About Spanish courses (same at all schools)
Is it possible to start on any given day?
Group classes start every Monday. Sometimes it is possible to fit in a group, even if you start on a different day then Monday, but you will need to arrive at the school the day before and do an intake test. If you don't fit in, you will be advised to take first some private lessons until it is possible to join the group. Private and mini-group classes can start any day of the week.
When are classes available?
We teach any day of the week, from Monday till Friday, from 8:00 till 12:15, from 13:00 till 17:15 and from 17:30 till 19:30. In the weekend, we only teach from 8:00 till 12:15.
Which is my current "level" and what can I learn?
It is hard for us to determine your current "level" without having spoken to you. Some students that have followed the exact same course for the same amount of time in a Spanish speaking country, still have different "levels". At the latest a day before your arrival, we determine your "level" based on a written test and a short oral evaluation. After having evaluated the test, we try to place you in a group. Our estimation will be more based on comprehension and conversation skills, than on reading and writing skills.
Are your teachers native speakers?
Yes, all our teachers are native teachers. They are from all over the Spanish speaking world. We like to have different accents and cultures in the classrooms. You can have a teacher from Costa Rica and Panama, but also from Mexico or Argentina …
Most speak some English, but will only use English in moments of "frustration" or if it helps to quickly explain something in not-Spanish.
How can obtain academic credits for the course that I take at your school?
We are a private institution and not directly affiliated with any university. Therefore, we can't issue academic credit directly. However, most universities have various mechanisms that allow students to obtain credit for field courses taken away from campus. These are often called "independent study" courses. If you are going to take the course for credit you must arrange this through your professor or academic advisor and university. We recommend you do this prior to coming to Costa Rica or Panama. Our School Manager will provide an official grade transcript to your academic institution or advisor. You will be responsible for providing direct evidence of participation such as lecture notes, proposals, reports, exams, etc. Normally, up to three units of credit are awarded for 40 hours of study at our schools. On the Registration Form can mark if you want obtain credits.
How do they know at the next school where I am in the program?
The subjects of our course are defined as a "step-by-step". We have 3 basic levels: beginners, intermediates and advanced. Each level has 5 steps. Each step contains certain verb structures, vocabulary and other structures. Every day the teachers keep a record of what you are studying, what your homework is and other specifics. At the end of your study period at a school, you receive this record and you can keep it if you don't travel to another school, but need to take it with you to the following school, if you continue. The School Manager of the school that you leave also sends information about your progress to the School Manager of the school where you will continue.
Can I take some time off between studying at another school ?
Yes, you can and actually, we recommend it! it is great to study (at least) two weeks at one school, take some time to "let it sink in", travel a bit, practise a bit, study vocabulary and then after (at least) one week, arrive at a next school. If your time "off" is longer than a few weeks, you might have to do a new intake test or a shorter, oral evaluation.
Can I make changes while studying at your school? how does that work?
Once you made a reservation and we confirmed lodging, we can't to make changes in lodging options. If necessary anyway, please consult with the School Manager, he/she will tell you what possibilities there are. Same concerning classes. You can request extra (private) classes, but take we can't accept cancellations (see cancellation policy under "Registration Form").
If we do make changes, a $15,- administration fee can be charged.
What do I need to bring for the classes?
Don't forget to bring a notebook, pen & pencil. A dictionary (especially if you want a translation from Spanish to Swahili (!) and (empty) flashcards (so you can make them during the classes) are great as well!
Turrialba specifically
School: What is special about the Turrialba school/area?
Turrialba is among our three schools the school where we have the best immersion. In Turrialba you don't find many tourists and the "Turrialbeños" don't speak much English.
The town is busy and the people is super friendly and helpful. It is especially great for people interested in the local culture and also for adventurous people that like to explore nature.
The school is located a little outside of the busy town at a cool place with a spectacular view
School: When are the national holidays on which the school in Turrialba is closed in 2008?
The 1st of January (new year's eve), the 11th of April (), the 1st of May, the 25th of July, the 15th of August, the 15th of September and the 25th of December.
On these days the Costarrican people celebrate national holidays and don't work. What we normally do on these days is that we offer an educational excursion instead, mostly on a different day, so our students can also be part of the festivities. A lot of times we can also reschedule the classes to another day, like Saturday or Sunday, but we don't promise this as it depends on how many students there are and how many teachers are available.
Accommodations: How are the accommodations at the school?
