Program Reviews

There is so much to learn and do here, i have never been bored! the locals are friendly and very helpful, they go out of their way to help me, especially with translations! the weather is beautiful leaving many activities to be done everyday. The scenery is amazing and only can be found here! tthe animals are so interesting and one of a kind. the culture is so interesting and there is truly so much to learn! i have never felt truly unsafe and i feel if you are kind the locals are willing to help. defiently worth the visit and more!

I studied the 120 hour tefl course with instructor Mackenzie and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. Mackenzie is a great teacher and a great guy. His help doesn’t stop when the class ends, he’s willing to go beyond to help and make sure everything is well. The course itself it’s very intensive although manageable. In Antigua Guatemala you have so much to see and do so when you finish your classes/assignments you could go hike one of the incredible volcanoes or go to the beaches/lakes in Guatemala.
10/10 experience
Would recommend to anyone who wants to start teaching!!

My 2023 TEFL experience with Maximo Nivel was spectacular!

This program does a great job of making you recognize your strengths and areas for improvement as an ESL teacher. My TEFL Trainer (Mackenzie Tucker) was always organized and gave detailed feedback during and after the course. The program also transforms subjects such as grammar, teaching methodologies, and test marking into exciting points in teaching. By the end of the period, you'll be able to walk into any classroom with students who have never heard a lick of English and have them learn. All biases as a Maximo Nivel alumni aside, the price is the most surprising part of the program! This program is easily worth twice what you're paying for when I compare it to other options I viewed online; along with comments made by other teachers.

There is very little to complain about with my experience, in fact I would say that there is nothing I could even say negatively about this course. The staff is always ready and willing to help. The instructor, Mackenzie Tucker, was one of the best teachers I have ever had. I had doubts that I would like the course after all I would like to be exploring in a foreign country but I came to look forward to class time. I would recommend this course to anyone looking for a scholastic adventure. If you’re looking for a TEFL cert this is the place to do it.

I really enjoyed the whole program. Since I chose the hybrid program, I started out with the online portion a few weeks before the scheduled time to join the in-person group in Costa Rica. The program was very intense, both online and in person; however, I received a lot of support and feedback from both Mackenzie Tucker (online) and Wayne Summerbell (in person). Wayne was energetic, positive, well-prepared, and passionate about teaching. He made sure the course was productive, fun and engaging.

So glad that I participated in this program. Although the course was quite rigorous, almost every single aspect of the program was extremely insightful, educational, and beneficial towards becoming a skilled and effective TEFL teacher. My instructor Wayne was an absolute joy to work with and was simultaneously funny, engaging, encouraging, and insightful. I gained real, hands-on teaching experience throughout the program and feel well prepared and supported if I ever decide to apply for a TEFL teaching position anywhere in the world in the near future.

This course serves as one of the best decisions I have ever made. Through Wayne's dedication and engagement I was able to find a deeper understanding and appreciation for teaching EFL. Wayne was also absolutely outstanding in helping me find a job using my TEFL certification. He is a delight in his patience, positivity, and boundless love for teaching and providing opportunities for others to grow as learners and educators. It was an honor to be his student and a privilege to have had such an incredible opportunity to grow as a professional.

Let me just start by saying the teachers are excellent. They are under paid and have to wear a uniform as compared to the English teaching instructors and they are still willing to teach. The Spanish teacher enjoy their students and made me feel positive about my learning a new language at 59 years old.
The housing is very inconsistent. You can not be assured that you will have any real interaction with the family. The company pays them $10/student/day so you can't blame the families. The food is minimal like one egg, one piece of toast and some fruit for breakfast. Dinner is usually beans, rice or piece of potato and veggies. Eat your protein at lunch.
The volunteer programs are questionable. You pay to volunteer and you can't be assured where the money you invested goes to. Three friends volunteered at a school for only 2 hours a day and only had a white board to work from. They supplies the materials for the students. The fees to volunteer are $680/week. The medical volunteer is more expensive and I am not sure of the hours but it is not a full day.

It was such a great experience here with Maximo Nível Costa Rica. I scheduled this program on a whim 5 days before my program started. Even with such little time, they made me feel very comfortable with traveling alone to a foreign country. They picked me up from the airport, brought me to my host house (even though it was need up being 2am… plane delays), and welcomed me with a proper orientation the following morning.

It was so easy to make friends through Maximo, whether it be to hang out at the facility or go out and explore what the city had to offer. The volunteer experience itself was great. I taught English to people in a drug rehab center, and our students were incredibly nice, wanted to learn, etc.

This was my first time ever doing a solo travel abroad trip and I would certainly recommend it to anyone. You really feel like a local living in the city with how it’s set up, but you’re also given the knowledge and tools to navigate that so you feel comfortable. I’ve made so many great friends that I’m sure I’ll keep in touch with. I’ll definitely be doing something like this again in the future. Thank you Maximo Nível!!

¡¡Pura Vida!!

This trip was the opportunity of a lifetime. I wanted a reason to return to Costa Rica and this was the way to go! The Maximo team executed things flawlessly from the airport pickup, to the site visit and showing us how to get to and from our sites, to the amazing Spanish classes. I would recommend this to anyone wanting to give back to an amazing community while getting an amazing cultural experience as well. Make sure to plan on bringing an umbrella, drinking gatorade, and being ready to jump in at your site!