher was fantastic as well as all the staff at ITTO. I would recommend this school to anyone interested in teaching English as a second or foreign language. The resources that we were given through this course are so helpful, particularly the job placement guarantee.

ITTO Review by Anjela, October 20, 2010

I completed ITTO’s course in Guadalajara in Sept. 2010. I found the course to be very inclusive, and not nearly as “simple” as I thought it might be! My instructor was motivating, insightful, available, and empowering. I truly appreciate his efforts for my class.
I was offered several jobs before graduation, and accepted one in a small town in Mexico (just what I wanted!). I am teaching in the real world! I also have had employment offers from Russia, Malaysia, and Ethiopia, so I know ITTO’s diploma is accepted around the world and worth every penney and all the work I put into it!
I am very happy I chose ITTO, and recommend their program full heartedly!

ITTO Review by Tom, November 25, 2010

My experience at ITTO was a positive one. Our teacher was superb - experienced, honest and motivational and the team as a whole were very helpful and encouraging. My first job has been in a place with limited resources and few other staff. Without the skills I picked up at ITTO - especially the ten lessons teaching - I would have seriously struggled, but, as it is, I’m really enjoying it. The course, though only one month (albeit very intensive), will push you, inspire you and enable you to hit the ground running for your first teaching placement. I’m glad I did it.

ITTO Review by Joeline, November 26, 2010

Graduated in September ‘10′ in Guadalajara
Choosing a TEFL program is a difficult decision to make, especially when trying to decide to take it in a different country, but I feel that ITTO gave me everything I expected and more! It was definitely intensive, but nothing that couldn’t be done. It provided me with the experience and teaching practice I need in the classroom. I had the opportunity to learn from my trainer, teachers at the language school, and other trainees as well. ITTO demonstrates a high level of professionalism where the staff are very helpful and the job guidance sessions and placement is excellent! I got the exact position I wanted, teaching at a university in Oaxaca, Mexico. I am living comfortably and applying my TEFL certification and skills in a university setting. I would highly recommend ITTO to anybody, especially if you know you would like to teach in Mexico or a Latin American country, and it has a perfect location in the heart of downtown Guadalajara!

ITTO Review by Jenna, December 4, 2010

I graduated from the ITTO TEFL on-site course in Guadalajara, October ‘10.

I have to say that during my time at ITTO I found the staff to be extremely supportive on an educational and personal level. The free medical service turned out to be an absolute Godsend and I’m very grateful for it! (Especially as I had no idea about it until I arrived).

My trainer was experienced, enthusiastic, motivated and most importantly, he connected with our group so that by the end of the course, he was not only our trainer, but our friend. I felt that my trainer was integral to the course - I learned so much from him that I cannot imagine having gone through the experience without him.

The course was intense but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The opportunity to teach from Day 3 of the course was daunting to begin with, but I believe it was the best way to make everybody feel involved and motivated throughout the four weeks.

I have made some life-long friends through ITTO, and for me, that is just as important as the course itself. The TEFL Certificate course as a learning experience was informative and helpful and I really appreciate the opportunities it has given me. However, the people I met on the course were also part of that learning experience - offering support, sharing ideas and sharing stories.

I think this social aspect of the course is a big advantage that shouldn’t be overlooked- especially as your some of your classmates will be living in the same hostel as you if you choose that accommodation option. Yes the course can be demanding at times, but its easier if you can moan about it for 10 minutes over a coffee or a beer with somebody who is in the same boat!

The job placement guarantee is great - especially if you are looking for your first job in a country you have never visited before. However, I think it is important to do your research on areas you would prefer to teach in before you begin the course. It is also important to be flexible. If you arrive with very specific job specifications then it may not be possible for ITTO to service the job guarantee within a two week period. Also - ensure you have enough back up funds - your first job may be low paid, or you may not have enough hours to begin with.