There are 3 double bedrooms. One bedroom has a double bed. There is a shared bathroom with hot water. There is a good, fully equipped kitchen where you can prepare your own meals. You can also order a breakfast at school for $2.50. The roomy balcony with hammocks and places to sit is perfect for study and socializing. Make sure you bring food the moment you come up to our place, there isn't a real supermarket nearby.
Accommodations: Can you describe the home stay?
The host families in Turrialba are probably exactly what you would expect of a host family. They are friendly, enthusiastic and warm people that love to welcome foreigners in their house.
We work with all sorts of families: for example families with children (young and old), but also single older ladies, furthermore we have families that speak some English and families that don't speak English at all. You can write us your preference. A maximum of 4 persons can stay with one family (divided over at least 2 rooms). You will always receive a private room, but you might share the bathroom with the family. All the host families live in town (in the valley), the school however is located in the mountains, about 10 minutes distance from the town by public transportation. You can go to and return from school by local bus, share a take with other students and teachers or walk it in about 40 minutes.
Accommodations: Can I stay longer with my host family?
Yes, if there is no reservation from a new student at your host family, it is possible to prolong your stay, paying $12.- per night extra. You can also travel in the country and come back for a few days to the host family. In this case, please let the school know about your plans and contact the school once you are back so we can take care of payments.
Accommodations: Do you have any suggestions for presents that I could bring for my costarrican host family?
When we ask this to the host families, of course they answer that the students don't need to bring anything, we have experiences though, that they mostly appreciated the presents that were brought from your own country. That is to say something typical, a souvenir with the name of the village or the country you're from.
Accommodations: Can a friend of a family member that is not taking classes at the school use the school's accommodations?
Yes, family members and friends are also welcome to make reservations for staying at the school or with the host families. It is not necessary to study Spanish. They are welcome to join the excursions and other activities that the school organizes. In this case, please let the School Manager know, so arrangements for payments can be made.
Accommodations: Is it also possible to stay at a hotel while taking classes at the school?
Yes, it is no problem to stay at a hotel while you take classes at the school. If you let us know what you expect of the hotel (facilities) and what your budget is, we can help find and make reservations for a suitable hotel.
Travel: How do I travel from San José to Turrialba?
There are buses leaving from the bus station at calle 13, between avenidas 6 and 8. (Ask a taxi driver in San José for "la parade de autobuses a Turrialba). The buses are going every hour. There are "directos" and "colectivos". Go for the "directo", if you don´t want to be waiting for people going on and getting of the bus. The last bus goes at 10:00 p.m. The price is about $2,- (in colones). Once in Turrialba you can take a taxi to the school for about $2.00 as well. Make sure you have the address and phone numbers at hand: Barrio El Recreo, por la carretera, 50 mts después de la entrada a Chirraca, a mano izquierda, por el muro de piedras. (For most taxi drivers it is enough to say "la escuela de español en el
Recreo" ). Phone numbers: 556 7380/ 391 9021.
Travel: How do I travel from Bocas to Turrialba?
Take the 8:00 am boat from Bocas island to Changuinola (Finca 60), from where you will take a short taxi ride to the bus terminal in Changuinola for about $1,-. The bus to San José leaves at 10:00 am. You tell the bus driver that you want to get off in Siquirres and the ticket will cost $7,-. After a stop at a restaurant in Limon, it is better to remind the busdriver (or his assistant) that you want to get off the bus in Siquirres. It is about one hour after the restaurant in Limon.
You will be "dropped" a little outside of town and you´ll need to walk into town (or flag down a taxi), with the soccer field on your left hand side. After the soccer field, you turn left and there you will find the soccer field on your right hand side. From here you take the bus to Turrialba. The bus cost about $1.50 (in colones). Once in Turrialba you can take a taxi to the school for about $2.00 as well. Make sure you have the address and phone numbers at hand: Barrio El Recreo, por la carretera, 50 mts después de la entrada a Chirraca, a mano izquierda, por el muro de piedras. (For most taxi drivers it is enough to say "la escuela de español en el Recreo" ). Phone numbers: 556 7380/ 391 9021.
Travel: How do I travel from Boquete to Turrialba?
You can either travel along the Pacific side or along the Caribbean side.
