Comments on: Via Lingua

By: MistyT

MistyT — Tue, 13 Feb 2018 23:15:44 +0000

Took the course in Ciudad Guzman, Mexico and was extremely disappointed. The course material was at least 10 years old, and it seemed that the instructors didn’t really know what they were talking about, like they were just following along in the course book. The school wasn’t very coordinated when it came to planning anything, including teacher observations and teaching practice time. It was just a mess of confusion. Definitely more was promised than what is actually received. I really feel like I threw my money away, I didn’t learn much.

By: Reveka

Reveka — Tue, 08 Aug 2017 10:12:44 +0000

I took the course in Chania and it was great. The location of the school was amazing. The course content was very thorough and the instructor very knowledgeable and helpful. As for job placement, of course it isn’t guaranteed, but I found a job as soon as the course ended with the help of the instructor.

By: Harrison Brazier

Harrison Brazier — Mon, 07 Aug 2017 13:21:50 +0000

Maria is a wonderful, supportive, and inspiring instructor, and Chania is absolutely gorgeous. I earned my TEFL certificate here a few years ago. Maria put me in touch with a former graduate of her program who was teaching in Istanbul at the time, and this former student helped my get a job where he was teaching. I lived in Turkey for a year and had the most wonderful incredible adventure doing it.

Nowadays, I no longer teach ESL, but I may again in the future. My teaching experience redirected my career in a positive way, and through these changes I met my Austrian now-wife. It’s funny how sometimes you can trace some of the most important, impactful occurrences back to one event, and Maria’s TEFL course in Crete really started a wonderful ripple effect for me.

I went back to Chania on my honeymoon recently, and Maria and the island are as lovely as I remember them. If you’re thinking about doing something exciting and different, just go for it. You won’t regret it.

By: Eva A.

Eva A. — Sun, 11 Sep 2016 18:43:42 +0000

My experience was not great with Via Lingua. I took the course in Chania, Crete and while the teachers there do a good job, what they don’t tell you is that it is very difficult to find a job if you are not a native speaker. Also don’t expect any kind of support from them after you finish the course. They won’t help you with their network or contacts, as they advertise on their website.

By: Matt

Matt — Tue, 11 Mar 2014 17:46:52 +0000

My experience with Via Lingua was not as good. The course was ok but it was very difficult to find a job after getting the certificate. Most of the people from my program went home without a job. Furthermore, they didn’t offer a great job network or contacts.

By: via

via — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 16:05:43 +0000

My experience with Via Lingua was amazing. The course was very worthwhile and worth the price. Chania is a beautiful city and for the most part quite safe. People should always use common sense when it comes to safety. I think wherever you are you should be aware of your surroundings and use your judgement. The quality of the trainers was top notch and the observers were quite good as well. There were some differences of opinion when we were observed, but that seems logical as each person has their particular style. I actually thought it was good to get such a variety of opinions and ideas to help me when I actually start teaching.

Job guidance – okay, we were never guaranteed a job and of course a job is not going to be handed to us- everything takes effort. Even though it was a bit disappointing to find out that it was hard for non-EU citizens to find work in Europe, I was given contacts of students in other countries who were working or had worked and they were the best reference as I was able to get a first-hand view of what to expect. I know for a fact that all the students who went to Istanbul found a job within a week or two. Maybe it took some leg-work on their part, but that’s part of life. You don’t have to just take my opinion for the quality and professionalism of Via Lingua, you can email a number of past graduates and they will tell you the same thing. Everyone on my course left so satisfied and had one of the best experiences of their life. Just visit their website and Facebook page under Teaching English as a Foreign Language and you’ll see for yourself what I’m talking about.

I would recommend this course to everyone!

By: Lost Teacher86

Lost Teacher86 — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 17:35:21 +0000

I took the Via Lingua course in Chania, Crete. It was fine. Be careful in the city and don’t walk in the dark. If you are looking to get a TEFL certificate, you can do it cheaper somewhere else. If you want to be in Greece and get a certificate than this is a good place to go. They are working on improving the quality of the observers but other than that it is nice for gaining the certificate. If you are looking for job guidance, however, then you will NOT find it here. I am still looking for a job and I am don’t think the advice they gave me was very good. They told me to just go to Istanbul and I would get a job. Well, it’s not that easy. It’s expensive and time consuming. Plus, thus far, no one has hired me because I don’t have any experience. I will be going back to the States soon enough if nothing turns up. If you want the certificate and to be in Greece go to Via Lingua, but if you are looking for more, steer clear!

By: Jack M.

Jack M. — Mon, 03 May 2010 04:14:33 +0000

I took the course in Santiago. It was a very good experience and I learned a lot. I am now working in Peru and am very happy with the skills I learned. I highly recommend Via Lingua International.