Teach Without Borders, Join our Virtual Team

As a new TEFL instructor I was fairly unsure of how to get started. I put together an electronic package including my resume, BS diploma, TEFL certificate and started sending it out to different schools. I was very happy to hear from Idioma Internacional as I have always wanted to visit Costa Rica. While this opportunity was only for online teaching, I believed it would open doors for a chance to move to CR in time and join the team in reality. Yet, I am continually amazed at the support I receive, even as a virtual instructor. Everyone is so willing to help that you never feel like you're alone and trying to figure things out by yourself. I received training on both ZOOM and WEBEX, I was given opportunities to shadow classes and to teach in classes with instructors available to help. There are plenty of exercises to help you beef up your English grammar before teaching it; but best of all, whenever I had a question all I had to do was reach out to my mentor and she was there to help. I can't say enough about the admin support either. They are a message of phone call away and anything you need will be addressed for you. There are different types of courses you can teach as well. There are basic English grammar classes, specific business workshops, and even one to one training courses. Whatever you want to specialize in they will help you. All in all, for my first teaching position I don't think I could have found a better fit for me. Idioma Internacional has made my introduction to teaching TEFL an amazing journey and I will always be thankful to them.

My job with Idioma Internacional was my first EFL teaching position. I could not have asked for a better introduction to the career. My experience with Idioma Internacional was a bit unusual. I left the U.S. for Costa Rica in January 2020, having already secured a position with the company (and with my living arrangements already sorted, thanks to Idioma's assistance), looking forward to spending my one-year contract teaching typical, in-person classes and exploring the country. This was the case for about seven weeks. Alas, as I said, this was 2020. The pandemic hit, the world shut down, and Idioma Internacional switched over to an entirely virtual platform. There are an infinite number of ways this massive transition could have gone wrong, but it did not. In fact, I cannot overstate how smoothly administration seemed to handle the change. The company worked with clients to make the switch as easy for everyone as possible, and, as a teacher, I never stopped feeling both professionally and personally supported, even during the four months I self-isolated in Costa Rica. When I eventually decided to return to the U.S., Idioma supported that, too, and I was able to continue teaching with the company for the extent of my initial contract and then, upon being given the option to extend, for another few months after that. I could praise Idioma for many reasons -- the thorough initial training, the ongoing professional development workshops, the well-constructed curriculum, the fact that the students are almost invariably pleasant and often dedicated to the point of being inspirational -- but, having worked with the company when I did, the supportive, positive culture of Idioma Internacional will always stand out to me as one of its greatest assets. I'd recommend it for that reason alone. That said, the other stuff makes for a collection of really, really great bonuses. Seriously, the students are amazing. Either I'm super-lucky as a teacher, or Costa Ricans are just on average more awesome than the rest of humanity.

Since I joined Idioma Internacional last year, I've found a family and a purpose. Starting from the beginning, their staff offers training, mentoring, peer connection, lesson plans, and materials. I got an opportunity to work for Idiom during the Covid lockdowns, thanks to its online platform. Now I have the freedom to relocate while maintaining employment. I love being a part of Idioma because I know that my role has meaning. The company offers more than just English lessons. They promote the advancement of their students by teaching them the language skills they need to secure gainful employment in the community. It is such a pleasure and honor for me to be a part of this company, as I love making a positive impact.