Home / Tefl residential courses / Guatemala / La Antigua

Our course takes place in the city of La Antigua, a thriving former capital popular with both tourist and locals alike. La Antigua is famous for its well preserved spanish colonial buildings and fascinating ruins and has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city is situated 1,500 metres (5,000 feet) above sea level in the central highlands of Guatemala. This location makes La Antigua the perfect place for exploring the wider area, with the Pacific coast, Tikal and Lake Atitlan just a few hours away. During your course you will receive high quality instruction from our experienced teacher trainers following rigorous academic standards. On graduation you will receive an internationally recognised tefl certificate and our lifetime employment assistance.

La Antigua has an abundance of restaurants as well as small shops and boutiques selling a wide range of products including souvenirs, ceramics, antiques, textiles and much more. In the city centre and surrounding villages you will find a number of handicraft markets as well as open-air markets selling locally produced items. Other activities include zip lining, weekend treks of active volcanoes, or visits to local coffee plantations. Earning your TEFL certificate with us in Guatemala gives you the opportunity to work almost anywhere in the world but with all that Guatemala and La Antigua have to offer, you may find you never want to leave.

Taking your TEFL course with us in La Antigua, Guatemala means you will be training in well-equipped classrooms and completing your teaching practice sessions with real English language students. The school is in a Spanish colonial building with modern facilities complementing the historic atmosphere of the location. The area around the school has an interesting assortment of historic buildings and ruins that can be seen on your morning walk to the centre.

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The School

TEFL Training Centre

TEFL Training Centre Located in a historic Spanish colonial building with classrooms looking out over a central garden, ITTT’s La Antigua training is a wonderful place to study for your TEFL certification. The school’s main TEFL classroom is on the second floor of the building with a beautiful covered patio offering fantastic views of the city and Agua Volcano. There is a small café for refreshments as well as large common areas and a computer lounge with internet access and free Wi-Fi. The computer lounge and Wi-Fi are available for use by trainees at the school seven days per week. There are also several restaurants and banks in the area surrounding the school.

Accommodation

Our Guatemala TEFL course has several accommodation options available for trainees including home stays, private apartments and hostels. The home stay accommodation can be arranged by our training centre in Guatemala if notified in advance. This option includes a private bedroom in the home of a local family in La Antigua, as well as breakfast and dinner served seven days per week. Choosing a home stay will not only allow you to practice your Spanish skills but also give you an authentic experience of Guatemalan culture. Please note that the home stay option needs to be booked at least one month in advance of your course start date.

Our other accommodation options include local hotels, hostels and private apartments. Once your place on our TEFL course has been confirmed, we will send you further information regarding the accommodation options that are available.

Course dates

2025

• 20 January 2025 - 14 February
• 17 February 2025 - 14 March
• 19 March 2025 - 15 April
• 21 April 2025 - 16 May
• 19 May 2025 - 13 June
• 18 June 2025 - 15 July
• 21 July 2025 - 15 August
• 20 August 2025 - 16 September
• 22 September 2025 - 17 October
• 22 October 2025 - 18 November
• 24 November 2025 - 19 December

Course fees

The total price is divided into: deposit and balance.

The deposit may be paid via a) credit card b) Paypal c) wire transfer d) Western Union.

The balance of the course fee must be paid by cash, PayPal or bank transfer directly to the training center on the first day of the course.

 

Deposit
US$ 600

to be paid in advance

+

Balance
US$ 695

to be paid on arrival

Accomodation Fees

The accommodation fees are not part of the course price and you are free to choose whichever accommodation option you prefer.

If you choose to use our accommodation, it should be paid for either by cash, PayPal or bank transfer directly to the school at the start of the course.

and up
US$ 665

(to be paid on arrival)

Shared room

and up
US$ 795

(to be paid on arrival)

Private apartment

and up
US$ 570

(to be paid on arrival)

Host family, private room, two meals (breakfast and dinner)

Frequently Asked Questions

• What are my payment options?

