Award Winning TEFL Courses for Teaching English in Costa Rica

The course is 100% worth it. In 4 weeks you are able to gain so much knowledge and practice teaching ESL. The program gives you options of housing and lets you fill out a form with your preferences (definitely recommend staying with a host family). My host family was everything I could have hoped for and I still go and see them even after moving out when the course ended. They set up transportation at the airport for you, making your journey a lot less stressful upon arrival. It is definitely an intense and challenging course, but it is absolutely worth it. The first week can feel a bit overwhelming, but you get used to the work load and pace of the course. The practicum teaching and feedback sessions are super helpful. Melanie and Luke break down lesson planning for vocabulary, grammar and skills lessons so you are fully prepared when the course ends. They are very helpful through the job search process. They also provide information about other countries if you are looking to move somewhere else after the course ends. Between your classmates, instructors and alumni you are able to have such a helpful support system. This course completely exceeded my expectation and I recommend it to anyone considering getting their TEFL certification.

This course was absolutely fantastic. The material and instruction was extremely comprehensive. The tutors were always there to assist with any issues during the course. The marking/grading time frame from the tutors was extremely admirable. The assignments were always returned back with extensive feedback in a short period of time. This in turn made it easier to progress on the course as it meant we were able to make improvements in time for the next assignment.
The course was extremely intense, more so than was expected. However, I saw this as a positive as it meant we were more prepared to go into teaching ESL after the course. The program provided by the tutors was known throughout the local ESL community. This became evident during my interviews for work at various institutes, they shared the same view that the tutors were doing a successful job of preparing ESL Teachers for the field.
I am extremely happy that I took this course instead of one off the internet. I feel that it simply would not have been enough to be able to successful teach ESL. Whereas the course at TESOL COSTA RICA provided week on week practical sessions that were reviewed and developed upon. Due to the practical side of the course and constant feedback provided from this, the course simply could not be beat for preparing a teacher in my opinion.
If you want to take the most comprehensive TEFL course and be prepared for the ESL market then I would highly recommend taking this one!
Pura Vida!

This course was absolutely amazing!! Your in-class time is split between two incredible teachers, with different teaching styles that only work to create a diversified learning experience. There is a lot of hands-on and practical teaching experience you will not find in an online class, that is crucial to becoming familiar with real life teaching. You will learn everything you need to know about correct English grammar, and how to teach it. Luke and Melanie (the 2 teachers), and other staff are with every step of the way. Do not go into this class thinking it will be a vacation, it is not. During the month of class there is not as much time to travel around Costa Rica as you might expect. There is a lot of work, but it is very manageable. After graduating this course, I not only feel very prepared to be a successful English teacher, but based on the strong reputation this school has in the ESL world here in Costa Rica, I feel like I have an advantage over other TEFL students. After graduating this course, I took a little vacation to Nicaragua, but now I am back here teaching at a local English school and can't wait to see what my future has in store for me!!

This was an amazing experience and continues to be even after graduation! Everyone on staff was more than helpful, direct and upfront. All of the assignments were clearly outlined and although the work load challenging it certainly was doable. I think what I appreciated most was how enthusiastic the staff was about training us and their ability to give helpful advice at the right time and with one-on-one interactions if we had a question, problem, or were just feeling overwhelmed.

I knew I would meet new people and have a great experience but the extent of the bond created in this group was beyond my expectations. We came to appreciate each other and cheered each other on. I was the mom in the group, my fellow students came to me for advice both personal and about Costa Rica where I have lived for 39 years. The course is intense. Do not think you are going to do this while you are exploring Costa Rica. There are tours on the weekends but there is a lot of study time, time for planning lessons and the course hours. I enjoyed the teaching time. The benefit of taking this course is having actual experience teaching. I learned every time I taught and also learned that I love it. We laughed a lot and Melanie and Luke were wonderful instructors. I would recommend this course to anyone but only if you are serious about doing well. Your grade is on the certificate! Laurel Anderson

