Oxford Seminars Course Reviews and Student Testimonials

“The Oxford Seminars Training Manual provides a lot of good materials for teaching English abroad. I fully intend to bring it anywhere I go with TESOL. The How to Teach English book by Jeremy Harmer is very comprehensive and the videos of ESL teaching sessions are valuable as it is helpful to see examples of actual teaching taking place in order to better prepare to teach. I very much enjoyed the assignment of writing and teaching a lesson plan, I found it prepared me more than anything and I feel comfortable repeating the same steps for all of my classes in the future. Our instructor was very knowledgeable and helpful in preparing us for a career in ESL. She answered all questions to the best of our knowledge and helped to instill a sense of comfort and confidence in me regarding my plans to teach English abroad. I had fun and learned a lot about teaching. There was plenty of information provided and I now look forward even more to the opportunity to travel and share my knowledge of English with speakers of other languages.”

"I was pleasantly surprised about the quality of the course. I have two degrees and I took this course to get me exposed to the world of ESL. Going to Europe, I had some difficulty finding a good job at the beginning. I'm currently teaching full-time in Luxembourg which has surpassed my expectations on both pay and job satisfaction. I would not have been able to get my current job had it not been for the TESL certification and subsequent specialization in Business English that I got through Oxford. This course is the best bang for your buck, unless you spend more money and time doing a multi-year university program."

"The experience I have gained from Oxford Seminars has helped me to fully understand the need for teachers abroad. They have helped me to gain experience and learn about different cultures. My instructor made me feel so comfortable about teaching overseas and I am ecstatic to have this opportunity."

"I took the Oxford Seminars course at the University of British Columbia location. The course took place during the weekends (all of Saturday and Sunday). My instructor was friendly, helpful, and to say the least, very effective! The classes were full of activities containing methods and means by which students were to learn to become effective teachers. In other words, my instructor conducted the class in such a way as to demonstrate the methods we may want to follow as we teach our own classes. She alternated between activities and grammar breaks, always keeping a careful eye on the mood and willingness to learn of her students. She would teach according to her well-planned schedule, but would improvise when necessary to be more effective and capture the attention of her class. Simply through her charismatic and positive behaviour, our instructor kept her students very intrigued. She made sure all the students were very familiar with one another, was always very willing to answer our questions, and made sure the class had a very warm and friendly atmosphere. Through her teaching, she showed her students that learning can be enjoyable and even exciting. The class was so enjoyable that you will be surprised by the amount you learn each day. I have since been teaching at a school here in Vancouver, and I mimic much of what my instructor had taught me. I - and indeed my students - find my instructor's method of teaching very effective!"

"I would like to extend my appreciation for all of the resume, cover letter, and job search assistance that your department provided me. It was most helpful and enlightening. As a result of my certification with Oxford Seminars and your help, I have two ESL students within my own teaching practice. I have been operating my own tutoring service for two and a half years and currently have six students plus my ESL students. The teaching strategies and the excellent instruction that I received have been translated into my teaching practice. For that, I thank Oxford Seminars."

"Prior to taking the course I spent one year teaching oral English communication in Beijing. The students were mid-career analysts with a major Chinese company. Prior to that experience, I had very limited teaching experience of any kind, primarily teaching work related courses during my thirty plus years of public service employment. After the one year experience in China, I had made every teaching error, although the students succeeded in passing the end of the course test. My objective in taking the Oxford Seminars course was to gain insight which would assist in future overseas teaching assignments. After completing the in-class course… this objective has been met. The emphasis in the class was on lesson planning and the need to integrate each lesson within a larger set of classes. I appreciate that the emphasis in the practicum and the primary text was on teaching grammar. The practicum also allowed me to plan a class and practice techniques which addressed several of my perceived deficiencies after the Beijing experience. I feel that I am better prepared for future assignments because of the course. The Oxford training appears to be part of the evolution towards becoming a quality teacher."

"I just wanted to thank you for helping me find a job these last few months. You guys do some really good work and I was impressed by how quickly you respond to questions. Your assistance was invaluable!"

"Oxford Seminars prepared me practically and mentally for the challenges of going overseas. The teaching practicum component of the course was a good experience and I gained much insight from my instructor who had taught in Japan. If you are looking for change, a challenge, and a great experience, then take the chance to travel and teach abroad. I have experienced so much in a short time and I look forward to the opportunities and challenges that await me."

"I really enjoyed this course because it provides you with numerous resources for when you are teaching. The instructor gave us realistic examples of what may happen in an ESL classroom and also showed us techniques that would help us deal with them."

"It’s interesting to look back over the past week and see how much more professional my resume looks compared to the first day. Thank you very much for your help. I look forward to seeing what kinds of job opportunities are available to me in Japan."

"What to expect from Oxford Seminars? 1) A very down to earth and intense training course that is a lot of fun and educational. This course will definitely prepare you for teaching English as a Second Language. And 2) Excellent Job Search Advisors who will guide you step by step to find your perfect job."

"The instructor made our class so informative and entertaining as well. She taught us all the key elements that our class needed to teach abroad, and made great use of every minute of our class. She made sure we were very well prepared from grammar and vocabulary to detailed lesson plans. She gave so many practical examples. I have been to many seminars and classes and [this has] been by far the most organized, informative, and well executed program I have attended. I feel very confident and ready to teach English abroad. Thanks to [my Instructor] and Oxford Seminars. I will definitely refer all my friends and classmates to Oxford Seminars for their TESOL/TESL/TEFL classes."

