We are one of the original TEFL/TESOL courses in Costa Rica and well-known locally and globally for our quality of TESOL training. Our graduates have been recognized for their extensive knowledge and know-how in the TEFL classroom. We guarantee you will leave our course fully prepared to successfully teach on your own in any TEFL environment. Our course is hands-on, intensive and offers the perfect balance of training, practice teaching, and immersion in Costa Rican culture and Spanish.
Course Schedule
Monday to Friday 10:30 am to 7:30 pm, with breaks for lunch and beach walks throughout the day. Classes are for 4 weeks, 40 hours per week for a total of 160 hours. Mornings are free for beach walks, exploring the local flora and fauna or enjoying our free beach yoga and Spanish classes.
Course content
Each trainee must complete 160 contact hours in order to receive our Internationally Accredited Costa Rica TESOL/TEFL certificate. Trainees will complete hands-on training in classroom management (addressing such topics as: cultural differences/discipline in the ELL classroom/mixed-level classes/group/pair work, learning styles and more), lesson planning, creating engaging activities for all learners, how to create a communicative classroom, creating fun and effective lessons from nothing, music in the ESL classroom, how to get your students talking, how to teach grammar effectively, how to teach the four skills effectively, how to teach pronunciation, how to teach English online, teaching private and/or ESP classes and more! Our trainees also enjoy free Spanish classes so they are able to experience the language classroom from all sides.
Job placement assistance begins week 2 of the course and is Life-long! Most of our trainees are placed during the course or shortly thereafter. Trainees also have the opportunity to meet with other local teachers to discuss their experiences teaching abroad and automatically access our network of TEFL graduates around the globe.
Evaluation Process
Trainees will be evaluated throughout the course on their general performance in class, lesson plans, application of methodologies and feedback, and final observed teaching hours. Trainees receive both written and oral feedback for each class they teach as well as an overall performance evaluation at the time of the cumulative final exam. Teachers are given a Pass A, Pass B, Pass or Fail grade. Please note that we have never failed a student, we help you throughout the process and would assist you before allowing you to fail.
Over the four weeks, trainees will create a portfolio containing all of the lesson plans and materials as well as the observation forms and final test to be used in the interview process and future ESL/EFL classroom. Our Costa Rica TEFL © textbook and didactic materials are all included in the course.
Activities in Samara and Costa Rica
There are many activities to do around Playa Sámara – some examples are dance classes, cooking classes, beach yoga and fitness classes, surfing, mountain biking jungle tours or just lounge on the beach! Local tour options include: River Kayaking, Ocean Kayaking + Snorkeling at Isla Chora, Dolphin/Whale Watching + Snorkeling, Turtle Tour, Horseback Riding, River or Ocean Stand Up Paddleboard, Sunset Boat Tour. Other half or full day tours to areas around the country: Crocodile Safari + Bird Watching in Palo Verde National Park, Rio Celeste, Rincon de la Vieja which includes horseback riding, canopy /zip line, rappelling, tubing and hot springs, Arenal Volcano + Hot Springs, Monteverde Cloud Forest, Barra Honda National Park Hiking and Caves, or Guaitil Artisan Village.
Volunteer Opportunities
Costa Rica has many volunteer opportunities! We have had several of our students go on to participate in and really enjoy some of the following:
Work Exchange:
Sarapiquí Conservation Learning Center
Volunteer Opportunities:
http://www.asociacioncrear.org: CREAR: a local non-profit organization for the children of Samara and the surrounding areas. Many of our TEFL graduates are currently volunteering with CREAR and are more than happy to share their experiences. Contact us for more details.