United States
US
Conor Bonfil
Teach Enrich Empower
Just Do It!
Upon graduating from university in Ireland with a Bachelor’s degree in Law & Psychology, I decided to take a year to travel and experience a new culture. I also wanted to try to learn another language.
The TEFL Academy course provided the perfect opportunity to do all of the above, while also providing the opportunity for valuable work experience in a career totally different to what I had studied in college.
After completing the course, I had all the resources needed to begin teaching. I was soon offered a position in a school named ‘Cedin’ in the small city of Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico. I quickly accepted, along with a friend who had also completed The TEFL Academy course. The idea of living and working in a Spanish-speaking country with such a rich culture was exciting.
We began in September 2016 and started teaching almost immediately after arriving. The TEFL Academy course really helped to ease any nerves about teaching for the first time. It didn’t take long to settle in and I am currently teaching about 30 hours per week. My students are mainly adults who work in various businesses and international companies, since Irapuato is an industrial hub, in classes of about 10. Classes usually last 1 or 2 hours, depending on the group.
“After completing the course, I had all the resources needed to begin teaching.”
Mexico is a great country to live in. The people are friendly and always enjoy sharing a joke. The Mexican people love to throw parties and drink Tequila & Mezcal, while their food is some of the best in the world. Tacos quickly become an everyday staple of your diet. Students are eager to learn and the fact that I didn’t speak any Spanish on arrival actually helped them to learn English! Outside of the classroom it doesn’t take long for your Spanish to develop – out of necessity.
By the summer of 2017, I think I will return to Europe to pursue a Master’s degree, although that is not for sure yet.
My one piece of advice for anyone considering taking this course would be to just do it. It’s a good experience and a very useful certificate to have, even if you don’t intend on using it right away!
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The TEFL Academy was the world’s first TEFL course provider to receive official recognition from government regulated awarding bodies in both the USA and UK. This means when you graduate you’ll hold a globally recognised Level 3 (120hr) Certificate or Level 5 (168hr) Diploma, meaning you can find work anywhere and apply for jobs immediately.