ITTO offers you the opportunity to learn, work, have fun, meet people, travel and get a certificate at the end of it all! I enjoyed it and I think you will too.

ITTO Review by Andrew, December 5, 2010

I found the TEFL course in Guadalajara very helpful. I learned a lot and received wonderful guidance from Victor, my highly competent instructor. Alan then lined me up with a position teaching mainly business English, as I had asked for. I had a job waiting for me the week after I graduated.
I recommend taking the course in Mexico. You cannot substitute for practice and quality observation. It was a stimulating and interesting course, which I found much more effective than other internet courses I have taken.

ITTO Review by Wes, January 25, 2011

My experience onsite at ITTO Guadalajara was excellent. I am an older student -sixty-three - and the idea of teaching ESL has been in the back of my mind for many years. When the time was right, and I began researching different schools, ITTO immediately rose to the top. One of the first things I found was that a certificate from ITTO Guadalajara is fully accredited - and not all certificates from other schools are. Once I contacted them, they kept in close touch with me even before I committed to them. (I sent queries to some other schools who still haven’t responded.) ITTO answered every question of mine thoroughly - from living accomodations while taking the course to how much I might be making once I got a job. From the research I did, I feel that ITTO Guadalajara is one of the best schools in the world to attend. It is very intensive, thorough, professionally run and the guarantee of a job in Mexico, as far as I am concerned, is more than just talk, since I got an interview and a job two weeks into the four-week course. Also, surprisingly, the price is lower than most other schools.

I am now living and employed in Guadalajara and felt fully prepared to walk into my first class able to assist and guide my students toward the goals they wanted. The professional staff, the practice teaching hours, the thorough grammar lessons at ITTO were invaluable in that preparation. Also, the onsite experience is something that simply can’t be replicated with an online course. Our practice teaching sessions, for instance, were with real students, actually involved in the learning of English, so that we were not simply going through the motions, practicing classroom management, or practicing in front of our peers, but teaching actual learners.

I highly recommend ITTO Guadalajara as an excellent place to get an ESL/TOESL certificate.

ITTO Review by Sam, February 18, 2011

The ITTO course in Guadalajara is an intense 4-week program. There is a lot of material to cover in a short time. You are required to complete many hours of observed teachings (more than other TEFL certificate programs) and also to observe seasoned EFL teachers. In addition, a lot of written work is required. But by the end of the course, I had enough material to put together a teaching portfolio and felt well-prepared to start teaching right away.

The school has lots of materials to help you plan your lessons (including textbooks, posters, flash cards, games, and multiple computers to use) and the staff and teacher trainers were very helpful and happy to answer any questions I had.

The ITTO course is less expensive than many of the other big TEFL certificate courses but is just as (if not more) rigorous and also comes with guaranteed job placement. However, as previous reviewers have noted if you have very specific locations in mind for your job then don’t expect to get one right away. If you are more flexible, however, you will have several job offers right away.

ITTO Review by James, May 3, 2011

I started taking the online TESOL course with ITTO and ended up getting far more out of the course than I expected. I thought it would be a simple course that did not really teach me anything that I did not already know but I ended up graduating the course with so much knowledge that I ended up printing out the materials and putting them in a binder.

ITTO was very helpful throughout the TESOL course. ITTO answered all of my questions before I signed up for the course, they were helpful during the course, and they were helpful after I graduated from the course. The only thing that ITTO does not have is job placement. They have contacts for jobs but it is up to you to apply independently. ITTO is not a recruitment agency for their graduates but they do offer helpful insight on where to work.

ITTO Review by Jacquelina, May 6, 2011

I was a little anxious when I left New Zealand in February 2011 to participate in the ITTO TEFL program in Guadalajara. From my arrival everything was exactly as I was told it would be, I was even sent a picture of the taxi I should get on arrival at the airport. I opted to stay in a homestay initially and it was a safe friendly environment. I then shifted into a posada near the school and found that an equally good experience. The school program is intense as it is only 4 weeks so it is a good opportunity to learn as much as you can about Foreign language teaching. The training is professional and supportive. I was encouraged and tutored and very quickly found myself in front of a classroom of eager young Mexican students. With each lesson I was evaluated and provided with valuable feedback to help me grow as a teacher.

