Program Reviews

I came to work with kids also to improve my experience as a coach working with kids back home and I really enjoyed the activities the teachers did with the kinds and how they integrated me in them. I learned new games, met and got the chance of helping amazing young kids and had fun playing and dancing together with the kids and teachers. I recommend to be open-minded, flexible with the schedule and creative with the activities. The teachers have infinite ideas of different activities so you will never get bored.

I loved getting to know local people and practicing my (poor) Spanish. Everyone was very nice and patient with me and trying to help me learn. I enjoyed taking tours, and getting to know the surroundings. I also like the cooking class! It helps to learn more about the local cuisine. My teacher was very good, personable and knowledgeable of course in English but also as a conversationalist. I’ve learned a lot from her about the Costa Rican ways. The school itself is very well planned as a structure with open classes and plenty of opportunities to meet people and interact. I loved the idea of the pool, didn’t use it but I will if I return.

It’s really a great program for people who are up to trying new things, meeting interesting people, and just generally having fun.
The course is very well thought-out, anticipating 99% of the questions that might come up. The remaining 1 % is part of the fun lol.
I am very thankful to have had such a great teacher as Annabelle, she really put 200% into her work every day and made sure we felt welcomed from the moment we got there.

She is really smart, fun and energetic. I never thought I would enjoy learning so much :)

I've only been here two weeks but my Spanish has improved exponentially. I can actually carry on conversations. Now, I fear I am talking too much. I never had that fear before. With my hostess and my teacher I engaged in serious, interesting conversations. I learned a lot from them, not just about them but the history of Guatemala.
The surroundings of Antigua are breathtaking. Sometimes, when I look up and see the mountains I gasp with wonder.
I didn't really know what to expect from the trip, but I loved it.

I really enjoyed the course. I appreciate the depth of the content covered by the modules and the resources available to plan my future classes. It was certainly more difficult than I thought it would be, but I definitely feel prepared to teach English now! My confidence rose exponentially and I am ready to look for work. My supervisor was incredibly helpful and easy to contact. He provided heaps of assistance before, during and after the course. His feedback was constructive and helped me grow as a ESL teacher.

This was the first time I had traveled alone and spent time away from my family, to say I was nervous was an understatement. However, I quickly settled in at placement and the staff at placement and Maximo Nivel were amazingly supportive! I highly recommend Maximo to any nursing students looking for international placements. Alongside placement I took Spanish classes which really helped day to day. Costa Rica is also a beautiful country, there’s no shortage of great trips to take in your free time. I highly reccomend La Paz waterfall and Volcán Irazu!

There are a lot of ESL schools and programs out there, and a certain number of them are not all the purport to be. So when a friend told me about MaximoNivel, I was immediately interested, and the more I looked at it, the more impressive it was, and it has turned out to be one of the best decisions I have ever made! The coursework was rigorous and intense, but worth every effort. I worked hard! However, my hard work paid off when I successfully finished my five one hour lessons and I got my TEFL Certification! I am ready to travel overseas and teach English! It's a dream come true. So, am I lucky or what!

I was really lucky, though, because Sean Barter was my advisor. He was so, so supportive, and throughout the months I was studying, he was always available, informative, helpful and friendly. I could not have asked for a better mentor, and through all those conversations over the course of several months, I even gained a friend. I am looking forward to a month of volunteer work in Cusco, Peru, and actually shaking hands with him, and I am most certainly looking forward to teaching that first English lesson. As I gain experience and expertise, a whole world of travel and teaching will open up for me, and I imagine myself in Barcelona or Singapore, Vienna or Buenos Aires in the years ahead. I have dreamed for years of being a world traveler, and Sean and MaximoNivel have helped make my dream come true.

So am I lucky? You bet I am!

To be honest, this is the first time I’ve travelled out of the country and it was an absolutely fantastic experience! I had no idea what to expect, both with my host family and the place I was to volunteer in, but both exceeded my expectations!! Everyone was so kind and patient, and everything was perfect from the beginning to the end! The workers at Maximo Nivel were so kind and helpful, and they gave us detailed instructions on how to get around and on how to use the public transportation. They were really fun to talk to, and very helpful!!! It was absolutely superb, and I’m sure to come back!

It was very well organized from the very beginning till the very end. We were extremely satisfied with Maximo Nivel and Medical Pets veterinarian hospital. We came through their website and signed up for the animal care program for 1 week, helping clean up, watch over, and walk the animal patients as well as shadow surgery during our week at Medical pets. As we didnt speak spanish before coming we took spanish classes with maximo nivel as well and would highly recommend it to any future volunteers.

The TEFL certification with Maximo Nivel is quite rigorous and worth every minute! I highly recommend this certification course. WAYNE, my talented instructor, made the four-week journey soar. His expertise and highly skilled ability to model every facet of TEFL were truly amazing and inspiring! If you want to teach English as a foreign language, please consider this program. Antigua, Guatemala, is a tranquil location filled with kind people and beauty everywhere! No matter which country you choose, Peru, Costa Rica, or Guatemala, come a little early and/or stay a little longer. You will want to go on excursions and explore. There is so much to do, and the school offers on-site travel services at each location. Before coming to Guatemala for my TEFL certification I was in Peru for a month learning Spanish, and prior to that did online Spanish for a month, all with Maximo Nivel.