I am a retired internal medicine physician who has long sought to become fluent in Spanish. I came to Tico Lingo as a real beginner.
I researched many Latin American programs and chose this one on the basis of its flexibility of curriculum, its location in a temperate climate (I don’t do well in extreme heat) in the country I know and trust, and on the basis of many positive reviews.
I had no personal knowledge of the school or of the individuals who created it prior to showing up.
All I had to do was let the extremely capable staff know my preferences and certain uncertainties in my schedule and they took care of everything.
I really wanted a private bathroom at my homestay; I wanted to be sure that certain dietary preferences were not a problem, and I wanted the ability to add private lessons to my group curriculum after establishing just how much energy I would have in a given day of school.
I would advise other students who want to have private lessons, to arrange for them as soon as possible so that they have no schedule conflicts with other students.
This is a small school, which is a great part of its charm, but there is a limit to the number of private lessons available at the times desired.
Having said that, I must add that I was able to get all the private lessons I wanted at the last minute. I just needed to be a tiny bit flexible with the times. Yenifer, who is the main person in the front office, is a magician with schedules.
Each weekday has a four-hour group class tailored to the level of expertise of each student group. I can only speak for myself, but my instruction with Freddy was spot on as far as what I needed to learn. For me, he was absolutely amazing.
I must add that the classes are flexible and in my experience adjust to the immediate needs of the student on any given day. These classes are not rigid with set milestones and specific examinations. Rather they are tailored to the individual needs of those attending each class.
I had no fears going into this, but I was apprehensive about my own ability to learn a great deal in six weeks. A combination of their extremely competent instructors, their broad curriculum, and my own personal interest made for a very successful experience.
My long-term goal is to be able to understand local speakers in the street. I am not there yet. Six weeks is not enough for a 64-year-old man to get that fluent.
However, I am now 100% certain that that goal is within my reach over the next year.
The school establishes a culture of camaraderie, positivity, and just plain fun.
Everyone who works there and, quite frankly, every student I met, contributed to an atmosphere of Community and a sense of progress.
I specifically recommend Freddy, the head of the curriculum, as a marvelous instructor in Spanish grammar. This is largely because he has a deep understanding of both English and Spanish and is able to clarify confusion, unlike any Spanish instructor I have ever worked with. He is a gem.
I am making this recommendation as a beginner who needed to understand the grammatical structure of this language in order to infill that infrastructure with vocabulary and experience.
My experience was 100% successful in this regard.
I shall miss this place and I plan to return.