TEFL Certification with Guaranteed Job Placement in Costa Rica

I am a student from Canada who is half way through her Elementary Education degree. I chose to come to Maximo Nivel because I had already traveled to Costa Rica and I fell in love with the culture and people here. This program was difficult but it really pushed me to become a better teacher. I am so excited to follow my passion and I look forward to all the connections I will make in the future because of Maximo Nivel. None of this would be possible without the help of Audra, the best instructor I could ask for. She encouraged me to fix my mistakes and I am leaving comfortable in my ability to teach English. I am so happy that I chose Maximo Nivel because it has been a fantastic learning experience that I will always treasure. I encourage you to follow your guts and take the jump in your teaching career.

I had just graduated from college with majors in Hispanic Linguistics, International Studies and Non-Profit Management when I decided to sign up for the TEFL program in Manuel Antonio. I wasn't entirely ready for a full-time job in the States quite yet, so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to do a "gap year" in between graduating and getting a full time job back home. Latin America is one of my favorite places to travel and Manuel Antonio is a beautiful beach town in Costa Rica. I had no teaching experience before the program and really didn't know much about English grammar. During the course you learn how to teach effectively, how to lesson plan, English grammar, C.V/resume building and so much more. Maximo Nivel helped me get a job and now I am currently teaching in San Jose for 6 months too. Overall, I highly recommend this program!

I loved my time as a TEFL student with Audra Wooldridge. She challenged us, encouraged us, and motivated us to be the best teachers that we can be. Maximo Nivel is an incredibly supportive and professional company, and I would recommend many people to take this course. I learned so much about teaching and myself that I so much appreciate. What a great and helpful staff. 20/10! They provide coffee and have snacks and drinks for purchase. I really felt comfortable and supported in every way. It has a beautiful view over the ocean, and monkeys and iguanas hanging out around the building. It's a very beautiful place to study if you don't mind the heat. This was a super interesting program all in all, and I have made lifelong friendships! I am so grateful!

So I waited a whole month before writing my review- I wanted to come down from the euphoria and whirlwind that this course has brought into my mind. You might be reading this first sentence thinking no way it could be true. But let me start off by telling you a little about myself- I’m 29; have a good, well paying job in finance; and l live in Los Angeles- so if I ever saw myself as an outsider I’d probably think “she’s got it pretty made.” But as an insider of my life- my job burns me out, I’m almost 30 and I don’t enjoy what I do nor do I wake up everyday excited to walk into an office where everyone is out for themselves and will conquer all to get to the top. That’s not my personality and the exhaustion from being at war with the attempt to survive each passing day has caused me to think of “what’s next?” Quite frankly I didn’t know what’s next- so I took a three month sabbatical, traveled with my sister, visited my parents and decided to try something new- something completely outside of my expertise- teaching. I’ve always loved Latin America (obviously you have the food, but also the culture, the people, the music, the happiness I’ve know Every Latino to possess, even when they are faced with some of the most unimaginable hardships) I love talking, and I enjoy helping people and meeting new people. So I thought- why not try teaching in Costa Rica, who knows I just might love it. Day one in the classroom Audra enters, all 12 of us these doe eyed students looking at each other unsure of who this looney is that had just entered the room. She was a wrecking ball- full of energy from the minute her little red scooter pulled in till the rains came and her little red scooter left. Over a four week period she has given us a look into how she had good things going her way and she left it all to explore herself and the world that lays in front of each of us. Going into this I did not know I was a teacher at heart- but from the first day I stood in front of that classroom teaching a “HowTo - 20 minute mini lesson” she helped shaped me and bring my natural Goofyness out. Audra is an inspiration as a teacher as she wants you to feel the pizzazz that comes with standing up in front of a room of limited English speakers and talking. She will goof off and let you see that it’s okay to eff up, or to look like a fool and not always have perfect teaching days. But for each of those moments where you feel you did terrible, shell lift you up by finding something good in you. That’s not to say she’s an easy teacher/grader. Oh no, you’ll want to toss her into the floods outside on numerous occasions- but it’s so worth it. The experience I had at Maximo Nivel has brought me 12 amazing new friends, amazing new mentors as I embark on a frightening yet exciting career change, and numerous lifelong friends across Costa Rica. I so very highly recommend this course for those of you who are in my shoes, or those of you deciding between courses- this is it, it’s the one that will change your views.

