TEFL Practical Teaching Week
I would like to mention Sean who encouraged me throughout my Practical Teaching week. I appreciate him sharing his confidence that I could finish the week well. I am greatful for his experience and guidance.

Maximo Nivel is a leading educational travel and study abroad organization. We offer a range of programs in Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Peru, including Volunteer Abroad, International Internships, Native Spanish Program, TEFL Certification, Adventure and Culture programs, and more. We offer comprehensive instruction and learning, academic credit for most programs, and a fun and professional environment. Founded in 2003, Maximo Nivel is a professional, ethical, and hardworking organization dedicated to providing a great experience to every student, participant, and client. We aim to deliver safe, affordable, high-quality programs, provide the best Spanish language immersion in Latin America, improve the impact at every volunteer project site where our volunteers work, train and certify world-class ESL teachers, organize excellent internships, and help people see the world.
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I would like to mention Sean who encouraged me throughout my Practical Teaching week. I appreciate him sharing his confidence that I could finish the week well. I am greatful for his experience and guidance.
My experience with Maximo Nivel in the TEFL Certification Program was amazing. My instructor was so energetic, knowledgeable and caring, it made the whole course very doable. I would suggest this course to anyone thinking about teaching English as a foreign language, if you’re on the fence this will help get you into teaching!
The pre-administration was a little unclear, but everything else once we got to Costa Rica was amazing, the location was convenient, the activities on offer were numerous, the people were very friendly and the work was valuable, would Pura Vida again
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The staff were very supportive, available, and at hand to respond to inquiries and helped and addressed any issues I had quickly and proactively. The placement was interesting, informative and valuable. The spanish lessons were excellent and well delivered. The internship workshops equally so. Costa Rica is an exceptionally beautiful country and I thoroughly enjoyed experiencing and exploring it.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Costa Rica. The staff were consistently supportive, available and responsive. They were always at hand, ready to help and addressed and solved any issues I had quickly and effectively. The internship workshops and Spanish lessons were very interesting, helpful, well taught and delivered and I learned a lot. Chris (my spanish teacher) and Dakota (my workshop faciliator) are both very kknowledgeable about their subjects and helped me learn a lot. My work placement was well chosen and an invaluable experience from which I gained a lot. Costa Rica is an incredibly beautiful country and I am forever grateful to have experienced it with the support and help of the team at Maximo Nivel.
Total immersion into jungle living, surprise sightings of jungle animals, simple local food and beach patrols under star-filled skies, not to mention the wonder of seeing turtles laying their eggs and releasing tiny hatchlings into the ocean.
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Participating in the volunteer program for the sea turtle conservation program in Costa Rica with MÁXIMO NIVEL was an absolutely amazing experience. To be completely honest, you definitely need an adaptable mindset. You will be immersing yourself in authentic local contexts, adjusting to a different lifestyle, and stepping out of your comfort zone every single day.However, getting hands-on with marine conservation and taking part in night beach patrols, protecting nesting sites in the hatchery, collecting vital scientific data, and releasing hatchlings into the ocean makes every challenge completely worth it. That being said, Máximo Nivel's organization was fantastic from day one. The local team is incredibly professional, supportive, and always available to assist with anything you need—from orientation to daily project management. You feel safe, well-guided, and genuinely valued throughout the entire journey.
Maximo Nivel fue muy flexible a la hora de organizar el curso, adaptándose perfectamente al horario que tenía disponible durante el día. Además, me encantó poder participar en actividades con otros estudiantes en San José y vivir de cerca experiencias culturales, como las celebraciones y los desfiles del Día de la Independencia de Costa Rica. También recomiendo mucho el programa de tándem, ya que me permitió conocer y conectar con personas de Centroamérica y practicar el español en un ambiente muy agradable y auténtico.
Volunteering with Maximo Nivel was truly a blessing. I had the most amazing time immersing myself in the Costa Rican culture and helping others. The staff at Maximo Nivel were incredibly helpful, as well as the homestay.
once you travel to a place you never been you start to see how different people live, peoples cultura and you get to meet people and their experiences in life. eye open ending experience for sure and that’s why i’m coming back again.
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I spent 4 weeks in Cusco with Maximo Nivel. My level was high-intermediate. The school is outstanding and well organized, and my teachers were excellent. I learned a lot. My home stay went very well, with great food served for breakfast and dinner. I recommend this program for anyone, but I think it is most helpful for those who have at least a basic ability to speak and understand Spanish.
