Testimonials
TEFL Barcelona was launched in Spring 2006, building on the success of our long-established sister course in Paris. Since then, many students have passed though our classrooms and gone on to rewarding careers teaching TEFL in Spain and around the world. Below are a few things which students in Barcelona have said about our approach, our TEFL course, and the support which we provide. Where email addresses are given, please feel free to contact the students if you require more information.
Overall assessment:
I would recommend the TEFL Barcelona course for its professionalism, experience and highly specific and detailed course content .Each week builds upon the prior one (s) to provide students with the skills, resources, confidence and motivation to enter the professional world of teaching.
Luann Gilligan Gray (USA), December 2007
lcg121@gmail.com
I recommend this course 100% . Tefl Barcelona has given me skills and confidence to change my life, do something completely different and travel the world .
I would really encourage students to do the Spanish classes before the course.
Catherine Murray (UK), June 2007
catherinemarymurray@hotmail.com
I would recommend the Tefl Barcelona course because the month is well structured , teachers are very encouraging with adequate criticism but praising enough to retain confidence ! Grammar and phonology lessons are very well done with good activities and relevant tests to concept check.
Kirsty Yoxon (Isle of Skye, Scotland), May 2007
kess29@aol.com
I would recommend this course . Very friendly atmosphere. Tutors very friendly . A lot of input sessions and ideas given . A lot of materials to use .
Sarah Gallichan (UK), December 2007 (Currently employed by BCN Languages)
sarahstallone@hotmail.com
Quality teaching:
I really recommend the Tefl Barcelona course mainly because of Erwin. He is a kind, patient and very good teacher and it all depends on the teacher, doesn’t it? :) The course is quite intense and by the end of the 4 weeks you have had a lot of input sessions and about 9 hours teaching practice with lovely students. If you’re just coming to Barcelona for the course , make sure you have some extra days to enjoy this beautiful city.
Maria Selmeier (Germany), October 2007
mareiern@web.de
“Come here! The teachers are great and the course is extremely thorough. The learning atmosphere is fun and then people I’ve met will forever be my friends and colleagues.”
Julia Grubb, August 2006
julslbh81@hotmail.com
“I think the trainers were great and the resources were great. It is a lot of work but a really great experience.”
Justine Neeson, January 2007
jneeson@gmail.com
“I would highly recommend this course. It’s a great experience for all those who want to change their career or go in a different direction. I found the course to be dynamic and really suited to my needs. There was something for everyone! To prospective students, I would say ‘go for it!’ It’s a great chance to meet others, broaden your horizons and get a teaching qualification at the same time.”
Cherith Thompson, September 2006
Preparing a class.
Preparing you for the classroom:
A very thorough course, that stands you in good stead to be a teacher.
The trainers are incredibly knowledgeable and help grow your confidence. Highly recommended.
Marilena Reina (UK), September 2007
contactmaz@hotmail.com
I would recommend the Tefl Barcelona course to anyone interested in teaching English to ESL/ EFL students. The course provides you with enough theory and practice so that by the end of the month you feel secure and ready to go out into the teaching world. Meeting and working with international pupils was also great!
Monika Varela (El Salvador), July 2007
mon_var@yahoo.com
I would recommend the course because it showed me clearly the teaching needs that are required for TEFL instruction ,including teacher language, classroom management , and lesson structure. I could see my planning and teaching improve as the course progressed , and the real test: I found a job just as the course was finishing, which of course was my original goal.
Jeff Volk (USA) , May 2007
kor_tenente@yahoo.com
"I would recommend most people do the TEFL course. It opens your eyes to the English language, giving you the tools to pass the language on. There was a lovely, friendly atmosphere in the school. I found the course informative and intensive. The trainer was approachable and friendly, and there were lots of group discussions –getting us to think for ourselves rather than dictation. I was very satisfied and happy with the course. Thank you very much."
Leeanne Cooper, April 2006
Annelee232001@yahoo.co.uk
“I would highly recommend the course because it has improved my teaching skills far beyond my expectations. My grammar has improved, and mostly importantly, the atmosphere was so warm and friendly that it made the stressful times less stressful and actually enjoyable. Thank you!!”
Amanda Greene, November 2006
“The TEFL Barcelona course teaches you a wide variety of teaching methods while providing the practical environment in which to use them. In addition to lessons covered in the classroom, we were given resources and further instructions on how to pursue the subject on our own.The course gave a thorough overview of classroom techniques, grammar knowledge, lesson planning and activities as well as a unique view from the perspective of a student of foreign languages.”
