Intensive Spanish Immersion Program in Heredia, Costa Rica

I was at Tico Lingo Jan 6 - Feb 17, 2024. My professor was Zaida, a wonderful lady who met us where we were with our Spanish skills. I liked that my professor provided written instruction, as well as ample time to practice our speaking skills; my class jokingly called our time to speak “una hora de chisme.”

The weekly activities, such as lunch and dancing, are fun and a great way to interact with other students.

I chose the home stay option for my trip, which is what I recommend to further your Spanish skills. I lived with an adventurous family who liked to take weekend trips and who (kindly) corrected my Spanish as I spoke with them throughout the stay. To me, the home stay was a vital piece of the immersion program.

Now for the negatives:
First, be aware that some of the home stays are a 15-30 minute walk away from school. That wasn’t an issue for me, but I knew some people who weren’t prepared for walking that much every day.

Second, Heredia is a busy city. There’s lots of traffic on the streets, and generally a lot of people out and about. As with any city, keep a watchful eye for fast cars and dangerous situations, and use common sense to stay safe while exploring the city.

Overall, I had a fantastic time studying Spanish at Tico Lingo. The staff were friendly and helpful, the program was organized, and there were plenty of opportunities to explore outside of Heredia. If you’re looking to expand your Spanish skills, I suggest booking your spot at Tico Lingo ASAP.

I spent three weeks at TicoLingo as part of a professional sabbatical to improve my Spanish skills. I appreciated the communication in advance and Yenifer was very reassuring. I was assigned a homestay host that was perfect. They accommodated a medical issue of mine, and were so kind. I loved being in Heredia, specifically because it's not a tourist area. It's walkable and almost no one speaks English. I was able to practice Spanish all day. I was assigned a class that was perfect for my ability. It was challenging but not over my head. I made fast friends with my classmates and others in the school and we enjoyed going out to eat, Latin dancing, and going on tours on weekends. The school hosts great tours, and you can also make your own if you're so inclined, or just chill on the weekends. I enjoyed all the lunchtime activities, including homemade Tico lunches and dance class. I also added the private lessons in the afternoon two of my three weeks. It was intense but it helped me learn a lot more. Three weeks feels like the minimum amount of time to get a full experience. I wish I could've done more, but I had to get home to my kiddos! Chris was wonderful, my tutors Kevin and Zulma were very helpful and fun, and my primary teacher Zaida was the absolute best. She was committed to teaching us what we were interested in. We took field trips to learn street vocabulary, and had deep conversations in Spanish about our lives and world issues. She was hilariously funny and we had a weekly "hora de chisme" to gossip for fun. It was such a joy, and in addition to learning a ton, it lifted my spirit. I plan to come back again in a future sabbatical, I miss my whole Tico Lingo family.

I would definitely recommend Tico Lingo for learning Spanish. The leadership, Chris and Yeni, are dedicated to the school and your success. If you have a question, an issue, or any concern, they want to know about it and will address it.

I had two teachers in two weeks and enjoyed their different approaches. The other students were 100% enjoyable to interact with and learn Spanish with. The school itself (both locations) is a pleasant place to hang out after classes and study or socialize.

The school offers weekend tours or you can book your own. These were more expensive than I would have expected, but I'm glad I did them.

I spend a day on my own in San Jose, museums, shopping, National Theatre, and that was quite a bit cheaper and pretty fun also.

Heredia itself is a pleasant enough town, plenty of shopping, gyms, etc. and opportunities to try to speak in Spanish. I wouldn't say it is a particularly attractive town and it is definitely noisy at times and probably not great air quality on the streets, but overall it was always safe and friendly.

My homestay was great, fun family, good food and a comfortable bedroom. I am only giving it a "4" because it was sometimes noisy with train horns, barking dogs, and mopeds, but overall it was good and a super way to get extra Spanish practice. Highly recommend it.

