My Experience After Graduating from Costa Rica TEFL
By: Ben Wilton
After graduating from the Costa Rica TEFL program in August of 2012, I worked
for one year at Idioma Internacional in San Jose. During that year, I commuted to
various businesses around San Jose and taught Costa Rican professionals. I also got
the experience of teaching a weekly high school class at a nearby “colegio.” During my
free time I traveled around Costa Rica, discovering the magnificent beaches and lush
rain forests that Costa Rica is renowned for. Back in the city, I studied Spanish, met
new friends, and busked in “El Centro” with my roommate, Rob. As a guitar player and
vocalist, playing in the streets was a great way to practice and meet other San Jose
street musicians. I also often incorporated music and singing into the classroom. In
February of 2013, I began volunteering for a program called “Alpacri.” This program
was started by two Nicaraguan friends of mine living in Costa Rica. The program gave
Nicaraguan immigrants living in San Jose a chance to gather on a weekly basis to learn
English, make friends, and celebrate their rich culture through dance, poetry, music,
and fellowship. I volunteered my time to teach them English and English songs.
After a wonderful year in Costa Rica working for Idioma Internacional, I thought
about what would be next on the horizon. I was offered a position at Westgate
Corporation in Japan. I decided to take the job and flew to the other side of the world to
begin a whole new chapter of my international adventures. Through Westgate, I
worked at two Universities: Toyo University in Kawagoe in the Fall of 2013, and Tokyo
University of Technology in Kamata in the Spring of 2014. Working with University
students gave me new teaching experiences, and I was rewarded by seeing the
students‘ progress throughout the semester. During my free time I explored the bustling
city life of Tokyo, and journeyed around the country to visit shrines and temples, hike,
and soak up hot springs or “onsens.” I also continued playing my guitar and singing in
the classroom, and have performed at a few, small concerts with a group of jazz
musicians known as “Niza Jazz.” After saving up some money teaching in Japan, I was
able to take a one month trip to Europe during the summer of 2014. My journey in
Japan continues as I am currently teaching at Oberlin University. Who knows where my
next adventure may lie!
