Orientation
On your first day of class you will need to be at the school at 8am for an oral evaluation to determine your Spanish level (placement test). You will then have an orientation, which will include information about the course, and about San Jose and Costa Rica, this is a great opportunity to ask any questions that you may have. You will be provided with a student card with telephone number and exact address of your home stay. In the afternoon there will be time for a salsa class and a chance to use the facilities at the language school.
Accommodation and Meals
Your accommodation will be with a home stay family, which is a perfect way for you to learn more about the Costa Rican culture. You will have the opportunity to practise speaking Spanish with the family everyday and learn about the Costa Rican way of life.
You will have your own private bedroom at the house. If you are travelling with a friend we can also try to accommodate you at the same home stay. Your home stay family will provide you with breakfast and dinner each day.
We make sure that the host families we use have clean, secure, comfortable homes and all families are carefully selected for their hospitality, friendliness and warmth. Each home will have been visited and checked by a co-ordinator.
Free Time
Your timetable will be scheduled upon your arrival based on your written and spoken evaluations but you will undertake five hours of classes from Monday to Thursday with an hour off for lunch.
The language school is located in a quiet, secure neighbourhood, close to the well-known San Pedro Mall and a variety of restaurants, cinemas, banks and Internet cafes. In your free time you could visit the museums and local markets or take a weekend trip to the beach, rainforests, volcanoes and National Parks. In the evenings there may be outings to local discos and dance clubs accompanied by your dance instructor or trips to restaurants, bars and local theatres.
In the afternoons you will have the choice of taking part in the following activities. These are at no extra cost but may vary and are subject to availability.
Latin Dance Classes
Salsa, Merengue, Cumbia, Bolero and the latest Latin Dance Rhythms are all taught during daily 2-hour dance lessons every afternoon. You will have the chance to participate in as many dance classes as you wish with experienced instructors who will help you discover the fun of Latin dance as well as providing a great form of exercise!
Cooking Classes
Cooking classes are offered every week so that you can learn to prepare authentic Costa Rican cuisine and experiment with exotic recipes. Your class will be taught completely in Spanish so be prepared!
Extra Conversation sessions
To help improve your oral skills, extra "Conversation Hour" sessions are held twice a week. These sessions are informal and relaxed and give you the opportunity to learn about the Costa Rican culture, share experiences and practise speaking in Spanish.
Latin American Songs
A chance to learn more about the Latin American culture through music, students will learn songs by different Hispanic singers; from the protest lyrics of Mercedes Sosa to the latest music by artists such as Shakira and Juanes.
Additionally, San José has many social and cultural activities all year-round, including music festivals, concerts at the national theatre, dance clubs and all types of restaurants.
Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays will be your free time to spend as you wish and the language centre can assist you in making exciting plans to see the rest of the country. San José is situated in the middle of the country making it a convenient location for travelling to other parts of Costa Rica. In San José you will find buses that will take you directly to the Caribbean coast, the Pacific coast, Arenal volcano, Monteverde cloud forest, Manuel Antonio national park and many other destinations.
Project Support
Throughout your stay you will have the support and guidance of a coordinator and their team. They will be able to help you with any questions you may have or advice you may need. In addition, you are able to contact our UK staff 24 hours a day should you need to, via our emergency contact number.
Project Age Limit
Minimum 18 years, maximum decided on potential participants’ health.
