Have you ever thought of moving abroad to teach English in a foreign country? Well, taking the TEFL course in Prague is an opportunity of a lifetime if you’re thinking about it. I (Dom) was fortunate enough to take my TEFL certification in September 2018 and it completely changed my life.
You may think I’m exaggerating but by taking the TEFL course. I connected with someone who then put me in touch with someone else. Who helped me figure out I could actually get Czech citizenship. Which for the longest time me and my parents (who are Czech) though it wasn’t possible. So by taking this course it helped me get my Czech citizenship and make life a whole lot easier for Jo and myself long term.
I’ll do my best to explain everything the course entails. Along with an honest review of the course I took to help you decide if this could be something for you! But seriously, TEFL course or not, you can’t go wrong with living in Prague!
I’ll share everything you’ll need to know about making the move abroad, how it changed my life, and how it can change yours, too.
Other related posts
- How to Teach ESL Online
- What’s It Like to Be a Digital Nomad
- The Best Way For Teachers to Make Extra Money This Summer
- 9 Awesome Places to Teach English Abroad
- 18 Amazing Cities for Digital Nomads Around the World
- 11 Awesome Teaching English Props for Online English Teachers
How taking a TEFL Course in Prague changed my life
For me, choosing The Language House was such an easy decision. The reviews were great and the location couldn’t have been better. I was sold.
Taking my TEFL certificate at The Language House opened opportunities I didn’t even know existed. From joining an awesome community to starting my digital nomad life.
It all goes back to The Language House and the awesome course they offer. Also a big thank you to my girlfriend, Jo, who found out about this TEFL course in a nomad group on Facebook.
So now, i’ll share all the fun details about the course and everything this amazing opportunity entails. Also, if you’re thinking of moving to Europe more long term then stay until the very end of this post and I’ll explain to you how.
Why I chose The Language House Prague
I actually have Jo to thank for finding TLH (The Language House). She sent me a link to their website and I quickly started doing a lot of research. I read about the course and it sounded really appealing to me. To teach English in Prague, a city I’ve been to a dozen times growing up (my parents are Czech), was something I never ever imagined doing, but it changed my life!
After doing some research I actually forgot about it for some time. Until, me and Jo got serious about what our plan moving forward was going to be. Jo was still studying at university in Denmark and I didn’t want to go back to Canada and do long distance again. At the same time, I couldn’t stay in Denmark because my visa was expiring…
So I went back to the link again and started doing my research and, not kidding, I read about 100 reviews online. Once I finished reading them, my mind was made up. I think I told Jo right there that I was moving to Prague and I paid my deposit right after.
What I read from all the comments and everything TLH stands for was so appealing to me and exactly what someone moving to a new country would be looking for. Even if it’s a temporary move for a month or long term plan. What The Language House has to offer, in my opinion, is what no other TEFL school has.
I’ll break down what exactly TLH offers and what exactly a TEFL course is and what the month-long course entailed. So stay with me and, hopefully, you will find these facts interesting and helpful when you make the move abroad to The Czech Republic.
The Language House Review
I mean, the website reviews speak for themselves… I’m super glad I ended up choosing The Language House in Prague and not only because of the friendships I made and the city I fell in love with.
The fact that the TLH took me out of my comfort zone from day 1 and said “Hey, you’ll be teaching students tomorrow” was crazy. I knew this would be happening going into the course because of all the reviews I read, but I was definitely still nervous about it. I had no teaching experience prior to that point or even public speaking experience. So it was all very new to me!
But the way they did it and mentored you made it seem super easy. At least I can say that for myself. I’m so glad I did it because I really got out of my comfort zone and felt confident being able to teach students once the course was finished.
