Costa Rica: Santa Ana Summer


CCIS Study Abroad in Santa Ana, Costa Rica

Program Overview

The Republic of Costa Rica is a small country in Central America nestled between the Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean, north of Panama and south of Nicaragua. It is exceptional in that many environments can be visited within a short time. Rain forests, cloud forests, unspoiled beaches, coral reefs, white water rivers and volcanoes can be reached within a couple of hours by car from San José. Costa Rica is one of the few stable, democratic republics in Latin America. It has the highest standard of living of the Central American countries. The health record is excellent, and illiteracy is very low. Peaceful by nature, the Costa Ricans have no army, as it was abolished in 1948.

Please take a moment to view a short video about the CONVERSA program at http://www.conversa.com/video 

The College Consortium for International Studies Intensive Spanish programs in Costa Rica are designed for students in the regular degree-seeking program as well as for business and professional people who seek to acquire or improve Spanish language skills in a short period of time. The program is offered in four-week sessions, and classes have no more than four students each. Students are taught by different instructors each week to strengthen their conversation and oral comprehension skills. Intensive instruction for five-and-one-half hours per day is entirely in Spanish, and individual tutorials on Saturday mornings and additional conversation practice are available upon request.


 
Academic Profile

Centro Linguisto Conversa in Santa Ana & San Jose

Centro Lingüístico Conversa, a language institute dedicated to teaching Spanish and English as foreign languages.  The newly renovated center in Santa Ana is about twenty minutes outside the capital city of San José. The campus is located on a mountaintop with sixteen indoor and outdoor classrooms, lunchroom, sports activities and a swimming pool. It is an idyllic setting and welcomes a highly motivated group intent on learning Spanish.

Costa Rica offers a rich cultural and environmental backdrop for intensive study of the Spanish language. Santa Ana is located on a former six-acre mountainside farm, provides intensive Spanish language instruction in a serene setting.

Course Offerings

Elementary Spanish I & II, Basic Spanish Conversation I & II, Intermediate Spanish I & II, Intermediate Conversation & Composition I & II, Advanced Spanish Grammar I & II, Advanced Conversation I, Selected Readings in Spanish American Literature

Latin American Literature and Latin American Culture (By permission only)

Those applying through Miami Dade College please see the link below for more course information:

Please visit the Miami Dade Website for a more detailed view of the Costa Rican programs:

http://www.mdc.edu/mdcglobal/documents/COSTA_RICA_BOOKLET_2010_11.pdf


 

Academic Highlights

The intensive Spanish Program at Conversa follows the teaching methodology of the Peace Corps and the Foreign Service Institute. No previous study or knowledge of Spanish is required, and on arrival, students are given a placement test in Spanish to determine the appropriate level of study.  Students are generally awarded a maximum of 6-8 credits per four week cycle, and a 2.5 GPA is required.  The program operates in one-month cycles throughout the year.

 

Activities and Opportunities

Student Life

Costa Rica is known for its mild climate and its national parks, volcanoes, fine beaches on both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts, rain forests, and wildlife refuges.  Students visit the sites during day and weekend trips.

Housing

Housing is an important part of the Intensive Spanish Program. After airport pick-up, the Conversa housing coordinator will place students in a Costa Rican homestay - usually one student per family - in the surrounding neighborhoods. Lunches from the campus lunchroom are included in the program cost and transportation to and from the school is provided.

Conversa will take care of all housing arrangements. On-campus lodgings are available in lodges, La Casona and La Casita, but are at an additional cost. Conversa urges students to opt for the Costa Rican homestay; it offers insight to Costa Rican culture and everyday life and the opportunity to use and practice Spanish. Santa Ana offers spectacular views of the surrounding mountains, a dining hall and lounge, swimming pool, tennis, volleyball, and basketball courts. All on-site program coordinators are bilingual, and arrange airport pick-ups, arrangement with host families, and all cultural excursions to museums and markets. Conversa also offers student discounts on weekend tours, such as white-water rafting, excursions to volcanoes, biological reserves, and private island tours. Students who choose to study at the center in San José may choose either a homestay (breakfast and evening meal only) or other housing options.

