Intensive Spanish Immersion Program in Heredia, Costa Rica

Tico Lingo offers beyond what any study abroad experience could offer. During my time there, I felt completely immersed and welcomed in Costa Rican culture. I learned so much as I met the locals in Heredia, whether this was cooking the traditional dishes, meditating in yoga, or even dancing bachata after classes. Each person I met there taught me something new all while learning Spanish. This is not to mention the amazing professors who are willing to go the extra mile to help you with any and all questions. I left Costa Rica speaking Spanish a whole lot better and with a heart a whole lot fuller.

I had a wonderful time with Tico Lingo. I spent three weeks studying with the school while living in Heredia with a host family they organized for me. The instruction was perfect for me and I spent most of the time learning at a pre-intermediate and intermediate level, although they were able to introduce me to several more advanced topics toward the end. The people running the school, including my instructor, were also a lot of fun and very helpful. I’m mainly satisfied because I learned a ton of Spanish very quickly with them, but it was also a genuinely enjoyable school environment and such a cool place/country. I really think I had a near perfect experience.

My 18-year-old daughter and I attended TL for one week in April 2017 (all the time we had for Spring break). This place is not only for the young but also for the young at heart (I'm 50 years old). I researched MANY Spanish immersion schools in Guatemala and Costa Rica (Heredia & Liberia). I'm very happy I chose TL. From the beginning, Chris, the director, was timely with correspondence and was very helpful. Everything from start to finish was EASY. About a week before arriving, Karen, the student coordinator, gave me an interview via Skype to see how much Spanish I knew in order to put together a custom curriculum (why waste precious time on things we already know?). Chris and a TL student met us at the airport & drove us to our homestay. We were warmly greeted by our Tico mom and her 2 young children (her husband was part of the Holy Week procession). We were given keys to our room and the house and were told that this was our house. During the week she cooked OH-SO-DELICIOUS breakfasts (she makes the best gallo pinto!) and dinners for us and some days a filling snack after school (school was 8a-12p) if we didn't eat elsewhere. After class we'd normally walk to the central market and have lunch in one of the cafes (they call them sodas). I'd pick up some ripe mangos, the BEST MANGOS I'VE HAD IN MY LIFE!! They were so sweet!! In the short time we were there, we went to San Jose twice by bus & train, zip lining (they call it canopy tours), white water river rafting, to Manuel Antonio National Park (where there is also a beautiful beach!) and a local futbol (soccer) game. Chris arranges everything for the tours---taking care of the driver, lunch, and entrance fee. The people in CR are very patient, helpful, and friendly. Our teacher, Freddy, is THE BEST!! He made 4 hours (with a 15min break) go by so quickly!! He makes sure you understand the lesson and is very patient. We never wanted class to end. Freddy has a FANTASTIC personality!! The school is located in a a safe neighborhood 10min walking distance from our homestay. The school is very comfortable with a small kitchen to make a snack during break, outdoor patios, and a seating living-room-type area with water & coffee. TL is an AWESOME Spanish immersion school; I HIGHLY recommend it and will gladly answer any questions you may have about our memorable experience (JCrewesgal@yahoo.com). I will definitely return but for 3wks this time. PURA VIDA!!!

P.S. The only cons were the humidity and our homestay bedroom (entire house, actually) not having air conditioning, and the fan in our room was very loud. I would still return in a heartbeat!!

I am a 56 year old guy from Texas who has been taking Spanish lessons off and on for over 20 years. Wanting to become more comfortable with Spanish via a full-immersion program, I searched Google and found Tico Lingo. After spending a month in Costa Rica, my Spanish skills improved significantly.
The program is organized well from start to finish. A person picked me up at the airport, drove me to the house where I would be living and introduced me to my Tico family. The family was welcoming, the room was comfortable, free WIFI was available, the meals were good and the atmosphere felt safe. I opted for one-on-one lessons at Tico Lingo which is a converted house in the suburb of Heredia. Most of the other students were in their 20s, but the program seems to work for all ages.
There is lots of free time outside of studying for whatever a student wishes to do. Rather than join others on organized weekend tours, I explored San Jose and the suburbs. Very little English is spoken outside of San Jose - which is good. It rained every single day, so having an umbrella was a necessity. There are good restaurants, excellent coffee places, local gyms, etc. The people in Heredia are generally nice and helpful for travelers. My main method of getting around was walking, but Uber also worked great.

If you want a low-key, relaxed but thorough Spanish immersion experience this is for you. The best thing I can say about Tico Lingo is that the school is run in such a chill way that you don't ever feel like a tourist. At the same time the teachers are high-quality and you will learn fast. I recommend staying with a family, who cooked me two delicious meals a day and were great company. The staff of this school are real, down to earth, and completely attentive to making sure you have a good time. If you are looking to make friends and have a good time while learning or brushing up on your Spanish this is the perfect place. Def hit up the exotic beaches on the weekend.

