Staff Testimonials

I came to Costa Rica to experience a new culture, to work on my Spanish, and to enjoy the beach and the rainforest.
I enjoyed working at the office and collaborating with my co-workers. The academic directors and veteran teachers were always helpful and supportive. We had various company retreats, training sessions, and workshops throughout the year. These activities really helped us all become better teachers, and brought us closer to become a better team and good friends.

I learned how to plan a well crafted lesson, how to teach effectively, how to create a positive learning atmosphere, and how to motivate my students. I learned how to incorporate media into the classroom and how to make class fun. I learned what it takes to really be a good teacher, and became a good teacher during my time with Idioma.

I enjoyed living and exploring San José. I also studied and practiced Spanish. I performed music in “el centro” and played a few gigs. Once or twice a month, I got on a bus and went to the beach for the day or sometimes for the weekend. I was able to visit many different parts of Costa Rica. I got to explore beaches, rainforests, and volcanoes. I even made a few trips to Nicaragua and one to Panama.

After my time at Idioma, I went on to work for Westgate in Japan. I taught English to university students for 2 years. I’m currently back in the U.S. now, and have just recently led three week-long ESL programs with GPI US, a program for Japanese students visiting the U.S.

Idioma has helped me get numerous jobs after my time working with them. Thanks in part to my experience with Idioma, I have been able to get good paying, teaching jobs both abroad and in the U.S.. They have been great when it comes to writing recommendations for me on several different occasions. People are always impressed when I tell them about my experience in Costa Rica working with Idioma.

I came to work at Idioma because I was really enticed by the mentor program. I didn’t have much teaching experience and the idea of someone there guiding me really appealed to me. Aside from that, Costa Rica really appealed to me because it didn’t have an army and was huge into ecotourism. It also was a quick and relatively inexpensive flight home in case I needed to get home for anything important

I thought that working at Idioma was challenging at first, but came to be a very rewarding experience by the end. I also think the challenges I faced were not so much a fault of Idioma, but rather an adjustment to teaching itself. They helped me get settled into daily life in Costa Rica, which I think would have been more difficult without the support of the staff there.

I really learned a lot about English from a technical perspective, which I enjoyed being a language nerd. I also learned a lot about Costa Rica through my interactions with my students and the staff.

The teaching, like I mentioned before, was difficult at first, but I got the hang of it after a few months. The students, however, were awesome from the start. My students were excited to learn and to get to know me and my experiences, and I was in turn excited to teach and to get to know them.
I traveled A LOT in my free time. I would say I spent at least two weekends a month somewhere outside of San Jose. Traveling in your free time makes the entire experience, no matter how difficult, rewarding. I also participated in an exchange, which I am thankful I did to this day.

After Idioma, I have gone on to be a member of Teach For America. I am currently a high school Spanish teacher through the program.

I would say a large factor in my acceptance into Teach For America was my time at Idioma. Thanks for the recommendations!

I wanted to work in a country that was beautiful and culturally interesting. Costa Rica was an easy choice, as was Idioma.

I can’t say enough about my experience with Idioma! The company provided excellent teacher training, and my supervisors were always accessible, encouraging, and willing to help with any questions or problems. The work environment was team-like and we all went on company-sponsored team-building retreats to some really amazing places around San Jose. I felt supported not only in my teacher training, but also in all aspects of my move abroad – Idioma helped me find housing, learn how to get around on the buses, open a bank account, and even find a Spanish teacher.

When I got to Costa Rica, I had never taught a class before. I was VERY nervous when I arrived. Through training, a mentor program for new teachers, an ongoing professional development, Idioma taught me how to be a teacher. I’ve heard about “trail-by-fire” first teaching jobs, and this was not one of them. I felt prepared and supported every step of the way.

I was able to work with adults and high school students. The adults are of course are serious students, very dedicated to their studies. The younger students are a lot of fun, and teaching them allowed me to be really creative. It’s amazing how much you can teach while also playing games and having fun! I also taught several online classes, and this format gave me experience in a very modern instructional modality.

You can go anywhere in Costa Rica on the buses, usually for just a few dollars, and whenever I had time off, I tried to go somewhere different. I loved the west coast – Playa Jaco is just a short bus ride away, perfect for a day trip, and the Osa Peninsula is magical and has ALL the animals. But Puerto Viejo on the east coast was my favorite. When you go there, you rent a bike and ride up and down the coast to the different beaches, stopping to snorkel, admire a sloth, eat some beans and rice with shaved coconut. It’s where I’m going to retire!

