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If you have an adventurous spirit, want to experience a new way of living, and would like to explore teaching, this is your lucky day. In Costa Rica we are looking for you.

“Leave your comfort zone”

“Explore the world”

“Collect experiences, not things”

These are just a few of the many phrases you have likely heard or seen on your social media feeds. Are they cliché? No doubt. But are they true? Well, that’s up to you. Clichés are clichés because they’re true; at least in part. 

Here’s another clichéd expression: “Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” I’m not going to lie — work is work. But do you enjoy teaching and helping others? Do you like helping someone either get a new job or advance in their chosen professional field? Or, do you have a nudging feeling or impulse that it’s time to shake up your life, to explore, or to just go? Then teaching abroad may be for you. Working in a lovely location with only the limits you place on yourself allows you to love your work. Leaving your comfort zone is one of the most valuable experiences you can have in this short life. This process demands that you stretch and grow as a person and professional. I am originally from Texas, USA and I made the decision to leave my comfort zone and move to Costa Rica.

My experience in Costa Rica so far

I’ve been here for about a year and a half and I have absolutely no regrets. I invite you to brew yourself a cup of the best coffee (which by the way, comes from Costa Rica) and get to know a little more about life under this small piece of sky with beautiful beaches, cloud forests, and volcanoes galore.

Because of Costa Rica’s microclimates and biodiversity, you can explore  almost any environment your heart desires within a few hours of the bustling capital of San Jose, with streets that haven’t seen an army since 1949. These are just a few photos of some of my local adventures. Turns out it truly is like teaching in paradise!

Why did I decide to live in Costa Rica?

One of the deciding factors for my decision to come to Costa Rica was based on work opportunities and finding ways to give back to the community, I wanted to find a place to utilize and grow my teaching skills while simultaneously helping others. During my time in this incredible country, I have been able to work with Idioma Internacional. Idioma teaches business English to a variety of companies, some of which are known locally and others that are internationally recognized. We also work in alliance with various Costa Rican government programs to teach scholarship students who are either unemployed or are looking to advance their career. This is one of my favorite things that Idioma Internacional does!  

And as for my personal opinion on why I live in Costa Rica, and why I consider is like teaching in Paradise well, outside of working with a great company like Idioma Internacional, living in Costa Rica is synonymous with living in a tropical or alpine paradise. There are microclimates that vary immensely based on elevation and location within the region. Interestingly, living in the tropics can make the sun a variable factor throughout the country. 

The tropical climate guarantees a new experience each season. In fact, there are only two: dry and rainy, predicting the presence or absence of rain is impossible especially with microclimates throughout the country. The general recommendation that never fails is: carry an umbrella or rain poncho everywhere you go. I also find it helpful to always carry some sort of dry bag with me for any electronics or things I don’t want to drown in the deluges of the rainy season. 

Costa Rican sunset

Why Costa Rica and not another destination?

The natural beauty of this magical country attracts tourists and creates a wonderful place for independent workers and digital nomads to set up shop. One advantage is the connectivity. Telephone and internet are accessible throughout the country which easily facilitates remote work. Can you imagine working on the beach or in the midst of the rainforest? There are also internet co-working spaces and cafes readily accessible in the cities.

Whether you prefer to drive or use public transport, in terms of distances, it’s fairly short as there are public transport services and roads throughout the country. Compared to other countries in Central and South America, Costa Rica has one of the best road systems I’ve seen. (And I’ve seen some “roads” that don’t deserve the name in other countries.) If you are looking to explore nature, ecotourism companies can take you wherever you want. However, it is usually cheaper to organize it yourself. Sometimes you can find companies that include meals and honestly, with the gas prices right now, you need to shop around and analyze which option would be the best for you and your budget. 

In the ever-growing global community, there are now so many ways to explore the world. Maybe you’ve already started your journey or maybe you are in the midst of planning it now. The truth is that teaching in Costa Rica is one of the best things you can do. At Idioma Internacional, talented native English speakers are welcome teach in paradise, explore all that this land has to offer, as well as participate in the socio-economic growth of the country and the development of the entire region.

Signing off from captivating Costa Rica, 

Lilly G.

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Disclaimer: Teachers were asked to write about their own personal experience with online/ in-country teaching with Idioma Internacional. This blog post contains the teacher’s own personal thoughts and opinions, and freely expressed views on their part.

Someone once said that change is the only constant in life. That same someone may also argue that this has been particularly true since March 2020.

Due to the pandemic there has been a total shift from “normal life” to the new normal: a virtual life. The world has changed and is changing. Many lives have been lost. Travel plans have been cancelled and there is uncertainty about even when some may be able to see and hug their loved ones again. 

On top of this, there is a world economy that has been severely impacted. Service and travel industries have been crushed. Unemployment rates are skyrocketing. When will it get better? Can it get better? 

Costa Rica’s answer to these questions: sí se puede!

Apart from being an absolutely stunning country, from its breathtaking landscapes to its warm, diverse citizens to its always freshly prepared cuisine, Costa Rica is a country that has made serious commitments to its values.

Costa Rica is committed to peace. Costa Rica is committed to working hard. Costa Rica is committed to caring for its natural resources, both flora and fauna alike. And holding it close as a national value, Costa Rica is committed to education.

At Idioma Internacional, we are so truly honored to be partnering with Costa Rica and its public and private entities in order to help bring this commitment to education to fruition for residents and citizens of this country, regardless of pandemics or other setbacks that may come.

In May 2020, with the pandemic and uncertainty still quite fresh and ever-unfolding, the Costa Rican government was still dedicated to providing hundreds of scholarships to people in an effort to educate them in English and assist them in gaining the skills to gain employment. Costa Rica was steadfastly focused on growth and so was Idioma Internacional. Together, we joined forces to combat uncertainty, combat a pandemic, and combat unemployment by taking actions to put into practice the commitment to education and language skills aimed at helping people and their families learn, become gainfully employed, and keep moving forward. 

Administrative staff in a planning meeting

Months later in August, and further into more uncertainty and a continued pandemic, the government once again showed its commitment to education and to its citizens and residents, approving hundreds of scholarships that will help them gain language skills that can translate into employment opportunities. With a quality team of teachers from around the globe, from Africa, Europe, and Asia to the Americas, Idioma Internacional was once again proud to partner with the labor ministry in its social and economic efforts to keep Costa Rica growing and moving forward.

Idioma teachers during a professional development workshop

As many of our students are now set to graduate after their intensive, months-long virtual English courses with Idioma Internacional, we are now partnering with the private sector via companies like Amazon, Snap Finance, Equifax and more, in order to host virtual job fairs for our graduating students in a concerted effort to allow companies exposure to our talented groups of graduates, allow our graduates to gain direct access to hiring teams from companies and help to complete the cycle and efforts of Costa Rica and its commitment to education.

And Costa Rica will soon be at it again! Despite a pandemic with still no end in sight, Costa Rica is poised to continue to invest in education and continue to invest in its people with a focus on growth and gaining employment. And Idioma Internacional is proudly poised to commit once again to helping the country advance, and to helping all of its residents and citizens gain the language skills they need in order to keep moving forward with their own personal and professional growth. 

-Brendan Mulhall