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SPANISH IN COSTA RICA - San Jose Spanish Language Studies - 2010 2 weeks - $795 / 4 weeks - $1195 The Program  Located in a quiet suburb of San Jose, Costa Rica, the program provides an ideal setting for learning the Spanish language. The program specializes in immersion Spanish programs designed for people whose time for learning to speak and read the language is limited.Participants come mainly from the United States, Canada and Europe. They include: people looking for a different, productive vacation; executives of corporations; high school and college students; Spanish teachers who are not native speakers; diplomats; doctors and nurses dealing with Spanish speaking patients; retirees who wish to keep active. RETURN TO TOP The Location San José is the capital of Costa Rica and its San José Province is located on the central plateau of the country. Situated at an altitude of about 1170 m (about 3840 ft), it is the nation's largest city and a commercial, manufacturing, transportation, and cultural center for the surrounding agricultural region, in which coffee, sugarcane, and livestock are raised. Government activities and tourism are also important to the city'seconomic base. San José, which contains a mix of colonial Spanish-style structures and modern architecture, is the site of the University of Costa Rica (1843), which includes the Tropical Studies Organization and the Latin American Demographic Center; the National Library; and the National Archives. Points of interest include the National Museum, featuring displays of art and natural history materials; a museum with exhibits of religious art and artifacts; an 18th-century cathedral; and the National Theater. Costa Rica is one of the few stable, democratic republics in Latin America, and has the highest standard of living in Central America. San Jose is the capital with almost 1,000,000 population and it boasts a spring-like climate year-around. Rain forests, unspoiled beaches, coral reefs, white water rivers, and volcanoes can be reached within a few hours by car. Source: Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia 99. © 1993-1998 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. RETURN TO TOP Courses Intensive Spanish Language: all levels, elementary thru advanced. Four hrs. daily M-F. Small groups of 4-6. The instructors are all native speakers of Spanish, have university degrees and are experienced in teaching. All students may start on any Monday. Arrive on Weekend. Classes are held in the morning and afternoon. All students will be given a placement test upon arrival and placed in the appropriate level. Beginners Level: For those students who have little or no knowledge of the Spanish language and wish to acquire the basics in order to be able to understand and communicate on a simple level. Students are taught to read and produce simple texts, letters, and to understand short descriptions and texts. Basic daily conversation Spanish. Intermediate Level: Aimed at students who are already familiar with Spanish and wish to consolidate their basic knowledge and improve spoken and written skills. Enable students to participate in conversations and debates, intervene in discussions relevant to daily life. Students are taught how to understand newspaper and press reports and narrative texts. Enhance comprehension ability. Advanced Level: For students capable of expressing themselves and understanding standard Spanish. Building on their knowledge, gaining confidence in expression, and reaching higher standards of fluency. Students are taught strategies and communication skills in written and spoken Spanish, enabling them to express themselves in public, understand complicated scripts and elaborate reports. Superior Level: This is the highest level for students with an advanced level in Spanish, and wish to perfect and specialize their skills. Gives students the capacity to communicate fluently, conduct speeches, and be able to grasp the message implicit in technical debates and programs. Students are taught to recognize hidden messages and connotations in texts to understand contemporary scripts, as well as to write fluent texts, using creative Spanish at the highest standard. Elementary Spanish 101: Pronounciation and fundamental grammatical structure in the language are introduced in both classroom and laboratory drills. Emphasis is on development of the language skills. Student will learn daily Spanish to satisfy routine travel needs and minimum courtesy requirements, ask questions and give answers on topics familiar to them while using the present indicative with both regular and irregular verbs, the present progressive, the preterit with regular verbs, ser, estar and ir and direct and indirect complementary pronouns. Course activities will include "Conversation", dicussion of short cultural readings, dramatizations of dialogues, situational role playing, transformation drills, oral and written exams. Class uses a variety of materials, but the main textbook is: Espanol A Lo Vivo, by Wilkins and Larson. Units 1- 5. Intermediate Spanish 102: Continued emphasis on the development of language skills, supplemented by classroom and laboratory drills. Reading materials of moderate difficulty introduced. Focus is on pronounciation, oral expression, listening, comprehension and reading. Students are introduced to cultural patterns and heritage of Spanish speaking world, especially Costa Rica. Reflexive verbs, pronouns in sequence, the present subjunctive clauses, imperatives, comparatives and both the indefinite and imperfect preterits. Textbook: Espanol A Lo Vivo, by Wilkins and Larson. Units 6 - 10. Intermediate - Advanced Spanish 201: Continued reading with more emphasis on oral work, vocabulary building, and a review of the basic principles of grammar. Reinforcement of oral communicative skills within a wider context and emphasizing greater grammatical accuracy and fluency. Students learn to communicate with greater ease and confidence about sports, entertainment, social problems, and cultural differences, while using the preterit, imperfect, simple future, simple conditional, the uses of "se". The perfect and pulperfect preterit, future perfect, the compund conditional and the passive voice. Classroom activities include reading of short literary and cultural excerpts, discussions of current events, dramatizations, role playing, question and answer sessions. Oral and written exams. Textbook: Espanol A Lo Vivo, by Wilkins and Larson. Units 11-15. Advanced Readings and Conversation 202: Special emphasis on comprehension as well as oral and written expression. Controlled conversation in the language and review of the basic principles of grammar. Discussions, readings, question and answer sessions, drills, and reviews of all grammar. Stresses greater accuracy and fluency in oral expression. Textbook: Espanol A Lo Vivo, by Wilkins and Larson. Units 16-20. Advanced Composition and Conversation 303: Drill in original composition in the language with attention to style, syntax, idioms, and verb forms. Class dicussions in the language. Topics in Language and Linguistics 403: Intensive Study of a specialized area of language or lingusitics. Course may be repeated for credit when content of each offering is different. RETURN TO TOP Academic Credit Students earn 3-4 credits per month. Thus, about 1 credit per week. 4 hours of class are taught daily, 20 hours per week. RETURN TO TOP Financial Aid Yes, you can use your financial aid on this program. Please have your Financial Aid office e-mail us a "Consortium Agreement" to complete and sign. CSA does not offer any scholarships or financial aid, we can only assist you in using your home school's financial aid on this program. The earlier the better, since it takes time to process. Overall, CSA does not offer any financial aid, we can only assist you in obtaining and using your aid from your home school on these programs. RETURN TO TOP Activities 
Excursions are available to surrounding areas: Cartago, Cahuita National Park, Selva Verde Rain Forest, National Museum, city of Heredia, Monte de la Cruz, and other nearby sites. Excursions are optional and cost extra.
RETURN TO TOP Housing Participants live with carefully selected families. Private room, breakfast and dinner, and laundry service included. Host families are from the Costa Rican middle class, and most have hosted foreign students previously. Homes are usually within walking distance, or a short bus ride to the school. Participants arriving after 8:00 pm will have to spend the first night in a local hotel. Host family costs $160 per week. * Housing in a hotel is possible upon request but it is an extra cost. Student may arrange their own housing if it is preferred. If you prefer to arrange your own housing, that's fine with CSA. RETURN TO TOP Dates and Fees Weekly Programs: Jan - Dec, 2010 Similar dates in 2011 Starting Dates: All Levels - Start Any Monday
*Addt'l week = $200 Register online. $95 USD registration confirmation deposit required. Please review the "How To Register" section on the CSA website. Payments can be made by money order, cashiers check, or personal check. We will e-mail you a "Confirmation Notice" with additional information shortly after receiving your online registration form. Thank you. OTHER PROGRAMS IN COSTA RICA :: VERITAS :: |
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