Heredia

Program Outline

The Standard 4-hour Program is Spanish language classes, four hours a day either in morning or afternoon. Classes are from 8am to 12pm, 1pm to 5pm. The Intensive 6 hour Program has two additional hours of group classes in the afternoon from 1pm to 3pm. This is on top of the four hours of group in the morning. The Group 4 PLUS 2, is the standard four hours of group in the morning, followed by two hours of private lessons in the afternoon from 1pm to 3pm.

Materials are included in all programs and the maximum class size is 5 students. During classes students are encouraged to converse and exchange ideas between each other and with the teacher. Out of class experiences, such as walks to the town’s main plaza and visits to the local community are used to enhance the student's conversational ability as well as learn more about the culture of Costa Rica. Private Lessons are available and highly recommended for those students that have serious language goals, but limited time.

Lodging

Included in the homestay option, students receive 3 meals a day; breakfast, lunch and dinner are with the host family. Laundry service is provided once a week by the host family. All host families are located within walking distance from the school. For those not interested in staying with a family, we have apartment options. The school has shared apartments within a short walking distance to the school. You will have a private room, but share a bath and all other common areas of the house. Laundry service is not included in this option and there are no meals. You will have access to the kitchen to prepare your own meals and it is fully stocked with utensils. If you are a family or just want more privacy, you can rent an entire apartment as well. This information is available upon request.

Cultural

The school has one cultural activity per week. These can be dance lessons or cooking lessons, conferences & debates on topics of interest. The school can also help set up weekend excursions to other parts of the country. Because Santo Domingo de Heredia is not a main tourist destination, you will have very few people who speak any English in the community. This means that you will have a great deal of opportunities to practice the language and experience the culture.

Location

Heredia (Santo Domingo de Heredia) is a small town of about 40,000 residents in the foothills of the Central Valley. It is about 20 minutes from the main international airport and the same distance from downtown San Jose. Since it is in the central valley the weather year-round is very temperate and cool. Because of it close proximity to San Jose, Santo Domingo is a bedroom community with many people commuting to work in the Capital. The entire town is within walking distance to the school and it is very safe.

Local Color

The Central Valley of Costa Rica is the heart of the country. Here is where 80% of the population of the entire country lives. Also, this is the center of the soccer mania that each year grips all Costa Ricans. Right next to Santo Domingo is the main stadium in the country, Saprisa Stadium. This is the most important team in the country and if you should get a chance, attending a home game here is not to be missed.

Hot Tip

Located in the neighboring town of Heredia, the capital of the province, is the National University, the second largest in Costa Rica. This makes the town a very fun place to spend a Friday or Saturday night. There are a great many dance clubs, restaurants and bars, all filled with college age students.

Start Dates

Every Monday of the year except on Costa Rican national holidays. On the following dates there will be no classes; Jan. 1st, April 11th, 17th & 18th, May 1st, July 25th, August 15th, September 15th, October 12th & December 24th. No refund is given for classes missed on account of holidays.

Main points about the Heredia campus:

• You get the benefits of a small town atmosphere with all the conveniences of living in a large metro area.
• Just a few miles away from the Heredia location, you will find coffee plantations, beautiful volcanoes, and interesting small villages.
• Heredia has a vibrant and exciting nightlife.
• Heredia is not the major final destination for most tourists visiting Costa Rica. This means that you will come into contact with few tourists and therefore have more opportunity to practice your Spanish and learn about the local culture.
• Heredia is only 20 minutes away from downtown San Jose.
• Almost any location within Costa Rica is only 4 hours away by public transportation from Heredia.