Our intensive program of study is based upon an effective and leading-edge method that encourages oral communication and a student's total immersion in the culture, society, and customs of Costa Rica.

The program includes several levels of study beginner through advanced. The first day of Spanish language lessons, you will have a placement test, to place you in an appropriate level according to your knowledge and ability in the Spanish language.

The best guarantee that you will receive intensive, personalized, and effective instruction is that you learn in groups with a maximum of 6 students. The class dynamics in small groups will help you to learn and converse in Spanish quickly.

The minimum age for enrollment in the general courses is 17 years old. 


Spanish Courses at E.I. San Rafael               Spanish courses at E.I. Tamarindo

Spanish courses at E.I. San Rafael

Intensive Course

20 units of 45 minutes each per week in a group of 4 to 6 participants.
Duration: of 2 to 24 weeks.
6 levels: beginner to advanced.
General language course: reading, speaking, pronunciation, listening comprehension, grammar, vocabulary expansion, Middle American culture.
Lessons: Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. with a 30-minute break. If there is only one participant for a given level, that participant will receive 15 units of private instruction per week instead of 20 units of group instruction.

possibility of additional self-access study with material from library or resource center.

The Intensive Course covers the following aspects and topics:
2 lessons (Unit 1) of applied grammar with explanations by the teacher followed by written and oral exercises, analyzing grammatical aspects through reading articles of newspapers, games and popular Latin American songs, further conversation exercises.
2 lessons (Unit 2) of conversation for every day situations with emphasis on increasing the students command of communication skills through discussion and exchange of information about social, economical, political and cultural aspects of life in Costa Rica and Latin America. Topics vary depending on the students level and may cover subjects such as „situations in a shop, in a restaurant, shopping at the market“ to „the situation of indigenous tribes in Latin America and Costa Rica“ or „economic and social changes in Latin America“ (contemporary history and current events). The Main Course is developed for all those who wish to acquire or improve their language communicative skills in today’s spoken Spanish and also require a systematic learning of grammatical concepts.

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Super-Intensive Course

30 units of 45 minutes each per week in a group of 4 to maximum 6 participants.
Duration: of 2 to 24 weeks.
6 levels: beginner to advanced.
General language course: You follow the Intensive course plus receive 2 additional units of group instruction Monday to Friday. No new grammar is introduced here; instead, you do in-depth exercises to reinforce the material covered in the morning lessons.
Lessons: Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. with two 30-minute breaks. If there is only one participant for a given level, that participant will receive 21 units of private instruction per week instead of 30 units of group instruction.

possibility of additional self-access study with material from library or resource center.

This Course follows the syllabus of Intensive Course during Unit 1 and Unit 2. In Unit 3 morning exercises are reinforced through additional written and oral exercises, auditory comprehension exercises with use of videos, vocabulary extension, conversation drills, idioms and, if necessary, phonetic exercises. Advanced students will also read and analyze Latin-American and Costa Rican literature. The Super-Intensive Group Course helps the motivated student to quickly enhance his communication, listening and reading skills.

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Intensive + Individual Course

25 units of 45 minutes each per week; in addition to the Intensive course, 5 units of 45 minutes each of private instruction per week to work on individual weaknesses/needs or special topics.
Duration: of 2 to 12 weeks. >
6 levels: beginner to advanced.
Lessons: Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. with two 30-minute breaks.

This course consists of 20 lessons of group tuition (Intensive Course) plus 5 lessons of individual tuition per week. These courses combine the advantage of studying in a small group with the most efficient and most rapid way to learn a language, private tuition. One to one Spanish language classes are either conducted in general Spanish at your own level, tailored to suit the individual needs and targets, or they cover one of the following topics of the student’s choice: Business Spanish, Tourism and Public Relations, Administration/ Law, Didactics of Spanish, Spanish for Translation, Spanish Literature, Preparation for Examination or Water Treatment. Please note that beginner classes can only cover general Spanish language!