If you want to go along the Pacific side you can take the 7:00 am bus to David /$1.50) that passes in front of the school. At 8:30 am the bus to San Jose ($12.50) leaves from the bus station in David. You can get off the bus in Cartago, at a place called "El Quijongo" and from there you take a taxi to the bus station from where the bus goes to Turrialba. If you have bad luck, you need to wait an hour for the next bus (coming from San José) or you have no place to sit. You can also decide not to get off the bus in Cartago but to continue to San José. For how to travel from San José to Turrialba read "How do I travel from San José to Turrialba"?
If you want to go along the Caribbean side, you need to get to David and from David take the bus to Changuinola. From Changuinola, you get to the border (Sixaola), from where you can take the bus to San José (and get off in Siquirres) or take the bus to Limon and from Limon to Siquirres. In Siquirres, you´ll need to walk into town (or flag down a taxi), with the soccer field on your left hand side. After the soccer field, you turn left and there you will find the soccer field on your right hand side. From here you take the bus to Turrialba. The bus costs about $1.50 (in colones). Once in Turrialba you can take a taxi to the school for about $2.00 as well. Make sure you have the address and phone numbers at hand: Barrio El Recreo, por la carretera, 50 mts después de la entrada a Chirraca, a mano izquierda, por el muro de piedras. (For most taxi drivers it is enough to say "la escuela de español en el Recreo" ). Phone numbers: 556 7380/ 391 9021.
Miscellaneous: Can I have mail sent to me while I am studying in Turrialba?
Yes, you can receive mail at the local post office, although it may take a week or even two weeks to travel from the United States, Canada or Europe to Turrialba. Have it sent to:
Spanish by the River/ your name
Aptdo 42 - 7150
Turrialba/ Cartago
Costa Rica
Miscellaneous: I need to stay in touch with my business while I am in Turrialba; can I receive and make calls, faxes and emails?
Yes, you can receive calls and faxes at the school. The international number is: 00506 - 556 7380. Make sure the callers and faxers know about the time differences, so we don't receive calls and faxes in the middle of the night. E-mails can be checked at the school at $1.00 per hour or $5.00 per week for unlimited use. We have Wireless Internet at the school, so you can also decide to bring your own laptop and use the Internet without extra costs.
Miscellaneous: Are there any special shots or vaccinations needed before I come to Costa Rica?
We recommend contacting your local health organization. We have the experience that although malaria pills are often recommended, they aren't necessary. Nevertheless, we prefer you to take your own decision based on information you will obtain in your home country.
Miscellaneous. How long can I stay in Costa Rica?
We recommend you to obtain this information from the Costa Rica embassy in your home country. At this moment, most tourists can stay as long as three months without leaving the country. If they wish to stay longer, they need to leave the country for 72 hours. You can go to Panama or Nicaragua.
Miscellaneous: How should I bring money to Costa Rica?
At the Turrialba school you can pay with VISA or Mastercard credit cards. You can also bring traveller's checks or use the local ATM´s. Be aware of the fact that you can't pay with traveller's checks at the school and that you always have to pay a certain amount to the back to exchange them (but not much!). You can also bring a small amount of $ that you can exchange at the airport or elsewhere in the country into colones (= the local currency). Some services can even be paid in dollars. The exchange rate at the moment of this writing (December 2007) is:
1 dollar = 500 colones.
Miscellaneous: What should I pack?
Pack light, cotton clothes. It is also recommendable to bring some long sleeved shirts and long pants for places with mosquitoes. It is best to wear light colors, however, if you plan to go to Tortuguero, bring some dark colored clothes as well. Bring sunscreen, insect repellent, a raincoat or umbrella, although you can also buy these items in San Jose or in Turrialba. For most excursions you want to bring: comfortable walking shoes, teva´s, daypack (small backpack), water bottle and pocket knife. You can also bring: a camera, discman, etc. but be aware that you will need to look after it well.
Miscellaneous: Can I drink the water in Turrialba? and other places in Costa Rica.
Yes, in Turrialba the water is very well drinkable. For the rest of Costa Rica, yes it is drinkable everywhere, although at some beach places is recommendable to drink bottled water.
Miscellaneous: Should I bring a mosquito net?
In Turrialba, you don't really need a mosquito net. Generally, there are not so many mosquitoes in Turrialba and besides that, for example at the school, all the rooms have ventilators that would keep any mosquitoes away. It is recommendable to bring repellent for excursions.
Miscellaneous: Can I stay longer than I originally planned?
Yes, you can always continue with your classes. We can't guarantee the preferred accommodations because a reservation for those might have been made, but we will do our best to accommodate you well.
