My First Spanish Immersion Experience… and Absolutely Not My Last

There are no words that can adequately capture just how amazing my experience at Tico Lingo was. This was my first experience, but I promise it will not be my last.

I had been wanting to do a language immersion event for several years, but had never found the courage to actually do it, but one day, my daughter-in-law announced she was doing one. She was already extremely fluent and had even spent a semester in Spain as an undergraduate, but she had a specific interest and was going to spend a month at Ticolingo to accomplish it. When she came home, she told me it was by far the best Spanish instruction she had ever received – high praise considering all of her learning and experiences. Now, I wanted to do it more than ever before.

I carefully researched several schools before committing to Tico Lingo. Even then, I was afraid. Several things made me nervous. I'm 55 years old. I was worried the school would be filled with young adults, and I would be the awkward old guy in the room. I was worried that I didn't know enough Spanish. Could I even do this, or was I still too novice to receive much benefit from it? As an introvert, I was REALLY worried about the home stay. What was the expected level of interaction? Could I go to my room and read a book, or was that considered rude? Should I stay out in the living room and interact with people I really didn't know and struggled to communicate with?

As it turned out, I worried for nothing. Not one of my fears came true. In fact, it was the exact opposite.

• There were in fact quite a few young adult students, but there was also an equal number of more seasoned adults, but it also didn't matter. Everyone blended together seamlessly and had a wonderful time together. The younger adults were absolutely wonderful and extremely welcoming.

• Before I arrived, Yennifer called and gave me a "Spanish test" in order to place me in the correct group class. She nailed it. Everyone in my group was in the exact same place, and yes, I could benefit even at my level and learned far more than I possibly could have imagined. A big part of that was my instructor, Yobeth. I often feel embarrassed trying to speak Spanish because I know I am slow and make a lot of mistakes, but Yobeth was brilliant at making you feel comfortable. I felt as though I had permission to have fun and to try. I wasn't expected to get it right. That's why I was in school, and her corrections were fun and gentle. She taught all of us so much and in an incredible manner.

• I also did 2 hours per day of one on one instruction with Freddy. Freddy is incredibly passionate about the language and about his students. In a private setting, that passion was laser focused on me, on my goals, and on my learning. He was fully prepared for every lesson, but adjusted on the fly based on what I needed. He not only taught me Spanish but also how to learn Spanish. He gave me an incredible amount of information and exercises to take home with me to allow me to continue my journey long after I left Costa Rica.

• This combination of instructors was phenomenal and taught me so much. Both of my instructors not only demonstrated an incredible passion for teaching the language, but also demonstrated a genuine passion for me as a person and a student. They truly, truly cared.

• One of the best parts of my experience was getting to know my Tico family. They were so warm and inviting, and they completely let me decide how to spend my time.

If I needed private time, that was totally fine. I was also completely welcome and comfortable hanging out and doing things with them. I even had my own key and could come and go as I pleased. They are amazing people, and we have continued to stay in touch since I've been home.

• Another fear was walking around alone in a strange city where I barely spoke the language. The people of Heredia immediately put me to ease. They smiled and spoke to me and were very patient with my attempts to communicate. I even met one neighbor who took me in and introduced me to her whole family.

In every way possible, my time at Ticolingo was an incredible experience and far exceeded all of my hopes. It was over way too quickly. As I mentioned, this was my first trip, but there will be many, many more.