Spanish Language Study in Costa Rica

Overall, fantastic. I really appreciated the individual attention and adaptability of my instructors to my learning style. Only thing I would suggest is, make me ask more questions! When we are having a long convo, it is pretty easy for me to simply sit and listen, and I am trying to be better about engaging actively instead of just trying to understand. Love cooking and dancing lessons. They are so fun, and I cannot wait to go home and show off. The trips were great, and the help in coordinating hikes, etc, was super useful. I found everyone to be incredibly friendly, welcoming, and attentive. Excellent experience. My Mama Tica is Annia Garcia Gerra, and my experience has been incredibly comfortable and fun. My host family talks with me every day in Espanol and is incredibly patient. The food is wonderful, and they are very supportive of my studying and various adventures.
Deydi was incredibly flexible and did everything she could to answer my questions and to make sure I learned what I needed before I left town. She was encouraging, precise, and very knowledgable. Thank you so much Deydi!! Super helpful and inspiring. Spanglish helped me meet locals with whom I got to hang out outside of class. The tour to the chocolate farm was amazing and so fun. Staff here is amazing, friendly, and helpful. They could not have provided a better environment in which to learn Spanish.

I really enjoy the Spanish immersion classes because they are always challenging and never boring. My teacher uses all kinds of different methods. During the classes, I read some things, and I watch and listen to videos and then we talk about those and lots of other things. Almost every week there are interactive lessons where I read an article and then have to answer questions about it. For homework, I also read articles and then write about what the author says in the articles. Up until a few months ago, I didn't know how to express my opinions in Spanish very well at all, other than to say that I liked something or didn't like it. But to be able to say that I found something interesting or puzzling or whatever, and then explain why, has been great. So basically, I get a really well rounded experience of talking, reading, listening and then writing. In the last few months, I really feel like my ability to speak Spanish has definitely increased, and my confidence has for sure.

My wife and I had the pleasure of taking classes at Estelar in Liberia, Costa Rica in 2018. Liberia is the perfect location for exploring the beautiful National Parks and beaches of Costa Rica. The Spanish coordinator, Bethany Kirk, did an excellent job helping us coordinate various weekend adventures. She was able to help us coordinate transportation and lodging anytime we needed it.

As far as the classes are concerned, I could not imagine a more effective way of learning Spanish. The classes were fun and engaging, and the teachers were all excellent instructors. The classes were really small (2-4 people), which was great because it forced me to practice my conversation skills. In addition, Bethany had different activities planned for us during the weekdays, such as going to the farmer's market, touring a local coffee plantation, and volunteering at a non-profit organization called Club A. All of these activities not only helped us practice our Spanish, but they also helped us immerse ourselves in the Costa Rican culture.

All in all, we couldn't be happier with our experience at Instituto Estelar! I would highly recommend this school to anyone looking to improve their Spanish skills!

For the past several months, I've been taking Skype Spanish classes with Walter, and I really enjoy them because they are always challenging and never boring. He uses all kinds of different methods, and I get a really well rounded experience of conversation, reading, listening and then writing in the classes. Every week, I read some things, and I watch and listen to videos and then we talk about what I've read and heard, and we talk about lots of other things too. There are interactive lessons where I answer specific questions which helps a lot with comprehension. For homework, I read articles then write about how I feel about what the author said in the article. Before starting these Skype lessons, I didn't know how to express my opinions or how I felt about something in Spanish very well at all, other than to say that I liked something or didn't like it. Now, my vocabulary has increased a lot and I'm able to say that I found something interesting or puzzling or whatever, and then explain why. It's Great! In the last few months, I know that my oral and written comprehension level has definitely increased. And I am able to communicate much more clearly than I was before. I have a lot more confidence now too. These classes have truly been a blessing to me, because I am passionate about Spanish...I absolutely love it, and having the opportunity to work with some who is very talented and knows how to teach well, is just awesome. I can highly recommend this school and Walter.

I did a 1 week Spanish immersion course at this institute. I really enjoyed my experience. I learned a lot of new vocabulary and I also learned about the culture in Guanacaste. It was very conversational which was great because I find that a lot of Spanish programs offer more writing and reading than listening and speaking. The course even included a cooking class. We made picadillo and it was delicious. I recommend this program to anyone looking to learn Spanish!

I came to Instituto Estelar for Spanish classes and received so much more! My teacher was a sweetheart! She was very patient and so friendly throughout the whole course. (And let me tell you, I'm not the fastest learner out there.) She was also so knowledgeable about the city of Liberia and the area in general, and she helped me keep up with some of the slang used in Costa Rica. I would definitely recommend the course to anyone who will be in Liberia for even as little as a week! The Instituto is beautiful and everyone I met during my time there was very nice and helpful! Pura Vida!

I have just finished the one week Spanish Immersion Program and it was an incredible experience! My Spanish has improved so much in such a short space of time. The Spanish teacher was very friendly, likeable and I never felt lost. It also helped me grow my confidence in talking in Spanish. I can take everything I have learnt and use it in real life context, which is awesome. Highly recommended for everyone, beit beginner or advance!