Alumni Feedback

"From the first day I arrived in Santa Ana to the day I left I was immersed in Spanish-- not only in school with the professors, but also with Roma my host mom, Venado the taxi driver, Dennis the dance instructor, the woman at the bakery, the people sitting next to me on the bus, the pastor at church. I went from knowing how to read and write some Spanish to being able to understand and communicate. I know the time I spent at Conversa was the best possible thing I could have done for my Spanish, and I can't wait to get back some day."
- Dios lo Bendiga

"I started at Conversa not knowing how to speak a word of Spanish. After only five weeks, most people I encountered assumed that I had been speaking for years. The common phrase I got when I was ¬complimented¬ on my Spanish was ¬Usted puede hablar bastante!¬ After five weeks, I will take that compliment in a heartbeat. What I really enjoyed about Conversa was the fact that classes were so flexible and so customized to each student. The professors had the skills and knowledge to relate the theory of Spanish back to the theory of English. I had taken French in high school and college for a total of 7 years, and there is no way I can speak French nearly as well as I am able to speak Spanish."
- Ajay Narula

"During my recent one month stay in Costa Rica, I visited erupting volcanoes, swam under beautiful waterfalls, walked on idyllic beaches and salsaed until dawn. It was thirty days of a dream life, and it was made all the more wonderful by my experience at Conversa. The staff there were always friendly and helpful, the teachers were fantastic, the host family I stayed with really made me feel welcome and the friends I made will last a lifetime; to anyone looking to learn a lot of Spanish while having the time of their lives, I would definitely recommend the CCIS Conversa program in Costa Rica."
- John Bisges

 

Santa Ana, Costa Rica Summer Program Details

Duration

Four week cycles. Please, visit http://www.conversa.com for more information.

Sixth Cycle:  May 21 to June 15

Seventh Cycle:  June 18 to July 13

Eighth Cycle:  July 16 to August 9

Ninth Cycle:  Aug. 13 to Sept. 7

Application Deadline(s)

Rolling for all cycles, acceptance must occur at least one month prior to commencement of program

Eligibility Requirements

Students at freshman or higher standing with a GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale, minimum of 18 years of age

Language

Spanish

Academic Levels

All levels welcome

Costs

Santa Ana: $3,754 (CCIS member)  $4,054 (non-member)

“All prices, dates, courses are subject to change without prior notification.”

 

Truman State University requires a non-refundable deposit of $300, deducted from total fees, at the time of acceptance to the program, but does not have an application fee.

Miami Dade College requires a $130 non-refundable application fee. No additional deposit required.

All fees and dates are subject to change!

Costs Included

Instructional costs abroad, CCIS and sponsor fees, textbooks, airport pick-up, airport return and daily transportation, room, board, laundry, academic and extra-curricular activities, and insurance.

Costs Not Included

Estimated:  Airfare ($1200), personal expenses ($1250), on-campus residence option

Entry Requirements

Passport

All costs, fees, and dates are subject to change without notification. Please contact the appropriate individual to verify all costs, fees, and dates for this program.

Related Links

 

Your Adventure in Costa Rica Begins Here

Submit Application Materials To:

Please select and send your application to the school below that is closest to your home school.

Joanne Michaud, Study Abroad Assistant
Miami Dade College
300 N.E. 2nd Avenue, Room 1443
Miami FL 33132
Email: jmichau1@mdc.edu or studyabroad@mdc.edu

Jane Ann Williams, Executive Director
Miami Dade College
300 N.E. 2nd Avenue, Room 1443
Miami FL 33132
Email: jwilli11@mdc.edu or studyabroad@mdc.edu

CCIS Online Application & Instructions

CCIS Online Student Recommendation

- or -

Truman State University

Alci Arias, Assistant Director

Center for International Education Abroad
Kirk Building 114
Kirksville, MO 63501
(660) 785-4076
(660) 785-7473 (Fax)
alcidean@truman.edu

CCIS Online Application & Instructions

CCIS Online Student Recommendation

How do I apply?

Start the CCIS Study Abroad application process by downloading the forms. To download, right click on the application or recommendation form and click "save as", then save the form(s) to your desktop or downloads. Once you have completed your form(s), click "submit" and email your completed form(s) as an attachment to the contact email address associated with the program your are applying to.

All costs, fees, and dates are subject to change without notification. Please contact the appropriate individual to verify all costs, fees, and dates for this program.