Español y Cultura Costarricense para Extranjeros

Objective:

To promote Spanish and Costa Rican culture for foreigners in a sociocultural immersion context at the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica to provide students with real life experiences and tools to communicate effectively in the Spanish language.

Description:

The Spanish and Costa Rican culture program for foreigners is a project of Idiomas UCR (Languages´s office) from the Pacific Campus of the University of Costa Rica. The Spanish program seeks to provide foreign students not only with linguistic skills in the Spanish language, but also to offer the opportunity to experience Costa Rican culture through a comprehensive cultural immersion program.

The Spanish program is scheduled in such a way that foreign students can take advantage of their academic recess periods in their home universities to travel to our country to learn Spanish, and experience the Costa Rican culture through active classes of Spanish, extracurricular activities that involve visits to touristic places, learning how to cook Costa Rican traditional meals, dancing Latin rhythms, going on tours around Puntarenas´ mangrove swamp and islands, among other places. When completing the Spanish courses, the students will receive a certificate of 45 hours that can be used in some cases at their home universities to obtain credits.

Spanish and Costa Rican Culture Program For Foreigners

About us

The University of Costa Rica is one of the most prestigious universities in the region, which has regional campuses around the entire country and stands out for its academic programs, its research trajectory, and its social impact with several community programs.

“Idiomas UCR” is a language project from the Pacific Campus, which was born in 2011 as a languages teaching project that seeks to provide local communities with tools for their social and economical progress by developing their ability to communicate in other languages.

After acquiring enriching experiences in language instruction, a new project is started: Spanish and Costa Rican Culture Program for Foreigners, which seeks to provide a full month of sociocultural immersion to foreign students so that they learn and improve the Spanish language and experience Costa Rican culture by developing varied academic and extracurricular activities.

General Information

Why Spanish?

Nowadays, mastering a second language is significantly important for university students because it helps them to progress academically, socially and professionally. Indeed, Spanish is gaining great importance globally since it is spoken by nearly 600 million people around the world, it is the second most spoken language of the European Union and the third most used on the Internet (Instituto Cervantes, 2022).

According to the Instituto Cervantes (2022):

7,5% of the world’s population speaks Spanish.
Almost 24 million students study Spanish as a Foreign Language, specifically 23 748 298.
Spanish is the second most spoken native language, by number of speakers, after Mandarin Chinese.
In 2060, the United States will be the second Spanish speaking country in the world, after Mexico.

Definitely, learning Spanish will bring you many opportunities in today’s world, and learning it surrounded by natives will enrich your life with great experiences!El español en el mundo 2022 Anuario del Instituto Cervantes

UCR Pacific Campus and Puntarenas City

2.1 The Pacific campus provides students with facilities to make their experiences and learning process more comfortable:

✓ Classrooms fully equipped with audivisual tools and air-conditioning
✓ Gym
✓ Library
✓ Cafeteria
✓ Green Areas
✓ Mangrove view
✓ Parking lot
✓ Bus station in front of the campus
✓ Police station and gas station are close

2.2 Puntarenas Downtown is 3 kms away from the campus, and students´ housing for the Spanish Program is mainly located close to Puntarenas city where most services are offered such as clinics, drugstores, national and private banks, restaurants, stores and touristic places, among others.

Puntarenas, with an area of 11276 km2 approximately, is the largest province in Costa Rica. Puntarenas´ tourist attractions include islands, beautiful beaches and national parks.

Some of the tourist attractios to visit in Puntarenas are:

Beaches located in Puntarenas, Herradura, Jacó, Manuel Antonio, Malpaís. In each beach you will enjoy beautiful sunsets.
Puntarenas Mangrove.
Islands: San Lucas, Tortuga, Chiquita.
Monteverde Cloud Forest, Manuel Antonio and Carara National Parks.

In Puntarenas City you can visit the “Mercado Municipal” where you can have “casados” (a traditional meal) for lunch. Also, if you want a souvenir, a hat, handicrafted jewelry, shirts and many other items at a good price, visit the Mercado de las Artesanías (Artisan Market); it is located close to the old Port Captaincy.

Puntarenas is a city full of historical places such as the Mora y Cañas Park, The Cathedral, the pier and the “Paseo de los Turistas” which has always been the most visited place in our country because it is a long boulevard that stretches along the beach and people and tourists walk and enjoy the relaxing sounds of waves while admiring the area; of course, we can not forget about the beautiful activities that take place around our famous Lighthouse in a peaceful environment for all the family.

Transportation to places nearby: link

Costs and Housing (2023*)

The cost for the complete Spanish and Costa Rican Culture program is $4000. It includes Spanish and culture classes and homestay. The payment process must be carried out using the University Platform University Platform.The program includes classes of Spanish in the university, access to the online lab, extracurricular activities and field trips.

The Homestay with Costa Rican families is part of the program to promote students’ learning of culture, that is why they are located in Puntarenas, Barrio del Carmen and El Cocal; those places are close to the University Campus and to the city.