I have so much information to share about the whole process and the review on everything so I’ll break this post into 3 easy sections:
- Before you go
- Once you’re there
- After the course
Part 1 – Before you go
I guess you’re already doing that part right now and doing your own research on the course. But I still want to give you a few more links you can add to your research pile for reviews on TLH (The Language House) course if you haven’t found them already:
Once you finished the reviews and if you’re satisfied with what you’ve read, I’d recommend that you get in contact with TLH over Facebook. They are super fast at replying to any questions you may have. You may end up messaging with the owner, Chris, or one of his staff members.
I found it super helpful to speak to Chris over Facebook and get a bunch of extra info on the course. He also mentioned the discounts or promos they had for certain months (they do some great last minute discounts for the course as well). There’s also a discount to grab if a friend referred you there will also be a discount for that!
So if you end up taking the course after reading this, mention my name and thank me later! 😉
One thing which you will have to decide before you make the move to Prague is if you want to stay at student housing or not. I highly recommend staying at the student housing during the month of the course.
At first I actually decided not to stay at student housing but (thankfully!) my Airbnb cancelled a few weeks before I arrived. It was the best thing that could have happened to me. I got in contact with Chris and he had an extra room that he could put me in which I was super thankful for.
I ended up living and meeting some awesome people in my student housing. It was nice to have friends to walk to school with and study in the evenings with…something I wouldn’t have got from the Airbnb.
The student housing fees for the month may seem expensive for Prague but just like every other major city, where rent is going up and up so it actually ends up being a reasonably good deal. Plus it’s only for a month and, money aside, it’s a way to get close with your fellow classmates!
I met some amazing friends at Kubelikova and some of my best memories were because I stayed at the student housing. So definitely spend the money and stay at student housing the first month. After that, you can find an apartment with some of the friends you made or on your own.
All I can say is that everything TLH does before you even get to Prague is above and beyond. They even offer to pick you up at the airport for a small fee! This TEFL trip is some of the students’ first experiences abroad and I really think TLH does an amazing job to help people with that transition of moving somewhere new.
Recap of “before you go” and what TLH offers:
- They have amazing reviews from hundreds of past students.
- Contact Chris on TLH Facebook to ask any questions you may have, and mention who referred you.
- Search for a cheap flight using Momondo, Skyscanner, or any similar site.
- Book student housing and any group events! Totally worth it.
- You can ask to have someone come pick you up at the airport for a small fee when you arrive.
Part 2 – Once you’re there
I believe once you get to Prague, and even after the first weekend, you’ll realize you picked the right TEFL course in Prague. The owner, Chris, isn’t just the face of the company, he truly is a part of the community and does everything he can to make you feel welcome and a part of the TLH.
The staff members Chris has hired are also all fantastic teachers! That’s one thing I loved about the course. It was difficult and exhausting but the staff was always there to help. We’d always plan lessons during the day and there was always someone walking around giving a helping hand. When they give you positive criticism or feedback on a lesson plan they always give you tips on how to improve your lessons as well. They want you to succeed!
Since teaching ESL was a first for me, I was super nervous going into it but by the end of the first week I felt really comfortable. A big reason for that is the awesome teachers and the way the course is set up for the students.
Of course I was exhausted and complained sometimes when I had to go to class, teach, and then lesson plan all in one day. But in the end it was all worth it and the 4-week course flew by! I’ve also never felt this productive before because I was doing so much every single day.
Besides the actual course there were always fun activities planned by the TLH. This was awesome and one of the many reasons I enjoyed the course so much. There were a few weekends with day trips planned around the Czech Republic and in Prague, a dinner, and a party with the previous course-members.
I got extra lucky too because the group of people in my September 2018 course was so much fun and that made the experience even better.
At the end of the day, this wouldn’t have been possible without TLH. There’s a reason they’ve been in business for so long and keep thriving. The community they managed to build is one of them.
I’d highly recommend any of my friends who plan to go abroad to choose Prague and The Czech Republic. Give the course a go for a month and see if you’d like to give teaching English abroad a try.
I also wanted to share with you a little breakdown of how the daily/weekly schedule looks like. So you have an idea what your life looks like for the month while you’re taking the course.
