TEFL Courses & Certification in Costa Rica

I had a wonderful experience at Máximo Nivel! The curriculum was well organized, and the instructors are knowledgeable, supportive, and truly want you to succeed. The program is very transparent about the level of intensity it requires, and if you apply yourself, immerse in the culture, and keep an open mind, you will be successful. The area is safe, and everyone—from the Máximo staff to the local community—is welcoming and kind. The food is outstanding, whether enjoying the program’s free cooking classes or eating at the local sodas. The facility itself is excellent, with air conditioning, a pool, and affordable opportunities for local trips and excursions. Mr. Lewis is an exceptional teacher, deeply passionate about his work and his students. As a senior teacher with more than 15 years of experience, I can say this was a truly life-changing experience. I look forward to returning to teach and to using my TEFL skills around the world!

First off, this is NOT a scam. It was the best thing I’ve done for myself in a long time…maybe ever! I’m 50 years old. So, if you think you’re too old, you’re not. Some successful learners have been older than me. The location is a few feet from the ocean, however, you can’t actually get to the water. The view is stunning!! The street is busy. There are tons of places to eat, get coffee, have a drink… The ENTIRE staff is AMAZING! They’re friendly and knowledgeable about the area. Most of them speak English. 💕 I hope you get Lewis as your instructor. And that’s all I’ll say about that. There will be a lot of walking and it WILL BE HOT…and possibly raining. Probably raining. The course is rigorous but worth all the blood sweat and tears…there will be many. 🤭 PURA VIDA! You will do better if you have an actual laptop instead of a tablet/iPad. I only used my iPad and it increased my already heavy workload because of the formatting. I couldn’t tell what my rating were because the grading was done with a computer and when I accessed it with my iPad it was misaligned. Also, one of my exercises for the students didn’t print correctly and I didn’t catch it until I passed it out to the students. If you get a host family, the meals will likely be skimpy, but having breakfast and dinner included is quite a load off. There will probably be no hot water or air conditioning. It’s normal here. Just be prepared. March - December is rainy season. You’ll need an umbrella or poncho. Bring comfortable walking shoes. Food: you can get pretty big slice of pizza and a drink for about 2.50 US dollars. The water is safe to drink. The course is rigorous, but not really hard. You WILL have to be focused and you WILL likely want to quit at some point but you have to press through. The staff are supportive. You’ll be glad you did! 💕