Program Reviews

Dive into it! it is challenging, and requires hard work, but it is doable! Wayne was/is one of the best teachers I have ever had the pleasure of learning from. He is such a delightful presence, and really helps all of his students fulfill their potential. I would not have been able to excel without him. Antigua is a beautiful city, and the people are so wonderful. During this program, I learned about teaching, but also about myself. This is a program for people who want to push themselves to become something different, something more! Thank you Wayne and Maximo Nivel!

Second week in and another month to come. So far, happy with the program and teacher! The school location is tight in the corner of Antigua near the central park.

Two buildings, one three levels with open air, private spacing, great accommodations, and more.

I am from Canada but spend two to three months/ year. I have family living here( some with English) and it does help by listening and trying to get basic sentences together. My first language French Canadian is also very helpful. I go to school 3 days/week for two-hour sessions.

Great fun and loads of support given before and during the programme. Lovely host family and friendly guests from all over the world. It was really good at the end of the day to catch up with everyone. Delicious food and lots of local sites and restaurants to visit.

I did the 2 hourly one-to-one lessons Spanish course which really helped progress my limited skills. If you are coming to help the dental program and can donate any stock or materials they will be greatly appreciated so please ask.

I had so much fun in here during the whole month of February 2025. This agriculture project was far better than i had expected. I got to know the owners and workers quite well. They were all very kind and generous and they showed great appreciation for any type of help provided to them. This place is a beautiful little paradise. Either you weed, rake leaves, plant, water, feed little animals or just watching the Maya spiral gardens, you find yourself in a different world and this environment is a perfect place for reflexions and the surroundings help in soothing your soul. I am certainly thinking very hard to come back here. I highly recommend this place and don’t be shy to apply for this program as Eco-Farm Guatemala is growing fast and they could do with more volunteers.

I spent quite a bit of time researching the best TEFL programs to take- a balance between something affordable yet reputable while also providing me flexibility to complete while I am currently in a full-time job. I am so grateful to have selected the right course! The online instruction was thorough yet flexible with time. I always had immediate support from the staff for any questions I had along the way as well as just friendly check-in's. I know I also selected this program because I thought the practical teaching would be beneficial to my growth and development as a teacher as well as receiving constructive feedback from the staff yet initially when I finished the online portion of the course, I got a bit anxious about the practical piece. I have to say, it was by far my favorite part of the whole course! I immensely enjoyed my week of teaching online with a great group of students. It was a great way to end the course and I received superb mentorship and advice from Sean Barter. All this to say, 10/10 recommend this course and this institution!

This is a great, quality TEFL program with competent staff! My trainer (L. M.), the kind students and the comprehensive 150-hour program, including practical teaching of local Latin American students, enriched the experience. My trainer, with his strong skill set and ability to personalize this entire TEFL training experience for me, using clarity, kindness and brilliance helped provide a life-changing experience! Whether you are a seasoned teacher, like me, or you are early in the language teaching profession, you will appreciate the positive learning outcomes with a lot of international, global “spice”!

I have been in the ESL field for many years and joined this four-week in-class course with this amazing instructor. The TEFL-ers came from different countries and different backgrounds. Our instructor was fun and full of knowledge and he guided us gently on a road full of exciting techniques to improve our STT in our classrooms. I've always had a great rapport with my students, but now I have learned to increase my STT to a higher level and the results are amazing. My students love the new techniques I've learned and I feel proud and happy after each class! Well done Maximo, and thank you for making me a better teacher!

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Maximo Nivel taking the TEFL course. We had a lot of good times in class. There was lots of laughter and conversation. Sean was the best trainer, teaching by example, always there to help us, super supportive and encouraging. He is an excellent teacher and I learned a whole lot more than I ever thought I would. I'm forever grateful for the good memories and practical ESL teaching skills I gained at Maximo Nivel. I'm also grateful for their continued support in finding the right ESL teaching jobs. I know I can always count on them to help me find the right job.

Maximo Nivel's On-site TEFL course is so enriching! The course is challenging and so valuable. The TEFL trainers are highly trained and experienced ESL teachers and will teach you all the skills you have to have to be an excellent ESL teacher while using these same skills during your classes to teach you. Ever since the first few days practical teaching experience was present on the curriculum of the course and you experience teaching according to the EFL methodology. Lewis Murphy is an excellent trainer and all the people at Maximo Nivel are just as excellent, from Karen, the director, to all the people working at the front desk and all the staff. If you are serious about being an ESL teacher and want to be challenged and become the best teacher you can be, Maximo Nivel is the way to go!

Going to Costa Rica for the TEFL course has been one of the best decisions of my life so far. And the facilities here are absolutely life-saving, especially during the practical teaching week. The pool and cafeteria area are the best places to hang out during your break between classes. You can get a tan, and have some laughs with friends you make within the institute! Within Maximo Nivel, there are other programs that invite volunteers to also hang out! The staff helps accommodate your commute to and from the airport and they also assist with your living arrangements! Traveling abroad for an English teaching course can be scary but with the staff's support and the best instructor there is, you're in great hands coming here. Come and enjoy yourself and live the Pura Vida lifestyle while getting a really useful certificate that can help change not only your life but non-native speakers as well.