During my time in Guatemala, I had an incredible and truly memorable experience. Every day brought something new to learn, and I felt genuinely welcomed by the people around me. The work was engaging and gave me the chance to grow both personally and professionally. I also formed friendships that made each moment fun and fulfilling. I embraced the local culture and learned so much from the community, which made the experience even more meaningful. Looking back, it was a period full of growth, laughter, and valuable insights. I am deeply grateful for everything I was able to learn and experience there.
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When was I planning for my next 40 years wanted to embark on a multicultural adventure that would bring me new sights, smells and experiences. After 2 weeks of consulting with other outfit programs decided to enroll in the Maximo volunteer, Spanish immersion, and mini adventure program. I had limited time to maximize my journey, and was a bit overwhelmed. After communicating with Travis and his onboarding team i was confident that i chose the right outfit for my personal journey. Their team made it very easy to customize my experience and answered all my questions with details and confirmations. I was very excited to embark on this adventure. This was my first solo international adventure and the Maximo team had the experience i wanted to work with. After landing in Cusco, i was taken care of by their travel team and taken straight to my guest house. after that i was invited to meet with Gabby (the big cheese) and got to see the international office while meeting the remainder of their team of 50. i was welcomed with open arms and introduced to Reese, the field manager who met with my for an hour to discuss the plan of action for the next two weeks. after that meeting i was excited to start my journey. I could go on and on about the client services and attention to detail that this team provided to me, and i am forever grateful to have been apart of a program that cares for its clients, community and the overall contribution to the world. My 2028 goal is to become TEFL certified and will be using MAXIMO NIVEL for that next adventure. ¨To realize ones destiny is a persons only obligation!¨
Working at the dog shelter was such a rewarding experience. Being able to help with construction and renovation projects while also spending time around the dogs made the experience even more special. I really enjoyed being hands-on, learning new things, and seeing the difference our work made for the shelter and the animals.
I genuinely enjoyed my experience with the program. I felt safe, informed, and happy. I had all the information I needed to have a successful experience. My only wish is that I could have stayed longer. Thank you!
I took the hybrid TEFL course and I can attest that Maximo Nivel’s TEFL trainer Karen is incredible. Right away she makes you feel welcome and integrates you into the work. She is an excellent teacher and is truly there to support you. I couldn’t have asked for a better teacher. Thank you
After only 2 weeks I decided I wanted to live and work in CR. So I think this says it all. I’m now going from volunteer to employee. Maximo / my host family and my volunteer project have now become friends.
Great experience. This was my first time paying to participate in an overseas volunteering program, and I was afraid I would get scammed. No such occurrence. All arrangements from homestay to the work itself were exactly as described. My Peruvian family took great care of me and my work (medical volunteering in a local community clinic) was fulfilling. Maximo Nivel maintains a relationship with a reputable tourism company (American Inca Trail) that has an office in their same building, and I took full advantage of this for some amazing hiking trips. The services Maximo Nivel provides (arranging accommodation, placing you with host family, placing you in volunteer project, etc.) aren´t cheap and you might think you can do it cheaper on your own, but in my opinion, they´re worth the price you pay. Let them handle some things for you so you can focus on enjoying your experience abroad, not dealing with shady travel companies, lodging/logistics that aren´t what you were promised, etc.
Hola a todos, estuve una estancia muy bonita aquí en Arequipa y en las clases de Máximo Nivel. Sobre todo la clases de Dyana. Antes, tenía muchos profesores de español, pero, como ella da sus clases . . . ¡Era la mejorar de todas! Siempre alegre y sonriendo. El clima En la clase siempre era más familiar o como con amigos buenos. Así, nunca me senti como en una clase de escuela. Hacer las conversaciones y la gramatica no era trabajo . Pero tambien muy detallado Y muy bien explicado. Eran tres semanas que ya me hacen falta. Y tambien las clases de cocina con Nora. No solo la comida me gustó mucho. Ella lo hace de una manera. muy buena. Quizá, se podría dar a las estudiante estudiantes de cocina tambien dar un pequeño certificado que dice, que ahora tienen experiencias en la cocina peruana :-)
Dayana made learning Spanish fun. We laughed a lot and learned a lot. She was always encouraging and supportive. Dayana did a good job focusing on our errors with supplementary materials. Our group was very cohesive, in large part because Dayana brought us together. Best Spanish teacher ever!
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Read interviews from alumni or staff

Participated in 2018
AlumniSarah Danielle is a 24 years old who is currently a kindergarten teacher in California. She has worked with children ages 1-16 over the last six years...
After teaching English in Italy in 2016, I realized that I wanted to take this career path more seriously and invest in my education with a TEFL certification. I want to teach in a country that is different than America, where I can genuinely make a difference and help children to have more opportunities in their lives by speaking English and having me as their teacher.
