Program Reviews

The highlight of the TEFL program at Máximo Nivel is the TEFL professor, Mr. Wayne. Mr. Wayne is very knowledgeable, super fun, charismatic, energetic, and he has this knack for helping you improve as a teacher. He is a really kind person who tells you exactly how to improve your teaching skills. He is always on a mission to instruct in the most efficient and effective manner, that will allow his TEFLERS to grasp the concepts he is trying to convey. He is always prepared and very professional. He is truly the best teacher I’ve had!!!! The Máximo Nivel program had great qualities, but I recommend the program to anyone solely, so that more TEFLERS get the chance to learn under such a great teacher like Mr. Wayne. He won’t just hand you grades, but he will encourage you and give you constructive criticism that will help you work towards those 100s. WAYNE, YOU RULE!!!!!!!!!

The classes were very informative, and I progressed so much within the first 5 days of me being there! The instructors were highly knowledgeable and skilled, making the learning process both enjoyable and effective. The classes were well-structured, engaging, and tailored to my individual learning needs. I felt supported and encouraged throughout my journey to learn Spanish.

The organization also provided a positive and inclusive learning environment, which helped me feel comfortable practicing and improving my language skills. The cultural aspects integrated into the lessons added depth and richness to the learning experience.

I took an online TEFL course (from a different company) during the pandemic, but have yet to actually teach as the course did not prepare me sufficiently (or at all). The Maximo Nivel course was well worth the rigorous schedule. I learned so much in the past month and have learned how much I truly love to teach. The practical teaching experiences were invaluable; I loved connecting with the students and seeing the "aha!" on their faces as they grasped the concepts. Costa Rica is an incredible country and the Maximo Nivel school in Quepos is no different. Everyone is incredibly friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable.

Pros:
-Instructor Wayne is a top notch master instructor brimming with knowledge.
-Application of the new knowledge by teaching a class which develop your ESL skills
-The staff is friendly and helpful

Cons:
-No technology (Pack a mini projector, it will make your life much easier)
-The location of the host family's house. It was far away in not a great neighborhood. Since it did not have an address or streets, the Uber driver were always lost and I was always lost. I moved to a VRBO after 1 week.

I came as a solo traveler and I was a little nervous. As I got in Costa Rica I was very welcomed by everyone and the locals were really friendly. I wasn’t sure I could make an impact on the kids for a week but I felt like I really helped and the kids were really grateful. I recommend for the people that don’t speak spanish and want to do childcare, stay with the younger kids. I already knew spanish, so staying with the older children was not difficult, but they love to talk and get to know you.
In childcare is important that you take clothes that cover more, and it’s the clothes you will wear all day, the city of San Jose has many different places to get lunch, you can go anywhere by bus but it can sometimes be very full and take longer to get where you want.

The weather here is very hot, I spent the 2 weeks of July (their winter here) only on summer clothes, but be prepared for rain.
I made friends from many different cultures and countries, on the weekend, we went to the beach and did some programs around Costa Rica. This country is very beautiful and has a lot of touristic nature places to visit, IVHQ provides many day trips that you can go with the friends you make.

The maximo nivel guides are very helpful, fun and feel free to tell anything you need because they always want the trip to be awesome for you!

I came in with an open mind and I’m leaving with a warm heart and full of new friends and experiences.

From start to finish the Maximo team was helpful and supportive. Tania was a patient and fun instructor. The International Office made sure I had everything I needed. The tandem practice was an exceptional opportunity and greatly helped my speaking proficiency. My classmates were diverse and I benefited from hearing about their cultures in addition to the Peruvian Culture. June was a great month to be in Cusco because of all the Incan celebrations and festivities. It was a life experience and Maximo helped make it feel safe and welcoming.

I loved my experience in Guatemala with Máximo Nivel. My program was to teach English to kids. It was a very rewarding and fun journey. Although it was only a week, I learned about the culture and education system in Guatemala. I will definitely be doing this again. I learned the impact a volunteer can make on a student. They were very eager to learn and play games with us. As was I. All of the staff members at the school and staff members were very welcoming.Also, Andrew was very helpful field manager.

Observing the health care system in action was eye opening. The medical problems for which there was limited access to good quality medical care. A shock to learn that without volunteers the health care clinic where I worked cannot function. Home visits to see patients who cannot get to the clinic were confronting -witnessing 1st hand the poor housing conditions. Living in a local persons home was wonderful, learning their customs and sharing their life and home with them.
The most frustrating aspect was not having enough medical supplies to meet the patients needs

I obtained my TEFL accredation through Maximo Nivél in Peru and have had a great month learning to become a TEFL teacher there. The classes were difficult but very enjoyable and gave me great insights on how to become a great TEFL teacher. I especially enjoyed getting to teach actual students and getting first-hand experience on what the job might be like. As a class, we got a lot of tips and assistance from our TEFL trainer regarding job possibilities and how we can set up for example online teaching, which was really helpful.The course was a lot of hard work, but our trainer made it a lot of fun to go to class every day. It was definitely a worthwhile experience!

I had a great experience with this program. Prior, I had no idea what to expect and no idea how to be an effective ESL teacher. I can now proudly say that I learned so much and feel very confident in my abilities moving forward. My advisor Sean was incredibly helpful, very friendly, and was always able to answer all of my questions. I felt very supported and encouraged. The online platform and being able to do it on my own time worked really well for me and I would highly recommend this program to anyone interested.