Description
Vantage was established in 2007 and is Thailand’s highest rated TEFL program.
They offer a 120-hour, in-class TEFL course with 6 hours of observed teaching practice in Thai schools.
They also offer Virtual Vantage– designed for training in an era of social distancing. This program combines online coursebook study with live streamed observed teaching practices in online classes. It’s a full TEFL course with a practicum done from the safely of your home.
Vantage provides expert job support. They’ll craft your own Power Resume that make an impact in the six seconds hiring authorities typically spend reading them. They’ll coach you on interviewing techniques, handling objections, and job search strategies.
Vantage have agreements with innovative English education provider agencies that place hundreds of teachers in Thai schools every year.
Vantage run small class sizes so they can give personalized attention both to individual teacher development and the subsequent job search. You can read their review in the definitive book, “Teaching in Thailand– A Practical System.”
Vantage graduates are successfully teaching English throughout Thailand, in Asia, China and around the world.
Courses
Course Types
Course Lengths
Certifications
Additional Features
Locations
Thailand
I never write reviews online. This is probably the first I’ve done in many, many years. But I’m writing this one because the school’s CEO, Kevin, and lead instructor, Chris, did a really outstanding job in taking me through the TEFL learning process to gradution.
I was in a position where I needed to be out of the country for a visa run at the time i wanted to start a TEFL course, and that is where Vantage really shined. There is an option for a “Combined” course that allows online study, which you then couple with the “practicum” part of the course which involved in-person teaching in front of real classees. Perfect in my situation.
I enrolled, and worked my way through the 20 lessons of the online course quickly. I was on a visa run in Cambodia, so I hunkered down in a coffee shop every day and worked my way through the online work in about 2 weeks – a bit faster than the pace of the in-person courses. Then, when I returned to Bangkok, Kevin and Chris were very gracious and allowed me to sit in with their currently-running class, which served as great review. This online/in person hybrid seems ideal if you are comfortable with independent study.
The main difference between online and in-person was that each unit online required an online multiple-choice test, whereas the in-person had three tests toward the end of the course. I would be comfortable suggesting either approach, as I was able to near-ace all the online tests and then do the same on the in-class tests — although, to be clear, as a “combined” course completer before stepping in the classroom, I was not required to do the in-class tests, though I did for review.
A real highlight for me was the actual teaching sessions. I wanted to be sure to have that experience, and that’s why I opted against the few “online only” TEFL courses I was able to find on google. I just couldn’t imagine that anyone would hire me if I had absolutely never stood in front of students, despite working in other fields for year and being a native English speaker. We prepared lessons and taught in front of grade school kids (3-4th grade) and nursing school students (high-school and above age). With the feedback from Chris, Kevin and Ryan at Vantage, I came out knowledgeble and confident to begin teaching.
A quick word about some extra preparation work on resumes and interviewing from Kevin. I’ve had decades of work experience and have landed many jobs with my current resume strategy, but Kevin’s take on making resumes and applying for jobs really helped me do a total re-think of how I will do things going forward, both for TEFL jobs and for other jobs. Really outstanding.
Shout-out also to Chris, who has been teaching TEFL for decades and is smart, knowledgable and witty, especially if you like dry, British wit, which even as an American, I do. He’s a great instuctor who knows his stuff.
As noted, I really don’t write reviews online. But in the case of Kevin, Chris, Ryan and Vantage, I am making an amazingly rare exception. Without hesitation, I can’t recommend Kevin, Chris and Ryan at Vantage enough.