When I came back to the U.S., I got a job teaching ESL at a university language institute. I’ve been teaching here for a few years now, and I’m also working on a master’s in TESOL. I’m excited to hurry up and finish and embark on my next adventure teaching abroad! Brendan was kind enough to write me a very detailed, personalized letter of recommendation to my graduate program – and I was accepted!

When I was offered an interview with Idioma, I was quite impressed by the professionalism of the staff and the program. I knew that Idioma was a reputable company and I was confident that by working for Idioma I would obtain skills and experience that would open many doors for my future.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time working for Idioma. I met some amazing people (both students and colleagues) and was given a supportive environment to thrive as a teacher.

I learned a lot of self-discipline and time management working for Idioma. I feel like the experience led me to become a more confident, autonomous professional.

Working with the students was by far the best part of working for Idioma. The majority of their clientele are working professionals that truly want to learn English. For this reason, the students are fun, driven, and eager to learn!

Since I didn’t have to work weekends, I was able to travel quite frequently. San Jose is a very convenient location to be based out of because there are buses there that access the entire country! When I wasn’t off sightseeing in a new city, I would often spend my free time hanging out with fellow Idioma teachers.

After Idioma I continued to work in academic settings but providing mental health support. I worked as a rehabilitation specialist in classroom for emotionally disturbed students. I then went on to pursue a career in Marriage and Family Therapy. I currently work in a Therapeutic Learning Classroom at a high school and a middle school.

I came to Costa Rica in my mid-twenties, having worked in the U.S. for a few years, but wanting to experience something completely different before I got “too settled” in my life. Costa Rica was a good first place to teach abroad because there’s such diversity to explore in such a relatively small country, it was not too far from home. Costa Rica was a good stretch for me, and pushed me into new territory, without overwhelming me, as I had a job lined up that would pay me enough to cover costs of living. I was extremely happy with my choice to pick Costa Rica and Idioma.

I gave my best efforts, time, and passion to Idioma, and in return got out exactly what I wanted–a professional workplace that taught me about the field and made me good at my job; enough money and time to explore a new country known for its laid-back vibe, beautiful beaches, rugged mountains, and undeveloped rainforest; and some friends with whom to do so.

I’ve taught many places and Idioma has one of the best teacher training programs I’ve been a part of. It is designed to make sure employees really know their stuff.The classroom culture and students were great, as you can expect working with older teenagers and adults. Expectations are high and clearly stated by Idioma, but I was able to meet these expectations with the support from the staff at Idioma.

The public transportation system in Costa Rica is cheap, and so is finding a hostel, so traveling around is affordable and easy. I tried to go someplace new outside of the GAM (Grand Metropolitan Area) at least once a month. Then, on my other days off, I would stay closer to San Jose, going to bars for cheap beers, walking the downtown markets, attending cultural festivals, etc.

Before and after Idioma, I worked in teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. The experience of living abroad and working for a professional company, such as Idioma, is invaluable and will contribute to any future career. But if you are open to the idea of future teaching, even in other countries after Costa Rica, Idioma gives you a great teaching foundation that you won’t always get with other companies.

Idioma has been great about writing me a recommendation for grad school as well as using as a reference for jobs I got subsequently. I appreciate the time they have given to support me, post Idioma.

I wanted to thank Idioma Internacional for getting me started on the marketing path. When I left for Costa Rica I had no real idea what to do with myself career-wise but after my time working there I was able to find something that I not only like, but am good at.

A lot has happened since I was in Costa Rica. Studying in France has been great, so far I am among the top 3 students in the MBA program and am really enjoying it. The experience I had working in Costa Rica has been a huge asset to me – the many roles I played while working for Idioma has helped me put what I’ve learned into perspective. Teaching people in a corporate environment also gave me the confidence to really take the reins and lead groups, a skill which has served me very well since September.

I am currently doing a Digital Marketing internship in Frankfurt, Germany. I’ve learned so much working here and I feel like I’m only beginning to scratch the surface.

I hope to be back in Costa Rica for a visit after I graduate. Thanks again for helping me make the best out of my 17 months in Costa Rica. I will never forget the experience.