The trainers and office support is outstanding as they are fluent in both English and Spanish so any hiccups with getting settled are easily taken care of, including assisting with mobile phone registration and ensuring I was comfortable in my accommodation.

I was also very impressed with the Spanish class that ITTO organised for me at the end of my course at IMAC (the ITTO sister school).

I have found Mexico as safe as anywhere I have traveled in the world and the people and culture welcoming, so much so that I am still here!
In summary the entire experience at ITTO was a great experience and I now have a TEFL certificate and a profession I can practice anywhere in the world.

ITTO Review by Sara Brady, May 6, 2011

I had a very good experience with ITTOs program. After going through the program and meeting other TEFL teachers, I can see the benefits of the teaching practices and observations that we did (which not all programs require).
The service of the support staff was excellent at all times. When we had concerns about the course or the instruction, the concerns were addressed immediately and that was very much appreciated.
I think where the course lacks the most is in guidance for the lesson plan. Although we had time to plan our lessons, there were 12 students fighting for the attention of 1 or 2 people with regards to our planning. I think there should be more instruction on lesson planning throughout the course, so that we were better prepared on how to make a good lesson.
I used the job placement services but in the end found a job on my own through, within 3 days of graduation, that I am very happy with.
This is a great program for those who are serious about teaching English, and it is very helpful to have teaching experience before going in to the program.
Based on the results of the course, my current job and salary, I would recommend to others taking this TEFL course.

ITTO Review by Jon, May 6, 2011

INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE.

Prior to enrolling in the ITTO onsite TEFL course in Guadalajara I did research on as many courses in Mexico as I could find, utilizing third party resources whenever possible. I chose ITTO because:

Both the website and the telephone staff were very professional.

Virtally all third-party reviews were positive.

Fully accredited TEFL certificate in 4 weeks, at a cost equal or below standard.

GAURANTEED JOB PLACEMENT

All of these proved genuine, but the course is more than the sum of its parts. Once you enter into the fold of ITTO, and its sister school IMAC, it feels as if you have family in Mexico. They sent me to the doctor (and paid the bill) when I was sick, they showed me where to eat, they gave me my choice of job options. If you are seriously considering training to teach EFL, you owe it to yourself to call the office–ask for Liz, and ask whatever questions you have.

ITTO Review by Kirra, May 7, 2011

The onsite TEFL course in Guadalajara was the perfect preparation for me as a teacher.

I took the course in March/ April 2011, and although it was very demanding, I feel that it accurately projected the daily requirements of life as a teacher. It would not have been to my benefit to have had an ‘easy ride’, as I would have had a nasty shock with the work load of real teaching!

The practice teaching at nearby IMAC was a great experience. The feedback from my trainer was always constructive and gave me the confidence to try new things and adapt my approach. She was very supportive.

The job assistance that I received was phenomenal. I had a choice of five jobs before I had even finished my course! All of the interviews were arranged for me, and the ITTO staff helped advise me on what type of working conditions, salary and extras to expect.

I would recommend anyone who is seriously considering a TEFL career to choose ITTO.

ITTO Review by Karol Montellano, May 10, 2011

The TEFL certification course is a very intensive program, but well worth the time and money for those who are serious about teaching. My experience at ITTO was great and it opened up many doors for me. I am now teaching in Guadalajara at a private school and can honestly say that I would not be able to make it without all the practice, help and guidance given by my instructors at ITTO. I highly recommend this course for those people looking to start a career in this field.

