Program Reviews

This course will exceed your expectations. If you are an experienced educator or a recent graduate, you will learn some new and amazing skills. I cannot thank the staff and instructors enough for their support and guidance. This was an exceptional experience. I would have loved to stay in the area longer and explore but there are jobs to be done, and I have to go to my new teaching location. I am grateful for the job placement and skills I will take with me. I cannot thank the host families and Maximo TEFL staff enough. They are the pillars of this organization and took care of me like family.

Loved the Maximo Nivel TEFL course! Taught at the institute in Manuel Antonio, which is a Beautiful location. The course is very intensive but for those who are willing to put in the work you can learn a lot of valuable skills!

The teacher, Lewis, is very qualified: knowledgeable, helpful, and compassionate. Lots to do in the community as well. My partner came with me and we thoroughly enjoyed going to the beach, exploring the jungle on hikes, attending a local salsa class, and going out to some local bars/restaurants.

I had such an incredible time with Wayne as my teacher. English language is not typically something I find very interesting, but Wayne was able to make the classes fun and engaging. My entire experience was really positive despite how difficult the content was and I would highly highly recommend anyone do this course if they’re considering it. It’s a month of hard work for endless work opportunities and it’s really shaped the way I think and helped me to grow in the way communicate. The content challenged me in new ways and has left me feeling accomplished and capable.

Most educators around the world who teach subjects in English are having to apply strategies to better reach students whose native language is different than their own. The TEFL program at Maximo gives you numerous strategies and new techniques to help these students in classroom settings of all kinds. As a veteran teacher of many subjects and levels, I found much of the course--which I completed in a hybrid manner including 2 weeks onsite--to be refreshingly new and challenging. The staff at Maximo is professional, the guidance along the way is solid, and the setting of the school in the heart of Antigua is ideal. I am happy to have finally gotten TEFL-certified after "being on the fence" for many years!

Máximo nivel Manuel Antonio Costa Rica— the staff are amazing! They are so friendly and helpful and I had so much fun with all the activities; paint night and making empanadas for the cooking class was my favourite. I met so many new people from all over the world and my teacher made Spanish lessons so much fun. They provide an excellent orientation and I felt like I always had support from the staff if I had any questions or emergencies. Such great people. The facility is beautiful, new and has a pool to use to cool off after class. I am so sad to leave but I hope to come back soon!

I'm almost 60 years old and haven't been a student in several decades. I decided to take the online TEFL course to have an option for a flexible part-time job to do during my retirement. I was completely intimidated by online teaching and had quite the steep learning curve. The course was challenging and definitely a Masters level course. Sean (lead TEFL trainer) went above and beyond to help me succeed!! I really can't say enough about Sean's dedication and caring. I didn't know how to use Zoom or Google docs, and Sean spent hours and hours and hours coaching me through navigating the new (to me) technology. I taught in person classes many years ago, but methodologies have changed drastically too. I am still not a huge fan of online learning platforms, but I learned SO MUCH taking this course. I am truly grateful to Sean for all of his help and encouragement. I decided to also take an in-person practicum in Peru so that I can continue to learn (in person this time) from my teacher/mentor! I'm looking forward to continuing my education with Maximo Nivel this winter.

I joined the program more as an impulse and without expectations, but I am very happy I did. It was a great experience, very good learning and a lot of fun. The course was intense and compact, but the teacher Wayne Summerbell and my fellow students made the time fly by.
Wayne was good, he was very good. He went beyond the role as a teacher and became a coach, motivator, friend and when I was down and lost he lifted me up and showed me the way.
I will certainly recommend the course for its teaching techniques and personal skills development.

I thought that this was great experience because i was able to learn to a lot about my students and connect with them as well. I also thought that they were able to learn a lot of english specifically working with pronunciation in vowels and sounds. Many of the students felt comfortable enough to ask me ask me questions about different topics when they were confused and come up to me after and talk to me too. I thought that getting to connect with the teachers was also really special because they really connected me as well.

Maximo Nivel did a great job preparing me to teach. The course of study was very thorough and I learned so much! I want to teach online, so the online nature of the course was perfect for me. I liked that even the practical teaching was done online. I completed the entire program from my own home! My instructor, Sean, was very helpful and patient, and gave me excellent feedback on my progress. The best part was the practical teaching for one week at the end of the course. I would highly recommend Maximo Nivel to anyone wanting to teach English as a foreign language.

I had the time of my life and I owe it all to Maximo Nivel Costa Rica. Thanks for taking me really really far out of my comfort zone and creating life time memories !!!!!!’ Navigating the city and daily travel was simple. Program assistance (humans) always available. Maximo office staff patient kind and wanting always to know if you are ok. Great host family experience. Would highly recommend this program. Once is probably not enough. !!! Traveling with my best friend was perfect for this experience