Volunteer Teaching English in Costa Rica with Tico Lingo

My experience with this volunteer program in Heredia, Costa Rica was amazing and I had a great time. I would definitely recommend this program to anyone looking for meaningful volunteer work and a new and enjoyable experience.

During my time at the school, I was able to help students of many ages. I helped students with their English pronunciation, practice having a conversation with a native speaker, helped with English spelling bees, assisted with presentations and projects, supervised classes, and helped administer English proficiency tests. I really enjoyed being able to use my English to help students practice and learn. This program also helped me improve my Spanish greatly. Being immersed in a Spanish speaking country allowed me to practice everyday and learn. At the school, I was able to practice listening to Spanish classes, talk with students in Spanish, and learn new words everyday. Just being immersed helped my Spanish greatly.

My host family was also amazing. They were very welcoming and friendly to me and by always made me feel a part of their family. I was able to practice my Spanish even more through daily conversations. They made sure I was comfortable and included me in their daily life. I also really enjoyed Heredia and having the freedom to explore. The people are very friendly in Heredia and I was able to walk around the city and explore the local areas. I felt very safe and enjoyed the freedom I had after volunteering.

I am very happy I got to experience this program and I would 100% recommend it. I enjoyed it so much I actually extended my time in Heredia for another week. I made a lot of great memories, met many people, helped others, and improved my Spanish. I can't wait to go back!

As a parent, trust is everything when considering sending your child abroad. Our experience with Tico Lingo was so exceptional the first year that when Matteo had the opportunity to return in a larger volunteer capacity, we had absolutely no hesitation saying yes.

Matteo was actually the youngest participant in the program, and despite that, we had complete confidence in Tico Lingo team, and the support system they had built around the experience. Every detail was communicated clearly and thoroughly from the very beginning. The volunteer project itself came together in a relatively short amount of time, yet Chris, the program director, and his team were beyond phenomenal: responsive, organized, professional, and incredibly detail oriented. Everything that was discussed beforehand happened exactly as planned.

What sets this program apart is that it offers so much more than volunteer hours. Matteo had the opportunity to teach English to elementary, middle, and high school students, support school activities, assist with administering Cambridge exams, participate in sports with local students, and become an active member of the school community. He truly felt that he was making a meaningful contribution, helping others, and being of service.

The cultural immersion was equally impactful. His host family welcomed him not as a guest, but as another member of their family. They included him in daily life and activities, while also helping him practice Spanish in authentic situations every single day. The accommodations, meals, laundry support, and overall care they provided were exceptional. This was Matteo's second host family experience with Tico Lingo, and both families have become part of what we now consider his extended family in Costa Rica.

We communicated with Matteo daily, but we also felt incredibly supported by the Tico Lingo team. They checked in regularly, shared photos and updates, and were always available if we needed anything. We never once questioned his safety or wellbeing, which is truly priceless when your child is thousands of miles away from home.

Maybe the greatest testament to the experience is that Matteo was originally scheduled to stay for two weeks, just as he had the previous year. He loved the experience so much that we changed his flight and extended his stay for an additional week. Chris was incredibly helpful in facilitating the change and making everything seamless. Even after three weeks, Matteo still was not ready to come home and is already talking about returning again before the year is over.

The growth we saw in him over those three weeks was incredible. At sixteen years old, he navigated daily life independently, walked to school and around the community, worked every day, built friendships, adapted to a new environment, and developed confidence, maturity, independence, and leadership skills that will stay with him for years to come.

The greatest gift this program gave our family was the peace of mind of knowing that Matteo was safe while simultaneously being challenged to grow, serve others, become more independent, make meaningful friendships, immerse himself in another culture, and strengthen both his language skills and his understanding of the world around him. Every aspect of the experience was enriching beyond words.

What impressed us most about Chris was not only his professionalism, communication, and attention to detail, but the genuine care he shows for people. It is clear that he cares deeply not only about the students and volunteers participating in the program, but also about the local community and the people they serve. His ability to think through every detail while maintaining such a personal touch is truly remarkable.

The best recommendation I can give is simple: we trusted Tico Lingo once, and we trusted them enough to send him back again. I would recommend this program to other families without hesitation!