Location
  • Guatemala
    • Antigua
Length
150 hours
Training Type
Classroom

Program Details

Teaching Practicum
Yes
Job Placement
Yes
Certifications
TEFL TEFL (Hybrid) TESOL
Housing
Apartment Host Family Hotel

Pricing

Starting Price
1295
Price Details
– Airport pick-up
– Program and safety orientation
– Walking tour
– Official TEFL/TESOL Certificate
– Letter of recommendation
– Lifetime job-finding assistance
– Guaranteed Job Placement
– Free Tandem Conversation Program
– Free office-wide WIFI
– Free Salsa dance classes
– Free cooking classes
– Free coffee and tea and on-site snack bar
– Institute is open 7 days/week
– Emergency contact number 24/7
What's Included
Activities Airport Transfers Wifi
What's Not Included
Airfare Travel Insurance
Jun 19, 2023
Jan 04, 2025
13 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Become a certified English teacher by earning a TEFL certification with Maximo Nivel in Antigua, Guatemala. TEFL Certification is your passport to living and working as English teacher anywhere else in the world!

The 4-week/150-hour certification program includes more than 15 hours of practical English teaching and observation of experienced teachers. Groups are small with usually 2 to 14 people.

The TEFL Program consists of 14 modules:
1. Approaches to Learning & Teaching
2. Critical ESL Techniques
3. Class Management
4. Lesson Planning
5. English Grammar Review 1
6. English Grammar Review 2
7. Teaching Grammar
8. Teaching Vocabulary
9. Teaching English with Games
10. Teaching Speaking & Writing
11. Teaching Listening & Reading
12. Assessing Learners
13. Introduction to International English Exams
14. Practical Teaching

Video and Photos

Diversity & Inclusion

At Maximo Nivel, we deeply value diversity in all its forms. We maintain an open-minded approach, recognizing the significance of varied perspectives, intelligent discourse, and the transformative power of a positive mindset. We warmly welcome and respect individuals from all backgrounds, irrespective of politics, gender, gender identity, age, race, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, or disability. Whether it’s volunteering, Spanish immersion, TEFL certification, international internships, university courses, or GAP year experiences, members of the LGBTQIA+ community are wholeheartedly invited to participate in our programs.

Impact

At Maximo Nivel, we work in close partnership with our local communities in Latin America to ensure that volunteer projects align with genuine local needs, fostering meaningful and relevant impact. We emphasize sustainable initiatives designed for enduring change, rather than short-term interventions. By promoting cultural sensitivity, we facilitate enriching exchanges rooted in mutual respect, and our commitment to local employment further integrates and supports the communities we serve.

Program Highlights

  • Guaranteed Job Placement
  • Accredited certification accepted worldwide
  • Highly qualified TEFL Trainers
  • 15 hours of practical teaching and observation
  • Lifetime job-finding assistance

Program Reviews

4.99 Rating
based on 175 reviews
  • 5 rating 98.86%
  • 4 rating 1.14%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Benefits 4.8
  • Support 4.95
  • Fun 4.95
  • Facilities 4.9
  • Safety 4.85
  • Instruction 5
  • Support 5
  • Value 4.85
  • Academic Rigor 4.55
  • Job Assistance 4.9
Showing 1 - 8 of 175 reviews
Default avatar
Solène
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Amazing experience

It's very hard to describe just in a few words how great studying with Maximo Nivel was! Everyone in the institute is genuine, kind, and very supportive. Completing a TEFL course is a lot more intense than I could have imagined (probably the most challenging 4 weeks of my life) but 100% worth it. I feel so grateful I had the best teacher: Wayne Summerbell :)

Be prepared to feel challenged (this is definitely NOT a holiday), and more importantly: be prepared to feel satisfied and happy with yourself once you've made it :)

Antigua is the most beautiful city too! It's very easy to get around. As a woman traveling alone, I felt safe during my whole stay there. You'll feel at home in no time :)

2 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Michael
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Valuable time

This course was incredible to me. I had 3 wonderful classmates who along with our instructor Wayne made this the most memorable experience. This is not a holiday and you get what you put into the course. Wayne was always available and encouraging as we developed ourselves into the next generation of TOEFL teachers.

As a recommendation to those who are considering this program, you should be prepared and focused. You will find this course difficult, but in the there will be success. The host family was welcoming and incredibly inclusive to make me feel comfortable. I am grateful for everyone that I have met and will continue to be a part of community of instructors and students. The rewards are endless with each student who develops their skills in learning a new language.