Monday – Friday:
- First class: 9:30am -11:00am
- Lunch break: 11:00am – 11:30am
- Second class: 11:30am – 1: 00pm
- Workshop/school presentations: 1:00pm – 1:30pm (random days)
- Lesson planning: 2:00pm – 4:45pm (varies depending on how much time you need)
- Teaching: 5:00pm – 8:00pm (In groups of 4. You don’t teach on Fridays)
This is what a basic week looks like at TLH with a few tweaks week 1 and week 4. It does seem full on, and it truly is, but like I mentioned before everyone is helping each other out and everyone is trying to succeed and do well in the course.
So what’s up with teaching for three hours every night Monday through Thursday? Well, each one of you only teaches for about 30 minutes but you are in groups of four and you help evaluate each other. So that’s why it takes the three full hours.
I found the teaching and the feedback to be really great because I learned lots of great techniques from the other student teachers and the feedback from the evaluators was super helpful!
Recap of “once you’re there” and what TLH offers:
- You get awesome teaching support throughout the whole course.
- THL offers lots of fun activities! Chris takes you out for a beer on the first Friday.
- You’ll be taught lessons where you learn A LOT about English and grammar.
- TLH also offers support with finding housing and jobs and with your work visa. Basically anything to help you stay in the country for a small fee.
- An intensive Czech course which is really good. You learn to say important things such as ‘hello’, ‘where is the Old Town’, and ‘can I have a beer, please’.
- There are lots of guest speakers who come and offer job opportunities and advice for living abroad in Prague which makes it even easier for you to settle down there.
- It was a really fun and intense course where I learned a lot but at the same time really enjoyed myself. And that’s why I think this TEFL course in Prague is different and better than any other course out there.
Part 3 – After the course
You end up leaving with a TEFL certificate and the confidence to actually be able to go into any classroom and teach ESL. Which is great. Especially for someone like me who has never taught a class in their life before that.
Apart from receiving the TEFL and the confidence that lasts a lifetime, you get many extra perks. You’ll also be able to join this awesome TEFL graduate page. It is essentially a network of the Prague TEFL course graduates who share anything from rooms to rent all the way to discounted gym memberships.
You can ask any questions about life in Prague or even about other opportunities overseas. There are lots of graduates who have moved on from Prague to other ESL friendly places.
I really appreciated the fact that once our month was done it wasn’t like they just kicked us out and just moved on to the next month. Any TLH grad can come in at any time between specific hours and use the facility for printing, making lesson plans, or get help with applying for their “Zivno” (a visa which Americans need to stay, live, and work in the Czech Republic).
Applying for your “Zivno”
Most grads end up staying in Prague for a year and sometimes even longer. Lots of my close friends are currently on their second year and planning to extend it to 3.
Although you start the process while you’re in the course, it’s more of an after-the-course kinda problem.
If you plan on staying, you can definitely get help from TLH on the whole visa process and pay the fee to get it done with them. It will be waaaay less of a hassle to do it that way (for your own sanity). For all Americans, the “Zivno” visa is a bit of a process to complete and it’s nice to have people who have done it thousands of times help you with it.
Luckily, I am Canadian so I applied for a work holiday visa. Jo and I talk a bit about visas in this post: 8 Reasons Why You’ll Want to Be Living in Prague.
Recap of “after the course” and what TLH offers:
- TLH alumni Facebook group.
- Access to TLH and it’s resources during certain hours.
- A bunch of fun events that happen monthly. Including the monthly grad party.
- Access to premade ESL lesson plans that are brilliant.
- Support with applying for your Zivno at a fee (highly recommended)
- Lots of opportunities to find work in schools and private lessons for cash.
- They also help find apartments and charge a much smaller fee than the standard price.
- All around TLH makes it easy to stay in contact with everyone and just make your time in the Czech Republic feel like home.
