Tico Lingo

I did Tico Lingo for three weeks and I'm so glad I did! I learned so much Spanish and had a ton of fun exploring Costa Rica.

The homestay: My homestay mother, Roxy, was one of the kindest people I've ever met. She truly treated me as a part of her family. Heredia is a small, quiet, and safe city. At first I found it hard to adjust to the slow, even sleepy pace of life, but soon I came to appreciate how peaceful and relaxing it was. Plus, my weekends were jam-packed with adventures (visiting volcanos, the beach, national parks, etc.) so it was nice to come back to a laid-back home.

The classes: The classes were challenging, yet also relaxed and flexible. Jimena was a great teacher. The lessons were highly personalized, based on the content that students wanted to work on. Class sizes are extremely small, and students are sorted into classes based on their Spanish level. The first week I was the only person in my class, and in other weeks there were only four students in the class. (New students come in each week, so I will note that sometimes you have to repeat content you've already learned because a new student arrived, but that also works as a review.) I would say that every week at Tico Lingo teaches you as much as an entire semester of high school Spanish. There's also the option to sign up for yoga, cooking classes, or Zumba classes ($7-$10 per class), which were fun and another great way to improve vocabulary.

Coronavirus precautions: Class sizes were very small. The school was quite spacious and airy, and we normally had windows open during class, which made for good air flow. Students and teachers did not wear masks because that would have made it far too difficult for us to understand each other. Other school employees, such as the cleaning staff, did wear masks. We were not required to sit six feet apart from each other, but there was room to do so if you wished. The vast majority of students were vaccinated, but I wish that the school required *all* students to be vaccinated if they come from a country where shots are available. It's not responsible to encourage people to pursue international travel if they purposefully refuse to get a vaccine.

The whole Tico Lingo program is top notch. So glad that I spent 2 weeks studying Spanish in beautiful Costa Rica. I truly wish that I had booked 4 weeks.

The experience was incredible. The teachers and administrators were really invested in helping each student learn and progress. The town of Heredia is bustling and welcoming and the host families are super special. They clearly love opening their homes and meeting new people.

If you are considering Spanish immersion, don’t hesitate to register with Tico Lingo. Without doubt, you will fall in love with Tico Lingo, Heredia, and Costa Rica!

I stayed at Tico Lingo for 3 months and it was an experience I will never forget! I came to Tico Lingo knowing little to nothing when it came to speaking the language and left being able to hold conversations with my host mom and most of all, I had much more confidence in starting conversations and in continuing my studying of the Spanish language. I had Zaida as my teacher for most of my time at Tico Lingo and I cannot say enough wonderful things about that woman. She is such a light and pleasure to learn from. She has a gift of patience with her students, as she had to review things quite a bit for me. She makes you feel right at home and treats you like family. Freddy was my teacher for the rest of my stay and in the small amount of time I studied with him, I grew exponentially! He has a true gift of teaching Spanish and making it very easy to understand. I was able to visit many places while I was there and met some awesome people, as there are different people who come every week. I recommend the cooking classes, dancing and yoga that they offer, they were all great!! My host mom became like family and I still keep in contact with her as well as the teachers and staff at the school. I will definitely be back to visit! I can go on and on, but recommend you check it out yourself, you won't regret it!

This was a perfect experience and exactly what I was looking for. Heredia is great town and very safe! The fully immersed program is the way to go, including staying with the homestay family. It helps so much but also naturally frustrating. If I go back to learn more Spanish it will be with tico lingo. The best part of the class was that they taught you the basics then slowly worked their way (Freddy) into teaching the material you want to learn. I was seeking business travel and ways to get around owning a travel agency and it was targeted that way. 5/5 stars

I thought that the course was excellent. The teachers and the staff take care of you from the first contact until the last day. Good Costa Rican coffee every morning! There are optional tours, classes, and weekend activities. The teachers spoke only Spanish in the class for our level and never spoke English unless there was a complete misunderstanding. It was challenging but still at a good speed that I wasn’t left behind. The classes are really what you make it. I definitely improved my language level. I’d go there again!