TEFL Courses & Certification in Guanacaste, Costa Rica

I went to Barcelona for my TEFL class in 2019 because I wanted to tour graduate schools to find the master's program of my dreams. I was nervous about traveling alone internationally for the first time and thought that it would be a waste to be in Spain for over a month with nothing to show for it when my trip came to an end. That's when I decided that getting TEFL certified would be a great way to spend my time in Barcelona between college visits; as a bonus, I could teach English on the side when my program starts. I didn't know what I was getting myself into. I nervously excited booked my flight and started my TEFL journey. When I arrived in Barcelona my TEFL advisors had already helped me set up housing with these two lovely girls who welcomed me and gave me tips about the city. One of the girls was even a graduate of ITA. She was so helpful and gave me advice on my coursework and even let me practice some of my skills with her. My TEFL instructors we wonderful people and even better teachers. I learned more in my one-month TEFL program than I did in most of my college courses. After my TEFL course ended I went back home to the States and continued working to save money for my master's program. I moved to Barcelona in 2020 during the middle of the pandemic and because of my TEFL certificate, I was able to teach English online to pay for my rent and other expenses for the next two years. During that time I met my partner who just so happened to also be a TEFL-certified English teacher. We bonded over our teaching experiences, traveling, and the fact that we both taught for the same online English tutoring platform. Currently, we live together and teach in Seoul, South Korea. Since moving here I have paid off half of my student debt from my Master's program and will have the other half paid for by the end of my contract. ITA has allowed me to meet wonderful people, graduate with a Master's, find the love of my life, live and teach in South Korea, and pay off all of my student debt. I will be forever grateful.

The recruiter for TEFL, Joe Yoon was knowledgeable of the program and offered excellent advice. His praise of the program was spot on. The content was everything I was looking for. It was practical, grounded in theory and research, and really left me feeling well-equipped to teach ESL. The material was clearly presented. The TEFL platform is extremely user-friendly. The course has checkboxes that automatically fill in when you have completed certain requirements so you always know where you are and what you still need to do. The instructor for my course, Micah Colbert, was very invested in the course. He communicated effectively, was always very quick to reply to emails and was both professional and approachable in his interactions. It was very evident that he not only knew a lot but was passionate about teaching English. I highly recommend ITA to anyone looking to be equipped as an ESOL/TEFL teacher.