Other related posts
- How to Teach ESL Online
- What’s It Like to Be a Digital Nomad
- The Best Way For Teachers to Make Extra Money This Summer
- 9 Awesome Places to Teach English Abroad
- 18 Amazing Cities for Digital Nomads Around the World
- 11 Awesome Teaching English Props for Online English Teachers
If you’ve read this far, you can clearly tell that I have a very positive outlook on TLH and Prague. I sincerely feel that way. I think the combination of TLH and Prague could end up making your trip to Europe the time of your life.
If you’ve read this far, you can clearly tell that I have a very positive outlook on TLH and Prague. I sincerely feel that way. I think the combination of TLH and Prague could end up making your trip to Europe the time of your life.
One year will turn into two and the next thing you know you’ll be applying for permanent residency. A few more years down the road you’ll be a European citizen. So yeah, a TEFL course in Prague may actually end up changing your life! 😉
See you in Prague!
You have me seriously questioning why I’m getting my masters and not living in Prague teaching English!! It seems incredible!
Hey Anna,
Well you can always do both! Prague is cheap and fairly inexpensive to live in! Central to the rest of Europe as well so a great place to travel!
-Jo
This looks like it was so much fun! Prague is such an amazing city, must have been such a nice place to base yourself during the course. And sounds like TLH is an awesome choice for a TEFL course!
Hey Kelsey,
It sure was. The history, culture, attractions, Prague had it all and made the course so fun! Thanks for checking in girl!
-Dom
Looks amazing. Would love to visit if given chance.
Hey Carriann,
Prague is so central to Europe that it’s a possibility if you ever find yourself in Europe! =)
-Dom
Congratulations! You’re awesome!
Hey Maria,
Well thank you! I hope you enjoyed out post about Prague!
-Dom
TEFL is al longer on my list and Prague is amazing, I will dive deeper into this thanks for this great information.
Hello Kelly!
That’s awesome! Prague is a wonderful city to do it in! We’d definitely recommend spending some time in Prague if you can.
-Dom
Amazing place to visit! Thanks for sharing
Hi Rinra,
Thanks so much!! We love Prague and hope one day maybe you will too!
-Jo
Great article and information. Now I am curious to know more about it 🙂
Hey Lora!
Well if you want anymore information that we missed out on then please let us know via email or anything and we will be happy to help!
-Dom
It looks like you’ve made a great choice and have a happy story. Prague is such a wonderful cit to live in, now that you finalised your course and can find a job to teach.
Hey Joanne,
It’s the perfect city to live in after finishing your TEFL! It has lots of job opportunities and the demand for English teachers is really high! WIN WIN!!
-Dom
Prague looks beautiful! And i love how you are experiencing the culture and meeting with the locals at the same time
Hey Ting,
Thats hands down one of the best parts! One thing I experienced in Prague that I didn’t anywhere else! Learned from it and will do my best to do that everywhere I go! =)
-Dom
This sounds like such a great opportunity! Thanks for sharing such valuable information!
Hey Cyndi!
Thanks so much. Prague is amazing and taking the TEFL course there was a blast! =)
-Dom
This is very interesting, I’ve never been to Prague and knowing about this, it makes really want to visit and explore more of it.
Hey Fransic,
Prague is wonderful and a great place to be if you’re wanting to visit lots of Europe! Also it is still fairly affordable! =)
-Dom
Omg I would love to do this! Sounds like an amazing experience 🙂
Hey Emily!
It’s totally worth it. If you ever think of going let me know and I can talk to Chris for you! 🙂 They have some great deals at times!
-Dom
Opportunities like this are amazing! A friend of mine did this same program somewhere in Italy in early 2019 – he absolutely loved it! It must be very humbling to be in a completely new place helping others.
Hey Samantha,
It sure feels good and I feel like I learn’t a lot more just the past year then all my other years traveling combined! It’s a great experience! =)
-Dom
Congrats! I stopped going to college and have felt like something is missing. This actually sparks my interest. I will be doing more research about this!