"I feel that much of my success in garnering interest from potential employers can be attributed to the completion of the Oxford Seminars course and your efforts as Job Search Advisors. Thus, I would like to thank you again for all your efforts on my behalf as well as the advice and guidance you have afforded me in my job search."

"My instructor was the perfect person to teach this course. She was passionate, experienced, had great knowledge of teaching and the facts. She covered all the material in the time allotted, and all in an engaging manner."

"I have recommended the course to my friends, but, I have also recommended it to my four teenage children. To prepare for an exciting journey of teaching English overseas, the first step is to sign up for the Oxford Seminars TESOL/TESL/TEFL course! It is the best and only choice."

"I really appreciated all the learning activities that I was introduced to. I know I will be using a lot of them in the future. This course was really enjoyable, helpful, and a great way to start off my countdown to my journey abroad."

"My teacher was phenomenal. Her lesson plans were direct and coherent. Her experience was evident from the moment she introduced herself. It was relaxed, but when she gave a critique, it was sharp and to the point. I was very impressed. I was in school full-time and needed the schedule they offered. They also guaranteed job placement assistance afterward and provided many great resources for finding positions as well as valuable warnings about what to look out for. With my Oxford Seminars certificate I secured a job teaching at a major state university in New York. I thought Oxford was great! I have recommended this program to about a dozen other students since I have taken the course."

"Our instructor was well prepared, had a wonderful grasp of teaching ESL, and good interpersonal skills with the students. Our class had 8 students, a good size for interaction. Because there was so much content in the material, we couldn’t linger long on each; however, our instructor encouraged us to contact her if we needed more help. She chose portions of the books to focus on, giving the main ideas for that material. She was encouraging, well-organized, and yet kept good discipline. We loved it! We are both in our 60’s."

"This is incredible! In 4 days I will be in a completely different world, learning about new and exciting things surrounded by thousands of years of history. I will definitely continue to use the tools that Oxford has provided me with. This is life altering. I Thank you and your team for everything in helping me find a new career path and direction in life. I remember being at work, when I opened an email informing me that I had won a free ESL course by means of a draw. Can you believe that? I mean, what are the odds of that happening? Incredible! You guys are just incredible!"
  

"Oxford Seminars took my budding idea of teaching abroad and worked it into existence. The process was not only smooth and extremely helpful, but it was also surprisingly enjoyable. The TESOL course was informative and professional and I feel sufficiently prepared to manage my own classroom after completing it. Early in the course we were given the chance to experience the ESL classroom from the students’ perspective. Our instructor taught a lesson in a language none of us were familiar with and this exercise effectively conveyed the challenge of teaching English to non-native English speakers. There were many opportunities to try your hand at teaching lessons and every student walked away with numerous well-developed sample lesson plans. I looked forward to the comfortable and open atmosphere and creative input of the instructor and fellow students and I know they will each be successful in their future dreams of teaching.

After completing the in-class sessions and working through the online component, I was ready to take full advantage of the Graduate Placement Service. This was such a huge bonus to working with Oxford and I don’t know where I would be without it. My advisor was available every step of the way to answer any of my questions. Less than a week after my resume was sent to his contacts in China and Korea, I had received countless emails from recruiters, four interviews through Skype and by phone, and three official offers. The speed and ease with which this happened was overwhelming and extraordinary. All of the recruiters and school representatives I talked to were friendly and encouraging. The hardest part of the entire process was deciding which opportunity I wanted to pursue!

Now I am working through the visa process and excitedly awaiting that incredibly long plane ride to South Korea. I would definitely recommend Oxford Seminars to anyone considering teaching abroad. There are so many amazing experiences available in so many fantastic places and Oxford is there to make your dreams a reality. Thank you so much to everyone at Oxford that had a part in sending me on my way to a wonderful year teaching abroad!"

"I’ve just sent off my signed contract to Jakarta. Most of the paperwork has been finished (I’m just waiting for my final blood tests). It's looking more and more like I will be a citizen of the planet next week, travelling to Mexico for seven weeks and then going directly to Jakarta thereafter. Thanks for ALL of your help with this process."

"I have highly recommended this program; the online course and textbooks are outstanding. These books cover every single item a teacher would need to know when embarking on a trip to teach abroad. This course covered all areas of ESL instruction, from speaking and listening to reading and writing. The online course was thorough AND provided hundreds, if not thousands, of terrific ideas to be utilized in the classroom. Any problems I encountered and requests for assistance were immediately addressed. This may seem like a small thing; however, I am 60 years old and computer-challenged. The online portion operated perfectly for me. Oxford Seminars clearly put the students first. Thank you very much!"

"I just wanted to send out a thank-you to you and your team as I have secured a teaching position in South Korea. Yay! I had my interview last week and the next day I had the job. I will be working at a Middle school… and the location is what I was looking for so I am quite happy. Again, thank you for all of your help and for answering my questions through the job search process. It took me a little while to get the process going, but I am excited to be where I am now. I congratulate Oxford Seminars on finding me a job and for providing me with a wealth of valuable information for teaching ESL overseas. Thank you for your time and support."

"The Oxford Graduate Placement has done exactly that: placed me with a teaching job. It went wonderfully well when I decided to search for a teaching position in South Korea. I know demand in that country is huge, but securing a job from Canada with paid airfare, accommodations, and a free cell phone was surprisingly easy. Not only that but I was also able to get a job that corresponded exactly to my earliest date of availability. Two days ago I sent off my documents to the school in Korea and once the immigration office issues my VISA number, the recruiter will start looking for a plane ticket for me.  My one year contract begins on December 1st. I'm excited and a bit overwhelmed at how nice the pieces of the puzzle are sliding themselves into place."