What was the most nerve-racking moment and how did you overcome it?
It was my first mini-lesson and a simple “how to” presentation was a very anxious.time.
Getting comfortable with the students who were eager to learn was easy as I just had decided to have fun with them. I helped them along the way and in the process my pressure filled lesson was over, Future lessons became easier leading to my final day of the practical teaching week. Everyone was excited and engaged in the activities.
Pros
  • Support from the instructor and fellow students. Everyone was encouraging along the way.
  • Guatemala is the friendliest place I have ever seen and is very affordable
  • Practical lessons with feedback
Cons
  • Distractions of a beautiful country can make you loose your focus
  • Intense study requires required more quiet periods
  • Early morning lessons need more resources available beyond the 6pm office hours the day before. The office is open at 6:45am, but the 7am class needs more time for preparation the day before
2 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Tommy
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A difficult but wonderful four weeks in Antigua

I had a blast doing TEFL at Maximo Nivel in Antigua, in large part thanks to my five-star instructor, Wayne Summerbell. I highly recommend this program. Believe me, it's not a walk in the park. There were moments that I doubted I could complete the tasks at hand, but those trials made the experience that much more fulfilling. Don't worry, Antigua is a very comfortable and safe place and the Maximo staff are super helpful and communicative. If you have any issue, they will be happy to help resolve it. Wayne is a gem of an instructor and there are so many fun activities to take part in throughout the week! My favorites were free Salsa class and soccer night! I've taught ESL as a volunteer for 2 years, and I still found this course to be eye opening and challenging!! You won't regret this experience and you get life time job placement assistance. It's the perfect place to start a worldwide journey teaching English. Just make sure you have instructor Wayne! He's the best :)

If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?
If I could do this again, I would stay a few extra weeks after the course was over. It's not a vacation, so I didn't have a ton of time to explore. But the weekends were free. I still got to climb Volcano Acatenango (extremely difficult) and visit Lake Atitlan. I had to make sure I had all my TEFL homework done by Sunday night though!
Pros
  • Great TEFL trainer Wayne Summerbell
  • Made a ton of friends through Maximo Nivel. TEFLers, Spanish students, and English students!
  • Fun activities provided by Maximo and constant support!
Cons
  • Tough to stay in a hostal and do all the TEFL work. I recomend host family
  • Not a vacation! Be ready for a lot of coursework
  • If you like cold weather, too bad. The climate here is perfect in the winter and quite warm in the summer (April-September)
4 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Tizzie
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

AMAZING EXPERIENCE!

I had such an incredible time with Wayne as my teacher. English language is not typically something I find very interesting, but Wayne was able to make the classes fun and engaging. My entire experience was really positive despite how difficult the content was and I would highly highly recommend anyone do this course if they’re considering it. It’s a month of hard work for endless work opportunities and it’s really shaped the way I think and helped me to grow in the way communicate. The content challenged me in new ways and has left me feeling accomplished and capable.

Pros
  • Having the opportunity to teach a consistent class and build a real relationship with the students
  • Getting to feel challenged and use my brain in new ways
  • Having a teacher that felt truely inspirational as both a professional and as a human being
5 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
David
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

New Strategies for Veteran Teachers

Most educators around the world who teach subjects in English are having to apply strategies to better reach students whose native language is different than their own. The TEFL program at Maximo gives you numerous strategies and new techniques to help these students in classroom settings of all kinds. As a veteran teacher of many subjects and levels, I found much of the course--which I completed in a hybrid manner including 2 weeks onsite--to be refreshingly new and challenging. The staff at Maximo is professional, the guidance along the way is solid, and the setting of the school in the heart of Antigua is ideal. I am happy to have finally gotten TEFL-certified after "being on the fence" for many years!

7 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Geir
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

The TEFL program in Antigua is great

I joined the program more as an impulse and without expectations, but I am very happy I did. It was a great experience, very good learning and a lot of fun. The course was intense and compact, but the teacher Wayne Summerbell and my fellow students made the time fly by.
Wayne was good, he was very good. He went beyond the role as a teacher and became a coach, motivator, friend and when I was down and lost he lifted me up and showed me the way.
I will certainly recommend the course for its teaching techniques and personal skills development.

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
The most surprising part of the program was to see how fast my fellow students and myself developed teaching skills. From nervously, stumbling and hopeless teachers to confident and excellent teachers.
Pros
  • Professional teacher
  • Good program/curriculum
  • Good location
7 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Nadine
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

TFL Course experience

I had such a positive learning experience all thanks to my amazing TFL trainer Wayne Summerbell, who has been such an incredible teacher and mentor! The 4 weeks of training were compact with so much information but with the smooth delivery and energy of the classroom, the time flew by so quickly! I have left the course with so much knowledge, transferable skills, and most importantly, passion and excitement to apply what I have learned. I have learned so much from observing what a successful teacher looks like.

What was your funniest moment?
Our first teaching experience, we thought vocabulary to volunteer students. We selected words to teach to the class and as they were English learners we could not explain. It was very fun trying to elicit the words for the first time.
Pros
  • Learning experience, with transferable skills
  • Exposure to how to teach successfully
  • Laughter & friendships
Cons
  • Compact course
  • Consistency and attention required every day
10 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Indigo
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Yay

This course exceeded all of my expectations in a positive way. It was challenging, but I looked forward to each day of class and practical teaching. I cannot understate how much Maximo Nivel Antigua benefits greatly from their incredible TEFL trainer- Wayne Summerbell- who is kind, supportive, and incredibly knowledgable.

The classroom time, resources, and constant support that was provided allowed all in our cohort to be successful and enjoy our time together. We didn't know what to expect when we signed up, but would strongly recommend to anyone considering.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Do it, you won't regret it! Stay an extra week if you want to explore the area.
Pros
  • Wayne
  • Antigua is a beautiful place
  • Learners are lovely
17 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers

I'm in the states right now....but looking forward to heading to Cambodia to teach at a school there. I was teaching for Oxford Language in Guatemala since 2 weeks after my certification.