Brenda Reid

Retired Economist, Canada

I am a retired economist and a beginner at Spanish.  My husband and I had two weeks of private classes at ILISA in March 2011. We came away with much more competence and confidence in our ability to speak Spanish.   Every element of the school was perfect for our needs:  the instruction, the facilities on-site, and the efforts of the staff to help us in any way they could.

Academically we were impressed with the skill of our teacher.  Using simple techniques – the drills were fun! — he taught us grammar and vocabulary.  We were never bored, and he was perpetually optimistic and encouraging.  We came away believing that we really would be able to master the language.
The school itself is lovely.  The architecture is interesting and comfortable for learning.  The building is clean and kept in proper working order.  The cafeteria downstairs offers a good selection of foods and beverages at reasonable prices.  The on-site internet room is free and convenient.  The entire environment is conducive to learning.

The non-academic staff members were also engaging and extremely helpful.  We appreciated being met at the airport on our arrival in San Jose, and being driven directly to our hotel by one of the school’s drivers.  We stayed at a hotel recommended by the school and were able to walk to and from class every day.  The school helped us select sight-seeing tours offered by local operators and it was convenient to be able to book the tours at the school for a small fee.  We also enjoyed the school’s happy hour and cooking classes offered after class.  It was a fun way to meet other students (at more senior levels) and practice our Spanish in a relaxed setting.
We would not hesitate to recommend ILISA to anyone, young or old, looking for a welcoming, comfortable and efficient school for studying Spanish.  We would like to return and continue our lessons.