Study Spanish in Costa Rica w/ Intercultura Language School

Location: Costa Rica

Term: Throughout the year

Program Duration: 1-2 weeks, 2-4 weeks

Typical Duration of Program: 1-2 weeks

Dates: Please Contact Us for updates.

Intercultura Language and Culture Center

PO Box 1952--3000 Heredia, Provincia de Heredia 3000 Costa Rica

Description

Spanish classes

Intercultura Language School offers a series of 18 courses designed by curriculum specialists, using interactive small groups in an environment of total immersion in Latin American culture. Classes are 4 hours per day, Monday to Friday. Our professors are university trained and credentialed to teach Spanish as a second language. We give all teachers further instruction on teaching in the context of total cultural immersion. Academic credit through several accredited US university programs is available (e.g.. Brookhaven, Austin College, and Duke University). We also have a tour guide on staff who can assist individual students/groups in creating tailored tours/excursions. Mention finding Intercultura on GoAbroad.com and receive USD25 off your Spanish class program price!

Teen Program

Every summer, Intercultura Costa Rica offers a Spanish Adventure immersion program for teens which allows adolescents to learn Spanish and immerse themselves in Costa Rican culture. In addition to intensive Spanish classes, our teen summer program offers a variety of fun, chaperoned adventure activities, which will immerse teen students in the local culture and expose them to the amazing variety of wildlife and eco-systems in Costa Rica. The Teen Spanish & Adventure Camp takes place between late July and early August in a 2-week session which combines beach and city stays. From Monday to Friday, teens take 3.5 hours of Spanish classes per day with our fully credentialed professors, who have been specially trained to teach adolescents in a fun, communicative and real-life context, using the Intercultura textbooks designed specifically for adolescent learners.

Classes take place at our beautiful colonial city campus in Heredia and at our beachfront tropical campus (with air-conditioned classrooms) in Samara. In the remaining half of the days, teens engage in activities such as surf classes, coffee plantation tour, horse-riding, hiking through rain forest to swim and visit waterfalls, beach bike-ride, community service activities, ecological hikes, canopy zip line tours, bonfires and music on the beach, Latin dance and evening outings, arts & crafts class, and more. On weekends, students visit the highlights of Costa Rica, such as the live Arenal Volcano; Monteverde rainforest; and Manuel Antonio Beach and National Park. Weekends provide a mix of tour activities and free time to shop, eat and meet & mingle with the locals. Mention finding Intercultura on GoAbroad.com and receive USD25 off your Teen Camp program price!

Volunteer Program
Intercultura offers a volunteer program for all students who have completed a minimum of two weeks of language study with us. If you are interested in volunteering in Costa Rica, exploring Latin American culture and local communities, and spending some of your time abroad dedicated to helping others, Intercultura can help you achieve these goals. You can choose to stay in a city program in the Central Valley, or near our beach campus on the Pacific Coast. Our programs focus on development, education, health, social work and the environment, with volunteer opportunities for people of all ages and interests.

Intercultura offers a unique program, where you can work helping others and at the same time rely on the infrastructure of our Language Centers, with our full-time, multilingual support staff. Our volunteer program is a non-profit branch of our Centers, and a large part of student payments are used to help fund scholarships and materials for local schools, animal rescue projects, community development initiatives, and programs for at-risk children and youth.

Highlights

Intercultura Language School offers both group and private Spanish courses in an immersion environment. Homestays are available to help students both immerse themselves in the culture as well as the language. We also offer a variety of activities that are free to our students, such as Latin Dance classes, cooking classes, group and individual intercambios, etc. We have specialized programs available for teenagers, 50+ groups, and others. We can also generally tailor our programs to an individual or group's needs. Intercultura has a tour guide on staff who can assist in creating a specialized tour or excursion to suit your individual tastes. We have volunteer programs in both our beach (Samara) and city (Heredia) locations.

Degree Level

Bachelors Degree (Undergraduate)

Qualifications

Teaching English as a Foreign Language

Intercultura Language School's English Department is staffed by native English speakers from the U.K, Canada, Ireland, Australia, New Zeland and the United States. Teachers must be college graduates and hold TEFL /CELTA certificates. Previous teaching experience is desired, although lack of formal experience will not necessarily exclude an applicant. Teachers are contracted for one year and teach on average 20 hours a week, which includes a weekly staff meeting in which the teachers share ideas and give supportive feedback regarding classes, problems, etc..

Teachers are encouraged to take Spanish classes which are offered to them free of charge. We feel it is important that, while sharing their own culture and language, they immerse themselves into the Costa Rican culture and language. Teachers that are interested in applying should send their resume/CV, letters of references, photo, and letter of interest to the English Director, Lindsay. You can find her contact details and more information about the program and our school on our website. Applications should be sent in April and October to apply for teaching positions starting the following semester (these begin in July and January each year).

Languages
  • Spanish

Languages Used as a Medium of Teaching
  • Spanish

Cost in US$:

Cost Includes:

Credit Available

yes

Volunteer Types
  • Childcare/children
  • Community Centers
  • Community Development
  • Community Health
  • Conservation
  • Culture
  • Drug Or Alcohol Recovery
  • Education
  • Elderly
  • English Teaching
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Health Care
  • Hospital
  • Marketing
  • Office Work
  • Orphans
  • Parks
  • Sea Turtle Protection
  • Street Kids
  • Tutor
  • Volunteering
  • Wildlife Surveying
  • Women
  • Youth
  • Youth Development
Typical Volunteer
An Intercultura volunteer must have at least a high beginner level of Spanish to start. They must be willing to learn and work in any and all areas that need help. Volunteers should understand that they are interacting in a different culture and that their expectations are based on what they are used to seeing and experiencing in their own culture. Open-mindedness is key to developing a good relationship with the people in the placement.
This Program is open to

American, Asian, Australian, Canadian, European, Kiwi, South African, Worldwide Participant. This Program is also open to Families, Couples and Individuals.

Typical Living Arrangements
  • Home-stays
  • Independent living

Participants Travel to Costa Rica

Independently or in Groups

Intercultura Language and Culture Center's Mission Statement

Intercultura is a language and cultural center devoted to achieving linguistic proficiency in the context of cultural immersion and intercultural education. We seek to cultivate global awareness and cooperation through the sharing of cultures and languages. We believe that participation in our program teaches not only a new language, but also effective tools for communication and understanding in the constantly evolving world culture in which we live. "Learn the language, live the culture!"

Year Founded

1993

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