How to Become TEFL Certified?
Our Alumni Speak
Megan Dorris
Dear Future TEFL Students:
My name is Megan Dorris and in June and July of 2012, I participated in the Canterbury TEFL course and worked at the Canterbury Adventures Camp. I arrived at the beginning of June and studied for two weeks in Madrid. Our class was in the city center and I was easily able to find a hostel nearby to stay in for the duration of the course. Each day our classes started around 9:00 am and ended at about 4:00 pm with a short break for lunch in the middle. My classes in the morning focused specifically on teaching English to children, while in the afternoon, we learned more about working with adults and teaching higher levels of English.
We learned games to play with children, as well as simple grammar tips and tricks that could be used to teach adults. I also learned an amazing amount from my teachers about how to engage my students while maintaining control and command of the class at all times. Even as a native English speaker, I was able to learn a great deal about teaching sentence structure, parts of speech, and verb conjugation.
In class, I met other students from all over the United States, Canada, and the UK that were also enrolled in the course and I explored the city with them each afternoon. Even with our busy class schedule, I still had plenty of time to see the sights in Madrid and enjoy my time in the city.
The first two weeks of the class went by quickly and we soon moved on to the second stage of the course. During the second half of June, I was placed in a camp for training. I worked about an hour outside of Madrid at a multi-adventure summer camp for kids. There, we were able to see a Spanish camp in action. We learned how activities were run, the role of the counselors, various camp games and activities, and what it was like to work with Spanish children. After two weeks of training, we were ready to begin working at English Adventures.
At the beginning of July, the Canterbury directors helped us gather our things and move to the English Adventures campsite. As counselors, we were given separate living courters from the children and a day or two to prepare before the campers arrived. Then, the next month was a whirlwind. We awoke around 8:00 am each morning to eat breakfast with the campers and break into our separate groups. Each counselor was assigned different activities to lead throughout the day, ranging from sports to arts and crafts, to cooking, to filming our own music videos with the children.
The activities were conducted solely in English (with the help of a bit of miming and gestures sometimes) and were different each day. The counselors were given several short breaks throughout the day, but with the wide range of activities and never-ending energy of the children, the month of work at English Adventures flew by. We had dance parties, a carnival, hiking excursions, a bit of pool time each day, and even our own MTV-style video awards ceremony. The job requires a lot of enthusiasm, energy, and creativity, but it is an unforgettable experience.
Working with Canterbury through both the TEFL course and the English Adventures summer camp was an incredible experience that led not only to a TEFL certificate and a fun summer job but also helped me make the decision to live in Madrid for the rest of the year. I have now returned to Spain for another year of teaching and couldn’t be happier with my decision.
Megan Dorris, TEFL Class of June
Sean DiSesa
Dear Prospective TEFL Instructors,
If you are considering teaching English in Spain, you have come to the right place with the Canterbury TEFL program.
I arrived in Spain in September 2011 and taught English with Canterbury for over a year. Especially for someone coming from the United States, Canterbury makes moving to Spain extremely easy. Whether you are worried about your visa, finding an apartment, meeting new friends, or the language barrier, Canterbury has you covered. The staff and teachers are always willing to help new students in the TEFL program feel welcome in Madrid.
No matter your command of the English language, I promise that you will learn something new in your four week TEFL certification program. Once you are finished and earn your TEFL certificate, you are guaranteed to immediately start teaching classes and earning money. You can also rely on the wealth of resources available at the Canterbury offices to help you prepare for classes with your new students.
Canterbury makes life outside of the classroom fun as well with a non-stop calendar of social events. Every month there are pub nights, field trips, and other exciting group activities that will allow you to get to know your fellow teachers better and experience many of the great things that Spain has to offer.
If you want to move to Spain but are hesitant to make the leap, the Canterbury TEFL class is the way to do it. I wish you the best of luck during your time in Spain. And this it’s my experience about how to become TEFL certified!
Sincerely,
Sean DiSesa, TEFL Class of September
Marlowe Gregorio
Dear Potential TEFL Teachers,
My name is Marlowe Gregorio, a 24-year-old college graduate from California. I spent two amazing summers working with Canterbury Adventures Camp, and also took their TEFL course back in June of 2012. I first heard about Canterbury during my senior year at university. With graduation approaching fast, I began looking into different ways of teaching English abroad – something that I’ve always wanted to do. I quickly found that Canterbury and its TEFL program seemed to be quite popular on Google.
After taking a deeper look at the academy website and summer camp TEFL program in Spain, I immediately decided that this was the perfect opportunity for me. I followed all the necessary procedures to apply, and just two weeks after graduating in May, I was off to Madrid, where I would spend the next month in a TEFL intensive course.
The first two weeks of the course consisted of two main class sections. In the mornings, we had more children specific classes and workshops. We learned how to deal with all types of age groups and personalities, and did quite a lot of roleplaying in order to better prepare us for camp. We also learned a wide variety of games and activities that I still use in my classes today. After a quick lunch break, we continued the day with classes more geared toward adult students. Here, we focused more on theory and grammar. It also included a great refresher section on English grammar and other technicalities that I hadn’t really covered since the 6th grade.