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  Deposits for the course must be paid directly to our administrative centre. Credit/debit card payments are the fastest and cheapest ways to pay, but payments via Western Union, PayPal and bank transfer are also accepted. While there is not a deadline for making your deposit payment, courses can fill up quickly and your place on the course will only be reserved once the deposit has been paid.

  After the deposit has been paid, you will receive an email with an informational packet that provides detailed information about the course and Guatemala itself. The balance of your course fees is payable in cash, by credit/debit card or via PayPal and is due before your course begins. Once you have been in touch with the Guatemala centre and have made your accommodation and course package selections, an invoice will be emailed to you with additional payment instructions.

  Please read through the welcome information that will be sent to you from the Guatemala centre carefully so you are aware of what materials you will need to bring with you and what services may or may not be available at our overseas centre.

• What are my accommodation options?

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  Our recommended accommodation option for the course is to stay with a local family. The home stay option provides you with an authentic experience of life in Guatemala with a friendly local family. You will have a private room in the family home and delicious meals will be served for breakfast and dinner daily. The families have all been chosen for their warmth and desire to host foreign students and are located within a 10-25 minute walk or a 5-15 minute taxi ride away from the TEFL school. The cost of this option is US$ 545.

  Our second accommodation option is a private apartment which can be rented at a cost of US$ 600 in 2015, or US$ 695 in 2016.

  Course accommodation is available starting the day before the first day of the course through to the day after the last day of the course. If you choose to arrive before or stay after the course, you may do so based on availability and at an extra cost of US$ 25 per night in 2015 or US$ 30 per night in 2016.

  Students are also welcome to arrange their own accommodation within the La Antigua area.

• What travel documents will I need for Guatemala?

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  Visitors to Guatemala from the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and the European Union nations can enter the country without a visa. All visitors to Guatemala are required to carry a passport valid for at least six months after their arrival date and can remain in the country for 90 days.*

  * As this information is subject to change at any time, we advise you to contact your local consulate for current travel regulations prior to planning your trip. For more information on obtaining visas please check with your local Guatemalan consulate or embassy.

• What is the course schedule?

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  The course is run full time over a period of four weeks. The course either starts on a Monday and ends on a Friday or starts on a Wednesday and ends on a Tuesday depending on your chosen month. The first two weeks comprise of classroom based study for six hour each day, with two 15 minute breaks and one hour for lunch. The final two weeks are focused on lesson planning and teaching practice. On the first day of your course you should arrive for orientation at 9:00 AM. At this time you will be given a detailed course timetable. On the last day of the course, there will be a graduation party, so you should plan your departure from La Antigua around this if possible.

• What can I expect during teaching practice?

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  We invite local Guatemalan students for your teaching practice. Guatemalan students are very keen and enthusiastic and because we don’t charge them to attend, all students come to classes purely because they want to!

• Who usually attends the course?

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  Typically we have around 5-15 trainees. If course numbers exceed 18, the trainees are divided into two classes that are taught simultaneously. Most of the participants are American, British, Canadian, or Australian, although we do accept non-native speakers of English who have a high proficiency in the language.

• Is there a dress code?

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  Trainees are allowed to dress casually for their lessons but the dress code for teaching practice sessions is more formal. During teaching practice, you will need to dress in trousers/skirts and closed-toe shoes. Men need to wear collared shirts, while women need to wear conservative tops that cover their shoulders. Men also need to shave or keep facial hair neatly trimmed. No visible tattoos or facial piercings are allowed while teaching local students.

  When packing for a trip to Guatemala you should aim to pack for both the cooler, highland climate of La Antigua as well as more tropical climates in other areas. Weather in the interior highlands and around La Antigua is spring-like with warm days and cool nights, whereas the coasts tend to be hot and humid. In all cases, you should be prepared for rain, which is common throughout Guatemala.

• What should I bring for course studies?

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  Please be sure to arrive on the first day of the course with a notebook and a pen. We strongly recommend you also bring a laptop as we have Wi-Fi at the training centre.

• What documents do I need for finding employment after the course?

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  Of course, you will need your passport. When you secure work you may also be asked to provide copies of your birth certificate, college degrees and transcripts. You might also consider obtaining an international driving permit if you want to drive in Guatemala.