TEFL Heaven in Manuel Antonio Costa Rica

My goal before this course started was to begin my teaching English career. I had gotten a TESOL certificate online in 2014 and I had never done anything with it. I had gotten a Master of Science degree online with Full Sail University and I had not done anything with that degree too. Finally, in July, I had decided to try to volunteer teach abroad. I thought the first thing I needed was to volunteer teach to see if I liked teaching English and I would also be able to gain teaching experience.

I signed up for a volunteer teach English program with IVHQ in San Jose, Costa Rica. A little bit before I arrived in Costa Rica, I learned that IVHQ partners up with Maximo Nivel to deliver their volunteer programs. I learned that Maximo Nivel would be putting me in a volunteer position and would be taking care of my housing. I was very excited. I found out that Maximo Nivel was awesome right from the get go because everything about my arrival to Costa Rica went smoothly. Once I started my volunteer teach program with Fundacion Mujer, I had a field manager who told me about the Cost Maximo Nivel Manuel Antonio TEFL program. On my third day of volunteer teaching, I decided to sign up for the TEFL program with Cost Maximo Nivel in Manuel Antonio.

With my online TEFL program certificate, I could teach English, but I did not have the experience and I felt uncomfortable teaching with very little teaching experience. Once I started my volunteer teach English program in San Jose, I knew I needed more training from an onsite TEFL program. This program has been perfect for me because I am getting first hand teaching with basic English students and with my teacher guiding me. When I was teaching at Fundacion Mujer, I gained a lot of experience, but it was with advanced English learners and I could teach mostly from a provided model. I made articles using Wikipedia articles to hand out to the class, have them read it, and then after go over the vocabulary.

I learned once I started this TEFl course and got to teach the basic English students that a pulled and provided model works best. I learned how to use the EPA model into my teaching. I also learned to create many CCQ questions. I think this experience has been very valuable and I hope to be able to teach in San Jose, Costa Rica in the future.