Nosara Spanish Institute
50 Meters South of Robin's Cafe, Playa Guiones, Nosara, Costa Rica, Nosara, Guanacaste 50206, Costa Rica
Nosara Spanish Institute
Our intensive programs are structured weekly in 1:40 minute sessions, with classes every day Monday to Friday. In average, our students study with us for 3 weeks, equivalent to a total of 60 hours of instruction. The minimum study is one week, equivalent to 20 hours.
The programs are highly effective, full immersion in the Spanish language, provided by qualified instructors who are native speakers and are designed to achieve great improvements in a very short period of time.
The 20 Hour Intensive Spanish Course requires two 1:40 minute sessions per day which are either programmed both session in the morning or both sessions in the afternoon.
All students are scheduled according to their Spanish level among other criteria. The classes are super small, averaging 3-4 students, with a set maximum of 6 students.
Class schedule may change depending on availability and season.
Average | 3 students |
Maximum | 6 students |
Age range | 17 years old and older |
Average | 30 years old |
The Nosara Spanish Institute offers year-round structured Spanish programs. With small groups, university certified Spanish teachers and comfortable facilities; we provide everything needed to maximize your learning experience.
We use a communicative teaching methodology, where the main goal is the improvement of the student´s communication skills, encouraging spontaneous and creative use of the language, using real communicative situations and activities that teach Spanish in the way we really use it.
Nosara was founded on the pillars of environmental preservation, surfing, wellness, and yoga. The town is surrounded by a wide variety of natural resources from beaches to mountains, rivers, and waterfalls which provide numerous opportunities for different sightseeing and outdoor sports adventures.
Services such as quality education, medical, banking, and excellent food providers are available. Visitors experience an ideal, comfortable environment for learning a new language that allows relaxation and focus. All together this makes the Nosara Spanish Institute a prime choice for your language learning needs.
NSI has partnerships with the following universities and colleges in Costa Rica. You can gain full or conditional acceptance into one of these institutions.
The nationality and age mix at Nosara Spanish Institute varies over different time periods, courses and levels. Throughout the year, the average age is 30. In the summer, the average age is 30.
NSI teaches students from all over the world, including:
NSI does not hold classes on the holiday dates below. The school does not compensate for these holidays, so make sure to choose your start date accordingly.
Located within a nature preserve on the pacific northwest of Costa Rica, Nosara's pristine jungle environment and exceptional beaches are a nature lover's dream. Nosara's inclusion in the nature preserve means there is less development that many coastal towns in Costa Rica but we still have the modern conveniences afforded by larger towns, including medical clinics, two banks, grocery stores, extensive wi-fi network, post office and more. Our campus is located in the heart of Playa Guiones, just an 8-minute walk to the beach and a one minute walk to all that town has to offer. It is not uncommon to horses and cattle meandering along the roads and to see monkey's snacking from the mango tree just in front of campus as well as exotic birds, iguanas and much more. We invite you to experience quintessential Costa Rica at the Nosara Spanish Institute.
I really enjoyed the small classes, the different teachers I was able to experience during my stay in Nosara. The school organized different activities every week where I was able to speak more Spanish, get to know more about the culture and connected with some of the locals. My homestay was great too even if it was a little bit far away from the school. From the school it is a 10min walk to the beach which is great to go swimming or watch the sunset every day no matter if you have morning or afternoon classes.
Show details » Read more...My time at Nosara Spanish Institute was very pleasant. I learned lots in just 2 weeks and would recommend anyone wanting to learn Spanish to do it here! The teachers are kind and incredibly helpful and intuitive. Plus the extra activities they host are very fun. The school is walking distance to the beach, which was a great place to go and study with newly made friends! Gracias Nosara!
Show details » Read more...The classes were great because the teachers took their time to explain everything in detail and they were amicable too. We were not only provided with excellent classes but with great trips too! The location was good too and you can not complain about the facilities. I, for one, believe that the activities by the school are what made it stand out to others. Furthermore, the housing was a completely new and unforgettable experience too and I met a lot of amazing people.
Show details » Read more...The teachers are consistently on time and patient. They are willing to go the extra mile to help students learn.
Show details » Read more...Classes were great. It took a while to settle in, so next time, I would want to stay for more than two weeks. Marilyn was excellent. She knew exactly when to push and when not. She is also very nice and fun. We had a lot of laughs in class. Stayed in Esperanza with a phenomenal home-stay family. Our home-stay hostess is a fantastic cook and her family is very happy and welcoming!
As the school is about half-way between our home-stay and the beach, I did a lot of walking. This suited me perfectly. The walk to school was mostly gorgeous, but with one terrible dusty patch of road in the dry season a couple hundred feet long. I am not a surfer, but I wish I was! The other activities were pretty low-key, but I am sure that if I had wanted a night life I could easily have found it on my own. Brock organized a couple of cool things and got us pointed in the right direction to hire taxis to go to Lagarta Lodge and took us to learn to play the Marimba.
Was really happy I did not need to buy a lot of food as breakfast and dinner was included with my home-stay. Otherwise I think food prices would be very expensive. Nosara was much more tourist-oriented than I anticipated, which has upsides and downsides.
My Spanish improved tremendously! Thank you!
Kath
The classes were great. The location was excellent. Marcus and Jeraldo were wonderful, thorough and committed. I would love to return.
Show details » Read more...During my 3 months at NSI, I had the pleasure of learning from all 3 of the Spanish teachers at the school. Each had their own unique styles, and classes always felt small and personal, having between 1-5 people. I went from understanding random Spanish words to understanding the majority of conversations among the Spanish people in my household. The administration of the school works extremely hard to ensure that all students are matched to the appropriate class/level. In my opinion, the school offers nearly as much return as a trip/activity organizer as it does as a language school. Much of the incredible things I got to see and people I got to meet were due to activities or arrangements made through the school...
I'm incredibly grateful for the time I got to spend learning from such wonderful people.
I have taken weekly group sessions on 3 separate occasions, each for 2 to 3 weeks, about 6 months apart. When I returned, the staff had gone out of its way to accommodate my level of "expertise" (LOL) and time-of-day preference. They really cared about the students' particular goals. Even if the sessions required review of things, I had a good hold on the teacher as she customized individual ability when addressing each student. When the other students were more advanced, the teacher brought me into a conversation that was at my level.
The location was central in the little barrio of Guiones. The facilities were comfortable. I did not go to a home stay as I own a home, so I did not need any of the numerous nearby rentals.
Marco was my teacher on all 3 occasions. He loves language and teaching. He is so smart! He also he reminds me of my son. I would be honored to have him as a teacher again.
I love that the staff tried to provide the time slot I asked for; Since I surf in the morning and at sunset, I prefer a late morning or early afternoon session for classes, and each time I lucked out.
The only criticism I have, which is actually a GOOD thing, is that weeks are very packed with new information and it is really impossible to internalize all that information during the sessions. It really takes me the full 6 months between visits to get a handle on all the vocabulary and grammar but that is because I do not speak Spanish at home... yet.
It is possible to live in a rented apartment during your study in Nosara, but this tends to be more expensive. NSI provides some assistance with apartment rentals or you can rent an apartment on your own. Learn more about apartment housing
We cannot apply for visas on behalf of students. The school is also not authorized to issue documents to support your visa application. If you need a visa, you have to apply for a visitor or tourist visa on your own.
Please note that we do not book flights for our students. If you are researching airfare costs, we recommend using Kayak.com, a search engine that lets you compare flight options from your home country to Nosara based on your budget, schedule and preferences.
Study abroad worry-free with Language International's health and personal effects insurance coverage. When you book a course with us, you can opt to purchase an international insurance plan that covers not only your health care cost but also loss of your personal belongings. You must book your insurance in advance when you register.
Have questions? Get answers from Nosara Spanish Institute staff, Language International student advisors, and past students.
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