Sara Custer, November 2006
sara.custer@gmail.com
“TEFL Barcelona is a great learning center. I came into the course as a clueless American that wanted to teach English.I am leaving the course a confident American English instructor and that is all thanks to the guidance provided by the great Mr. Erwin Ebens!”
Ray Garcia, August 2006
deenaboy24@hotmail.com
Friendly and Helpful:
I have really enjoyed this course and would certainly recommend it. It was professionally run but very friendly and personal. The teachers had lots of time for each of us and were very encouraging and supportive all the way through. The course was very varied and we had the chance to experience things from a student’s perspective and play lots of games. I would advise potential students to learn as much grammar as possible before the course and be prepared for some very hard work, including evenings and weekends. I would also advise them to do the week’s Spanish before the course – INVALUABLE – I learnt a lot of Spanish , enjoyed the course and, more importantly, picked up some teaching ideas that validated what Erwin was telling us . It was great to be given other students’ email addresses before the course as it meant we already knew someone when we got here and could see what level / how prepared the others were.
Louise Mackay (UK), June 2007
ljlmackay@hotmail.com
I would recommend TEFL Barcelona. The teacher trainers offer great support and training. At the same time we were pushed hard. I really enjoyed the challenge of the course. The course was very thorough and I will draw on its content throughout my future career.
Harry Wynne- Morgan (UK), April 2007
harrywynne-morgan@hotmail.com
"The staff was friendly and courteous. The school is in a really good location. We learned several approaches and could adapt from these to whatever a school asked for. And I feel I have developed ways to research for new materials and adapt classes to any given level, having dealt with a variety of levels in our practice teaching sessions. I found the demo lessons especially valuable since they provided you with more ideas on how you could structure a lesson and different techniques used. The trainer was very open, helpful and inviting. He was always available to help us no matter what time it was."
Maria Cedillo, April 2006
onlyme95605@yahoo.com
“I would recommend this course because the tutors genuinely seem to care about the students’ success. I was a bit wary about enrolling onto a course that has only been established for two years but, with the benefit of hindsight, I think that this fact means that Erwin and John pay more attention to detail because they want this course to succeed. More established courses could be guilty of complacency.My fellow students were a great help too.”
Andrew Hay, January 2007
andy_hay@hotmail.com
Worth the commitment:
I would definitely recommend the course. Although at times it was intense, I really feel like I gained a lot. With regards to grammar I feel like I learnt more on this course than throughout my whole time at school / university . A great deal of teaching practice was involved which helped me build my confidence.
Cat Symonds (USA), September 2007
CatSymonds@yahoo.co.uk
It was a very intensive course and lots of work, however, the skills gained are invaluable not just for teaching but also for other life situations. It also gives you a currency to use all over the world , meaning you can teach and travel for as long as you want!
Laura Warby (UK), July 2007
lawaby@hotmail.com
I would recommend the TEFL Barcelona course to anyone interested. I would say that Barcelona is a fantastic setting for the course and that I feel very well prepared to teach now. However, I would warn that the course is professional and should not be used as an excuse to go on vacation.
Mary Chandler Tahey (USA), March 2007
marychandler.tahey@gmail.com
“I would recommend the TEFL Barcelona course because it is intensive but brilliant fun, hard work but informative and a good place to try out, practice and develop teaching skills.”
Marjorie Clarke, June 2006
marj.clarke@gmail.com
“I would recommend the course. The introduction to teaching real students at an early stage was invaluable. The support from tutors and job guidance was very good. I would urge potential students to consider their knowledge of grammar and if need be, begin studying it before the course. The schedule is intense but highly rewarding.”
Ann Cunningham, June 2006
annie-pink@hotmail.com
“Do it! The teachers are very supportive. The classes are good fun and the students are brilliant. It’s intensive, but in all the best ways.”
Laura Smith, January 2007
laura_smells@hotmail.com
“I’d recommend this course to anyone who wants a hands-on approach to learning how to teach, improving teaching skills and at the same time exploring the city of Barcelona.”
Bryn Clayton, September 2006
brynclayton@yahoo.com
And for those who speak a bit of French, here is an article from a local paper. about our French sister course.
If you have any questions about the course, please contact us.
