Location
  • Costa Rica
    • Samara Beach
Length
52+ weeks
Classroom Audience
Early Childhood Middle School High School Adults

Program Details

Classroom Audience
Early Childhood Middle School High School Adults
Age Min.
18
Age Max
80

Pricing

Salary / Benefits
Earn between $800 - $1300 USD per month & start a full-time paid teaching placement upon completion of your TEFL course. Or, you can take your internationally recognised certification to many other countries instead and teach and travel all over the world.
Starting Price
4545
Price Details
A small deposit is all that’s required to get started and assigned a Trip Coordinator. Pay your balance off with a flexible payment plan that suits you.

Certified TEFL course
Optional job interviews
Dedicated Trip Coordinator
Pre-Departure Guide
Trip visa guidance
Personal Travel Concierge
Comfortable accommodation
Private airport transfer
Language lessons & beach yoga
Rainforest zipline
Sea life experience
Interview preparation
Permanent accommodation support
Certificate of completion
Ongoing local team support
24/7 Global Emergency Line
gWorld access
Social
Global Academy
Marketplace deals
$250 off your next trip
What's Not Included (Extra)

Flights, travel insurance, visa, criminal background check, souvenirs & spending money.

Feb 21, 2023
Jun 18, 2020
18 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Costa Rica is for nature lovers. With up to 25% of the land being protected in parks and reserves – boasting some of the most biodiverse flora and fauna on the planet – you’ll have endless opportunities to explore this natural beauty.

If it’s beaches you’re after Costa Rica has coastlines on the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea. You can choose between idyllic, white-sand beaches or rugged, black-sand coves.

Volcanoes – both active and dormant – invite you to hike up and explore the cloud forests at their peaks.

Costa Rica is a special place on Earth and it’s no wonder many travellers never end up leaving.

This Teach English trip is located in Playa Samara, one of the most popular destinations for travellers and expats alike. You’ll stay in a private, air-conditioned hotel room with breakfast included during your 4-week TEFL course.

This is the complete package for becoming a TEFL teacher in Costa Rica.

Video and Photos

Program Highlights

  • You’ll get your TEFL certificate from an industry leader, leaving you more than prepared to teach your class.
  • Optional paid placement in Costa Rica, or take your qualification to teach anywhere in the world.
  • Permanent accommodation support. If your teaching job doesn’t provide accommodation, our team will help you find your new home close to your school or institute.
  • Weekly Spanish lessons and beach yoga with an instructor during your TEFL course.
  • Rainforest zipline. Is there a better way to experience the rainforest than zipping through the canopy on a zipline? You’ll find out on the zipline experience included in your trip.

Program Reviews

4.00 Rating
based on 2 reviews
  • 5 rating 50%
  • 4 rating 0%
  • 3 rating 50%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Benefits 4
  • Support 3.5
  • Fun 4
  • Facilities 3.5
  • Safety 4
Showing 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
Default avatar
Keira
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Becoming a teacher in Playa Samãra!

I’ve always wanted to become an English teacher and work abroad to both give and gain cultural experience, so when I saw that there was a new trip to do this in Costa Rica I jumped at the opportunity and left almost 3 months later.
Playa Samara is a small beach town on the Pacific coast. There’s horses, surfers, jungles, islands... so many beautiful things to see that is unique to the country. The accomodation is pretty good, air conditioning, private bathroom, double bed. Literally 2 minutes from the beach. The hotel even has different events on each night (karaoke, pool party, etc). AND you stay with everyone else on the course! So you’ve always got someone there.
The TEFL program itself was SO. MUCH. FUN. The teachers are engaging, they provide so much help and they make it fun. Of course though, you are gaining a certificate so there definitely are some tough times and long hours... but worth it.
The social scene is amazing! The Spanish culture is incredible and so open and kind. Most of the bars will have party nights and it gives you the opportunity to get to know the locals.
My group and I took a few trips on the weekend in hire cars which was incredible and got to see other parts of Costa Rica.

I 100% would recommend this trip to anyone who likes the beach, new cultures, animals, jungles and can party! (Just a reminder it’s not a 5* location... but that’s what makes it such a standout. You really do experience life in a different way).

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
My group and I took a trip to Arenal where we booked a volcano tour. Our guide “jungle man” took us to the hanging bridges, waterfalls and pastels the volcano Arenal. On this day trip we saw sloths, poison dart frogs, snakes, tucans, secret waterfalls, he taught us how to find our own mud masks and lastly he found a secret hot spring where we all sat and drank caceque. BEST DAY EVER
29 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
leanne
3/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Aliarse Volunteer Teaching in Punterenas

I completed my TEFL course in Samara (which was an incredibly intense but worthwhile course) and was based for that month in Playa Samara. Absolutely loved that little beach-town but because of the hours required with the course didn't really get the time to enjoy it. I took the option to volunteer in Punterenas for a short term contract with the Government run program called Aliarse, because I was only staying for a total of 6 months and most other contracts were too long. The induction was a little rushed and instead of being 3 days was squashed into one day. Derek the leader was very thorough but was under the pump to get teachers out to a couple of locations. He was incredibly supportive and encouraging throughout.
On arriving in Punterenas I was met by the social worker and a couple of students and then taken to my host family house. It was a long hot trip on a bus with no air conditioner but I didn't mind mixing it among the locals. My Host family were truly beautiful and included me in a couple of social activities including a weekend away. Even though I spoke no Spanish I enjoyed the time with them.
The house they lived in was very humble and my actual room had the bare minimum. No air conditioner, just a wall fan, a very small desk and chair and a single bed. Unfortunately there was no outdoor area to relax and no real lounge room, so once home of an evening I was pretty much confined to my room other than for the family dinner. I also shared a bathroom with the daughter which was very tiny. The food however was lovely!!
The University itself was fairly minimal also and consisted of a about 5 classrooms and a toilet. There was no staff room so I felt a little isolated from the other teachers, who were all male while I was there. To be honest I found the curriculum to be quite dry and unlike the way I had been taught to teach during the TEFL training. I spent most evenings trying to adapt the curriculum to make it more enjoyable but in the end I gave up and just taught it as it was presented.
The class were adults (between 18 and maybe 30) and were initially hard to win over but I enjoyed teaching them and felt like I made a difference, which was a great feeling. I struggled with clear communications with the social worker and would often become stressed because the wrong pages were photocopied etc and then had to wing it for a couple of hours until she was able to get to the printers to do the right ones. She was a lovely lady and tried her hardest to make things work for me.
The other staff were supportive but I was hoping they would be more social and inclined to go out occasionally. Luckily another person with similar expectations arrived and we were able to organise a couple of weekend trips away which made the time spent there much more fun.
While I haven't painted a pretty picture of some aspects of my work and home-life in Puntarenas, I am extremely happy I went there and often think about the people I met and the things I experienced during that short contract. Despite being challenging at times I will always remember how the people enjoyed the small things in life and how devoted they were to their families. Most of the people I taught lived in varying degrees of poverty and lacked modern appliances and technology which I have come to expect in my life and yet they managed to make the most out of everyday. I would highly recommend taking on something like this, but just be prepared for things to be different to what you might expect.

What would you improve about this program?
Maybe the accommodation options could be improved as I lived about 45 minutes from the school but depending on traffic that could push out to an hour or more. Social get togethers to welcome new staff might help also.
30 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers

All trip inclusions and costs are listed here: https://l.gwat.co/kxv9x