Program Reviews

If you are interested in teaching or developing your teaching skills, I highly recommend this program. I can't begin to explain how many useful things I've learned in this program. If I had taught ESL without this program, I wouldn't have even known where to begin. The progress I made through this program was significant. For me personally, I found the workload to be heavy but you get a lot for your money.

Having the opportunity to get hands-on experience teaching with detailed feedback allowed me to know what to improve on. One of the biggest highlights from the course has to be my TEFL program teacher Wayne Summerbell. This course wouldn't have been half as enjoyable without his high energy and patience. He is hands down one of the best teachers I've ever met. He gave us constant encouragement and support during the program. As a class, we were extraordinarily lucky to have him as our teacher. I am very grateful for what he has taught me. If he ends up being your teacher, I'm jealous of you.

I highly recommend this program to anyone looking to explore teaching as a career or if you want to develop your existing teaching skills for teaching ESL.

This course was very insightful and rewarding for me. The teacher Wayne was very helpful and charismatic this really helped me to grow as a teacher. The course was tough and some aspects were a little daunting, but having completed the course I feel I am ready to be a Tefl teacher. At the beginning of the course I was very scared to teach even a 20 minutes class, I felt very awkward and I had no idea how I would ever do an hour long class. But now I feel I have the skills abilities and experiences to be a successful Tefl teacher.

The course was so incredible. We all improved immensely and enjoyed it thoroughly. The course was somewhat challenging but also guided us through every step. It was truly such a valuable experience and I know we all feel very prepared to teach English. Wayne is an incredible instructor and will consistently support you. He used the same techniques you learn to use, making it much easier to apply them yourself. You will genuinely learn so much, I absolutely could not recommend the course enough..

This course is very intense however, don't let that put you off. It is absolutely 100% worth it, in no small measure thanks to my instructor, Wayne Summerbell. He is not only very knowledgeable on the TEFL methodologies and techniques, he is also very engaging and funny. From day one, he consistently modeled the TEFL teaching techniques and methodologies we were to learn and adopt in our classes. He is passionate about TEFL and the TEFL students' success. This 4-week course is jampacked and on the third day, we were already conducting vocabulary sessions with ESL learners! Wayne really didn't miss an opportunity to give us real-life experience and he continued to be our cheerleader throughout the course. His thoughtful and detailed feedback during our Practical Teaching Week was invaluable for my personal growth and success in this course.
In addition to the fantastic in-class experience, we received incredible support from the Maximo Nivel administrative team. They truly did take care of us inside and outside of the classroom. If you are looking for an international TEFL training experience, I would definitely recommend the Maximo Nivel program in Antigua, Guatemala and I hope you will be fortunate enough to have Wayne as your instructor - his personal energy and investment in his students' success is absolutely amazing.

If you are even remotely thinking about being part of this course I am here to tell you not to hesitate and do it. Maximo Nivel and their staff go way above and beyond to make sure your experience is a positive one. The back drop of Antigua is breathtaking and the people of Guatemala and some of the happiest and kindest people I have ever met.

Wayne Summerbell, the Maximo TEFL trainer is amazing at leading you through one of the toughest courses out there with laughter, academic grace and a well organized curriculum. Maximo promotes a kind and inviting environment for local learners and learners from around the world. Do not kid yourself, it is not an easy 4 weeks at all but in the end it is worth every minute of it especially during Practical Teaching Week when you get to put all of the pieces together and see just how much of a difference you can make in someones life simply by helping them learn English.

Overall, it was a good experience. Excellent, professional. Things were well planned and thought out. There was diverse medical campaigns and lots of support. Was able to asses a number of different ages and detect lots of conditions. They provided equipment and PPE. However, I would recommend that an organization also brings there own specifically otoscopes and pen lights. The host family was kind and were one of the highlights of the trip. Not recommend for children or people with severe physical impairments. I would absolutely come again.

This was the best trip ever. We learned so much while talking to the local doctors and nurses in Costa Rica. This trip will always have a special place in my heart with meeting all the people that we cared for. My group cared for 315 patients of all ages (children, adults, elders, newborns, etc.) I am beyond bless to of gotten this opportunity. The people here were so sweet and encouraging for our group and I’ve never felt more like a team and the flow of the campaign was so well. Our group leader was amazing and always there for us. 10/10 trip… 100% recommend

One of the most amazing experiences of my life. I expected a rigorous challenging course, but not the beautiful camaraderie with my classmates and unbelievable support of my instructor, Wayne. I could go on forever about what an amazing teacher he is. Not just incredibly knowledgeable but a kind and interesting person. The Maximo staff was also a bonus. They were readily available and helpful for all my needs. The Saturday tours were a great way for those of us not able to socialize a lot to meet other students at Maximo and explore the area. Highly recommend Wayne and Maximo for anyone wanting to obtain their TEFL!

It was a very good and unique experience. Wayne is a very good and patient instructor, he always helped me to improve in everything, giving me advice, and I'm honestly very glad he was my instructor all this month. He has a lot of energy, and I also loved his method for instructing and teaching us throughout the course. Mackenzie was also very professional and good.
The environment is very good, and Maximo's team is also excellent. As a local, I'm very grateful for having had the opportunity to take the course. It was definitely an incredible experience

I would highly recommend getting your TEFL certification with Maximo Nivel in Antigua Guatemala! Wayne was a fantastic TEFL trainer, he provided us the knowledge and resources to become confident teachers. He always made class exciting and engaging. We received valuable experience both observing ESL classrooms and student teaching. Maximo Nivel also placed me in a fantastic home stay with a friendly family near the school. Additionally, there was ample opportunity to improve our Spanish during the program.