Obtaining my TEFL certificate in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica was a life changing experience. If there is one thing that I will take with me after completing this program, it is the understanding that being a great teacher is one of the most challenging professions, which we often take for granted. Fortunately, I chose the right program to prepare me with the various skills and strategies required to teach ESL. Maximo Nivel and specifically my instructor, Karen Wilke, taught me about what it really means to nurture and foster learning, let alone acquiring a second language. As a global thinker who has been to University twice, I've often reflected on the ways that traditional classrooms are taught and whether I retained the information. There are only a handful of teachers/classes in my lifetime that could compare to this past month in Karen's class. She was constantly engaging and knew exactly how to adapt each class to suit each student's learning styles or our moods that day. There was never a time that the tools she taught were forgotten or hard to grasp, because she made learning fun. At the same time, she was constantly demonstrating to us exactly how to teach our own classes.

I will not lie, the program was intense, however, Karen is extremely compassionate and is the ideal teacher you want to model yourself after. I say that this program was a life changing experience because it changed my outlook on teaching and how I can impact the lives of my students. If you are planning to take a TEFL certification, do not even consider completing an online program. There is no way that an online course can prepare you to walk into a classroom and teach, especially if you have no experience like myself. This program gives you the opportunity to teach several classes and even teaches you how to set up your own private lessons (if that is what you are looking to do). This TEFL program was worth every cent and the administration, Barbara and Karen, were amazing as well and extremely accommodating. Overall, great people and great program with a great view! :)

Studying for my TEFL certificate in Manual Antonio was such a challenging and rewarding experience. I never once thought back to my 'deciding' time in Australia and reading countless reviews. But if that's you right now- just do it!! You will quickly discover if teaching English is for you. I definitely did... And I love it! I can't believe I didn't do it sooner. Plus, studying in tropical paradise ain't so bad! I used to take my lunch breaks looking out over the ocean from a hammock! And back in the classroom we had the luxury of air-conditioning so life was easy. Costa Rica is amazing, manual Antonio gorgeous and Maximo Nivel a dream. The team there would have done anything for us- went so far as to call us "VIPs". The night out after graduating certainly made me feel like it! I don't want to give it all away, but that one night makes the whole 4 weeks worth it! Have I convinced you yet?!

My experience was really good, I felt really looked after and supported. I received a welcome pack at the airport pick up which had details and contact numbers in. In the course, my trainer, Karen, was amazing. She was really supportive and loved teaching, she would always be honest but always fair and wanted us to do well and she came in every morning and made grammar enjoyable even! Everyone there was really friendly and supported us, every time I asked for photocopies they were there for me. The location was really nice and a great area to be. Luckily the room we trained in was air conditioned as its very humid! At the end of the course, we celebrated and I was informed that a bus ticket back to San Jose was part of the deal which I didn't realise so was a bonus! I got lots of text books and notes to refer back to as I take teaching forward. I have just accepted a job offer too so this whole experience has been great! In fact, it would be nice to work for Maximo one day as a teacher as feel they are really good!

I cannot say enough positive things about the month I spent with Maximo Nivel completing their TEFL certification course. The quality of the instruction, the organization and helpfulness of the staff, and the ease of coordination was all impressively top notch. The course is intense, but richly educational, and the instructor is always available and eager to help. If you want to teach English, this is your best jumping block. I landed a full-time teaching job just two weeks into the course thanks to a connection through Maximo. The experience as a whole was professionally and personally profoundly life-changing. I will (and have already begun to) recommend Maximo Nivel to anyone interested in teaching English, studying Spanish, or volunteering. Also, being on the best beach in the world at Manuel Antonio isn't bad either! Stop your search, you have found the creme of the crop!

The TEFL Certification course with Maximo Nivel is an amazing experience that opens doors for English teachers across the globe. Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica is a great place to get certified. The staff there was helpful from the first day to the last. They freely provide life long career support. My TEFL Trainer Karen Wilke is an amazing teacher and person. She went above and beyond in preparing our class to become fully equipped English teachers. I recommend this program to anyone who wants to explore new cultures and work with wonderful people all over the world.

I'm so happy I chose this program. It was all I hoped for and more. Not only did I learn a ton, but I had a blast doing it. The staff were also great and more than willing to help set up trips and excursions outside of school. Their helpfulness as well as being a great program in a great country is what made this the experience of a lifetime!

I had no idea of what to expect from my TEFL course. What I got was an AMAZING teacher. She was always available to help look over my work, make sure my lesson plans were well crafted, or just to talk about teaching and life in general. I learned so much from her in 4 weeks; it was incredible. I have no background in teaching, but after the course I felt like I was equipped to not only teach, but be a good teacher. The staff and Maximo are so great. They are incredibly helpful with anything from printing, to telling you where to eat and where the best beaches are. I felt like I was a part of a family when I was at Maximo! Finding a job can be difficult; I spent a lot of nights scouring Craigslist. But my TEFL instructor was always there for help. She would send us links to jobs, help us prepare our CV's and pretty much anything else you could imagine. The course work is tough, you devote a lot of time to reading, writing and making lesson plans. But I never felt like the work was too much, or not worth it. Every assignment had a purpose and helped me to become a great teacher!

I did TEFL in Costa Rica with Maximo and I can honestly say that it was the best experience I've ever had. I had never really traveled before going to Costa Rica and I wasn't even that excited about becoming TEFL certified, I was just looking for something to do for the summer. But Maximo is so much more than "something to do for the summer," it is an amazing place to learn and make friends and grow as a person. The TEFL program is fantastic, it's definitely a lot of work but totally worth it because I feel incredibly prepared to teach English anywhere now! The staff in Costa Rica is fantastic, they are some of the nicest, most helpful and supportive people I've ever met and were there for me whenever I needed anything, from a pen to a taxi to life advice. The facilities are beautiful, so much nicer than I would have expected in Costa Rica and I definitely felt very safe. I stayed in an apartment during TEFL and a homestay when I decided to stay longer (didn't want to leave! You won't either!) and both were incredible. Whenever there was the slightest problem (for example, I'm allergic to dogs and my host family had a dog) Maximo took care of it almost immediately and always checked in to make sure things were going well. Basically, I cannot say enough good things about Maximo and I HIGHLY recommend TEFL and any other Maximo program to everyone in the world!!