Spanish for Groups and/or Individuals

My school has end of year trips where we go to different places and do hands on learning. So, Some of us decided to go to Costa Rica and take a 20 hour Spanish class at Estelar and stay in a Homestay for about a week and a half. It was amazing. Bethany who was the owner of Estelar was super great and helped us with everything. She rented buses for us and showed us all the cool places around Costa Rica. The Spanish class as well as the excursions and transportation were stellar! Definitely volunteer at Club A on Tuesdays if you go!

Estelar was the perfect combination of service work, spanish immersion and exploration for our high school group. I absolutely loved my home stay, my host mother treated me like her own child! 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 learned and use it in real life context, which is awesome. Thank you to Bethany for organizing EVERYTHING! Pura vida!

The institute did an exceptional job organizing our group of 19 high school students. The homestay was the most influential and stable part for me. I highly recommend doing one, my family was kind, available, and loving towards me, even now I keep in touch with them. I really hope to go back one day. I loved my time in Costa Rica because of this school and I am so proud of the progress I made in the classes! It was easy to learn and with all of the extra events, there was never a dull moment. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Overall, the class, program and professors were incredible. Starting from the top, Bethany and her support staff have made the process of learning at Estelar a breeze. They are exceptionally responsive, professional, and approachable. I knew that if a problem arose in my 8 weeks in Costa Rica, I could bring it to their attention and it would be fixed. They take classes and your learning seriously. Upon arrival, everything is done professionally all the while maintaining a lighthearted and relaxed environment.
Although this review is designed to be for profesora Nelly, I will make comments about all of the staff. First, you cannot go wrong with any of the professors. All are immensely different but share important qualities such as patience, enthusiasm, and creativity. I looked forward to each day because of the professors. Merlin was a gifted story-teller and downright funny. Class always ended too soon (figuratively) when I was in her classes. Nelly's strength was consistency. She never wavered in her patience or effort despite encountering particularly difficult exercises or my dense brain. She was consistently supportive and inspiring. Gabriella was also an excellent professor. Her darker humor and cynicism permitted us to explore Spanish in other topics... politics, crime, corruption, and so on. I left her classes stronger in Spanish and also better informed about Latin America. All in all, Bethany has done a splendid job locating professors that are of the highest quality. I can't wait to learn from them again.
My experience at Club A was perspective changing. Despite being a cliche, working with these children reminded me that I have so much. I am sincerely grateful to Bethany for developing this experience. I would love to return one day and perhaps expand the program into 2-3 times per week.
The staff and facilities are without flaw. I was astounded at how clean the facilities were and how friendly and helpful the staff was. Again, the Institute went far beyond beyond expectations.
Senora Clarita was a wonderful woman who always put my comfort first despite going through some hard times. My room was consistently kept clean and I was provided everything I needed to sleep comfortably. Clarita washed my clothes frequently and always was interested in talking. She advised me on how to stay safe in Liberia, and would wait up if I returned later in the evening to ensure I was safe. We watched movies, cooked, and laughed together. She truly reminds me of my grandmother - immensely caring, protective, and loving.

Merlyn is a wonderful teacher! Just fantastic! I enjoyed her conversational style and ability to improvise with examples and themes. She made class engaging and high-yield every day. I enjoyed her conversational style and clear explanations. The book was used only as a guide/supplement--I liked that it did not dominate the class. I felt that the pace of the class was good for my level of learner. Very fun, flexible, enthusiastic about teaching. Cooking class was fun and delicious. Club A and the dance class were super fun! Club A was fun if not un poco loco! The staff and facilities were all excellent. Senora Digna is a wonderful hostess. Great food and conversation. She made me feel very comfortable in every way! Great and plentiful food. Interesting conversation (in clear, patient Spanish!). Clean and spacious room/bathroom.

