The Program

Our program offers students the opportunity to learn
Spanish and to discover Costa Rican culture on first hand.

Our programs include:

Intensive Spanish classes, Homestays with carefully selected Costa Rican Families, afternoon Latin Dance, Costa Rican Cooking and Conversation classes, 24 hour airport transportation, excursions and cultural activities.

Class schedules are flexible. We offer diverse programs and the opportunity to design your own schedule.

OPEN ENROLLMENT: Courses are offered year round. New classes start on Mondays every week of the year.

SHORT & LONG TERM COURSES: You may choose the length of the program (from one week up to six months).

HOURS OF INSTRUCTION: With any of our programs you may select as many hours of Spanish instruction per day as you wish.

SMALL GROUPS: Spanish classes are offered in small groups with an average of 3-4 students (max. 6). Individual classes and special packages for groups are also available.

Methodology

At the School we believe that only things that are interesting and fun to do can be learned quickly and easily. Consequently, the essence of our courses is a varied and dynamic teaching approach. Our aim is to teach classes that are intensive, yet challenging and enjoyable.

Our methodology calls for active participation from our students. Our practical courses enable the students to communicate, comprehend and use accurate pronunciation in Spanish as quickly as possible.

The intimate classroom setting and particular training methods provide the flexiblility to adapt our teaching style and approach to meet your individual needs.

Spanish Classes

Class schedules are flexible. We offer diverse programs and the opportunity to design your own schedule. Students may also choose to supplement their group classes with additional private lessons.

Our Spanish classes usually consist of 3 to 4 students-never more than six. This intimate class size helps us tailor our programs to your specific needs and to adapt our teaching method to your learning style. You will be placed in classes according to your Spanish proficiency level, which is determined by an evaluation exam before starting your course.

We provide four levels of instruction:
    Beginners I, II & III
    Intermediate I, II & III
    Advanced I, II & III
    Specialized courses

Beginner Level
Beginner's course I, II and III has been designed to teach introductory Spanish. The primary objective of this course is to offer students the opportunity to acquire communication skills in what we call "Survival Spanish". They would be able to communicate in different situations for example in a bank, in a restaurant, giving their personal information, asking/giving directions, and other everyday situations. As a Beginning student, you will study basic sentence structures, learn everyday vocabulary and develop the ability to clearly communicate basic ideas in Spanish.

Intermediate Level
The intermediate course is divided into Intermediate I, II & III and covers most grammatical structures, which will give students the tools to achieve fluency. Students will learn these grammatical structures, while improving vocabulary, pronunciation, comprehension, as well as written and oral expression. They will be able to hold conversations on various topics with native speakers and use appropriate verb forms. Course emphasis is on culturally authentic reading and writing, along with continued development of listening/speaking competencies.

Advanced Level
This course includes the study of advanced Spanish grammar. The student should begin to master complex syntactical and morphological structures and special differences used in the language, mainly the subjunctive mode and other complex forms. In addition, different topics are introduced to the class in order to encourage discussions and improve general oral proficiency. Written texts will be presented to the class for analysis, to increase vocabulary, and to promote advanced conversations about Hispanic countries, culture and current events.

The objective of this course is the proficiency and fluency in the Spanish language. Furthermore, emphasis is placed on the comprehension and use of the language in unrehearsed situations in culturally appropriate ways.

Specialized Courses

If you already speak fluent Spanish, the Costa Rican Language School offers the opportunity to improve your ability to converse in Spanish. We help you achieve an understanding of the technical structure of Spanish, as it relates to your specific interests. You will learn more about our culture and its impact on the language.
If you are a Spanish Language teacher or studying for this profession, we offer private courses providing additional training. We discuss Latin American history and literature, focusing on textual and advanced grammatical analysis, composition and literary style. You may select the area in which you would like to specialize, then our Spanish Language Coordinator will work closely with you to develop your own program.

We also offer medical Spanish for nurses or doctors, business Spanish and Spanish for lawyers.

Volunteer Program

After completing their Spanish courses, some of our students wish to stay in Costa Rica and do volunteer work.

The San José Language School is glad to help our students with information, assistance, telephone calls, setting up appointments, legal documents, letters of recommendation and other arrangements necessary for finding volunteer work.

As a general rule, it is not easy (almost impossible) to set up a job before you leave home. Most places will require several phone calls, visits to the organization and a personal interview before anything is decided. Most organizations also require that the applicant have a medium to high fluency in Spanish.

Classes and Homestay with Costa Rican Families

Spanish classes at the San José Language School can be taken on an hourly basis or in conjunction with one of our Homestay Programs. The Homestay Programs include a regular schedule of Spanish lessons and lodging with a Costa Rican family. Your Costa Rican family provides you with breakfast, dinner and laundry service.

Our families are carefully selected for their friendliness and warmth. They all offer clean lodging in safe neighborhoods. Homestays are an excellent way to immerse yourself in Costa Rican culture. As part of the family, you will practice speaking Spanish everyday and learn first-hand about the Costa Rican way of life. You can stay with a family for a minimum of one week or as long as you would like.

With any of our programs you may select as many classroom hours per day as you wish. Please see the enclosed price list for current prices.

You may also participate in our outside excursions, social and cultural activities. Some of these are included in intensive Homestay Programs or they are available at an additional charge, which varies according to the type of activity.

Classes by Hour (without Homestay)

If you are not interested in a Homestay program, we offer you the flexibility of paying for your classes by the hour. You may take any number of private classes or participate in our group sessions. Latin Dance classes, Costa Rican Cooking Classes and our Conversation "Hour" are also included for students enrolled in classes without homestay.

Please see the enclosed price list for current prices.

University Credits

Many of our students have received college credit for their studies at San José Language School. Most of these students come on their own and apply for credit independently at different universities in the U.S., Canada and Europe. This is usually the most economical option.

In order to meet the requirements for credit we provide students and universities with the following documents:
- Confirmation of enrollment
- After completing the course: a certificate of attendance and a letter stating the Spanish level and type of course received.
- A transcript of their grades, including the total amount of hours completed.

Usually, students who are applying for credit must first have approval from their university prior to beginning studies at San José Language School. Most institutions also require that students take a final exam and receive an evaluation of their work & progress during the course. However, each university or college has a somewhat different system for granting credit so if a student is interested in this option, we can work with their Spanish or Study Abroad department to set up a program that will meet their specific credit requirements.