I enrolled for the 1 week intensive study. What a bargain!! I had 4 hours of group study in the morning followed by 2 hours of individual study in the afternoon. Tico Lingo had me do an evaluation before I arrived so they could place me properly. I did a short online test followed by a telephone evaluation with Yenifer. I can say the placement was perfect. We worked in a small group 4 students and our teacher Marcela. She was excellent. She kept the study engaging and fun. The 4 hours passed very quickly each day. My individual study with Erick was also excellent. He adjusted the study to my needs and presented the material very well. The academic side was top-notch. I also chose the home-stay option and I'm so glad I did. I stayed at Sandra's house and she was wonderful. She & Elsie were great hosts. They both helped me practice my Spanish. It was like having 2 extra teachers at a bargain price. This whole experience was an incredible bargain. Tico Lingo helped me to super-charge my Spanish and have a great time while doing it. I would highly recommend Tico Lingo to anyone who wants to take their Spanish to the next level. 5 stars across the board for me.

I enjoyed every minute of my time in Costa Rica with the Tico Lingo program. Chris did an exceptional job matching me with an amazing family that will have a place in my heart forever. He was available 24/7 for questions …. restaurant recommendations, directions, schedule changes, anything! Yennifer placed me in a great group - similar in our Spanish speaking process - it is a process! I had the opportunity to work with four different instructors and they were all amazing. Overall the experience exceeded my expectations! I would love to go back …. soon!!!

Be forewarned, there will be a lot of superlatives in this review! If you are considering an immersion Spanish school, I would encourage you to put Tico Lingo at the very top of your list! I spent two weeks at Tico Lingo, and the Spanish instruction was exemplary, my homestay was amazing, and the town of Heredia is a friendly, bustling community filled with opportunities to practice your new language skills.

It can be intimidating to be in a new environment where you don’t speak the language, but Tico Lingo was a comfortable and welcoming environment from the moment I walked through the front door. I was greeted by Yeni, who knew who I was when I walked in, which was not only a very nice touch but also set the tone for my entire stay. Over the rest of my time there, she greeted me every morning and said goodbye at the end of each day. Chris, the founder of Tico Lingo, was also a daily fixture at the school, and he, too, called me by name when we first met. Both of them were constantly available and checking in with me about my classes, my progress, and my experience as a whole. Any fears or uncertainty I may have had quickly disappeared, and I hadn’t even gotten up the stairs to my classroom yet. When I did get to my class, the experience only improved.

Yeni called me about a week before my arrival for a detailed verbal placement exam that was quite thorough, so I wasn’t surprised to find that I was perfectly placed in my group class with three other students who were very close to my skill level. Our instructor, Kevin, was funny and friendly. He pushed us to learn new skills and created a space that felt safe to try (and sometimes fail) when using those skills. He encouraged us to learn from those mistakes and to be less fearful of making them in the first place. Kevin kept us all on task for the most part, but he was also not afraid to let the conversation stray from the main topic and look for teachable moments from our daily experiences or even go down a rabbit hole of unique words and phrases. I looked forward to his class every morning—what a great teacher. We laughed with each other, we had successes and failures, and we made friendships that will last beyond our time together at Tico Lingo.

During my second week at Tico Lingo, I had private lessons every afternoon with Freddy. What a powerhouse that guy is! I have a PhD in English, and I especially love the mechanics and nuance of language. And I found a kindred spirit in Freddy, whose love of the Spanish language is inspiring. I was intimidated at first because he spoke very rapidly at our first meeting, and I was afraid I was in over my head. But he covered the material very clearly, sometimes saying things like, “this is very, very important, so I’m going to say it in English.” About 15 minutes in to the first session, I realized that I was keeping up just fine and that was a very empowering moment. I would have many of those over the next days along with a lot of enthusiastic fist bumps. We dug deep into the aspects of Spanish that are particularly challenging to me, and we had many conversations about nuance and intricacy. He pushed me beyond the limits of what I would have thought possible in one week of study. He not only taught me how to use certain elements, but he insisted that I be able to explain why in each instance. It will take me weeks to matriculate everything we covered, but he gave me new and exciting tools to improve and I look forward to using what I learned from him in that process.

