Alumni Guest Post: Priscilla Palavicini

As a bilingual native Costa Rican, I have always been interested in the idea of language as a tool for understanding. Learning a new language opens up a whole new world of possibilities for travel, work, and education. I know from my own personal experience the opportunities that a new language can afford, particularly if that language is English. I was lucky enough to learn English during my childhood schooling, but I know that many people are not so lucky; when I heard about CIEE’S TEFL certification program, I realized that this was the perfect way to help interested students reach their full potential with fluency in English as a second language.

I greatly appreciated the online format of the TEFL course. As a working professional, I was able to complete the course without taking time away from my full time job; while the course was absorbing at times, I was never too overburdened. Additionally, I think that the online course was a good learning experience for me on an empathetic level; many TEFL students hoping to learn English will be doing so online as well, all while balancing family life and full-time jobs. The online format and structure of the certification course allowed me a glimpse into the experiences of online students, allowing me to better understand their needs and learning styles. Furthermore, I found the interactions with my peers and classmates to be extraordinarily insightful and helpful. The ability to gain multiple points of view and ideas on a range of subjects and methods was invaluable, and it encouraged me to take constructive criticism and to synthesize information in a helpful and enlightening way.

I am very excited to put my TEFL certification to good use and to work with students who are enthusiastic about learning and ambitious about improving themselves. I have already talked to a few different organizations and institutions about joining them as an English teacher and I could not be more enthusiastic about applying what I have learned during this course to the classroom. I would not hesitate to recommend CIEE’s TEFL certification course to other interested educators; I believe it provides the foundation to foster invaluable skills, methods, and experience in teachers and their students alike.