Program Reviews

My 8-weeks at Tico Lingo flew by! I loved the people, the classes, the learning environment, and my homestay. I really recommend it to anyone who would like to learn Spanish quickly and organically. Classes are very well balanced between speaking, writing, reading and grammar. My weakest area was speaking so I was very pleased to have the confidence to speak the language by the end of my programme.

I instantly felt part of the family at my homestay. I received a delicious breakfast and dinner everyday and got to practice my Spanish with the family at mealtimes. I hope to keep in touch with them back home in the UK!

I loved getting involved in the activities and tours they had on offer at the school. I signed up for dance and cooking classes with my classmates and had so much fun.

During my time here I fell in love with Costa Rica and I really didn't want to leave - I felt like I made some long-lasting friends at Tico Lingo too! Pura vida chicos muchas gracias por todo!!

For me, my time with the Tico Lingo school felt like a life-changing experience. How you might ask? First, my ability to speak Spanish has seen a quantum improvement. When I arrived in Costa Rica, I basically didn’t speak any Spanish. I knew a few words but no way could I hold down a conversation with anyone. By the time I left the school, with a willing partner I was able to small talk talk with them for over an hour entirely in Spanish. I’m not fluent by any means I am still learning, but in such a short amount of time gaining the ability to make a connection with another person that I would not have previously been able to communicate with, to me that is priceless. The other real strength of the school is the community around it. The staff at the school is amazing. I can say with complete sincerity that I think they did everything in their power to make sure that the students had a positive experience at both the school and in Costa Rica in general. I had the opportunity to room and board with a family associated with the school. I highly recommend this for anyone attending the school. Being a guest in home where the people were all native to Costa Rica and they were actively encouraging you and guiding you through the language and the country was an invaluable experience. By the time I left, my Tico family felt like REAL family. The connections with the other students is powerful as well. Being in class together and going out exploring a new country together makes for fast friends. Since I have been back, rarely does a day go by where I don’t text with someone that I met through Tico Lingo. Also, the school is in the perfect location. The people of Costa Rica speak Spanish a lot more clearly and slowly than in other countries. In general, most of the people that I talked to there were really supportive and patient when you were making the effort to try and talk to them in their native language. Costa Rica is beautiful and very safe for tourists. On the weekends when you are not in class you can go out on adventures. I went somewhere different every weekend and there were no bad choices. Everywhere we went was amazing! My time at Tico Lingo was magical and I am shouting from the rooftops that if you are reading this you should give it a try. You won’t regret it.

I had been backpacking for months when I arrived in Heredia. It's a great little nice safe town up in the mountains with perfect weather: hot during the day and cold at night for sleeping. I wanted to settle down, unpack my bags, and learn Spanish for a month. This program cost about the same if not less than I would've spent just hanging around Costa Rica so it was an absolute no brainer deal for me. I moved in with a wonderful Ticamama named Mercedes who took such amazing care of me; my clothes were always washed, dried, and folded, plus every meal was basically all you can eat (I never finished). She also provided Spanish movies and games to play. My class had a group of outspoken American guys who had coincidentally lived in Okinawa, Japan around the same time. The classroom was really alive with positive energy and plenty to talk and laugh about, but I also became close friends with students in the other classes as well. On the weekends we would do trips to the volcanoes, beaches, lakes, or just go out clubbing till the sun rose. I went from a beginner to an intermediate and am seriously considering doing this program again next winter to take my Spanish to the next advanced level. I highly recommend the four week program at Tico Lingo!

My Grandson and I spent a week at Tico Lingo in November, and we had a fabulous experience. The staff, Karen and Chris, were amazing, and made the entire process very easy. Our teachers, Ana and Freddie, were excellent. My grandson gained so much confidence that he could - and did - carry out hour conversations in Spanish. The entire week, from the school to the housing and host family, and the fabulous Thanksgiving feast, complete with a live Jazz band (!) were the best we could have ever hoped for. I give the highest recommendation to this school! In addition, Heredia is a very nice city - it is close to the airport in San Jose (~ 1/2 hour) and I. The middle of the country- close to both oceans and to the mountains. The people in Costa Rica are very friendly- you can’t go wrong with this school!