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Interviewed in 2018
StaffKen and his partner Giovanna are the Founders of Maximo Nivel—the Intercultural Center of Latin America. Maximo Nivel is a locally-based, social enter...
Today on GoAbroad we bring you an interview with Ken. Our interview today jumps into some of the new and exciting developments at Maximo Nivel. See why going abroad with this dynamic organization could be the perfect fit for you!
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Participated in 2017
AlumniTyler is a primary care paramedic from Canada. He has traveled to many places before as a tourist, and this experience has given him a new vision of the world.
By volunteering with Maximo Nivel, I was able to volunteer and be immersed in the culture of the city I helped in. Traveling has always been a passion of mine, and this program allowed me to travel the world in an aspect most tourists never get to experience!
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Participated in 2017
AlumniJoy has two sons and three grandchildren. She is a retired social worker, but she spent the majority of her career helping people with disabilities, a...
I love to travel and felt I needed a purpose, and volunteering in any capacity certainly fulfills that need.
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Participated in 2016
AlumniCasandra is from Calgary, Canada. She hikes every weekend in Banff and Kananaskis. Casandra has traveled all over Canada and the United States, and ha...
The purpose for this trip was to "find" myself.
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Participated in 2016
AlumniYijia is a Chinese girl living alone in New Zealand. She is currently in university and planning for a master’s degree in teaching. Yijia has traveled...
I am always longing to live with a clear purpose, to make sure I am pursuing what I really want. So, I chose to go abroad to find myself. Before leaving, I was always not sure whether "I want to be a teacher" or "my mother wants me to be a teacher", whether "I want to live in New Zealand" or "my mother wants me to live in New Zealand". In my first year at uni, I have been getting to know that something you like might not be what you really like. Instead, you are just imagining "I like it. I like it." The only way to clarify my genuine enthusiasm and imaginary enthusiasm is to try to experience it by myself.
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Participated in 2015
AlumniCandace is a registered nurse from Canada. She is currently specializing in critical care in Calgary, Alberta. A few years ago, she took up solo trave...
I have always loved traveling. I've been to several counties within Asia, Europe, North America, as well as Australia and New Zealand. I was always moved most when I traveled to 3rd world countries and saw just how much they needed and yet how welcoming and happy they appeared. I wanted to go to South America, particularly Cusco, Peru. This time I decided it was time to give back. So I applied for a volunteer mission as a nurse, which is the profession I hold in Canada. As expected, there was a very strong need for nurses and health care workers in general so the process was short and sweet. I saved for my plane ticket and off I went.
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Participated in 2016
AlumniEmily is a 25 year old Spanish teacher from Ohio, where she has been teaching high school for almost three years. She studied abroad in Spain twice, b...
As a foreign language teacher, languages and travel are my passion. I try to travel as often as possible to improve my language skills and create new experiences I can share in my classroom.
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Participated in 2015
AlumniKatherine is an English student, born and raised in London, Ontario, Canada. She has a business diploma and two years of experience as an administrati...
I never did much when I was in high school. I wasn't exactly the ambitious type. Then when my Mom died, something changed. I wanted to step out of my comfort zone and see the world. All I did was work and study. Life is too short to be stuck behind a desk! At that point, I had made a list of places I wanted to visit and Machu Picchu was at the top of that list. Originally, a group of us were going to go; just a quick, week long trip. But that never happened, because there was too much work to be done, bills to pay, and never a good time.
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Participated in 2016
AlumniGerhard is an outdoor teacher from the beautiful country of South Africa. He studied communication science at the University of South Africa, and late...
I've always wanted to travel and see the world, but fear of the unknown kept me back and I slowly began to settle into a stable but monotonous job. Near the end of 2015, I realised that if I did not take action I could very likely live my whole life without ever having traveled abroad. After reading many motivational books and considering the pros and cons of my big decision over and over again, I finally decided to take a leap of faith and signed up for the TEFL training course, with the plan to work abroad immediately after completing the course.
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Participated in 2016
AlumniMaggie has dreamed of living in Latin America since she began university in 2010. Once she graduated and realized she was no longer bound, she wasted ...
I studied Latin American Studies and Spanish in University, so working abroad was always the goal in mind. I have also been interested in teaching English for years, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to blend all my interests.
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Participated in 2016
AlumniJennifer is from western New York. She has lived, worked, and traveled in Mexico, Brazil, and Peru. Currently, her master’s degree in speech, language...
