Costa Rican Language Academy CRLA

The Costa Rican Language Academy, CRLA, offers the highest standards in Spanish instruction along with an authentic cultural experience. Our mission is to always provide our students with a complete and effective learning experience in the Spanish language and a deeper understanding of the Costa Rican culture through personalized attention and dynamic teaching methods in a professional and friendly atmosphere. CRLA is completely owned and operated by Costa Ricans, which ensures a true immersion in our culture. Our experienced and dedicated faculty and staff are fully committed to meeting the needs and expectations each student. The personal attention we provide, in addition to the professional service offered, sets us apart from other language schools. We offer classes which are intensive yet enjoyable. Our main focus centers on our students and their individual language goals; therefore our class size is always small so that we can provide each student with personal attention. Intensive programs with a practical methodology enable our students to reach their language goals in a short amount of time. These excellent results are achieved with help from our highly qualified instructors, who are all native Spanish speakers and hold a university degree in Spanish, Philology or Linguistics. Program flexibility and personal service in a caring environment make CRLA a top choice among Spanish students. In addition to providing high quality Spanish education, CRLA is also dedicated to sharing the Latin American culture. All students have the option to attend cultural classes such as Latin dance, Costa Rican cooking classes, and additional conversation practice. All of these cultural activities are in Spanish and at no additional cost to the students. At CRLA Spanish is learned in the classroom, in extracurricular cultural activities and in the home stay program. Students have the option to live with a Costa Rican family while attending the school. Each host family provides breakfast, dinner, laundry service and a private bedroom. The home stay program gives students another opportunity to practice their Spanish and learn about the Costa Rican culture firsthand. At CRLA you will learn our language, move to our rhythm, explore our country, make new friends, and much more ... We believe that students need to feel at home, at ease and constantly encouraged in order to gain the confidence required to speak a foreign language. We are proud of the professional, yet warm and friendly atmosphere in our Academy. By keeping our school small, our students, teachers and staff become one close family. Our unique Spanish programs are carefully designed to meet the individual needs of each student . We provide many different options and the flexibility for students to make the most of their time and enjoy all that Costa Rica has to offer. CRLA programs include: Intensive Spanish classes, Homestays with carefully selected Costa Rican Families, afternoon Latin Dance, Costa Rican Cooking and Conversation classes, excursions and cultural activities.

The CRLA is located in Barrio Dent, a very nice up-scale residential/commercial neighborhood in San Pedro, on the east side of San Jose. Located in a quiet, secure neighborhood, CRLA is close to places of interest for the students - across from the University of Costa Rica campus, close to the well-known San Pedro Mall and to a variety of restaurants, cinemas, banks, Internet cafes, and many stores. It is also a 20 minute walk from downtown San José and a short bus ride from our homestay families. Since1989, when we opened our doors, we have grown in size and upgraded facilities, all along maintaining the quality of our services in a home-like atmosphere. CRLA is situated in a spacious and comfortable facility in a secure neighborhood close to downtown San Jose. The school has a homelike atmosphere with comfortable classrooms, social areas, kitchen and a beautiful tropical garden and terrace. There is a café on premises that serves lunch daily and other snacks. Natural fruit juices and Costa Rican coffee are served at no charge. Also available are a TV and a computer room where students can access the Internet for free. The exact address is: Barrio Dent, from Autos Subaru, 300 meters north and 50 meters west on Calle Ronda.

At CRLA the essence of our courses is a varied and dynamic teaching approach. Our aim is to teach classes that are intensive, yet challenging and enjoyable. Our methodology calls for active participation from our students. Our practical courses enable students to communicate, comprehend and use accurate pronunciation in Spanish as quickly as possible. Spanish courses are offered year round with new classes starting every week of the year. Students may choose the length of the program and select as many hours of Spanish instruction per day as they wish. CRLA offers diverse programs and the opportunity to design different schedules. Individual private classes are also available. Spanish classes usually consist of 3 to 4 students-never more than six. This intimate class size helps us tailor our programs to each student’s specific needs and to adapt our teaching method to diverse learning styles. Students are placed in classes according to their Spanish proficiency level, determined by an evaluation exam before starting the course. CRLA provides four levels of instruction: Beginners I, II & III, Intermediate I, II & III, Advanced I, II & III, and Specialized courses. Beginner\'s course I, II and III is designed to teach introductory Spanish. The primary objective is to acquire communication skills in what we call \"Survival Spanish\". Students will be able to communicate in different situations for example in a bank, in a restaurant, giving their personal information, asking/giving directions, and other everyday situations. As a beginning student, you will study basic sentence structures, learn everyday vocabulary and develop the ability to clearly communicate basic ideas in Spanish. The Intermediate I, II & III courses cover most grammatical structures, which will give students the tools to achieve fluency. Students will learn these grammatical structures, while improving vocabulary, pronunciation, comprehension, as well as written and oral expression. They will be able to hold conversations on various topics with native speakers and use appropriate verb forms. The Advanced Level course includes advanced Spanish grammar. Students should begin to master complex syntactical and morphological structures and special differences used in the language, mainly the subjunctive mode and other complex forms. In addition, different topics are introduced to encourage discussions and improve general oral proficiency. Written texts will be presented for analysis, to increase vocabulary, and to promote advanced conversations about Hispanic countries, culture and current events. For students already fluent in Spanish, CRLA offers Specialized Courses to further improve the student’s ability to communicate in Spanish. We help you achieve an understanding of the technical structure of Spanish, as it relates to your specific interests. Private courses are available with additional training for Spanish Language teachers, Spanish for nurses or doctors, business Spanish and Spanish for lawyers. You may select the area in which you would like to specialize, then our Spanish Coordinator will work closely with you to develop your own program. Upon completion of the course, CRLA provides a Certificate of Attendance recognizing the proficiency level achieved and if requested, transcripts and other documentation required to apply for university credit.

