Program Reviews

I took a weeks' course at each of Intercultura's locations, although I only stayed with a host family in Heredia.

The host family experience was fantastic and I thoroughly recommend it! I was impressed by the high standard of the home; the family were really fun, warm and caring and made time to talk to us each day. They spoke almost no English with guaranteed a fully immersive environment and kept me thinking in Spanish all day! Having meals included was really convenient and saved a lot of time (handy when there’s homework to complete!) and allowed us to sample traditional every day Costa Rican food.

I was happy with the facilities at the school and quality of teaching, and I particularly appreciated the way the curriculum was structured into one-week set programmes with an individual textbook. It’s a really great way to accommodate students who are constantly joining and departing each week, and ensures students aren’t placed in a group that has already been running for some time, or don’t end up repeating things to accommodate new students. Having someone arrange excursions was also a huge bonus, as it made it so much easier to get out and about and see the local sights – especially when the school has it’s own transportation.

I really enjoyed Heredia as a city, personally probably more than Samara beach as I prefer urban living to the outdoors. My favourite art was probably going to see a football match – what an atmosphere!

Habiendo pertenecido a Intercultural de Samara durante tres años consecutivos, me gustaría usted aporta mis comentarios y sugerencias que conciernen al conjunto de mis estancias.

La acogida del conjunto del personal durante todas mis estancias, la calidad de los cursos, la competencia de los profesores, todo es verdaderamente impecable y muy profesional. Discutiendo con otros estudiantes que siguieron cursos en otras escuelas de Costa Rica o en otros paises, comprobé que Intercultural de Samara verdaderamente era la escuela la más apreciada por la mayoría de los estudiantes.

El "homestay" fue para mí a cada una de mis visitas una experiencia muy agradable y verdaderamente estuve muy satisfecho. Comprobé no obstante discutiendo con otros estudiantes que la calidad del "homestay" era muy variable de un lugar a otra y en ciertos casos el lugar no era verdaderamente adecuado.

Las actividades propuestas durante los fines de semana y durante semanas son muy adecuadas y pertinentes.

Según el mejoramiento importante que podría ser aportado conciérnele a la adaptación a una clientela más de edad. ¡ A mi parecer, con envejecimiento de la población, la gente como mí (pues un poco más de edad!) les interesan de seguir a cursos de español en un país como Costa Rica. Habría que no obstante adaptarle los cursos y las actividades a esta clientela que es diferente de la clientela actual compuesta de jóvenes. ¡ Puede ser interesante mezclar todas las edades pero se vuelve evidente que la vivacidad intelectual de los más de edad es menos rápida!

El "homestay" podría también sido mejor adaptado lo mismo que las actividades de fin de semana. Pensé decir que ciertas escuelas en país hispanohablante había decidido tomar esta curva …

My host mother or "mama tica" was a real joy and went out of her way to make me feel at home. We would literally start the day dancing to "Bailamos" on the radio at breakfast. She also took my friend and me to a family friend's house for a traditional epiphany gathering, which was very thoughtful. And I actually loved Heredia--it felt like a very manageable, safe city with fun places to eat and hang out, and it's a short drive to many other destinations in the country. I was also really impressed with the quality of instruction and the use of smart boards in the classrooms at school, I appreciated the complimentary coffee/tea each day, and I sampled delicious pastries from several nearby bakeries during our breaks. Best Spanish class ever.

What a great way to improve my Spanish, to live with and really get to know a local family and to see some of the natural beauty of Costa Rica! As an older women (in my early 60’s), I was a little nervous about traveling alone to Central America. Through Intercultura, I was assigned a homestay with an incredible family who picked me at the airport, introduced me to neighbors, showed me the sights in Heredia and fed me delicious meals. Intercultura set me up with a tour of the city, amazing teachers, great extracurricular activities during the week (dancing and cooking) and some fantastic adventures on the weekends. All that, for a very reasonable price!

I found everyone, from the office staff, to the teachers, to the dance instructor and tour guide to be delightful, patient and helpful. The teachers were extremely well prepared, well organized and professional in their teaching techniques. One of the best parts was my homestay. I was made to feel like part of the family – who gathered around the television in the evening to watch telenovelas and bullfights, and had big Sunday dinners, with cousins and relatives joining in. I was even introduced to the neighbors, one of whom had me over for a typical afternoon meal of homemade tortillas and agua dulce! I was taken to the local mercado in Heredia, later by bus into San Jose, and even to another town to visit an old cathedral. Because their English was very limited, I was forced to practice my Spanish speaking and listening skills, which really helped to reinforce what I was learning each day. I am still in touch via WhatsApp with my host mother, and via Skype with an employee of the neighbor. By arranging to be in Costa Rica for 3 weekends and 2 weeks of classes, I was able to learn Spanish (and come home with lots of notes to study), make new friends, see the countryside and get a little respite from the long, and cold New England winter. I’m looking forward to another visit in the future!

I really liked learning Spanish and discovering Costa Rican customs. The teachers are very patient and everyone at the school is so nice.

The school is really pretty, and I like the books and the conversations in class. I lived a great experience, Pura Vida :-)

Saludos
Nathalie

My time in Costa Rica was truly a life changing experience for me. I still talk about it with anyone and everyone that asks me about my travels. The constant thread I saw throughout my time in Costa Rica was the beautiful culture of love, laughter and community that was at the center of all my experiences. Riding my bike to school each day and being warmly greeted by locals and tourists alike, made me feel like I had joined this small community instantly. My teachers were wonderful and really helped me to improve my Spanish reading, speaking and comprehension skills. Staying with a homestay family also added to full immersion and authentic taste of the culture that I loved. The gorgeous beaches, breathtaking jungles, delicious food and amazing people made me never want to leave. I will definitely come back some day!

4 weeks of Intercultura Spanish School have helped me to improve my already learned Spanish skills. Very nice and helpful teacher who teach the language in a funny and competent manner. Abolutely recommendable: Pura Vida !

The course was very challenging. I learned so much in the two weeks I was there. Immersion definitely helps in the learning process. You get out of the program what you put in, so if you work harder, talk to locals, and study a lot you will learn more! It is hard work but there is no better place to study than on the beach.

Within a couple of lessons and with a clear study plan the Intercultura teachers managed to get me from zero Spanish to a proper conversation with locals in just two weeks! Friendly teachers and very flexible in planning the lessons so I could weave it into my holiday perfectly.

Instruction was very good, the school is very well organized, very professional. Homestays are very nice - I recommend it if you are thinking of making the trip. The families I've stayed with are helpful, friendly, and they don't speak English! Weekends can be great fun if you take advantage of the activities & tours, which are also very well organized. There are also extra acivities throughout the week (dance classes, cooking, movie nights). I've been there twice and I'm thinking about a 3rd trip this winter (2015-16).