It’s honestly surprising how much you learn about your own native language once you begin teaching it. Here, we went over the various methods of teaching one to one classes, small and large group classes, and giving larger lectures and presentations. This part of the course was taken with eager students from all over the US, Canada, and the UK. I met a ton of people, and even though we had class every day, we made sure to make the most out of our time in Madrid and took in the sites and the city every chance we got. It helped that the class was located in Malasaña, one of Madrid’s beautiful and vibrant central neighborhoods.
The second two weeks of the course consisted of practical internships at one of Canterbury’s many partner camps around Spain. Here, our class split up into various groups, getting intense training at camps in Barcelona, Cuenca, and other cities. I ended up being trained at a fantastic multi-adventure camp just an hour outside of Madrid. Here, we got to see how everything is run from group level and got paired with Spanish counselors, observing and helping them out throughout the day. It was a great way to see the logistical side of a camp first hand. Seeing the various workshops, games, and activities really gave us some great ideas to bring to our own camp.
After a very packed and intensive June, we were finally prepared for our very own camp experience with English Adventures. We drove up to the site, located just outside of Cuenca, a few days early to set everything up before the kid’s arrival. With lush, green mountains, a bustling river, high-ropes course, and zip line, the last thing I could do was complain that this would be my workplace for the next month. The camp was divided into two sections, English workshops, and multi-adventure. While we had a separate, certified team running the various multi-adventure activities, such as paintball, kayaking, and zip lining, as English teachers, our team was in charge of running the various workshops.
These included activities such as cooking, arts and crafts, film production, photography, health and wellness, and dance. While we did these workshops in smaller class groups, each typical day was accompanied by both afternoon and night activities that included the entire camp. These included a fashion show, casino night, disco night, Olympic games, water park day, and a Halloween carnival, just to name a few. My first month working with English Adventures flew by, and even though we were quite busy, the days always ended feeling fully satisfied and content with the day’s work and activities.
Participating in Canterbury’s TEFL Summer Camp Course was an amazing experience. Since I had such a wonderful time at camp and in Spain, I decided to continue living in Madrid, teaching English. I’m now going on my second year here, and it’s all thanks to my fantastic, first experiences and memories with Canterbury.
Marlowe Gregorio, TEFL Class of June
Rachel Gonzalez
Dear Future TEFL Students:
I took the TEFL course with Canterbury Consulting and now I am a certified TEFL teacher. I have been teaching for four years with Canterbury Consulting and the experience has been amazing. The staff is professional, friendly and helpful with anything I need from asking for help with the extensive resources they offer at their library to a restaurant recommendation.
They are always encouraging and provide excellent service. I always feel welcome and appreciated. The social events are great and I have met many teachers from all over the world. My experience with Canterbury Consulting has been very valuable and I know they are always there for support.
Rachel Gonzalez, TEFL Class of January 2014
Amanda Catalina
Dear Potential TEFL Teachers,
I participated in Canterbury Consulting’s 2013 Summer TEFL course and had an incredible experience. I cannot speak highly enough of the organization and the course. I had some concerns about finding housing for the training portion in Madrid and being in a new city alone, but the team was so helpful giving me suggestions on where to stay, what to bring, and what to expect. They helped make it a seamless transition so I could focus on the course and be exploring all Madrid has to offer.
The course itself was the perfect mix of theory and practical experience. I was nervous about being ready to handle kids at the summer camp after only two weeks of training, but their teachers more than prepared me for the challenge. Not only did they equip us with the tools to plan fun and effective lessons for all age groups, but they also gave us opportunities to practice and refine our new skills before heading off to camp. The teachers were experienced and genuinely cared about our success in and outside the classroom. For the post-course portion, I was sent to the camp “La Espuela” in Avila where I was able to shadow counselors and learn about the responsibilities of working in a camp setting.
By the end of the week, I was confident enough to lead my own sessions and be an active member of the team. I could not have done it without Canterbury’s training. Their classroom to camp model is excellent and the staff is knowledgeable and dedicated to making it a rewarding experience. I’m grateful for the opportunity to spend the summer doing something new and exciting in a foreign city and know it would not have been possible without Canterbury. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to spend time teaching abroad, whether experienced and well traveled or not at all. You can’t go wrong!
Amanda Catalina, TEFL Class of June
Romita Blackfeather
Dear Future TEFL Students:
My decision to attend Canterbury Consulting, to earn my TEFL was a good one and has been very beneficial.
When searching for an academy to attend, I knew I specifically wanted actual teaching experience in the form of an internship. While other schools offered six-to-ten hours of training, Canterbury offered twenty hours of internship. Also, I read an independent review on one of their previous student’s blogs. This is what actually sold me.
The training was not what I expected. The two weeks of theory (grammar) were tough and eye-opening. The four-week class was challenging. It provided me with a base to be able to go out with confidence and teach English as a second language.
Romita Blackfeather, TEFL Class of September
Stephanie Davino
Dear Potential TEFL Teachers,
When I first decided to teach English abroad I knew I wanted to do as much research as possible on where I would get my certification. When I learned about Canterbury I soon found out that not only did their program meet all the standards of a recognized certification, they were also extremely helpful with assistance and advice.
They helped me feel comfortable about making such a huge life transition. Once I started the program, I met a lot of awesome people that are still my close friends today. The TEFL course was extremely informative and John is an excellent teacher. I am very happy with my decision to certify through Canterbury and I enjoy working for the school to this day.
Stephanie Davino, TEFL Class of October