Last year, my husband and I visited Cusco briefly as a part of guided tour of Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley. Over the four or five days we were there, I was thrilled to feel my Spanish-speaking muscles bulking up quickly. On a cab ride back from the train station at Ollantaytambo on our second to last day, I was practicing my Spanish with the cab driver. He mentioned that many Cusquenas and Peruvians want to learn English and take advantage of the area's booming tourism industry. In that dark and bumpy ride, I began planning my return trip! The clouds of ideas were forming. I wanted to learn to teach English as a Second Language, and teach it Cusco.
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Interviewed in 2016
StaffBorn in Puerto Rico, Josue moved to the Dominican Republic when he was four years old, later returning to Puerto Rico at the age of 13. After completi...
Since I was a child, I always enjoyed traveling. I grew up between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, traveling to several parts of the U.S. often. Also, during high school, I carried out several missions trips with churches to Colombia and Mexico. So, you can say the travel bug definitely bit me pretty early on, and it definitely infected all of me.
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Interviewed in 2016
StaffBorn in Colorado, Chelsey moved to Hawai’i when she was 17, spending many years on the island of Maui, which she considers her real home. When it was ...
I first came to Maximo Nivel as a volunteer in 2013. I worked in a childcare project at a preschool for about three months.
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Participated in 2015
AlumniJennifer is a senior, non-traditional student, at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee. She had never volunteered abroad before vent...
Why did you decide to apply for an international program?
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Participated in 2015
AlumniDavid is from Manchester, England. Although he earned a TEFL certificate in 2012, he has yet to have an opportunity to use it. David decided to travel...
I applied for this program because I wanted the opportunity to live in a different country, to be able to work there, and experience a new culture. I knew also that it would give me new skills and potentially lead to a new career in a rewarding profession.
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Participated in 2015
AlumniChristine is from Canada. She went to school for marketing and event management, but decided to take a year off from work and go traveling, which ende...
As my favourite saying goes, life is not meant to be lived in one place. I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and be immersed into a culture completely different from the one back home in Canada.
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Participated in 2015
AlumniGabriela is a 39 years old, worldly, Czech, living in Atlanta, Georgia. She is always eager to visit new places and learn about new cultures and sees ...
I traveled to many places, but as tourist only. I think I was just ready to take my experiences to a new level, really get to know the country as if I lived there. I traveled to India and China in the past, saw all the touristy places but didn't experience as much of their culture as I would like to. Volunteering in Guatemala was exactly what I was looking for: interaction with locals and living just like one of them.
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Participated in 2014
AlumniJordan grew up in Colorado and taught Spanish and ESL in public schools for a few years in Wyoming. She studied abroad in northern Chile in college, a...
I want to go to graduate school to pursue a PhD in Romance Languages. I have a degree in Spanish, but I knew I wanted to live abroad, immersed in the language and culture, and really perfect my Spanish skills before beginning such a high-caliber program. Having a degree in teaching ESL already, I knew I could get a job teaching English abroad without going through a TEFL/TESOL Certification program, but I wanted to go through an organization so that I would have a support system in my new home and could ease into life abroad with a group of peers who were doing the same type of thing as I was.
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Participated in 2014
AlumniRiley is your average 19 year old Engineer dropout from the Sunshine Coast, Australia. He’s hooked on travelling and doesn’t see himself returning to ...
I'd previously volunteered in Cambodia teaching English, and I was keen to head somewhere else and help out. I had previously quit university and was tired of working two jobs...so I booked a ticket to South America.
Show Full InterviewMaximo Nivel is a leading educational travel and study abroad organization. We offer a range of programs in Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Peru, including Volunteer Abroad, International Internships, Native Spanish Program, TEFL Certification, Adventure and Culture programs, and more. We offer comprehensive instruction and learning, academic credit for most programs, and a fun and professional environment. Founded in 2003, Maximo Nivel is a professional, ethical, and hardworking organization dedicated to providing a great experience to every student, participant, and client. We aim to deliver safe, affordable, high-quality programs, provide the best Spanish language immersion in Latin America, improve the impact at every volunteer project site where our volunteers work, train and certify world...

MAXIMO NIVEL

MAXIMO NIVEL
Maximo Nivel is a leading educational travel and study abroad organization. We offer a range of programs in Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Peru, including Volunteer Abroad, International Internships, Native Spanish Program, TEFL Certification, Adventure and Culture programs, and more. We offer comprehensive instruction and learning, academic credit for most programs, and a fun and professional environment. Founded in 2003, Maximo Nivel is a professional, ethical, and hardworking organization dedicated to providing a great experience to every student, participant, and client. We aim to deliver safe, affordable, high-quality programs, provide the best Spanish language immersion in Latin America, improve the impact at every volunteer project site where our volunteers work, train and certify world...

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