My ITTP TEFL Prague Nov 2012 class review

Wow, an intense but extremely gratifying month.

I think that’s how I would sum up my TEFL Prague experience, now that It’s been a few days since course completion and I have time to look back at the four weeks which I’m already starting to miss so much.

Like I read elsewhere, the ITTP TEFL Prague course really does what it says on the tin and you will definitely not be disappointed with this experience. A few days a graduate of the program and I’ve already got a full teaching schedule to last me until the end of June, and longer of course if I so wish.
The positive of this program are definitely clear to me.

- A strong teacher trainer team, which took my group from novice to professional in just 4 magic weeks.

- A huge amount of teaching practice. From day 2 I was in the classroom! This REALLY helped me because it alleviated the initial nerve tinges I would get when thinking about standing in front of a class. with so much teaching as part of the course you just don’t have the time to get nervous and you very quickly develop your own teaching style. Real students too and not only were we teaching at school but also at UniCredit Bank and a children’s school close to the Old Town Square. This aspect of the course was probably my favorite, the fact that taught so much and the friends I have made who took other courses with different schools were amazed at the difference between ITTP and their course (their course generally meant teaching each other, not real students).

- Neville and the team were particularly helpful along the whole journey. It took me a while to commit to the ITTP program but when I did I at once felt comfortable with the online communication and I always got a reply to an email within a few hours. A day max. I also felt comfortable paying online because of the secure visa protection form which these guys have.

- My classmates. Without doubt the best bunch of people I have met and become friends with in such a short time. We jelled baby

- VERY easy to find work through the program. Our class were given contacts for over 100 schools in Prague alone. 100!!! Out of the 10 or so schools I contacted about 75% got back to me within a day or 2 to offer me an interview and I get the impression that the ITTP TEFL certificate is highly regarded in the city. Georgia, one of my classmates, is off to teach in Japan in January so good to know that you can also use the certificate abroad and this was important for me because I might get bored with Prague in a few months down the road and want to go somewhere else to teach. The ITTP certificate is internationally recognized so you do get what you pay for many times over.

- Accommodation was top notch and represented value for money. Bear in mind though that this is a new apartment these guys are renting so I imagine that in a year or two it might not be looking so new.

Only negative is that I found out yesterday that when you apply for the visa you need a Czech translated version of the certificate and when I asked the ITTP office they said they only offer the English international version. It means I’m going to need to fork out around 20 Bucks for a translated copy and I really think ITTP should consider issuing the certificate in English and Czech versions. Not a big issue because I found the work visa process to be pretty painless, but for me an additional expense.

Well, as you can see our November group had a VERY positive time and I think I can speak for the whole group when I say that we highly recommend the ITTP TEFL Prague program!

Jim
Class of Nov 2012

TEFL Prague Review (by Zdenek)

As a non native English speaker I was a bit cautious about taking this course because I didn't want to take it and learn that I had failed and wasted a significant investment.
All turned out very well.
I took the course and thoroughly enjoyed it and as a bonus passed the course :)
ITTP Prague was a very good choice for me and I am sure will help me when I begin to look to teaching abroad in 2014.

Latest ITTP TEFL Online course review

5/10/2012 : Daniel Kenyon
5 Stars out of 5 

I did the online TEFL course with ITTP Prague, five years ago, and have been using the certificate ever since to work in many schools around Europe. It has opened many doors for me and for a great price. I have recommended it to quite a few people. I actually loved the course. It was very well structured, challenging but interesting. The scenarios represented, I can now say, were also realistic. My tutor Veronika was very helpful and Neville has also been very helpful and responsive. I did it five years ago and I'm sure they have gone from strength to strength since then. Go for it. 

ITTP Prague July course Graduate article

Mary at Kutna Hora (Click on photo to enlarge)

Kids grown, three years until retirement from a successful career in teaching, is it already over? Surely I am too young to simply stop teaching; I am still energetic and love the classroom and the positive energy it generates.

I have always had a propensity towards travel, but lacked the funds and opportunity to do so. Could now be the right time?

As I pondered the above questions, and talked to many people about international teaching jobs, I was directed toward Prague by people who had similar experiences. I aptly checked online, and through the positive reviews and the more than adequate correspondence with Neville, decided that ITTP/TEFL could give me the experience I needed and possibly quell my urge to travel, at least temporarily.

Before I had a chance to second guess myself, I made the deposit and began the process. Thanks to the people involved across the pond, as Neville says, making the deposits and corresponding via email was the easy part.

I arrived in Prague months later, to find myself scared to death as it began to sink in that I was alone, and traveling was completely out of my comfort zone. Being away from family and friends that love me unconditionally was daunting, and I began to wonder if I had made the right decision. After an uneasy night in a hotel, I ventured out to meet some of the nicest, coolest, and most helpful people I have ever met. My roommate was immediately helpful and kind, I couldn’t have asked for a better friend.

When arriving to class, late of course since I am challenged when it comes to directions, Mila, our instructor, was kind and understanding. The class was small, which concerned me since I was worried about making acquaintances. Worrying about anything, when it pertained to my trip, proved to be futile. The people in class were so remarkable and intriguing; we had a fabulous time in and outside of the classroom. There was not one bad moment in Prague, a few awkward ones, but not one bad one. I felt completely safe in and outside of the city.

The choice of ITTP apartment option which I went for was a bit outside of the city, which I enjoyed because it gave me an authentic view of the culture, minus the throngs of tourists. I also enjoyed it because it was comfortable and very clean, thanks to Neville’s fastidious care.

The historic knowledge I gained from this fabulous city, as well as the experience and instruction from Mila, was such a positive experience that I am finding it difficult to put into words.

I chose to return home to my husband and career since I have three more years until I fully retire from the American educational system. I am hoping to relocate and teach overseas when my husband is retired as well.

Upon my return to work; I was surprised to discover I would be teaching a classroom of students who spoke English as their second language. I would also be team teaching with an international teacher from Australia. I felt well-prepared for this group of students because of the useful strategies Mila taught me, as well as feeling empathetic to my partner, as I briefly experienced the loneliness that accompanies relocating to a foreign country.

I plan to return next summer and tour parts of Eastern Europe with a friend. As I am hoping one day to teach internationally, I am confident that my month in Prague prepared me, and helped propel me into the next phase of my career.

Mary Murfin

Latest ITTP TEFL Prague Onsite course review

6/08/2012 : Mary
5 Stars out of 5 

I have been a language arts teacher in an American school for the past 27 years. I attended this course to provide myself with a possible career option after retirement. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of information I acquired, as well as the professionalism and knowledge of our instructor. He kept class interesting, and he was so insightful about our strengths and weaknesses, and consistently kind when correcting us. Prague is a fabulous city, and my experience learning the culture, and getting to know people while teaching was fantastic. When a question arose, there was always someone to answer it, and help guide us. Although I am not sure where my newfound knowledge will lead me, I will be forever thankful for the experience.

ITTP Prague TEFL: latest onsite review

Sara
5 out of 5 stars

Completed the ittp 4 week course in Prague in April 2012 - loved it! Had a great time and all the staff took really good care of us from beginning to end. I'm also glad that I chose the accommodation option, because the apartment was fantastic. A few other of the trainees had decided to find their own rooms and were slightly jealous when they saw what we had to go back to each day. I particularly loved the fact that on the one hand you were at the Mustek within 25 minutes but on the other you were in a national park in the opposite direction within 25 minutes also. Divoka Sarka is simply awesome and an outstanding area of natural beauty. Extremely safe too, which was always going to be one of my main concerns. Oh, and I'm usually very picky with where I stay so if you think this review is written by someone who is easily satisfied then you are very wrong. The trainers and staff were all great and Neville was particularly helpful with my trip over planning and helping us get our internet set up when we moved into the apartment. oh yes, if you do choose the ittp apartment then there is no actual stationary wifi in the room. Instead (and infinitely better) you get a funky flash drive which goes into the usb port of your notebook, meaning that we had internet access for the whole month in the apartment, in the park, on the ride down the hill on the tram to classes. Everywhere. This was SO useful because it meant we were able to draw on internet resources for lesson planning in the shade of a park tree, as opposed to having to go back to the room and work there with a stationary modem. We were the first group in the new ittp apartment and all 3 of us were completely satisfied. Great location. Great apartment. Great price. On the course we had plenty of language students to practice on. There were a few blank faces in my first practice class, but it all came together by the end of the month. I probably didn't read their website so well because I really didn't think we would be teaching SO many classes. I had assumed we would simply be teaching each other (like I heard lots of schools do). I taught 4 whole hours at the ittp building, 7 hours at the children's school, and 8 hours with my one on one student Michaela. Michaela's lessons took place at Unicredit Bank. Awesome! :) There is a downside to this review though. Prague was great for partying at the weekends, but you have to be careful not to get distracted in the week too. A few fellow trainees didn't seem to make a distinction between the week and weekend. Because they partied too much and missed classes they received lower certificate grades and at the end they came out a little bitter. I hear they have work too but I can't help imagine how long they will be able to hold those jobs down for. I think ittp and all tefl schools actually, should actively warn the young people who take their courses not to go overboard with the partying. Hey, I like a wild night out like the next person but when you travel abroad it's easy to take every day as a holiday and some people can begin to spiral. there were actually 2 trainees on the course who got a bit out of control with their night's out and who are probably waking up today with another hangover and a run for the tram to make teaching classes late. I know this isn't the school's fault. But this is an area which I think the industry in general could look at more. Everyone of our class got teaching work in Prague but for the first few weeks the hours were a bit thin on the ground. It was only until the end of the first month after graduating from ittp that we did have either full time or almost full time hours. Having spoken with other teachers I found out that this is the norm so make sure to calculate this factor into your budget plan. For that first month you will get by but you just won't have that full time wage benefit. I teach for a large language school in the city and I now have around 25 hours a week, which is standard. They pay me 250 Kc for 45 minutes but I then need to pay any taxes on top of that because I went the trade license route. It's about middle of the road for Prague but I can definitely recommend the school to work for because their teacher support is EXCELLENT. Overall I rate ittp 10 stars. You get at least what you expect and maybe more. Take the ittp course. You’ll enjoy the course and Prague!

ITTP Prague review: latest TEFL Prague review

Nicole 

5 out of 5 stars 
 

I had the fantastic opportunity to attend the ITTP course for my TEFL certificate in 2008. It was a great experience and I highly recommend it. Prague is a fantastic destination in itself. The staff at ITTP are experienced and well-traveled, and after successful completion of the course offer useful advice based on their experience to wherever you want to head off to teach English with your shiny new certificate. First off, the course outline was straight-forward and there were plenty of resources to plan practise lessons. We also were encouraged to make lessons up from scratch which proved to be a fun (and realistic) challenge. Teaching practise was set up so we could get experience at teaching different target groups - one-on-one, adult group teaching, kids. For the one-on-one we met a Prague business people, who we met in their office or in a cafe. Mostly they wanted to practise their conversational English, or practise their writing skills.It was a fun way to get to know Prague locals - I remember exchanging recipies with one lady, and being offered to sample different Czech speciality liquors by a banking fellow. For the adult group teaching lessons, we had weekly students come in and taught them in front of our course class mates. This was the most stressful teaching practise for me, but equally rewarding when after a few trials you were able to pull off a useful and successful lesson. Teaching kids in the Prague school was the most fun and my favorite teaching practise. We were asked to come up with a creative lesson plans to teach a small group of kids. I have remained in contact with alot of the teaching staff at ITTP. I recommend all of them 100% - Milo, Olga, Svatka, Alena, and Neville who is the director of the institute. Whenever I have questions about TEFL locations and travel I've always encountered a positive and enthusiastic response with lots of good advice. If you're thinking of doing the TEFL course, I recommend the ITTP. Do it in the summer if you can - great time to experience the city.

