Our Instructors

The school has a permanent teaching staff of 15 native Spanish-speaking instructors. During the high season our staff increases to 35 teachers in order to ensure small groups and personalized attention.

Our teaching staff is accredited with the Costa Rican Department of Education. All our instructors hold university degrees in Spanish, Education, Linguistics or Philology, from either the University of Costa Rica or the Universidad Nacional (the two most prestigious universities in the country).

To meet some our Spanish teachers, click here.

“My teacher was patient and extremely sensitive to my needs and those of other students. She paid attention to my strenghts and weaknesses and developed her lesson plans responsively. I was amazed at how she could integrate remedial instruction with material that is part of a first level advanced Spanish class. I say this from my experience as a university professor for 36 years. And she taught creatively, intermixing short lectures, conversation, excersises, music listening, and games in a way that enhanced the classroom experience and kept us all involved and alert…

In short, I would recommend CRLA to anyone considering the study of Spanish in Costa Rica.
I will be back for another course”.

Dr. Grady D. Bruce
CA, USA

Here’s what students say about our teachers

“The classes with Sylvia were not only educational but also fun and practical. I was able to use what I learned outside of the class.”
Anne Marie Pattan from IL, USA

“I liked the friendly attitude of all the teachers.”
Bruce Roberts, Canada

“Gaby is an excellent teacher with genuine interest.”
Christine O’Malley, Canada

“Gonzalo loves to teach and it shows.”
Richard Lovwerse, Holland

“Laura was an excellent teacher. There was a perfect balance between grammar and conversation. She is a fantastic teacher.”
Kassia O’Connor, UK

“Vivian did a lot to make my classes excellent. The business vocabulary will be very helpful for my new job.”
Alexander Beuk, Switzerland

“Floria made us feel very comfortable and was always encouraging us to practice our Spanish.”
Caroline Kuynders, Holland

“I was extremely impressed with Carlos’s wealth of knowledge.”
Dr. Linell King from MD, USA

“Nidia is an excellent teacher. The school is lucky to have her.”
Minako Toshiba, Japan

“Osvaldo is one of the best language teachers that I’ve ever had -and I’ve had many. I am an English teacher and in my opinion his work and preparation is worth 5 stars.”
Nathaniel Iezzi from Italy

“Carolina always shows interest in all her students.”
Benjamin Brooks, NH USA

“Leticia’s classes were very well prepared and always interesting.”
Karin, Switzerland

“Patricia always takes the time to make sure that each student is satisfied with her class and learning as much as possible.”
Ryoko from Japan

“Carlos D. is an inspiring and creative professor. I can’t imagine any better.”
Jonathan Van Nuys from California, USA

“Vivian siempre trató de satisfacer las demandas de los estudiantes y trajo bastantes textos de literatura, poemas y películas. De esos documentos resultaron discusiones muy interesantes y un verdadero intercambio de ideas.”
Claudia Kaiser, Germany

I LOVE MY CLASS!! Sylvia never got mad even if I got the same thing wrong a hundred times. Now that I know it I feel so much better about myself. I learned more in my 8 days than the entire year in my high school Spanish class. Anyone who’s not sure about Spanish put them in Sylvia´s class because she always makes you feel good about yourself and she is a great teacher.
Pamela Durapau, TX USA

Cynthia is very enthusiastic. We could talk about any subject and she had a good program.
Caroline Winten, Holland

“. . . I was also impressed by the teachers, whom were very nice about making adjustments. I could not have been happier with my class. There were just three of us . . . Many thanks to Eleonora as well! I learned an incredible amount from her in such a short time. Before the trip my communication skills were low to none. I was barely able to tell a waiter what I wanted to drink. I remember the first night I spent twenty minutes practicing how to ask if I could take a shower. I was amazed by my progress. Within the first two weeks I was able to carry on a conversation and join in with my family at dinner. It really sparked a greater interest in Spanish, and when I got back to the States I actually missed having to use it to communicate. Now I found myself studying daily on my own.

We had so much fun in class too. We shared many laughs and great times while playing games, going on outings, and having random yet hilarious conversations. I learned a lot about the Costa Rican culture… I know I made a lot of mistakes and sounded really stupid at times, but I never felt embarrassed. She was always very encouraging. Eleonora really added to my great experience!!”
Anne Campbell, Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA