What inspired you to go abroad?
I have traveled abroad before, but as a Spanish teacher I wanted to maintain and improve my Spanish skills.
With my host parents
Why did you choose Instituto Estelar Bilingue?
My main reason was because the Instituto Estelar was very responsive to my email questions. They also offered Skype lessons, which I took before I traveled to Costa Rica. With the Skype lessons, I already knew some of the teachers and staff before leaving the United States.
What was your favorite part about Liberia, Costa Rica?
I really enjoyed the language classes, which were well planned and engaging. I also enjoyed staying with my host family.
What made your experience abroad unique?
I am still in contact with the students, staff, and host family that I met. I first took Skype lessons in 2014, attended classes in Liberia in 2015, attended classes in Liberia again in 2017, and took Skype lessons again in 2018.
How did local staff support you throughout your program?
The local staff was very helpful! They arranged an airport pickup for me. They worked to find me a host family and even called the airport when my suitcase was lost!
What's one thing you wish you would have done differently?
The first summer I spent in Liberia, I stayed for two weeks and the second summer I only stayed for one week. I wish I could have stayed longer the second summer.
Describe a typical day in the life of your program.
I would wake up around 7:00 a.m. and have breakfast with my host family before walking to the school. We would have class for about two hours, then have a break, then have class for another two hours.
After class I would go to lunch with some of the other students from the school. In the afternoon, I did a variety of activities. Sometimes I did activities with students or the school. Sometimes I went to the pool with my host family. Sometimes I did homework. I had dinner with my family each evening. Some nights I spent with my host family, other nights I spent going out with other students.
What did you enjoy doing in your free time?
I enjoyed seeing the waterfall near Liberia, going to the pool with my host family, and talking with other students and staff.
What was your accommodation like? What did you like best about it?
My host family had a nice house about ten blocks from the school. I think they had four bedrooms so there was another student who stayed with them while I was there. They had a backyard area where we would sit and talk or eat breakfast. They had a remodeled bathroom. I liked spending time visiting with my host parents and my host mother even taught me how to make tortillas.
What is one thing every participant should know before participating in your program?
You can definitely trust the staff at Instituto Estelar. Use the airport pickup that they offer as it will make your experience at the airport much easier.
What was the hardest part about studying Spanish abroad?
I didn't think that it was hard to study abroad. I had traveled alone before and I already spoke Spanish. For those who have not done something like this before then I would assume the hardest thing would be to travel to a new country alone.
What surprised you most about Costa Rica?
I was surprised by how friendly the people were and how quickly I felt at home both in the school and at my host family's house.
If you could study Spanish abroad again, where would you go?
I would go somewhere new because I have studied twice in Costa Rica. I would go something with a different accent so I can broaden my speaking abilities.
What do you feel the biggest benefit of learning languages abroad is?
The biggest benefit of learning a language abroad is that you are immersed in the language and basically forced to speak the language. You also learn how people actually speak rather than how textbooks say that people speak.
Now that you're home, how has your program abroad impacted your life?
I am so happy that I went! I am a Spanish teacher in the United States so I often talk about my experiences abroad with my other students. Last year my students even got to sponsor a child through Instituto Estelar, which was a great way to get them motivated about learning about Costa Rica.
Would you recommend Instituto Estelar Bilingue to others? Why?
I would absolutely recommend this program! It is a very reliable program that takes into account the expectations of Americans while also integrating them into Costa Rican culture.
