Location: The Spanish language school in San Jose is located only one block from the Centro Colón building which includes a major bus-stop. The complex boasts two movie theaters, a large Quality Hotel, an Internet Café, several restaurants and a post office. Just two blocks away is the Sabana Park, a fifty-acre recreational area with sports facilities. Tennis, jogging and picnic areas are available.

 

School Size: The Spanish language school in San Jose includes 16 classrooms with a maximum capacity of about 60 students.

 

Class Size: Groups at the Spanish language school in San Jose are arranged in homogeneous structures where students are close to the same age and have tested into the same level. There are never more than 4 students per class.

 

Timing: The peak season at the Spanish language school in San Jose tends to be the summer time when most students are available to register. If you would like to study at the Spanish language school in San Jose this summer, it is best to register as early as possible. Please note that Costa Rica has 2 main seasons, the wet season, which is from May through January and the dry season which is from about February to April.

 

Start Dates: Classes at the Spanish language school in San Jose begin on any Monday of the year unless it falls on a holiday.

 

Holidays: Classes will not be held or made up for the following holidays: January 1, April 11, Easter Thursday and Friday, May 1, July 25, August 15, September 15, October 16 and December 4-29.

 

Duration: Classes at the San Jose campus run in weekly increments from Monday through Friday starting at 8:00 a.m. and include two 2-hour blocks with a 15 minute break in between each block.  Those who sign up for the  super intensive program, students come back after lunch for anther 1.5 hours of class.

 

Content: The Spanish language school in San Jose bases its methodology along the Peace Corps language training guidelines.  All courses are conversational, regardless of the level and topics being covered.  This means that even if a student is focusing on one subject, such as grammar, the entire class takes place in a conversational setting.  Because there are never more than 4 people per class, this allows for constant participation on everyone's part, further focusing on conversation.  Topics of discussion are usually driven by student interests with the teacher guiding the conversation to utilize material covered earlier that day.

 

Books: Books were created using several different sources by the Conversa Language School to fit the specific teaching needs of the school's curriculum

 

Homework: Homework is assigned and takes approximately 45 minutes to complete.

 

Schools Features: The Spanish language school in San Jose offers a lecture room, a library and a video room.

 

College Credit: Academic credit is available through Miami-Dade Community College, and Truman State University. For more information about academic credit through Conversa, please click here.  

 

 

 

 

Excursions/Activities: The Spanish language school in San Jose offers weekly lectures on verb tenses (delivered by the director), weekly Latin dance classes, and weekly short field trips into and around the San Jose area to view museums and various other sites.  These field trips involve a whole class, along with the teacher, traveling together as an informal class session incorporating culture.

 

Additional Programs: The Children's Program is limited to children (6-10 years old) whose parents are enrolled at the Spanish language school and includes housing with a Costa Rican host-family. Each program is tailored to the child's age and language proficiency.

These programs are taught by experienced instructors and include two hours per morning of formal classroom instruction and two hours or supervised recreational activities entirely in Spanish. These activities may include coloring, puzzles, games, videos, or sports.

 

Accommodations: Students at the Spanish language school in San Jose have the option to stay with a host family. The host family will provide the students with breakfast and dinner every day, as well as laundry service.  Other lodging options can be apart-hotels, hotels, and hostels. Host family accommodations are included in the cost of the program.

 

Day care: The Spanish language school in San Jose provides on campus day care for families with children under six years of age,  The charge for these services is $100 per week. Students who require daycare for their children ages 7 and up should contact us to find out about the options available to them as they vary depending on the size of the family and the age of the children.