Frequently Asked Questions
Heredia, Costa Rica Questions
During the day, absolutely. Students are encouraged to spend the afternoon exploring the many nooks and crannies that Heredia has to offer. From local coffee shops and boutique clothing stores to historic churches and the local soccer stadium, the city boasts many safe and fun activities.
At night, there are countless bars and restaurants to visit. Just like any other city though, it become a little more dangerous after dark and we encourage students to go out with a buddy.
A typical lunch in Heredia will cost you around 3000 colones ($5.25 USD). There are fancier options for the food lover in Heredia, but the regular cost of a meal doesn’t range more than 5000 colones ($8.75 USD).
*Note that tipping is not customary in Costa Rica
Heredia is about an hour and a half from Jacó, the nearest tourist beach. Students can take a bus from Heredia to San José and then to Jacó for a total cost of about 4000 colones ($7.00 USD). If a taxi is preferred, Tico Lingo can help organize private transportation for you, just ask!
Heredia is an extremely walkable city — in fact, you can walk the diameter in about 25 minutes. The tallest building in Heredia is about seven stories. It’s also laid out in a grid pattern, making it easy to navigate!
Heredia typically has very comfortable weather seeing more rain during the rainy months between April and August. It can get a bit cold at night, but during the day expect to be comfortable wearing pants and a t-shirt without problems.
Homestay Accommodation Questions
Each family must first apply for the program. The application consists of a written portion that confirms their citizenship, legal status, and local address. Additionally, the written exam tests for basic English language understanding (greetings, names, basic verbs, etc.). We also conduct an evaluation of their home and confirm they have working hot/cold water, laundry services, functioning electricity and internet, and a warm environment for students.
Once allowed in the program, we provide families with written guidelines so everything runs smoothly with our students. Once a student departs, we receive written and verbal feedback from students on the quality of their experience. Bi-yearly, we conduct a re-evaluation to confirm home upkeep and satisfactory facilities.
Absolutely yes! 🙂 More than 95% of the students that take Spanish classes at Tico Lingo choose to live with a local family. Students as old as 91 have stayed with homestays! You’ll learn the culture, way of life, food, and… most importantly… the language!
Often times, students find they want to stay longer than the initially arranged time. At Tico Lingo, we pay families on a weekly basis from Saturday to Saturday or Sunday to Sunday but are happy to arrange additional day rates for students looking travel or further explore the area.
If your extended stay goes beyond an additional week, we ask that you speak with a staff leader directly about your travel and housing plans. Normally though, nightly rates are $35/pp.
Amongst the highest in Latin America, the standard of living in Costa Rica fares well compared to those in highly developed countries.
Although high, an open mind and pura vida attitude is needed though when moving into a family’s home. Homes may not have cable TV, a microwave, or a dishwasher – but don’t forget, a true cultural experience may require certain sacrifices. These sacrifices will broaden your horizons and make you appreciate what you have back home!
If for any reason you feel uncomfortable with your homestay family please do not hesitate to let us know and we will be glad to help. We aim to place students with suitable families however, because each student is different in personality, tastes, and habits, things might not work out as planned. In rare cases, families can face tough situations like sickness in the family or issues at work which might affect their ability to host you sufficiently.
Keeping all this in mind, if for any reason you do not feel completely welcome or content with your family, please inform a staff leader so we can make the necessary changes or arrangements.
Some families do offer a private bathroom to students, but unless it is specifically requested, we will place students where we feel they fit best. We’ll take into regard their Spanish level, their age, their prior experience in Costa Rica, their diet, their preferences for children, among other things. But yes, a private bathroom can be provided upon request.
Spanish Program Questions
So that we place each student in the best class, we’ll conduct a thorough written and oral examination of each student’s Spanish level before they arrive. Each exam will be carried out roughly 14-21 days before the student arrives. The written is exam is done online (on mobile or on desktop/laptop), and the oral exam is conducted via Whatsapp with our Head of Student services.
Tico Lingo welcomes a wide range of students throughout the year, and our classrooms reflect a very diverse mix of life experiences and backgrounds. Rather than attracting one specific age group, the school tends to bring together people from many different stages of life who share the same goal of learning Spanish and experiencing Costa Rican culture.
Because of this diversity, there is no single “average” age that defines the student body. At any given time, students may include university learners, professionals taking time away from their careers, lifelong language enthusiasts, and travelers exploring new cultures.
We believe this variety is one of the greatest strengths of the learning environment at Tico Lingo. When people with different perspectives and experiences come together in the same classroom, conversations become richer, cultural exchange becomes deeper, and the overall learning experience becomes more dynamic and memorable for everyone involved.
Upon each student’s arrival they’ll be given a weekly calendar of tours and activities that we will be organizing here at the school. We’ll be offering activities like dance and cooking class and tours like volcano hiking and white water rafting. Likewise, we’ll have information on where students can go on their own time after class in the afternoons and weekends.
You can get a really good idea of what we offer outside of Spanish class on our activities and tours page.
This can vary week to week as we receive students at all levels of Spanish competency. We take in students who are just beginning their Spanish language learning journey. Likewise, we take in students who are near fluent in Spanish and need to master some high level grammar.
On average though, especially during June and July, Spanish levels lean more basic and students tend to start with a basic foundation in the language and a lack of good conversational skills.
Once registered for your program, you will receive a PDF with information on the airport pickup team. After collecting your luggage and going through customs, students will be met by a member of our Airport pickup team just outside the airport (SJO). This person will be holding a sign with the Tico Lingo logo on it. In the unusual event that there is a problem with the airport pick-up, we advise you contact the team on Whatsapp at the number provided on the airport pickup PDF.
Still have some questions?
Don’t hesitate to contact us and talk directly to a Program Advisor about visiting us in Heredia, Costa Rica!