ITTO Review by Nicole, June 15, 2011

I did my TEFL course onsite in Guadalajara in May 2011. Since I am a non-native English speaker at the beginning I had my doubts if I would be able to follow the course and meet the courses’ objectives. But thanks to my teachers and a lot of studying I was able to finish the TEFL course and get my diploma. The course was very intense and we covered a lot of material in just 4 weeks. I learned a lot, not only during classes at ITTO but also through teaching practices, observing experienced teachers and getting feedback from my observers. Staff at ITTO was always very helpful and I was happy to be able to practice my Spanish with them. I can highly recommend the TEFL course at ITTO.

ITTO Review by Rhea Sutherland, August 8, 2011

Like most potential foreign students, I was somewhat concerned when I decided to register on-line for a course outside of my own country …and I must say, I made the right decision choosing ITTO. Liz is extremely helpful, Alan handles every situation admirably and our teacher, Sarah was great. Should you have any questions, I would be happy to help if I can.

ITTO Review by Irene, August 12, 2011

I would highly recommend this course in the beautiful city of Guadalajara. We had the best experience and feedback from experienced teachers that observed us for our practice teaching toghether with an outstanding staff that was always ready to help and guide us throught the process. If you are seriously considering on teaching English I highly recomend this course to anyone considering a Tefl certificate.
And the best of all : at the end of your course several job options will be available for you.

ITTO Review by Helen, December 6, 2011

My experience with the TEFL online course has been totally fulfilling, despite my initial reservations about studying at a distance through a technological medium. I was certainly not expecting the high level of personal guidance and feedback I received throughout. The topics were logically laid out and explained, and the learning platform easy to navigate. My tutor could not have been more helpful in providing additional resources and suggestions for future practice. Overall I think this course is exceptional value for money and I would be happy to recommend it to anyone who wants to gain a qualification in TEFL - whether they are experienced teachers or newcomers.

ITTO Review by Liz Robles, December 28, 2011

I attended the ITTO course in the beginning of September 2011 and by the end of that month, I was employed. That’s not to say the course was easy, in fact, I found myself teaching within that first week… for the first time ever!

Still, stepping into that classroom, I felt confident, everything that I’d learned wheeled out of me. I soon realized I was being lead by professionals, truly devoted to their teaching, and I was unknowingly absorbing that. Our same trainers observed and provided constructive feedback, assuring that every lessons was better than the last.

The ITTO facility was without a doubt the most resourceful atmosphere; it’s equipped with computers, printers, books.. essentially all materilas for lesson planing. And, the staff is by far the friendliest most organized personnel I’ve encountered. All of this on top of the beauties of Guadalajara; I have nothing but appreciation for ITTO. It’s opened a new world for me, one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Thanks ITTO!

ITTO Review by Nicolette, January 4, 2012

I completed the ITTO TEFL course online while living in Eastern Asia. The course is very well organized and did exactly as promised! It not only gives you a solid foundation to teach English grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation, it teaches you how to connect with students, cater to their learning styles, and how to make your time in the classroom as effective as possible.

While the online course does not offer the option to practice in the classroom, it provides ITTO students with hundreds of teaching resources, lesson plans, game ideas, forums, helpful websites, and support from your tutor is always available.

If taking the course in Mexico is not an option, I highly recommend the ITTO online course. You can work at your own pace, so this can be done in addition to other job and schoolwork. The more you put in, the more you’ll get out of the program!

ITTO Review by Candice Gopaul, January 10, 2012

I currently work as a native teacher in South Korea. Every year all native teachers have to hold one compulsory open class (demonstration class) in which he/she is graded on. After the open class the grades along with a DVD of the class are submitted to the office of education and the top 5 teachers are selected to host a second open class and native teachers from neighbouring schools are invited to watch the class. I was fortunate to have been award this opportunity last fall. My class was held in early November 2011 and I won the overall prize which was a cash incentive and a certificate of excellence. Thanks to the TESOL/TEFL course my teaching style and lesson planning had improved significantly and now I hold the title of “Super Teacher” in my office of education.