Instituto Estelar Bilingüe

Translated by Go Overseas:

I feel I learned a lot in Merlyn's class. Elle has very funny stories and we also have many conversations. I would like to see more reading in this class because grammar is advanced and better to see how grammar works in context. I love my mom Tica, Leti. We have many interesting conversations every day. It was very easy to talk with Leticia and she also cooks many different foods. I like that she gave me lots of fruits and natural juices every day. Merlyn is really great at explaining things and because she knows a lot of English it is BEYOND helpful for me and I know others feel the same way too! Club A is great. Very eye-opening and fun! Everybody at Estelar is very friendly and helpful.

Original review:

Siento que aprendí mucho en las clase de Merlyn. Elle tiene las historias muy chistosas y también tenemos muchas conversaciones. Me gustaría ver mas lectura en este clase porque la gramática es avanzado y mejor de ver como la gramática funciona en un contexto. Me encanta mi mamá Tica, Leti. Tenemos muchas conversaciones interesantes cada día. Fue muy fácil conversar con Leticia y también ella cocina muchas comidas diversas. Me gusta que ella me dio muchas frutas y jugos naturales cada día. We had great discussions in the Spanish course and I loved that we talked a lot in class. Merlyn is really great at explaining things and because she knows a lot of English it is BEYOND helpful for me and I know others feel the same way too! Club A is great. Very eye-opening and fun! Everybody at Estelar is very friendly and helpful.

Overall, I had a really great 4-week immersion experience here at IEB. I will recommend this place to friends, family, and students hoping to learn Spanish in an authentic way. I had a really great time with profesora Gabriela. One day, the class went from two students to one student, and Gabriela made changes accordingly to ensure that I received the support I needed. I learned a lot and enjoyed my time in this class. I had a great experience learning with profesora Nelly too and appreciate how patient she is with us. Grevin es un buen maestro también! Quiero la manera que Grevin enseña!

At first, I didn't participate in any extra curricular activities, but I fully appreciated that there was a schedule for us. My last week I participated in the intercambio, and it was excellent. Everything has been well organized and the experiences are fantastic. I appreciate the communication which has been quick, consistent, and persistent. Me gusto el viaje a la finca Tree Chocolate.

I am so sad that I have to leave Doña Digna this weekend! She is the best! I had such a wonderful experience with her and her family. I´m thankful to be placed there and to have her full support of my bad Spanish. We´ve had wonderful conversations and experiences thus far and I hope to continue. She is truly an excellent person, hospitable, and kind. I am gracious to have been placed at her house and hope that others will have the experience I had.

I spent just over a week at Estelar and it was fantastic! Everyone I met was super friendly and I learnt a lot. The bilingual nature of the institute is really great as it merges both Costa Rican people studying English and foreigners studying Spanish making it a great cultural experience as well.

I participated in the Spanish Immersion for TEFL graduates and lived with a Tico family as part of the homestay program the institute can organise for you.

The Spanish classes (4 hours per day, 5 days) were great and my Spanish improved so much over a week. Our teacher Merlyn was such a good teacher! Highly recommend the Spanish lessons!

The homestay was a great way to get to know a Tico family. They were super friendly, happy and patient while I was practicing my Spanish. The house was really comfortable, and a short walk to the institute. It was nice to spend some time in Liberia, as most of my travels so far have been in small coastal towns with a fair amount of tourism. It was great to get to know a small Costa Rican city.

Teaching english and getting my practicum hours for my program was a great learning experience. The students were great and I felt supported by the teachers and institute.

Would return to Estelar in the future if I wanted to study more Spanish, or maybe even one day I’ll apply for a teaching job there! Thanks for everything!

I am abolutely loving the experience and the school. Nelly is wonderful and she only spoke to us in Espanol. Class was fun and I learned a LOT this week. I think what I need the most is conversational practice with changing verbs. I think the most effective practice was all the homework where I had to memorize words at night and in the afternoon so I could use class time to practice and speak. This week I have used the school space to study on Monday, done the intercambio on Tuesday, Club A on Tuesday, went to the cataratas y posa on Wednesday, and tried to do the intercambio on Thursday but no one came. I will be going on the trip Sunday. So far, I have REALLY appreciated the extracurriculars of the class. I will be trying the cooking class next week and other trips. I am still really thinking about the experience I had with Club A. For me, it was very helpful to see what poverty cerca de Liberia is like and to think about educational opportunities for kids is so important to me as a teacher. I am not sure the kids got anything out of me going, but I am thankful for the experience. I am vasilating between feeling like a voyeur and being helpful to kids... but that is more of a me thing than an Insituto thing... Naomi was SUPER interesting at the Intercambio, so I was very glad to speak with her. So happy to be here! My homestay family, Leti and Geraldo, are the BEST!!! SO patient and so kind! They have really made this trip incredible. They talk with me for about an hour each night and Leti eats some dinner with me to make me feel at home. It is really lovely and I am SO blessed I am living with them.

I have learned so much and continue to learn so much! Thank you for all the excursions this week, loved the farmers market and am looking forward to the poza de pipa and the rincon de la vieja! I loved Deidy’s review of all the verb tenses. Everyone is great! Irlanny, Marta, Dayana, y Ana are all lovely! It was nice to get to know Frankling on the Saturday excursion. My time with Leti and Gerardo continues to get better and better (which I didn´t think possible). We talk for at least a couple hours each night and the grandkids are great. Love the food, the stay, the cleanliness, and everything!
Merlyn was not only one of the best teachers in my time at instituto Estelar Bilingüe, but one if the best teachers I’ve ever had in my life. She was animated, challenging, clear, and captivating. I learned a lot from her and feel if I was able to do everything she taught this week perfectly, I would be fluent! She packed a lot in!!! Merlyn is beyond words. She was absolutely amazing. I am so grateful for her time, patience, and ideas. This week was amazing- I loved the tour at the beginning and think it’s so helpful for new folks at the school. The trip to Kenna’s de Cortez was lovely and I am excited about the weekend trips. I still can’t believe I did a headstand!! Charlie was awesome. Also- loved the cooking class! The intercambios are exhausting, but so helpful on many levels... not just for my fluency, but to be in an environment where people want to learn to connect and communicate. Love Marta, Yirlanny, y Dayana! Everyone at Estelar has been great! Yo aprendo mucho in la aula de Leti y Geraldo. Mi casa es limpia and los conversaciones ricos. ¡Soy muy afortunada!