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

Coming to Costa Rica with Maximo Nivel turned out to be more than I thought it would. When I had decided to move abroad, I always told people I was leaving to work on my Spanish and to take a break from the US politics of education. What I didn't expect was to gain an additional set of skills and strategies that would forever change my life as an educator. For the first time in years, I was given real time, critical feedback about my teaching. Additionally, I was receiving a personalized style of learning and guidance from Maximo Nivel. My TEFL instructor, Audra, has been a professional mentor to me and also a personal guide to learning how to thrive down here.

The course was rigorous - come prepared to work! I knew what to expect at all times, they guided me in finding a job by helping me to build a resume and make connections, they also hosted weekly free events and I received a tandem at no price from Quepos to practice my Spanish.

Without Maximo or this course, I would not have been able to land on my feet here. Thank you!

First off, I have to make it clear that I went into this program blind. Being in my final year of undergrad, with graduation fast approaching, where I wanted to go in the future seemed so up in the air and this seemed like an impulse thought on a quick fix hoping something would come out of it...and boy did it. This course was so much more than I thought it was going to be, in the best way possible. This course challenged me and showed me who I am as a teacher, where my strengths and weakness lie, and gave me the opportunity to see if teaching English is something I truly want to pursue (which, now more than ever, it is). Our teacher, Audra, is by far the best instructor I've ever had for any course I've been enrolled in. She is charismatic, outgoing, and whole-heartedly cares about the growth and success of her students - such a refreshing change for once. The staff at Maximo Nivel are exceptional at their jobs and are sweetest group of people. If you are looking at where to enrol, I'd say Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica. Who wouldn't want to stare out at the beautiful views every morning at school or be less than 5 minutes away from one of the world's most beautiful beaches?

Some things, however, to note: Our host family spoke 0 English, so communication with them was very difficult. I thought that our host family would know some English due to having previous students stay with them, however, this was not the case. So, if you know some Spanish, that is fantastic! As well, during the course, you are provided with the best support (from Audra especially) in finding a job as soon as you graduate. If I did not have to head back for my last year of undergrad, this is something I would have pounced on (keep in mind, Audra keeps in contact with us so even in the future when we are looking for a job, she is there to help!). Also note, course work isn't quick and easy! You'll definitely have your down time for the first 2 weekends, however, prepare to be very busy for the following ones, so don't plan any excursions before hand! In terms of bus fare home (specific to those looking into Manuel Antonio), if you have a flight in the morning, the last bus ride to San Jose (about 3 hours away from Manuel Antonio) is 4pm the day before (the first one to leave in the morning is at 5 am, however, our flight was at 11am but there was a high chance that it could be delayed as it is a public bus and we could have missed our plane). If you have a flight in the morning, you will have to take the 4pm bus ride the day before and stay the night in San Jose (this is something me and my roommate wished we had known before hand as we already paid for a night in a hotel room in Manuel Antonio only to have to leave the day before, losing out on about $200 as we also had to spend a night at a hotel in San Jose). These are just a few things I wished I had seen just before heading off to embark on this amazing experience!

Other than that, if you are on the fence about getting your TEFL certificate through Maximo Nivel, just do it! This course compared to an online TEFL certificate is like no other and will exceed your expectations, I promise you. It will be the best choice you make!