Instituto Estelar Bilingüe

The teen program was beyond my expectations; I'll tell everyone I know how great it is! I loved Caroly’s teaching style. Most of the class was fun and engaging conversations in Spanish. It really helped my speaking and listening a lot (the most important in my opinion). I love all the extra practice I got in the extracurricular activities, adventure tours, and volunteering with Club A! The campus is beauiful and feels like a second home during my stay. My group only stayed a week and I wish we could have stayed longer!

Después de haber vivido esta bella experiencia de la cual ustedes han sido parte, quiero darles las gracias por todo lo que han hecho por mi, realmente lo aprecio mucho. Gracias por ayudarme con mi sueño de mejorar mi español, ser paciente, y por todo tu apoyo. Los extrañaré mucho a mi familia Tica y toda la gente en el Instituto Estelar. Espero que podamos seguir comunicandonos desde Virginia, especialmente con mi familia Tica. Quiero visitarlos nuevamente cuando regrese a Costa Rica. Los quiero y los llevo en mi corazón.

I had the pleasure of learning Spanish at Instituto Estelar Bilingue for 2 weeks in beautiful Costa Rica! I learned a lot about the culture, saw many beautiful places and also improved in my Spanish immensely. I really loved the warm atmosphere created by the school and the teachers. Caroly and Merlin were really helpful in answering any grammar questions that I had or just on life in general in Costa Rica! They made the lessons fun and engaging making grammar something that I actually looked forward to in my lessons. Thank you to both Spanish teachers and of course to Bethany for making me feel so welcome at the school. I also, took part in some of the extra-curricular activities such as cooking and have found my new favorite guilty pleasure- Patacones and can somewhat dance the salsa after a quick class… Thank you for making my experience great!

I have loved studying Spanish at Instituto Estelar. I took five weeks of the immersion program and can't believe how much I progressed! The staff is warm and friendly, and teach in a way that is practical and easy to understand. I love being in Merlyn's and Caroly's class because they provide ample opportunity to converse and practice what we are learning. I really enjoyed going to the Farmers Market: Caroly made it fun and educational. Club A is always enjoyable. The children are always happy to see us, and are easy to engage. The staff is great! Estelar's English and Spanish teachers, reception, director, all go above and beyond to make you feel comfortable and allow for a comfortable environment in which to learn. My hostmother, Iris, is extremely kind and thoughtful. She is always giving consideration to what I might need, and is happy to help. She's a fabulous cook. One thing I appreciate about the family, is while they are caring and look out for me, they are not overly protective. While they might offer cautions and advice, they have allowed me to explore and experience Liberia and Costa Rica to the extent of my desire.

I really enjoyed having one on one classes with Merlyn. She was able to answer my questions, and provide clarification when necessary. She provided examples of how to use new information. The lessons are quick paced, but I felt like I learned a lot. I also enjoyed the conversational aspect of the class. I attended Club A, Spanglish and a cooking class this week. I especially loved Club A. I went on the Farmers Market tour this week and enjoyed it. The staff is always friendly and helpful, and the institute is always in a very clean condition. Dona Iris is my Tica madre. I really enjoyed living with them, they went above and beyond to make me feel welcome, comfortable and safe. I enjoyed that they expressed concern for me, but were not over the top in trying to make me feel like the city is unsafe. I especially loved the quiet morning breakfasts with Iris, as it is the time that we got to spend talking and practicing my Spanish.