When I arrived in Costa Rica, I literally did not know any Spanish. Sure, I knew “hola” and “cómo estás” but that can only get you so far. After spending two months taking classes at Tico Lingo, my Spanish has increased exponentially. Now I can more easily have a conversation, read books, and watch TV all in Spanish. Immersion is simply the best way to learn another language, and Tico Lingo’s immersion program is definitely the best way to learn Spanish.

Classes are taught completely in Spanish, which can seem a little overwhelming at first, but you will be surprised by how quickly your understanding will improve. Classes are taught in small groups. In fact, my class had on average only three students, and it never had more than five. These small groups allow a greater opportunity to practice speaking, and allows the teachers to better tailor lesson to everyone’s level. Also, the teachers at Tico Lingo are absolutely amazing. Classes were creative and different, making learning more engaging. Besides the great teachers, the staff at Tico Lingo are fantastic. They really go out of their way to support you and provide a comfortable environment to learn Spanish in.

I also really enjoyed the trips that Tico Lingo organized. It made it easier to explore this beautiful country. I went to the beach, zip-lining, the mountains, kayaking, hiking through the jungle, mountain biking down the base of a volcano, and I am probably forgetting some things. There is just so much you can do in Costa Rica to keep yourself busy.

I also really enjoyed the city of Heredia. I thought Heredia was the perfect size city: not too big it’s overwhelming but big enough that there is still plenty to do. The school and host families are just a short walk from downtown Heredia. There were many coffee shops that were great for studying and many delicious restaurants. As my Spanish improved I would strike up conversations with the locals hanging out at the central park of Heredia. Ticos are very friendly, and it was always fun meeting new people. Heredia’s central location also made it quick, and easy to go on your own adventures. For a few dollars (many less than a dollar), you can take buses all over the country. When I felt confident in my Spanish, I used to take a different bus to another nearby city and explore it for the afternoon.

On top of all of this, one of my favorite things about my Spanish immersion experience was my host family. They were very warm and loving, and I felt like I was a part of the family. Living with a host family is not only a great way to practice speaking Spanish, but it is also super fun!

Tico Lingo truly is the best place to learn Spanish and have an unforgettable experience!

I loved everything about Tico Lingo! First of all they were very accommodating of my schedule and Chris was very good about communicating and setting everything up. They picked me up from the airport and took me straight to my lovely host family. Everyone was so friendly! Sadly, I was only there for a week but I had been studying Spanish by myself at home. Doing the Spanish immersion at the school and with my host mom really made me feel a lot more comfortable talking to native speakers. It probably would have taken me years to develop that confidence but between Freddie at school and my amazing host mom, Lili, at home I felt great communicating in my beginner Spanish with people in Heredia and the other parts of Costa Rica I visited. On top of the Spanish, I took some cooking and dance classes with the multi-talented Karen and a couple other teachers (sorry, I forgot their names!). I learned a lot and honestly it was my favorite part of my Costa Rica trip. I would highly recommend Tico Lingo to others and hope to return some day. Chris, Karen, and Lili went out of their way to make my visit fun, educational, and took me and my classmate out around town to experience life in Heredia.

To anyone who is trying to bilingual or enhance you Spanish speaking ability I would highly recommend this school! I felt that the staff here really go above and beyond to help you feel welcome, comfortable and keep you as busy as you want to be. They do an awesome job of balancing learning a lot in the class room while offering tons of stuff to do during the week and weekends to help you be immersed but also have lots of fun while doing it!

My teacher Lucia was amazing! She was so fun and encouraging and was very good at knowing exactly how to help me exactly at my level. She came up with lots of fun ways of learning but also buckled down and stressed things that she found were very important for us!

Outside of the classroom the staff invited us to soccer with locals, we made beer together, got drinks together at a bar a few blocks from the school during Costa Rican soccer games (soccer games are a big thing in CR), they held conversation hours with locals for us to practice Spanish, they showed us around town and showed us many of their favorite places! Plus they did so much more that I'm sure frankly I forgot about!

The housing arrangements for me were SOLID! I didn't hear one negative thing about any students regarding housing and host families. I often heard of how cool, friendly and welcoming the host families were. My one friend got invited to his Tica sister's Quinceanera. Another friend got invited to the families cottage for the weekend and supposedly it was really really nice! I was even invited to someones Father's day plans... they basically dragged me along b/c i didn't want to go b/c i felt like it was intruding on them. Costa Ricans are generally very nice and way more welcoming the any where in America or Europe!

Oh and they offered weekend trips for $100 bucks every weekend which included 2 meals, transportation and the cost of the main event (white water rafting, Manuel Antonio Tours, Volcano Tours, zip linning, etc). They also offered yoga, cooking and salsa lessons during the week!

Overall pretty good stuff!

I would also recommend getting a rental car in advance (make sure it is an automatic) and visiting things on the weekends or after your time there! There are also tons of local events and the capital of CR just 30 mins away (less than 10 bucks in an uber).