Born and raised in Costa Rica, Dani is often one of the first friendly faces students meet when they arrive at Tico Lingo. She works closely with them each day, coordinating homestay placements, airport pickups, weekend tours, and the many small details that help students feel comfortable and supported. With more than ten years of experience in hospitality and student care, Dani plays a central role in the daily experience of every participant and helps ensure each arrival feels smooth, personal, and well looked after.
Agency Partners
Partner with Tico Lingo
Tico Lingo is the only IALC accredited Spanish school in Costa Rica. For education agencies, that recognition brings clarity and trust. Your students receive a rigorous academic experience and attentive support from arrival to departure.
We value long term partnerships with agencies around the world. Our team works closely with each partner to keep the process simple, organized, and reliable. From the first inquiry to the student’s final day in Costa Rica, we make it easy for you to place students with confidence.
We Make Things Easy
Clear program descriptions, ready to use marketing materials, high quality imagery, simple payment tools, and reliable communication with the staff who see your students every day. Our team supports you from the first inquiry to final enrollment so placing students is smooth and efficient.
Student Safety and Care
Student wellbeing guides every part of the program. Clear onboarding materials, trusted homestay families, experienced staff, and thoughtful coordination ensure students are safe and supported from the moment they arrive.
Flexible Programs
Not every student is the same. We offer a range of program formats that combine Spanish classes with tours, cultural activities, meals, transport, and more. With flexible start dates, program durations, and accommodation options, agencies can easily find a Spanish program that fits the needs of their student.
Our City
Heredia, Costa Rica
Tico Lingo is located in the heart of Costa Rica’s Central Valley, in the charming city of Heredia, just 20 minutes from the international airport.
The city is safe, walkable, and refreshingly local. English is rarely spoken, which creates a natural environment for learning Spanish.
Heredia’s streets are lined with Spanish colonial architecture, family owned cafés and restaurants, small neighborhood shops, and lively public parks where daily Costa Rican life unfolds. Students are not surrounded by tourists. They are surrounded by Spanish.
The city is safe, walkable, and refreshingly local. English is rarely spoken, which creates a natural environment for learning Spanish.
Heredia’s streets are lined with Spanish colonial architecture, family owned cafés and restaurants, small neighborhood shops, and lively public parks where daily Costa Rican life unfolds. Students are not surrounded by tourists. They are surrounded by Spanish.
Watch the video!
Our Programs
Intensive Spanish
20 hours group classes
A balanced, small-group program focused on building real-world communication skills. Perfect for students who want steady progress while still having time to explore Costa Rica.
20 Hours Group + 10 Hours Private
Combine group classes with one-on-one instruction for faster progress. Ideal for students who want personalized support while still benefiting from a dynamic group environment.
2-Week All Inclusive Camp
A fully immersive experience for teens ages 13 – 17 that blends Spanish classes, homestays, cultural activities, and adventure tours. Designed to build confidence, friendships, and real-world language skills.
2-Week All Inclusive Camp
A fully immersive experience for teens ages 13 – 17 that blends Spanish classes, homestays, cultural activities, and adventure tours. Designed to build confidence, friendships, and real-world language skills.
20 Hours Group + 10 Hours Semi-Private
Designed for professionals and students with specific goals. Combine group learning with semi-private sessions tailored to your field, such as business, education, or healthcare.
10 Hours Private
Fully personalized one-on-one classes tailored to your level, goals, and schedule. Ideal for rapid improvement or targeting specific areas of Spanish.
20 Hours Group
A structured group program designed to meet Bildungsurlaub requirements. Focus on practical communication skills in an immersive and supportive environment.
20 Hours Group + 10 Hours Private
Maximize your Bildungsurlaub experience with a mix of group classes and private lessons. Perfect for professionals looking to make meaningful progress in a short time.
Our Homestay families
Stay with a Local Family
Tico Lingo offers carefully matched homestays in Heredia, Costa Rica that deepen each student’s Spanish and cultural immersion. Families live within walking distance of the school and provide a private room, Wi Fi, breakfast, dinner, laundry, and daily opportunities to speak real Spanish in a safe, welcoming home environment.
Watch the video and hear from Michelle who lived with a local Costa Rican homestay family
Watch (another!) video!
Who We Work With
Tico Lingo works with a wide range of international partners who send students to Costa Rica to learn Spanish. These include international education agencies, government funded study programs, high schools, universities, and other Spanish language institutions.
Over the years we have built trusted relationships with partners around the world who rely on us to provide their students with a safe, organized, and meaningful immersion experience.
Your Main Contacts
Chris Reidy
Founder & Commercial Director
With a background in both business and education, and more than a decade living in Costa Rica, Chris brings a thoughtful and personalized approach to every partnership. He understands both the realities of running an education business and the responsibility agencies carry when placing students abroad. For partners, Chris is the main point of contact. He works closely with agencies to ensure clear communication, strong program design, and a reliable experience for every student who travels to Costa Rica.
Dani Matta
Head of Student Services
Some Nice Words From People We know
Tico Lingo has been an outstanding partner in Westminster College’s school of record initiative. From the very beginning, Chris and his team have demonstrated the kind of professionalism and responsiveness that makes cross-border collaboration genuinely enjoyable. We’re proud to work alongside an IALC-certified school whose commitment to quality mirrors our own.
What we particularly value as an agency is the close and personal contact with the team at Tico Lingo – communication is always direct, warm, and highly reliable. This same level of care is reflected in their small classes and dedicated teachers, ensuring high-quality learning and real progress for students. Combined with authentic cultural immersion, Tico Lingo is a partner we trust and confidently recommend.
Every student we’ve sent to Tico Lingo comes back raving about their experience. Everything from the classes, the activities, the tours, and the homestay families are stellar — and the team there is so organized! There’s never a detail missed which creates confidence on the student side, but as well as on our side of Program Advisors helping students get booked.
Tico Lingo has been an outstanding partner in Westminster College’s school of record initiative. From the very beginning, Chris and his team have demonstrated the kind of professionalism and responsiveness that makes cross-border collaboration genuinely enjoyable. We’re proud to work alongside an IALC-certified school whose commitment to quality mirrors our own.
What we particularly value as an agency is the close and personal contact with the team at Tico Lingo – communication is always direct, warm, and highly reliable. This same level of care is reflected in their small classes and dedicated teachers, ensuring high-quality learning and real progress for students. Combined with authentic cultural immersion, Tico Lingo is a partner we trust and confidently recommend.
Every student we’ve sent to Tico Lingo comes back raving about their experience. Everything from the classes, the activities, the tours, and the homestay families are stellar — and the team there is so organized! There’s never a detail missed which creates confidence on the student side, but as well as on our side of Program Advisors helping students get booked.
Documents and Prices
Useful Documents and Prices
Let's Chat!
Book a short discovery call with Chris to explore how we can welcome your students to Costa Rica and design the right Spanish immersion experience together.
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