Apply by
April 15th 2023
May 14th 2023
Overview
Schools Update: Vietnamese schools in smaller towns are now accepting intern TEFL teachers for 6 month trips.
Rice terraces, metropolises, traditional villages, temples, mountains—whoever ends up your neighbor, you can guarantee you’ll be surrounded by mouthwatering cuisine, a fascinating, complex history, and gorgeous landscapes (not to mention eager students!) while teaching English in Vietnam.
Soak up its character and constant energy, but don’t lose sight of making a meaningful global impact.
In your downtime, float down the Mekong or paddle quietly amidst karst mountains. TEFL internships in Vietnam really are the best of it all. Whatcha waiting for? These noodles aren’t going to slurp themselves!
Fully Inclusive Programme
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120 hour accredited online TEFL course
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Arrival orientation
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12 month teaching placement
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Accommodation assistance
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Sponsored work visa
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Ongoing & emergency support
Your Trip Itinerary
Getting there
On arrival, you’ll be met by our in-country team with all the other interns. At the end of the one week orientation you’ll travel by bus, train or flight to your placement location.
Orientation
You’ll enjoy a full week-long cultural orientation upon arrival (a mix of online and in person activities).
During orientation you will learn about Vietnamese culture, language and society, while forming friendships with other teachers over the welcome dinner.
Previous cultural excursions included visiting a farm for a Vietnamese cooking class, visiting the Cu Chi tunnels used by the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War, and visits to local museums that bring to life the most famous parts of the country’s history.
Your teaching experience
Master the local greetings, get familiarized with the customs (and the major no no’s), practice your TEFL skills, make new friends, and eat. A lot! It’s time to start your English teaching job in Vietnam at a private language school, private primary/high school, or a government school.
Past interns have been placed in cities all over the map. As a rapidly progressive country, technology in the private language school classrooms is more commonplace with interactive whiteboards and digital resources. Public schools tend to have larger class sizes and less technology but make up for this with high levels of student enthusiasm.
Keep in mind that Vietnamese schools vary significantly, with urban institutions having up to thousands of students while regional primary schools hosting fewer than 100.
You can expect to teach conversational English to young learners for ~35 hours weekly. That breaks down to 3-4 lessons daily, 5-6 days a week for 18~25 hours of active teaching. That leaves you plenty of time to mastermind your next fave backup lesson.
After your internship
Congratulations, you did it! Make sure to celebrate this achievement. It’s time to decide if you’d like to see more of Vietnam, traveling or teaching (or both).
You might decide to extend your stay in Vietnam and teach for longer by renewing your contract. The possibilities are endless for you now as a confident and experienced TEFL teacher.
Essential information about this trip
What our interns say
Discover if teaching English in Vietnam is for you with the help of our past interns.
Locations
Based on the individual schools’ selection process and your age-group preference, you will spend the next few months gaining hands-on teaching experience in placements throughout Vietnam, predominantly in or around the cities of: Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi and their surrounding suburbs and satellite towns.
Want to learn more about this placement? Drop your details below & we'll get in touch very soon!
How it works
Before you go, you’ll have an application form to fill out and documents to submit, a video chat and then you’ll be on your way.
Cultural excursions
Wondering what you’re going to do with your precious free time? We’re glad you asked! We know your adventure bucket list is long, but make sure you tack these recommendations from past TEFL interns in Vietnam towards the top!
City
Food
Activity
Questions and Answers
How much should I budget for accommodation?
Housing in Vietnam costs from US$250 – $350 per month. You’ll be given support to choose a studio apartment or shared house, which is typically with other teachers.
During your orientation week, shared guesthouse accommodation with other interns is included.
Can I be placed with a friend or as a couple?
Yes, you can request to be placed with a friend or as a couple in the same area. You’ll have a spot on your application form to mention who you’re traveling with.
You might be teaching at the same schools or nearby ones.
Having the flexibility to choose your own apartment is a huge plus when traveling with a friend or partner.
Note: placement together is dependent on availability and can’t be guaranteed.
Can I teach for less than 12 months?
Yes! Some schools are now offering 6 – 12 month contracts in smaller-town placements like Can Tho, Long Khanh, My Tho, Vinh Long, and Bien Hoa.
Since Vietnam borders only re-opened for foreign teachers in late 2022, (for the first time in two years) schools in Hanoi & Ho Chi Minh City prefer applicants to come on a year-long contract.
If you’d like to apply to teach for less than a year, you can make this preference – although it can’t be guaranteed. Contract lengths will depend on availability at the schools for the start month that you choose.
It’s best to be flexible and be available for a 12 month contract if no shorter ones become available.
Who will I be teaching?
You will be teaching young learners on the Vietnam TEFL internship, aged between 3 to sixteen.
Placements include private language schools, private primary/high schools and government schools.
Do I need to take the IELTS test to work in Vietnam?
If you hold a South African passport then yes, you need to take an IELTS exam and score 7.0 (within 12 months of travel) to be eligible for a work permit as a TEFL teacher in Vietnam.
You also have the option of taking the Vstep exam in Vietnam although it generally takes much longer to obtain the test results which will slow down processing your work permit.
We recommend sitting the IELTS exam before traveling to Vietnam as this means that you will not need to legalize the test results.
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