Part of being ready to learn every day is being rested and well-fed, and I could not have asked for more from my homestay experience in that regard. The basics were well covered, I had a comfortable and private room, great internet, and a chair and desk for homework. But beyond that, I was touched by the kindness of my Tico family from the moment I arrived in their home. I arrived late evening on January 30th, and after just a few minutes of settling in, I was at the kitchen table with my family talking about New Year’s Eve. My host, Gaby, immediately asked me what my plans were for the following evening. When I responded that I didn’t have any because I didn’t know anyone but them in Costa Rica yet, she insisted that I come to her family’s NYE party at a beautiful house in the mountains that had a view of almost the entire central valley. A really special night that culminated with watching a skyline of fireworks from Alajuela to San Jose was just the beginning of an amazing stay. Every morning I got up to the best coffee ever, a big bowl of fresh fruit, and a filling plate of Costa Rican specialties. But the best part was becoming friends with Gaby. Sure, she helped with my Spanish, but mostly we just talked about our families, our pets, the crazy world we live in, and all of the food I hoped she would teach me how to make (spoiler alert-she did, and I now make a pretty mean Chifrijo!). Gaby’s family had many events during my stay, and it became understood that I was not only welcomed but encouraged (bordering on expected!) to attend. To say they treated me like one of the family is an absurd understatement; in fact, Gaby’s daughter-in-law had a birthday party the night I left, and multiple family members came by to say goodbye and express genuine disappointment that I would miss the party. They are very special people that will be important to me for the rest of my life.

And honestly, that’s the way I feel about the folks at Tico Lingo, too. It was sad to leave after only two weeks. I sincerely felt a sense of belonging there. Yeni gave me a hug when I was leaving, and when Chris realized I had left without seeing him first, he immediately pinged me on WhatsApp and expressed his disappointment in missing the opportunity to say goodbye in person. Those are examples of what makes Tico Lingo special. I know it sounds corny, but I stand by it and believe it to my core—I felt, and feel, a sincere sense of family with all of the folks at Tico Lingo, including all of the students I met there. It wasn’t some sort of factory school that simply wanted to cash my check. Teaching me Spanish was of the utmost importance to everyone there, but it was clear that they also wanted to get to know me as a person and provide an amazing immersive experience.

Finally, I know this is getting long and drawn out, but I need to say a quick shout out to Heredia, in general. It is filled with friendly people, and there are lots of little bars, coffee shops (cafeterias) and sodas (think little diner) to drop in to for some lunch, a beer, or a sweet treat and some coffee, and the people in them are patient and kind when you use whatever level of Spanish you speak. It is a great environment for practicing because there are not an overabundance of English speakers, but you’re looking for immersion, right? You will find that in the most welcoming of ways in this great city.

So the bottom line is would I recommend Tico Lingo? Let me put it this way, since the moment I left, I have been trying to figure out when I can return. I can tell you it will be sooner rather than later, and I hope I will see you there, too!

I spent one week at Tico Lingo and it was great! The lessons with Freddy were interactive and so much fun.
Unfortunately I could not stay longer, but I learned so much in just one week, thanks to good teaching!
Yeni at the front desk was warm and caring and helped with whatever issue we may had and Chris showed us around in the city, giving us tips and information about Heredia.

The salsa lessons offered after school were great!

I had also booked a homestay and lived with Miriam, a lovely lady who made me feel at home immediately.
Myriam spoke a lot with me, always making sure I understood what she said. She cooked delicious meals and always made sure I got enough food as I'm a big eater.

I spent 4 weeks at Tico Lingo and I loved it! One of the greatest benefits of this program lies in the opportunity to join on any given week and stay as long as feasible. So you really have a chance to make this work with your schedule!
Another reason why I recommend Tico Lingo is their commitment to use only Spanish in class (with slight variations based on the group’s level). The students are invited to engage in meaningful conversation, encouraged to share opinions or even debate questions, all while keeping it light and funny. Don’t be surprised if you’ll be prompted to engage in philosophical discussions you might not have had even in your native language :)
And…Tico Lingo is a community of wonderful people—knowledgeable and fun teachers, kind and helpful staff, and adventurous fellow students! While it was great to enjoy the continuity offered by being with a core small group for the entire time, it was equally great to have new students join each week bringing some fresh perspectives to the class.
No host family in my case, but had a great rental condo so I was able to travel with my partner and pets :)