Spanish classes at CRLA can be taken along with our Homestay Programs. Our Spanish & Homestay Programs include: - a regular schedule of Spanish lessons - free cultural classes (Latin Dance, Cooking, Conversation) - 24 hour airport transportation - lodging with a Costa Rican family Homestays are an excellent way to immerse yourself in the Costa Rican culture. As part of the family, you will practice speaking Spanish every day and at the same time you will learn first-hand about the Costa Rican way of life. You may live in a Costa Rican home where you will have your own private bedroom. Or, iIf you are traveling with others, we can accommodate couples, friends and family in the same homestay, in shared or separate rooms. Your Costa Rican homestay family will provide you with two daily meals (breakfast and dinner). If you would like vegetarian dishes, or if you have any food allergies or other special diet requirements, please let us know and we will be glad to accommodate you. Your family provides laundry service and a weekly change of bedclothes. You need to bring your own towels for the homestay. (If you do not have a towel the Academy can lend you one). Your host family will give you a front door key to your home and are free to come and go as you wish. Free Airport transportation is included with our homestay program. When you arrive in Costa Rica our driver will meet you at the airport, he will take you to your homestay and introduce you to your host family. He will also take you back to the airport when you leave the country. CRLA is located in a quiet, residential/commercial neighborhood area very close to downtown San José and our homestays are located in nearby residential neighborhoods. Most of the host families live a short 15-20 minute bus ride from the school. Our host families have clean, secure, comfortable homes in safe neighborhoods. While you may not find all the luxury of a hotel room, a homestay will give you warmth and love that you will not find anywhere else. It will also provide you with the opportunity to practice your Spanish as much as you want! Our homestay families are carefully selected for their hospitality, friendliness and warmth. There are many different types of families (with or without children, married couples, single parents, young or older, etc.). In your registration form please let us know what type of family you would like and any preferences you may have (pets, diet, smoking, etc.) and we will make every effort to place you with the best family for you. The most important quality we consider when choosing a host family is that they are genuinely interested and excited about hosting a foreign student and willing to share their home and culture. We look for opened-minded, friendly and outgoing families. If you prefer accommodations other than our Homestay, we can help make arrangements to stay at a hotel or an apartment.

The CRLA Spanish program includes Latin Dance, Costa Rican Cooking, Conversation classes, and other cultural activities. LATIN DANCE CLASSES Learn to dance Salsa, Cumbia, Merengue and the latest dance rhythms like a Latin with daily dance lessons. CRLA students may participate in as many dance classes as they wish at no additional charge. We offer 2 hours of dance classes every afternoon. Our patient and experienced instructors will help you discover the joy and fun of Latin dance. This is a great way to exercise, meet friends and learn more about Latin culture. COOKING CLASSES Learn to prepare authentic Costa Rican cuisine. Costa Rican cooking classes are offered every Wednesday for approximately two hours. These classes are taught completely in Spanish and they help you enrich your vocabulary, experiment with exotic recipes and enjoy the many tropical fruits and vegetables our country has to offer. CONVERSATION HOUR Improve oral skills with our \"Conversation Hour\" every Tuesday and Thursday. Have the opportunity to learn about our culture, share experiences and practice speaking in Spanish. Students can grab a fresh cup of coffee and sit in a relaxed atmosphere with one of our Spanish instructors to learn new vocabulary and discuss various topics such as current events and cultural differences. FAREWELL PARTIES & CULTURAL ACTIVITIES: Every week we have a small graduation party to say goodbye to students who are leaving. During this event students receive a certificate of attendance. They also have the opportunity to share their experiences with others and say farewell to friends and teachers. On national holidays and other special occasions the CRLA organizes a celebration to share our traditions with the students. VOLUNTEER PROGRAM CRLA has contacts with several organizations that receive volunteers for environmental and social projects such as National Parks and Child Care Centers. We help students with information, assistance, telephone calls, setting up appointments, legal documents, letters of recommendation and other arrangements necessary for finding volunteer work. In addition to those offered at CRLA, students may participate in other activities outside the school such as: visits to museums and markets located close to the school; night outings to local discotheques and dance clubs accompanied by our dance instructors; night outings to restaurants, bars and theaters located near the Academy; weekend excursions to beaches, rain forest, volcanoes and National Parks. CRLA offers several programs that include an intensive 4-week Spanish course, Homestay and free weekend tours. Or, if you prefer to travel independently, you can choose any Spanish program and we can help arrange your travel plans (information, tour reservations and discounts, bus tickets, hotel reservations, etc.) These One-Day Tours included free with some programs can be: Irazu Volcano, Orosi Valley & Lankaster Gardens Poas Volcano, Grecia & Sarchi Reventazon White Water Rafting Coffee Tour At CRLA we can also arrange trips to other destinations like these and many more: - Manuel Antonio Beach & National Park - Monteverde Cloud Forest - Arenal Volcano - Guanacaste Beaches - Cahuita, Puerto Viejo & Caribean Beaches - Rainforest Aerial Tram - Tortuguero Canals Jungle Tour - Butterfly garden and Zoo-Ave