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
Mar 19, 2024
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

LGBTQIA+ Support

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

Ethical 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 155 reviews
  • 5 rating 98.71%
  • 4 rating 1.29%
  • 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 57 - 64 of 155 reviews
Default avatar
Tania
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Maximo Nivel TEFL Progam in Antigua

I took the Maximo TEFL Program in Antigua and thought that it was an amazing experience. I loved taking the class and especially enjoyed the instructor Karen. Karen was amazingly supportitive of me throughout the course. I found this very encouraging and it really helped to keep me positive through the intensive practical teaching part of the course. This was definitely my favorite part of the course, as I learnt so much from the experience of it. I also really enjoyed interacting with my classmates during the classroom portion of the course, as they were so friendly and kind. Finally, I really enjoyed Antigua itself as it is an amazingly historical city with a very relaxed, laid back vibe. Because of this I really recommend this course to anyone wanting to take a TEFL course.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
My advice to future travellers on this program is to read as much as can about teaching, particularly Teaching English as a Second Language before you come as it makes understanding the teaching philosophy and methods of Maximo Nivel so much easier.
55 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Amanda
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Amazing Experience!

I took the Hybrid TEFL course in Antigua and absolutely loved it! Not only was our teacher amazing and extremely helpful, the course itself was organized and full of vital information and skills to become the best TEFL teacher. The Hybrid course involves two weeks online and two weeks in Antigua. The transition, for me, was very smooth and easy and Maximo Nivel is very accommodating. I also cannot recommend a better location than Antigua. The town is absolutely stunning, the people are so kind, and everything is within walking distance. You will grow as an individual and as a teacher. I definitely would recommend!

52 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Natalia
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Best Experience Ever!

There are several reasons why you should choose Antigua and Maximo Nivel for your TEFL Certification:
- Karen is the best trainer and mentor you can find. She is passionate, funny, goofy and a total grammar nerd that will make you love your experience and will guide you and help you every step of the way.
- Antigua is beautiful! You will get to learn how to be a teacher surrounded by volcanoes in the most picturesque town. On weekends, you can hike to the top of volcanoes, visit a replica of the shire, go to the beach, go to lake Atitlan or just chill and enjoy the beauties of Antigua!
- The certification itself: Getting TEFL certified will allow you to work in a lot of places and will open a lot of doors, especially if you are interested in traveling while doing so. You also get help from Karen and the Maximo staff to build your resume and support to get a job!
- The Practical Experience: You get to teach 3 short lessons and an entire week of practical teaching with a real class at Maximo!.
This experience has been amazing and I recommend it 100%!

If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?
I would be less afraid of doing it, and would probably do it sooner!
53 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Abby
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Karen the TEFL Trainer is the BEST

I just finished a one month intensive TEFL course at Maximo Nivel and I truly enjoyed my time there. My home stay was lovely, more of a bed and breakfast/inn vibe than a proper homestay and I had the best time there, great food, strong wifi, clean home. The staff at Maximo go above and beyond to make sure their clients have everything they need. They know most people my name and often check in to make sure everything is going smoothly. The facilities are great. There is a beautiful courtyard with a fountain in Casa I and a lovely terrace in Casa II with weekly social activities, salsa lessons, cooking lessons, chips and guac. What made the experience so wonderful, however, was the TEFL Trainer, Karen Wilke. She is an inspiration and a true joy to be around. She paces the course so well and is very knowledgable. Karen reinforces the ESL methodologies she is teaching by using them to teach. Her observations and feedback were so detailed and really did help me become a better teacher. I would highly recommend this program, most importantly because Karen Wilke is the trainer.

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
I saw 500 baby turtles be released into the ocean during a weekend trip to El Paredon.
55 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Paul
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

TEFL Course in Antigua, Guatemala

The Maximo Nivel TEFL course in Antigua was an excellent experience. The support Maximo provides, from airport pickup upon arrival to providing space to store your luggage while you travel after the course, and everything en between, was superb. The Maximo team works hard to ensure that you will feel comfortable and have everything you need while completing your program in a foreign country.

The course itself was intensive- you can have fun, but be prepared to work hard and learn a lot too. Upon completing the course, including a week of practical teaching in a real classroom, I felt well equipped to teach English myself. Karen Wilke, the teacher, was an amazing example of what a teacher can and should be, in a class about teaching. What more can you ask for in a teacher? She consistently utilized techniques that she was teaching us to to be able to utilize, so we understood firsthand just how effective they are. She truly cared about our success in the course and in our teaching careers afterward, and provided and continues to provide invaluable support with her extensive TEFL experience.

Guatemala is a beautiful country with warm, friendly people and tons to see and do. Antigua is an excellent home base for experiencing what the country has to offer. I am very happy with my decision to take the TEFL course there and would highly recommend it to anybody else interested in TEFL.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Find a good balance between work and play- the course is serious.
53 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Leilana
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

TEFLer in Antigua

This was honestly an eye-opener for me I had no idea what I was going into when I decided to take this course I was unprepared for the amount of love and support I was going to receive when coming to this course. Choosing to go to Guatemala was a stressful point for my parents and I'd be lying if I said I felt safe visiting Guatemala. Media portrays it as a place of violence and turmoil, but I can say with confidence that a lot of those rumors are untrue. This is coming from someone who walked home at least twice a week after 1 in the morning and I'm a female ( I'm in no way advocating for people to do this, I HAD NO DATA FOR AN UBER, which is dirt cheap here, invest in a sim card guys, also really cheap I was just lazy). Any ways my point is don't believe everything you see or read, this place is beautiful and the people even more so. My trainer Karen was one of a kind and such an inspirational figure she pushed each and everyone of us and the people at Maximo international department were truly angels. If you're thinking of going anywhere give Guatemala a go who knows you might just love it.

55 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Aarti
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

great TEFL certification in Antigua

The TEFL certification course was well organized and interesting. Our TEFL Trainer, Karen Wilke was full of energy and great knowledge and experience. She recognized our strengths and worked towards that rhythm. Initially, I was very nervous as I was going back to study after decades. But within a week I was very comfortable and looking forward to this new adventure. It was well balanced with the assignments and lots of examples and demonstrations were shown before we went into practical teaching. We made some good friends during this course and met people from different cultures and beliefs. In the end, we became very comfortable and I partly wished this never ended. The practical teaching on the first day was nerve wrecking, but very quickly I felt at ease. The Students were very friendly and warm. I enjoyed the course and would recommend it to anyone looking to get this certificate.

47 people found this review helpful.
Kevin
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

150 hour TEFL program from Maximo Nivel Antigua exceeded expectations

First of all, don't think of Antigua, Guatemala as a place to avoid. It is a beautiful colonial city in a developing country. Everywhere in the world has dangerous pockets and safe pockets and Antigua is definitely one of the best spots in Guatemala. Of course, take precautions when it comes to your safety but you should do that anywhere. Plus, Guatemala has Lake Atitlan and Tikal to check plus a bunch of other things that I would check out if I had more time.

Karen is a very experienced trainer that will help you out through this process. The program spends a week covering teaching theory and philosophy, a week of English grammar, a week putting this together, and then a week teaching an actual class. Before I took this course I had heard from many people to avoid a lower hour number course and I'm glad I listened to that advice because I don't know how I would feel prepared to teach with much less training plus I have noticed on many job postings from Asia that they will not accept TEFL certifications below a certain hour number or without actual teaching. I definitely recommend this course specifically but if you choose a different course make sure you choose a higher hour number course or you will be wishing you had.

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
My first weekend I went to Peten and visited the ruins of Tikal. I actually preferred these ruins to Macchu Picchu.
53 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.