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Individual Course

Either 20, 30, or 40 units of 45 minutes each per week, either in general Spanish alone or in combination with technical terminology. An intensive course of private instruction is a very good option if you only have 1 or 2 weeks available for a language course.
Duration: of 1 to 8 weeks.
All levels.

Morning: Possibility of self access study with material from library or resource center
Monday to Friday (sample schedule, lessons are sometimes scheduled in the mornings for 30 or 40 hours)

Private Tuition and Intercultural Training:
Designed to suit particular needs and interests, these courses focus either on improving the student’s command of general Spanish or cover specific topics and subjects. Intercultural Training can only be booked with 30 or 40 lessons per week. Intercultural Training aims to prepare project managers for work in a Spanish speaking environment in Latin America.

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Internship

For university students The Center in San Rafael; Cost Rica, offers the possibility of attending a practical training (Internship) in San José or Central Valley - with 8 to 16 weeks internship in a company or in a social institution. Accommodation will be additionally arranged on request in a host family or in a school apartment. The Costa Rica Spanish schools Internship program is available to those students only who have already studied at least 2 years at university and who enroll for a minimum of 2 weeks for an Intensive or Super-Intensive Course at the school center prior to the commencement of their Internship. Please note that students should have a least an intermediate level of Spanish. Fees cover placement, supervision and report.
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Volunteering

2 to 24 weeks Volunteering in a National Park or social institution can be arranged by the Costa Rica Center. Volunteering is available to students who enroll for a minimum of 4 weeks for an Intensive Course or the Super-Intensive Course at the school center prior to the commencement of their Volunteering (2 weeks for advanced students). Accommodation for volunteers in National Parks is arranged in basic lodging in the park with full board at cost to the volunteer.
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Spanish courses at E.I. Tamarindo

Intensive Course

20 units of 55 minutes each per week with a maximum of 6 students per class.
Duration: from 1 week to 24 weeks.
9 levels: beginner to advanced.
General language course:
Courses are held from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and are composed of a combination of conversational grammar and practical conversation and/or lectures.

Standard Group classes: 4 lessons per day in class sizes of no more than 6 individuals. Average class size ranges from 4-6 students. During four lesson sessions (in the morning or in the afternoon), students participate actively in a small group environment. Each student is assured attention to his individual academic needs. If total immersion becomes a difficulty, we offer supplemental instruction in English once a week in order to clarify any doubts.

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Super-Intensive Course

30 Spanish lessons per week. 55 minutes per class. Max 6 students per class
Duration: From 1 week to 24 weeks.
9 levels: beginner to advanced.
Description: The perfect Spanish program for someone who prefers a more intensive course. The format is the same as the Standard Program. The difference is that under this option you will receive an additional 2 hours per day of instruction in the afternoon. Courses are held from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Spanish & Surf Classes

The Spanish portion of this program: Identical to the Intensive Group classes. The difference is that you will also get surf classes as well. During the first 2 weeks of the program you will receive 6 hours of surf instruction. Additionally you will get surf board rental during the entire 2 weeks. If you want to do 3 or 4 weeks, you will get surf board rental and one surf trip each week (week 3 and 4). A great option for those who want to learn Spanish and Surf.

The waters of Costa Rica are warm and enjoyable. The area around Playa Tamarindo offers surfing spots for surfers of all skill levels. Playa Tamarindo itself enjoys consistent swells throughout the year. Within walking distance from the school a surfer can find six great surf breaks.                                                                                  

Intensive + Individual Course

20 units of 55 minutes each per week; in addition to the Intensive course, 10 units of 55 minutes each of private Instruction per week to work on individual weaknesses/needs or special topics.
Duration: of 1 to 12 weeks.
9 levels: beginner to advanced.
Lessons: Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. for the group lessons and individual lessons in the afternoons.

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Individual Course

20 or 30 units of 55 minutes each per week.
Duration: of 1 to 8 weeks.
All levels.

If you are looking for an intensive program or need specialized instruction, then the private class option is for you. One-on-one instruction is designed especially for people who want to progress at their own pace, work on specific vocabulary, have special needs or who have limited time available.