ITTP Prague TEFL: Latest Onsite TEFL Prague course review

I attended ITTP in the fall of 2007 and found the program to be exceptionally well organized and presented. The instructors during my course were all extremely professional, knowledgeable, friendly and supportive. I had chosen to live in the course accommodations and was, at the end of my stay, very happy to have done so. Those of us in the "flat" quickly became a close-knit and mutually supportive group. We also had a blast together in what is an amazingly beautiful city. As a matter of fact, I am now living in Scotland with my wife of two years who was a fellow course and flat member. After completing the course we lived and worked in Prague, along with a few of our course mates, for a year. Since Prague, we have travelled and taught extensively in Southeast Asia and the Russian Federation. We highly value the fact that throughout the time between the course and now we have always been able to rely upon ITTP for assistance and advice with our future plans for work and travel. We absolutely recommend this wonderful opportunity for an amazing experience to anyone considering ITTP.
Jim Purvis.

ITTP Prague TEFL: Latest Onsite course review

>27/04/2012 : Steph 5 out of 5 (5 stars) ITTP Prague TEFL Int.CertTEFL/TESOL Onsite course Review

I heard first about ittp tefl from a friend who took their course way back in 2007 and who had nothing but good feedback. I graduated and meant to take the course a few years back but some things cropped up and i ended up putting it off until this past fall when i realized that if i didn't do it now then i probably never would. So i took the plunge and signed up for their prague april program. I graduated from the course friday. Now i've never taken a tefl course before so i really can't compare courses but from the other teachers i met in prague who took different courses i did feel fortunate that the teaching practice i got through the ittp program seemed to be very much above average in terms of number of hours taught and variation of teaching setting. Once again though i can't compare ittp with other courses and the other courses might be better or worse. Who knows. All i can write is that i personally had a blast on the course and it helped me to achieve what i had traveled to prague to do and that is to teach in europe. Also, i'm not sure if this is a particularly good time of the year to take the course or why logically it would be but pretty much everyone from our group has either started teaching or has interviews lined up. As well as providing excellent job finding services the school also provide visa support but it seems that essentially the visa aspect is down to the language school which decides to employ you. Speaking with other teachers from the states i get the picture that the visa requires jumping through a few hoops and all but isn't as half as difficult to obtain as some people claim it is. Plus my school is helping me with it and it is only costing me around 40 bucks. My only negative experience was unrelated to the course and was more concerned with pricing in the city. You really have to watch where you go because a night out in some parts of the center can be SO much more expensive than a similar night out in other parts. I did get a bit fed up being seen as a walking dollar sign in these places but soon learnt where the tourist spots were and how to avoid them. As long as you avoid these spots you will generally be ok. Yesterday i had my orientation day and signed the teaching contract and i officially start teaching tomorrow morning. My one bit of advice for anyone thinking of taking the plunge and taking a tefl course abroad is JUST DO IT! I am just kicking myself for not doing this earlier. Ittp was an excellent decision and i have very fond memories of my 4 weeks at the school which i will hold dear for a very long time and essentially what really made the course were the other people studying with me.

ITTP Prague: Latest ITTP Prague TEFL Review

> 20/04/2012: Matt Reed

5 out of 5 (5 stars)
ITTP Prague TEFL Int.CertTEFL/TESOL Onsite course Review  

I completed my ITTP Prague training today. Of the 12 who took the course, 10 of us have teaching work already lined up. 8 of us are from the States and the remaining 4 from the UK, Singapore and Belgium. Originally I planned to take the course in Spain but having realized that it is next to impossible to actually work there legally, and realizing that getting work in Eastern Europe would be MUCH easier, I settled on Prague as my destination. The only negative of my Prague experience is that Czech people don't like to smile. C'mon people :) This course was one of the best investments I have made in my life and really saved me because back home I was virtually doing nothing and stuck in a circle. TEFL has opened up the world to me and has enabled me to travel and pay my way. I have never taken a TEFL course before so I can't compare but as experiences go I had a fabulous 4 weeks and having a well paid teaching job lined up already is more than I expected really. ITTP actively help you with getting a job and also with visa support. A recommended company, recommended course, and recommended city!

