Study Abroad in Costa Rica
Intensive Month
Spend one unforgettable month in Costa Rica fully immersed in Spanish language and culture. The Tico Lingo Intensive Month program lets you earn 3 university credits while living with a local host family, studying with native professors, and exploring the mountains, markets, and beaches around Heredia. It’s a high-impact, short-term study abroad experience designed to rapidly improve your Spanish and connect you to the heart of Latin America.
Earn Transferable College Credit
Tico Lingo partners with a U.S. university to offer official transcripts recognized by colleges and universities across the United States. Complete the equivalent of a semester of Spanish in just a few weeks through immersive, high-intensity coursework.
Live the Language Every Day
Practice your Spanish from sunrise to sunset while living with a local Costa Rican host family. Every meal, conversation, and cultural experience strengthens your language skills and deepens your understanding of life in Latin America.
Explore Costa Rica’s Natural Beauty
Spend weekends exploring rainforests, waterfalls, volcanoes, and beaches. Every destination offers new chances to learn, practice, and experience Costa Rica’s incredible biodiversity and warm hospitality.
Why do an Intensive Month with Tico Lingo?
With 24 hours per week of intensive Spanish classes, you will see your skills grow fast whether you are a beginner or already conversational. Every class is taught by our team of native Costa Rican professors, keeping lessons small, engaging, and focused on real communication.
Our community
Tico Lingo thrives because of the people around it. We work hand-in-hand with our neighbors, host families, and local partners throughout Costa Rica to create impact beyond the classroom.
Passion in
Everything We Do
From teaching Spanish and organizing homestays to leading weekend tours and cultural workshops, we put care, sincerity, and passion into every detail of the Tico Lingo experience.
Small Class Sizes
Classes are offered in the morning or afternoon and are open to all Spanish levels. Each student completes a placement exam before arrival to ensure the perfect fit and learning experience within their small group.
Culture as the Classroom
We believe that learning doesn’t stop at the whiteboard. It happens outside of the classroom, over coffee, on a bus, at a host family’s dinner table, and in the rhythm of everyday Costa Rican life.
Communication with Purpose
We listen, respond, and adapt. Open, honest, and ongoing communication with students and staff allows us to create experiences that truly fit each student’s personal journey.
A Home for Every Story
We welcome students from every corner of the world, each bringing their own language, traditions, and perspective. Our community celebrates these differences and grows stronger with every story shared together.
Our Homestay Families
Our homestay families are the heart of the Tico Lingo experience. Each family welcomes students into their home as one of their own, providing a safe, comfortable space to live and learn. Sharing meals, stories, and daily routines gives college students a real-world perspective on Costa Rican life while offering endless opportunities to practice Spanish naturally. It is where classroom lessons turn into meaningful conversation and cultural understanding truly takes root.
Our Spanish Professors
At Tico Lingo, learning happens in small, personalized classes with no more than six students. This intimate setting allows professors to truly know each student, track progress closely, and tailor lessons to individual goals. Our team of native Costa Rican educators is passionate about helping students not only master Spanish but also understand and feel part of the local culture. Each day combines focused language learning with real conversation, cultural context, and hands-on interaction in the community. The result is a supportive, tight-knit classroom environment where students advance quickly and feel connected to the people and culture around them.
Beyond the Classroom
Immerse yourself in Costa Rican life through hands-on cultural experiences that make Spanish come alive. Practice your language skills while roasting coffee, cooking traditional dishes, making chocolate, dancing salsa, exploring an animal rescue center, or joining yoga and pilates classes, all taught entirely in Spanish. Outside class, you will have the chance to volunteer in the community, visit local schools, and connect with Costa Ricans of all ages. Each experience strengthens your confidence, expands your cultural understanding, and deepens your appreciation for how Spanish is lived and spoken throughout Latin America.
Ready to Start Planning?
Connect with our team today and start planning your Spanish Immersion program in Costa Rica!