Living and Teaching in Palin, Guatemala: Graduate Feature - Costa Rica TEFL - Earn your TEFL certification

Living and Teaching in Palin, Guatemala: Graduate Feature

January 10, 2018

Costa Rica TEFL graduate Johnson Barrie has been putting his TEFL certificate to great use. Johnson graduated from Costa Rica TEFL in May of 2016. As of March 2017 he has been teaching in Palin, Guatemala while also traveling around Central and South America.

Palin is a vibrant town with an true Guatemalan vibe. Johnson enjoys how few tourists occupy the town, leaving room for an authentic Guatemalan experience. The streets are full of people chatting among one another, as well as selling food and household goods. Palin is about 30 minutes south of the capital, Guatemala City, and is surrounded by 3 volcanoes, 2 of which are active.

Johnson teaches English at a school called Ok English Academy. He instructs people ranging anywhere in age from 12-60. The school provided him a book to work off of, but he still has freedom to practice conversations and play games that he learned in TEFL. “Costa Rica TEFL gave me confidence to stand up in front of a class of students and give a full and interesting class. The activities I was taught are amazing,” Johnson says.

On the weekends, Johnson enjoys going hiking in the mountains or volcanoes. He also can take a bus to visit other cities and bordering countries. He told us that Antigua is a fun place to be on the weekends. Since gaining his TEFL certificate, Johnson has also traveled to Colombia, Panama, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Mexico and Peru.

Johnson doesn’t plan to stop using his TEFL certificate after Guatemala either. He is heading off to Colombia early this new year to continue his teaching adventures. Thanks to Costa Rica TEFL, Johnson can has the freedom to choose any country in the world to live and teach in.

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