How to Apply ( form pdf)

The student who is interested in studying abroad to learn Spanish for 01 month must fill out the registration form found at link and email it to idiomaspacifico.sp@ucr.ac.cr

The office will analyze the application, and in case of acceptance, will email a confirmation letter.

FAQ

General Information

Is covid vaccination required for the immersion program?
The University of Costa Rica is committed to safeguarding the health of the student population; however, the Covid-19 vaccine is optional.
What level of Spanish do foreign students need to apply?
The first level is designed for foreign students without any knowledge of the Spanish language or with fairly basic notions. More advanced levels can be available upon demand.
What are the benefits of the Spanish and Costa Rican culture program?
To study abroad in an Immersion program will give you significant experiences in your Spanish acquisition process; to share with a Costa Rican host family and being in the university campus will complement your studies and enhance your communicative skills. Moreover, you will have the opportunity to travel to beautiful places and learn Spanish through extracurricular activities that will make you experience the truly Costa Rican Culture.
What are the requirements to apply for the Spanish and Costa Rican Culture Program?
For the immersion program it is required to submit an application (for the Spanish course program and Homestay) to idiomaspacifico.sp@ucr.ac.cr. In this application, the students include their personal information so Idiomas UCR will contact the student in case their application fulfills the requirements.
Who is the program aimed at?
University students older than 18 years old from all around the world, who are currently enrolled in an academic program and have an advanced level of the English language.
Can I choose the extracurricular activities?
Yes! In the application program you can choose 4 extracurricular activities (Costa Rican Culture classes) which are taught twice a week. Choose among Costa Rican Cooking Classes, Latin Dance, Typical Dance, Aerial Silks, Comparsa, and Art.
Are there any Field Trips?
Of course! The program involves 2 academic field trips to Monteverde Cloud Forest and San Lucas Island!
What should a student do if the Program is full?
Once the enrollment is complete, the students who did not reach a spot in the program will be placed on a waiting list to be considered in case a new group opens or any space is left.
How can I request a refund if I can not attend the immersion program?
The program will not refund any payment during the immersion month. Therefore, it’s advisable that you are certain of your participation in the program.
When is the application deadline?
The office receives applications until November 1st. The applications that do not reach a space, will be placed in a waiting list.
How will I know if I was accepted in the program?
Idiomas UCR will inform you via email. The office will send you an official letter of acceptance, and information regarding the program as well, such as the homestay rules, and payment indications.
How can I contact Idiomas UCR?
In case you want to communicate for further information, please feel free to contact us:
Whatsapp: (506) 84807544 ,
E-mail: idiomaspacifico.sp@ucr.ac.cr
IG: idiomasucr_sp
FB: UCR Idiomas Pacífico
Telegram: Idiomasucr_sp

Homestay

What is a homestay?
A homestay is a local housing close to the Campus. Host families provide students with Costa Rican meals and a cozy environment during their immersion program.
Are homestays close to the university?
Sure! Some homestays are blocks away from the campus and others are within a maximum of 20 minutes away (those homestays are closer to the beach and city).
How long is the program?
The program is 01 month long.
What services do homestays provide foreign students during their immersion program?
Host families provide students with 2 meals per day and laundry service once a week. More details are explained during the information sessions.
What happens if I have a special diet?
The student has to inform to Idiomas’s office during the application period.
Can I invite friends to my homestay?
The student has to inform and request for permission from their host family before inviting friends to the homestay.
What can I do in case of losing the house keys?
The student has to inform their host families and be responsible for covering the cost of changing the latchkey.
Is it possible to organize parties at the house?
Students should refrain from organizing parties at the house without the prior consent of the host family. If having the corresponding approval, the student must cover the costs of the activity.
Will I have access to the internet?
Yes! Host families have internet access (WIFI) at home.
Can I change my host family?
In case of any qualified situation you need to contact Idiomas UCR to present your request.
What happens if I don’t require homestay?
It’s ok, but you need to specify it in the application form.

Payment

How much does the Spanish and Costa Rican culture program cost?
The cost of the program including the homestay is $ 4000, plus 2% taxes. If you don’t require homestay, it’s $3 200, plus 2% taxes
What are the dates for the immersion program?
The first course of the year is expected to be developed from January 22nd to February 16th 2023.
How do I register after I have been accepted?
After being accepted and receiving the acceptance letter, students must go to https://idiomaspacifico.fundacionucr.ac.cr/login.php and proceed with the payment.
When is the payment deadline?
After receiving the acceptance letter, the Idioma’s office will send the instructions about the payment.
How do I change the language in the platform?
Change the language of the Idiomas’s platform just by clicking on English at the top right from the menu bar.

Activities and tours

Extracurricular activities and Field Trips

The Spanish and Costa Rican Culture program implements extracurricular activities and field trips so that the students can appreciate the culture and actively practice the Spanish Language.