Hey Jessie,
Thanks! It’s a really cool experience and the course is fantastic..would honestly recommend it to anyone wanting to try something new.
-Dom
Nice! You should apply in Japan. You’d love it there.
Hey Neil,
We’ve definitely considered it! Who knows what the future holds! We’re off to Mexico next!! =)
I have been reading more and more about learning in other countries and the benefits for digital nomads. This is definitely an interest of mine.
Hey Pearl,
It’s never to late to pack up your things and become a digital nomad! If you’re feeling brave and want a new challenge then I recommend it! =)
-Dom
This is an awesome adventure. I always love learning about new cultures, languages, and ethnic food. The pictures are amazing.
Hey Marjie,
Thanks so much! Prague is stunning and the pictures don’t even do it justice! If you can try and go visit one day!
-Jo
Hi, Thank you for sharing this information with us. Thanks for the review.It sounds like an amazing experience.
Hey Nursery,
No problem! I truly recommend the course to anyone so it was super easy to do a review about it and share it with anyone who may come across it! =)
-Dom
Wow this is incredible thank you for sharing this experience. I was really considering teaching abroad!
Hey Janay!
It’s never too late! Go teach abroad and enjoy life and maybe work on a project of yours on the side!
-Dom
Wow, I didn’t realize they offer that and it’s such a hands – on course! Seems like the days are a bit long, but you definitely gain a lot from it. Best of luck to you!
Hey Megan,
The TLH is amazing and they’re definitely at great at what they do! They’ve paved the way for my ESL career and I couldn’t be happier!
-Dom
Ugh, I’m so jealous. I would have loved to have done this when I was a bit younger, it looks amazing. Prague is now firmly on the bucket list!
Hey Rachel,
It’s never too late unless you have a family of course that can’t come travel with you. Otherwise once they’re a little bit older maybe! 😉
-Dom
Wow! This just gave me one more reason to visit Prague and stay a bit longer.
Hey Prakhar,
Prague is great and there are many reasons to go visit it! If you do we have some other great posts on thing you should see while you’re there! =)
-Dom
This looks like it was an amazing experiment! It sounds like a summer of fun and adventure, I am glad you were able to experience this.
Hey Luna,
It sure was an awesome time and it ended up being about half a year and now we even plan on going back! Crazy how much of an impact something can have on you!
-Dom
I moved to UK few years ago and I know that moving to other country is not that easy. It looks like you enjoyed your time in Prague. I have to visit this city as well!
Hey Paulina,
WOW! If you’re in the UK then you’re only a few hours flight away from Prague then! You must go and spend some time in all the beautiful European countries!
-Dom
I think when you invest in yourself and learn a new skill that is close to your heart is such an empowering journey! Learning is amazing. I have embarked on a similar journey and I am so glad that I am and cannot wait to offer my new services to the world. Well done! Thank you for sharing!
Hey Serena,
Couldn’t agree more and I didn’t realize that until I finished the course and actually started teaching! I have also moved to online teaching. That’s awesome to hear that you’re on your own journey as well. Good luck with it all!
-Dom
Interesting read. I was not familiar with this type of avenue as a way to learn to teach ESL. Sounds like a rewarding experience! I was wondering how the skills that you learn there, are they transferable to other countries? Or is it pretty Prague-specific?
Hey Mike,
There are many ways to do it. It can just as easily be done online but I feel like taking a course with actual people and actually getting that hands on of teaching students makes it all worth while. I believe after taking this course I would have no problems going to any other city or country and teaching! The network at the Language house is great as well so there are many other teachers around the world that help each other out!
-Dom
Ugh this sounds like an absolutely amazing experience! Prague is so beautiful and so full
Of history… I can’t imagine being able to live there teaching English (It seems so simple at its core) and soaking in all of that beauty and history.
Hey Magen,
That’s a beautiful way to put it and the more I think about it, life was simple and that’s why I enjoyed it so much! =)
-Dom