ITTP Prague Review

18/04/2012 : Emily 5 out of 5 (5 stars)

I had a great experience with ITTP's 130 hour combined Online/Onsite course, which I completed on Monday. Already having some EFL teaching experience I really just needed the certificate because without it now you can't apply for a work visa. So, I kind of went into the course assuming that I would know best (and probably more). I was pleasantly surprised at just how engaging the Online Modules were and also surprisingly shocked at the realization of how many holes I have in my grammar and EFL methodology knowledge! The Modules are extremely well delivered and beautifully arranged so that as you proceed there is an overwhelming sense of meaning and purpose with what you are studying. This translated for me into wanting to spend as much time as I could in a small space of time, ploughing my way through the Modules and I successfully completed this section of the course within 2 weeks (a record methinks!). OK, so now the next section of the course was to travel to Prague and shine in the teaching practice section. This I had been doing for 2 years in S.Korea and I knew I was damn fine at my job. I arrived to Prague with a flurry of snow at the beginning of this month and was met at the airport by Sarah and taken to the ITTP accommodation. I have to write now that the accommodation was spotless and could easily have come with a big red bow tied across the ceiling because it was just as new and I later learned that this is the school's new accommodation option and that I was one of the first students to be resident there. The ITTP school is also new and just as sparkly. With different people coming through each month I hope it stays nice and new looking and I did mention this to the ITTP management, that they would need to be very proactive maintaining the apartment if they wanted it to stay so lovely. The management were awesome. As were my tutors. Leading up to my leaving the States I had begun reading the ITTP company blog and I found this an extremely useful 'newbies guide' for a new Prague arrival and I recommend taking a read through because not only will it help settle you in better but you will also save money! My teaching practice segments consisted of teaching Business English, General English (Beginner, Intermediate, Upper Intermediate, Advanced, CPE), and I also taught a few classes to the kids at the school. In total I was promised 14 teaching hours and I came out with 22! What really impressed me though was the variety of students and having taught just children in Seoul I was now gaining experience teaching Adults as well and in both group and one-to-one settings. This again made me question my previously held notion that I was somehow 'unteachable' because I knew everything. I was lucky to have a lot of exposure with their current April Onsite class and I also roomed with Matt, John and Stacey who are taking this class and because of this I have had an energetic social life as opposed to arriving and not really knowing anyone. I have been out with the April group on a number of occasions and so far everyone seems very happy with their course and I know that quite a few students already have work lined up for after the course. I don't have anything lined up for Prague because my heart is in South America and after this month I am heading off through the States to Buenos Aries where I have a year's teaching contract already lined up. I suppose I could have taken the TEFL in South america but I always wanted to travel to and experience Prague and I am glad that I have had this month's experience before settling in another continent away from home again for a year. So, my overall conclusion is that ITTP is a must do experience for anyone wanting to teach abroad and I really feel as though I am living the dream. I totally recommend this company! THANK YOU Alena, Neville, Sarah, Al, Steve and all of my students and fellow classmates! TEFL Prague: http://www.tefl-prague.com http://www.tefl-tesol-online.com TEFL Prague Reviews TEFL Prague Blog

ITTP Prague: March onsite course feedback

Hi Neville

I just want to say thanks for returning the deposit money and then thank you for everything you've done to make the course a fun and welcome experience for both Chris and I. I wish you and all at ITTP a happy future.

Kind Regards
Jarad Frimmel

ITTP Prague: Latest Review

13/04/2012 : William (Billy Gragilla) 5 out of 5 (5 stars)

ITTP (TEFL-Prague) did a good job of preparring me and fellow students to enter the field of English teaching. This TEFL course can take you as far as you wish to go. Upon my graduation in 2005, I spent a year teaching in Prague. As cut-throat as it seemed, I recommend this to anyone. The course teaches you about grammar and gives you practice teaching experience, however, that first year, in retrospect, was an essential period of fine-tuning my teaching skills and giving me the needed confidence for future endeavers. The following year I spent a year teaching English in beautiful Mokpo, South Korea. I found myself using the skills I learned at TEFL-Prague and saw myself becoming an asset to the hogwan I was teaching for. I used my TEFL experience to teach at several schools in my hometown of Philadelphia, PA; even gettimng a contract to teach for $25/hr at a public-school subsidized academy. I didn't know that attending TEFL-Prague would start me on my way for the glodal adventures and successes I reached. To this day I recommend friends to take the ITTP course!

ITTP Prague Review (Video)

ITTP TEFL Prague Video Review