"There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self." -Hemingway

I reached a point in my life where nothing new or exciting was happening. I had found myself in a day-in-day-out routine that never challenged, never pushed, or never taught anything new. As consequence my development ceased. I felt I had so much potential to do whatever I set my mind to, but lacked direction. What was I to do? Look for a change, that's what. Okay, so I knew I loved to travel: check. I knew I loved meeting new people: check. I knew Costa Rica was one of the most beautiful places on the planet: check, check, check. So, I figured traveling to Costa Rica was the most sensible option, but still, what would I be doing in Costa Rica? I searched and searched online looking for different ideas when I saw ITA's website (International TEFL Academy). ITA gave me the idea, but I figured I'd do some research first and check out the other websites offering a chance to go and get paid in Costa Rica. None of them came close to the detail and precision that ITA offered. None. I stayed in touch with one of ITA's advisors, Lindsay (fantastic woman, great, awesome), and got the ball rolling. I got picked up at the airport by David, a driver for TESOL students, had a nice conversation/mini-tour of the place, and got dropped off at my homestay. It was actually happening. I was actually in Costa Rica, in a Costa Rican home, and in love with it all. The family I stayed with was great. Rosa, my host mother, was the kindest and most loving person you could meet. With the way the entire family received me, there was no other way to feel, but at home. Next was my experience with the first day of class. I hadn’t felt nervous about a first day of class since middle school. I still wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. But wouldn’t you know, in the first ten minutes of class I had twelve new friends. Twelve instant friends. Twelve unique people all looking for something new in their lives. And the professors, wow, the professors and staff were AMAZING! Luke and Melanie are 100% relatable, 100% likable, 100% totally awesome… and maybe 20% cheesy jokes. We hit the ground running. After the first week of class we were already practicing teaching in a live classroom. And after four weeks of training we were already having jobs lined up. I’ll never forget the time I studied to get my TEFL certificate. Lifelong friends and memories, no doubt. Just know that you will get what you put into the course. I came to be challenged and to learn new things, and got exactly that. Actually, that and so, so, so much more. Pura Vida!

I just completed the July 2016 course. It was great, i met some friends who ill know for life and Costa Rica was the greatest. Im forever grateful i decided to take this course. It really is amazing here. I would recommend this course 10/10. The course itself was fairly intense, but if you are willing to work a bit hard for a month and then reap the rewards its a no brainer. The sites around the school are amazing as well. One month here already and i still feel as if i havent even scratched the surface yet.

I found the International TEFL Academy simply by searching for teaching ESL abroad opportunities online. I came across multiple different schools that offered similar opportunities but decided to go with the Internaitonal TEFL Academy because of their outstanding reviews and all of the feedback their past students left in form of comments or video. They seemed like a company that would take care of you and help you along during the entire process, both of which are extremely important when dealing with teaching in a different country. The class was a 4 week instensive course where we were provided a multitude of different teaching examples and materials. After a week of the course we began our student teaching which is what I believe really set this particular course apart from others offered. This way we were able to do hands on learning and work directly with real students in Costa Rica. Therefore we could better understand what it would be like working with ESL students and teaching in a different country, and we were there to experience it all in person. It was because of the student teaching during the course that I felt prepared enough to go teach directly after I graduated the course. I started applying for jobs during the third week of the course where I simply used the list of ESL schools around the area supplied by the TEFL Academy. The amazing instructors for the course reviewed my cover letter and resume and afterward I simply sent both out to the schools I had an interest in. I currently work for a school named Idiomas Mundiales located in Barva, right outside of Heredia. It has been the most amazing experience of my life. I graduated college right before I made the plunge and moved to Costa Rica to begin the course. I had known that I didn't want to go directly into a desk job and saw the opportunities that teaching ESL would provide, and it has far exceeded any expectations I had prior to the experience. It is very challenging moving to a different country and teaching ESL. Everything is different, and you need to become accostumed to a completely different culture which is no easy task. However, I felt so comfortable because the TEFL Academy means it when they say they are there for you even after the course ends. They're there to support you through the hard times and there to smile with you through the good. I have fallen in love with teaching ESL and being in Costa Rica has made me grow as a person in ways I wouldn't have been able to unless I had gone through this experience. So to any contemplating going abroad and teaching ESL, I highly highly encourage you to do as I did. Go outside of your comfort zone and experience the beautiful world around you. You will never regret an adventure like this.