Above and Beyond!

I absolutely love the format of the class. They integrate games and activities to make learning fun. It is not a boring lecture by any means, it is quite engaging and interactive. As for the program, it would be great to start with an introductory walk around Liberia so students can get acclimated, that is probably the only area of improvement I would add. Oh and if there were opportunities to cook or eat more Tica food, that would be great!
Merlyn was AMAZING! I cannot say enough wonderful things about her, she is super knowledgeable, kind, and just an overall amazing teacher. She speaks with such clarity that it makes it easy to understand what she is saying. She incorporates games like BINGO and bananagrams to help you leave numbers and words in an easy, carefree way. She follows the book but is also flexible enough to let us jump through the book at our leisure and our comfort level. The homework we are assigned is necessary to help progression in a positive way. She really is great.
The Spanglish class was definitely one of my highlights of the week so far. Being able to interact with native Spanish speakers and have them provide you feedback is a great opportunity. Plus I love the games that we did like the hot seat, Kings Cup, and 20 questions. All were super interactive and helpful for the learning process. OH I almost forgot about the Farmers Market, a must do experience while here. Franklin walked us through the market and we had the opportunity to try different types of fruits and vegetables. I tried the pejibaye for the first time and it was so yummy...though I do want to try it with mayonnaise next time! I think being able to walk among residents and try native foods is essential to the immersion process.

I also enjoyed volunteering at Club A and the Kids Club, both were great experiences and really invigorate the soul. Seeing kids learning English the same way I am learning Spanish is really an enlightening experience. I think everyone who comes should try at least one of the experiences so that you can get the energy from the youth.

Seriously this place is amazing. It is centrally located in Liberia so you can get anywhere within a few blocks which is easy (once you get the hang of it). The amount of information you receive prior to coming from Bethany is AMAZING and so super organized. She literally prepares you for any and all situations and gives you so many options. If you are bored or not sure what to do...you are not paying attention! She provides you with a detailed schedule and tab after tab of opportunities from Club A to personal, self guided tours, to a few longer full day tours. She also tells you where cafes, restaurants, gyms, and other places of interest are and gives us a map. I would say the map leaves something to desire but it is pretty helpful. The school itself is IMMACULATE, they are always cleaning it and there are so many rooms! The staff is beyond helpful and nice. Really they go above and beyond to make your experience a good one!
I had the pleasure of staying with Dona Carmen and her husband and I could not have asked for a better host family!!! I told Dona Carmen that I eat vegetables and fish and she made sure I had those things for every meal. I even mentioned in passing that my favorite food is broccoli and guess what? She made sure I had broccoli all the time...for desayuno and cena. She also provided me with fruit to take as a morning snack when I was at class. I was given a room to use, keys to have, and so much space it was amazing. The first day was tricky because my Spanish was so limited but as the week went on, I was able to communicate more with the family and that was super important and really shows that the program works. I cannot say more about how important it was to stay with a family, it really makes all the difference!