As I live in Costa Rica and only had a very limited time, I sent a special request to Tico Lingo for a Tailor-made program for 10 days. My request was answered by Chris very personal and we quickly found a special program which was exactly what I wanted and fitted my time frame. Due to the short time I had, I went for private classes three hours a day and added an hour of yoga each day. The class was completely adjusted to my requests and the daily yoga practice with Karen, was the highlight of my day.
I believe that for most people the classes in small groups and the stay with a local family is a great choice. For me, the private classes, combined with staying in a hotel nearby was perfect and gave me the enough time to pursue my online work, while getting the most out of the classes.
I can highly recommend Tico Lingo and hope to come back, soon!

This trip was amazing! My host family was welcoming and my teacher was so helpful! I only was able to go for the three week teen program but I totally wish I could have gone for longer. The weekend trips were so much fun and I definitely was able to improve my Spanish! I was able to go to Manuel Antonio which was an amazing national park and I was able to see monkeys, sloths, and iguanas. That was super cool. I would highly recommend purchasing a waterproof pouch before you go. These are definatly memories that I will take with me for the rest of my life. In my host house there were two other girls and just down the street there were two other kids in the program. My street had so many little kids and I had an amazing time getting to know them and help them with their English homework.

Originally I just needed to get away from life. The day to day grind needed a break. I researched several volunteering options around central America and found myself being drawn to this one. I had not set out with intentions on learning Spanish. But after looking closley at the project it was clear to me that this was exactly what I needed to do. Do good for the earth, do good for me. I was nervous at first, but quickly all my anxieties diminished. The Spanish immersion I felt was the most effective way to teach me a new language. Jump right in with both feet! My home stay was such a wonderful experience. My host family showed endless patience and a grand since of humor! My time with them will be cherished a lifetime. But that was only half of my amazing adventure! Pairing the home stay with Tortuga Feliz turtle conservation is a brilliant combo! My time at the project was filled lots of laughs, hard work, baby turtles, and plenty of sunshine! I was so impressed with how organized and well ran the project was. I was hands on and very involved with the conservation efforts going on at the location. The satisfaction of witnessing almost instant results from our efforts is a feeling I still hold today. Not effort good things can be said about my entire experience. I'll be back, and I most definitely recommend this program to anyone needing a little self challenge/love. Do it for the turtles. Do it for the community. Do it for You! Thank you to all the working hands behind the scene and on the ground that make this opportunity possible.

My time in Costa Rica changed my life and it can yours if you want it to.

I was nervous about absolutely everything before booking this program but can honestly say it was the best experience of my life to date.

I loved that everything was so organised which allowed me to just get on and save turtles and learn Spanish. It helped me so much being met at the airport as it was my first ever long haul trip.

Highlights were getting back to basics on a tropical Caribbean beach surrounded by baby turtles. Learning to speak Spanish in an outstandingly friendly atmosphere and being in such an awesome country..
Lowlights were saying goodbye to all the amazing people at the school , down at the beach and especially my homestay family.

Gracias amigos!

100% recommended

My main goals when travelling in Costa Rica were to be able to volunteer with wildlife in a program that genuinely made a difference and to be able to learn Spanish while doing so. The Turtle Rescue and Spanish immersion program could not have been more suited to me! Not only did I get to fulfill a dream to really make a difference and help both the turtles and give back to the local community but I also learnt a lot of Spanish, so much more than I expected to in the month that I was there and made friends for life with both my fellow volunteers and my lovely tico family during my home stay, a home away from home. As a huge nature and animal lover, the highlight for me was observing and assisting in the nesting and protection of beautiful turtles and releasing their hatchlings (leatherbacks, greens and hawksbills) in one of the most beautiful places in the world.

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.