This course blew my expectations out of the water! The course is back-heavy which makes a great opportunity to get to bond with classmates at the start, and then work-together as the course progresses. My TEFL classmates were amazing people. Hence why we formed a tight-knit group with countless memories and stories to share by the end. From having nerdy conversations about the proper order of adjectives during a night out on the town, to doing worthwhile group activities in class, this is a great way to meet new people and expand your world-view. Our instructor, the lovely Audra, was also a massive part of what made the course so worthwhile. It's obvious she loves what she does and that attitude inspires students to want to be the best teachers they can!

This was a completely fantastic experience. The teacher, Audra, is a complete legend, and I can't imagine anybody more qualified to be teaching teachers how to teach. If you think TEFL Certification isn't necessary, wait until you teach your first class. You'll be an awkward weirdo and have no way to keep your class engaged. If, on the other hand, you decide to come live in a fantastic tropical paradise for a few weeks while meeting incredible people and enjoying your life to the highest degree imaginable, you'll be able to develop unrivaled confidence and techniques that will make you a wiz in the classroom. The school is gorgeous and the atmosphere is off the charts. Don't just sit there, sign up for this program immediately when you finish reading this review.

Ready, set.....GO

My goal before this course started was to begin my teaching English career. I had gotten a TESOL certificate online in 2014 and I had never done anything with it. I had gotten a Master of Science degree online with Full Sail University and I had not done anything with that degree too. Finally, in July, I had decided to try to volunteer teach abroad. I thought the first thing I needed was to volunteer teach to see if I liked teaching English and I would also be able to gain teaching experience.

I signed up for a volunteer teach English program with IVHQ in San Jose, Costa Rica. A little bit before I arrived in Costa Rica, I learned that IVHQ partners up with Maximo Nivel to deliver their volunteer programs. I learned that Maximo Nivel would be putting me in a volunteer position and would be taking care of my housing. I was very excited. I found out that Maximo Nivel was awesome right from the get go because everything about my arrival to Costa Rica went smoothly. Once I started my volunteer teach program with Fundacion Mujer, I had a field manager who told me about the Cost Maximo Nivel Manuel Antonio TEFL program. On my third day of volunteer teaching, I decided to sign up for the TEFL program with Cost Maximo Nivel in Manuel Antonio.

With my online TEFL program certificate, I could teach English, but I did not have the experience and I felt uncomfortable teaching with very little teaching experience. Once I started my volunteer teach English program in San Jose, I knew I needed more training from an onsite TEFL program. This program has been perfect for me because I am getting first hand teaching with basic English students and with my teacher guiding me. When I was teaching at Fundacion Mujer, I gained a lot of experience, but it was with advanced English learners and I could teach mostly from a provided model. I made articles using Wikipedia articles to hand out to the class, have them read it, and then after go over the vocabulary.

I learned once I started this TEFl course and got to teach the basic English students that a pulled and provided model works best. I learned how to use the EPA model into my teaching. I also learned to create many CCQ questions. I think this experience has been very valuable and I hope to be able to teach in San Jose, Costa Rica in the future.

I really enjoyed my TEFL course at máximo nivel the location at Manuel Antonio is fantastic with amazing beaches and great food and restaurants etc. The staff at máximo were really helpful (Karen, Frances and Abby) and knowledgeable of the ESL industry and were willing to share information internally with maximo and externally throughout other countries. The course had great balance and structure and i learnt a lot more than I anticipated. Our instructor Audra is fantastic with an outgoing personality and passion for her work and life, I gained a lot of confidence and experience from the course and can highly recommend the experienced to anyone thinking about doing the TEFL. It was also a great place to learn Spanish and i was lucky enough to have a great teacher in Frances who helped me learn a lot easier than than I thought it would be