Program Reviews

The school has a well-rounded curriculum that includes evidence-based language learning techniques, and in-vivo cross-cultural awareness. The homestay and regular interaction with all kinds of Costa Ricans was really a highlight for me. I was a little timid about doing a homestay but I am so glad I took advantage of the opportunity. This experience was everything I wanted it to be.

I want to thank the staff and administration of Instituto Estelar Bilingue for the great Spanish classes and cultural learning opportunities. I hadn't studied Spanish in a class for about 39 years, and I really improved a lot. My teacher was excellent and we used a variety of activities to help me learn. I am a professional language teacher and I can attest to the fact that this school is great, is lots of fun, and creates really effective learning experiences.

Studying Spanish at Instituto Estelar Bilingue is a unique experience. The school has international students learning Spanish and Costa Ricans learning English in the same colorful environment. I was an English teacher at the school for over a year and thoroughly enjoyed participating in the Spanish program, volunteer opportunities, and weekly language exchange events. Living among and learning from Costa Ricans is both linguistically and culturally beneficial to a living abroad experience. I highly recommend studying Spanish in Costa Rica, and Instituto Estelar Bilingue is the perfect place for a thoughtful and fun language exchange!

The school is a great place for learning Spanish and English and your learning can be endless here. The staff makes learning easy and fun. There are many ways to learn. I am impressed with everyone here and would highly recommend it to anyone learning a new language of Spanish or English.

This was my second experience of a Spanish language program, and it was by far the best. Bethany made me feel really welcome and went out of the way to accomodate me at short notice. All the staff were helpful and friendly. I particularly liked the intercambios that were organised with students of a similar ability from Costa Rica. If you want to study Spanish in Costa Rica then Instituto Estelar Bilingue is the place to go. Liberia is a lovely venue. A small quiet city with everything you need.

Loved the academic level of Instituto Estelar. I wish the materials of this high quality were in some other schools - shame it's only one institution. I was the advanced level student and that's the point everyone struggles to get the level better, when you can already converse. Our teacher Rosa really made us work. Proud of her :)

Instituto Estelar helped me become more confident in my Spanish language abilities. The intercambios were a great way for me to use what I learned in my advanced course. The cooking class, artesan class, and dance class were also fun ways to practice. The teachers were always open for questions. Overall, I am looking forward to returning!

My teacher was absolutely great at simple conversation (I was a beginner), and she made every class enjoyable and interesting. Great activities! Dance class was perfect! The faculty and staff at ESTELAR are the best! Everyone is so kind, helpful, and fun. Couldn't ask for more in a school. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

I loved Instituto Estelar Bilingue! Each day I took four hours of classes that were really useful for me because there was a lot of conversation, games, and activities that made it easy and fun to learn. My teacher was professional and super sweet, I still keep in contact with her and she is a good friend. On top of the excellent classes, there were a bunch of extra events that were really fun - I loved dance class and cooking class but my favorite thing was Spanglish. Spanglish was an event in the middle of the week where Spanish students and English students go to a local restaurant/bar and speak for half an hour in each language. It was fun because I met new people and really got to practice conversation in a relaxed atmosphere. I really loved everything about my experience with this school and I hope to return to visit in the future!