San Jose (San Pedro)

Program Outline

Group 4 is the standard program with a maximum of four students per class. Classes are from 8am to 12pm and all materials are included in the program. Classes are held in the specially designed school building that has classes tailor made for studying Spanish with beautiful views of the Central Valley of Costa Rica. The Group 4+ program is one of the most comprehensive Spanish programs available in the country. It is the standard four hours of group lessons in the morning followed by two hours of intense private lessons in the afternoon. Private tutoring is available along with super intensive business classes with specially tailored texts and materials designed to augment existing materials. Every program includes 2 hours of computer training in Spanish along with at least 3 different cultural activities a week.

Lodging

Homestay Includes the following; breakfast and dinner with the host family, laundry services, private room (in many cases the student will have a private bath) and airport pickup. Some of the homestays are within walking distance of the school, but most are no farther than a 10 minute bus ride. The families are mostly middle income with nice clean and well kept houses.

Cultural

All courses include at least three free lectures or activities per week, such as: Latin dance and cooking classes, national parks lecture, Costa Rican culture and history classes, Latin American literature seminars, and guided trips to local museums and the National Theater.

Location

The school is located in the San Jose suburb of San Pedro. The campus is about 5 blocks away from the University of Costa Rica & about a 10-minute bus ride from downtown San Jose.

Local Color

San Pedro is one of the largest suburbs of San Jose and is very easy to reach from downtown. The area is the home of the University of Costa Rica, the largest university in the country. There is a great deal of nightlife with many bars and restaurants from which to choose.

Hot Tip

The Costa Rican National Theater is a 100 year old building in a country with few major architectural triumphs. Patterned after the Paris Opera House it was build buy the late 19th century coffee barons to bring culture to the masses. It is an amazing place to see a place or catch a concert. It is not unusual to sit in the same audience as the president of Costa Rica. Most performances are in Spanish, which also make it a great language experience as well.

Start Dates

Every Monday of the year, except on Costa Rican national holidays. The school is closed on January 1, September 15, and the Thursday and Friday before Easter (April 5th & 6th) and Christmas day. No refund is made for missed classes caused by these holidays.

Main points about the San Jose campus:

• Located in San Pedro near the campus of the University of Costa Rica.
• Lots of nightlife activities available in and around the university.
• Easy access to San Jose and the downtown area, 10 minutes by bus.
• Very diverse student body with students from around the world.
• Older student body with a number of professionals. Average age of students is 36 years old.
• Modern facilities with a great view of the valley.
• Very professionally run and operated with a well-trained staff that can help plan trips and excursions.
• Mid sized school, with up to 80 students.
• Modern computer lab with 12 terminals. E-mail access for students at no extra cost.
• Two hours a week for training on computers in Spanish for all students in all programs.
• On campus restaurant and bar.
• New business lounge with access to computers, Internet, phones and faxes.