2. Deep cultural immersion
Live like a local, speak like a native!
You will be living in an authentic Costa Rican village where no English is spoken. Thrown into the deep end (with floaters on, of course), you will spend every hour of your day interacting in Spanish, learning countless valuable language lessons, often times without even realizing it!
Students really benefit from our “sink or swim” platform because it forces them to constantly practice lessons learned from the classroom and activities!
Homestay - ¡Mi casa es su casa!
Speak Spanish from when the rooster crows until after dinner when you tell your new Costa Rican family “buenas noches”.
The families that students live with have been chosen by the program’s management based on the families’ impeccable reputations for being kind, honest, and talkative. As a student, you will be greeted into the families’ homes and will likely stay in touch with them for many years to come.
Our students live with local families that have been specially selected by the program for their known kindness and experience hosting foreigners (amenities are also a consideration).
Families are very welcoming. Host parents often take students out to visit local attractions and go horseback riding!
Living with a host family is essential to practicing and ingraining Spanish lessons into your day to day level. It is a vital component of your Spanish immersion experience.
What comes included with your homestay:
Students have their own comfortable rooms. Rooms come with the furniture needed to keep your personal items. Rooms also come with door locks for extra privacy. Here are some of the amenities you will have access to:
Meals: 3 cooked meals a day (Breakfast, lunch, and dinner), 7 days a week.
Laundry: twice a week.
Parking: There’s space if you decide to rent a car.
WiFi: Usually, yes. Most homestays offer WiFi through a router or a cell phone. There is also good 4G and SIM cards that cost less than $2.
TV: 50% of the homes will have TV’s in your bedroom. 100% of the homes have TV.
Cable TV: 90% of the homes will have it. Everything will be in Spanish except for CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, and a few other channels. But if there isn’t any cable, rest assured that public broadcast channels are Tico’s main source of information and entertainment.
Access to kitchen if you wish to cook
Living in a Spanish-speaking community - Spanish everywhere you go!
Speaking in English loudly with excessive gesturing may get you to the next bus stop, but interacting with a community that is aware of the Bootcamp’s program and wants to help you learn will take you onto a whole new language journey.
Community members and store owners are here to help you learn Spanish and, as such, will adapt their Spanish to make sure you understand and learn. Fortuneños, as the locals are called, are very patient and their really community makes for an outstanding Spanish learning platform.
Events and "Fiestas" - Learn while having fun
This town has some really fun and authentic attractions, such as rodeo shows, horse marches, dances, and folk concerts. Interact with the locals and have fun! We will recommend you upcoming events and assign a local Fortuñenos to accompany you. Here are some pictures of what you can expect during your trip:
The Bootcamp and the community offer a Spanish language playground for students to quickly learn the language tools necessary for a host of situations, from simple tasks such as buying food in a grocery store, to having meaningful conversations with your newfound Tico family, or apologizing to your dance partner for stepping on his or her shoes. The program’s management lives on site and will regularly meet with you and your teacher to help fine-tune your language learning experience and track your progress. We can’t wait to see your Spanish improve 🙂
Other important aspects of the Spanish immersion language program:
What comes in a weekly language package
Language packages are offered by the week and include:
– 20 to 30 hours of Spanish classes per week (student chooses how many hours)
– Homestay (7 days of lodging, 3 meals per day, and laundry)
– Language activities (4 weekly activities with activity instructors)
– Volunteering program (optional): Help local high school seniors prepare for their exit exam’s English section
– Spanish level advances with each additional week you stay
– Transportation is available and additional. See prices and options below.
Your Spanish immersion experience directly helps the community's economy