I had an excellent experience! The week was very enjoyable and educational. My teacher Mariela was very patient and took the time to explain all my questions. The class was set up very well with thorough lesson plans and engaging activities. Mariela was informative and patient. Our teacher was very engaging, conversational and only spoke in Spanish. I highly reccomend this course. I really enjoyed the activities and getting to know the culture of Costa Rica. The outside activities were well planned and useful. The individual intercambio was helpful but the movie was far too advanced for me. I really liked the cooking class. The trip to Llano de Cortes was wonderful. I did not do the volunteer trip to Club A. The staff is WAYYY beyond my expectations. They were really great!! The staff has been incredibly nice and helpful. They are very helpful and very professional and has lived up to all of my expectations and beyond because of their willingness to go out of their way to help in all areas other than just learning. MAMA YELBA ES EL MAJOR!!!

Overall, I cannot recommend enough coming to learn Spanish at Intituto Estelar Bilingue. Before arriving Bethany was extremely accommodating to prepare me for my arrival. The General Information Packet I received answered most all the general questions I had before my arrival. I stayed with a wonderful family who welcomed me into their home and gave me lots of opportunities to be a part of their family during my stay. I found the staff, my instructor, and the students here to be people I will remember fondly. My experience was excellent and I look forward to possibility of returning to this welcoming and well organized program/school. Nelly is an incredible teacher. She keeps the class fun and does a great job of making the class move at the pace needed to assure understanding by all students. She is responsive to every student's needs, and has a lot of patience. Nelly also challenges students to push themselves in a non threatening way. Strong instructor. The activities offered that I took advantage of: Cooking Class w/Marilyn - really helpful to learn about a typical dish, make new friends and learn many words needed in the kitchen. Club A- It was fun to meet young children who are trying to learn English, just as we are trying to learn Spanish. I would recommend thinking of ways to break into small groups of children. Spanglish class was very relaxing - a lot more than regular classes because students felt freer to not overthink every word. Everything has been well organized and the experiences are fantastic. I appreciate the communication which has been quick, consistent, and persistent. My hostmom Leda - 5 Stars! Leda was very accommodating and helpful. She served great meals and was very helpful getting from place to place.She was very patient with having laborous conversations in order to assure understanding. Her family is warm and beautiful. I was so happy I was placed with this wonderful family. She made me feel very welcome!

This past December 2019 my colleague and I decided to attend a Spanish immersion program at the Instituto Estelar Bilingue in Liberia, Costa Rica to strengthen our understanding of the Spanish language. I reached out to the school and spoke with a representative who gave me a brief overview of the program then advised me to take the written exam online. After taking the exam I was then contacted by the owner Bethany Kirk, who was very sincere, enthusiastic, and comforting about my attending the institute. I was then set up with an oral skype exam and once my results were in I was given a class placement level. There were several homestay options one being my friend and I could reside with the same family which I found to be very accommodating. Bethany walked us through the whole process we were given several family options, with complete details about the family, along with pictures. We were also provided with information on the town of Liberia, extracurricular activities outside of the school, extracurricular activities provided by the school, and other fun ways to improve our Spanish while there.

Estelar is in a prime location in downtown Liberia there are plenty of restaurants, shops, markets, and the people are very friendly. Bethany and her staff are awesome and I never had a dull moment. The students were given a tour of the city on our first day to make sure we knew how to get around, they offered cooking classes with local cuisine, excursions (i.e. waterfalls, farmers market, national park), and much more. My absolute favorite activity was the opportunity to volunteer one day each week at a local school that Estelar partners with. Since we were there close to the Christmas holiday we were able to assist with the school Christmas party that Estelar hosts every year. Bethany and her team brought in Santa Claus who gave out presents to each student and a back pack; there were games, candy, hot dogs, chips, juice, cake, ice cream, and music with a live DJ. It was awesome!!!

The instructors at the school do a wonderful job of teaching you Spanish without making it the average monotonous classroom setting, by playing learning games, teaching local customs and culture, with a focus on conversation; which allows you the necessary practice you need in speaking the language. The learning experience also extends to your homestay where the family is requested to only speak to you in Spanish. The couple we stayed with was so amicable and welcoming. They really made sure we were comfortable and had everything we needed for a home away from home. We were included in family meals, functions, and conversations. Then after all your hard work and completion of the program the school provides mini graduation ceremony where you are awarded a certificate of achievement.

I highly recommend attending the Instituto Estelar Bilingue it is everything you hope for in an immersion program and everything it claims to be!!!!!!