Spanish Immersion in Coast Rica Past Review
By Melissa P (Spanish Language and Literature., New Mexico State University) for
Centro Panamericano de Idiomas (CPI): Flamingo Beach - CPI Language Center
Yes. It was worth it. I gained a basic understanding of the mechanics of the Spanish language. I went into the CPI program hoping to gain the basics to be able to communicate with my ESL students. I think the program accomplished just that.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | New Mexico State University |
| The term and year this program took place: | Summer 2009 |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I had no prior Spanish background before attending Flamingo Beach. It was very frustrating to take classes with absolutely NO English instruction. My teacher and the staff in the office were extremely nice and very patient, but I wouldn't recommend this program to someone who has no Spanish background. For someone who took Spanish in high school or college, this immersed program would be extremely beneficial. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Program's strength is the small class sizes. You will get individial attention. Program's weakness is the fact that many of the profesors/profesoras at CPI have never taken a language course in another language. I don't know how many times the profesors told me that learning Spanish is easy and not to be frustrated. I think if these profesors were more familiar with the process of learning another language, they would be more equipped to understand the student's feelings about the language acquisition process. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
All of the amenities were clean and private. |
| * Food: |
The food was awesome, but unchanging. Be aware that your host families will serve you rice and beans for all meals. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
CPI provides numerous cultural activities from dancing lessons to weekend excursions to Nicaragua and Arenal volcanoe. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Each school had a gate keeper at the entrace of each school. You had to be buzzed in to enter the school. I felt completely safe throughout my stay. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Be advised that you have to pay a $26.00 exit fee to leave Costa Rica. You can do this at the airport, but it's advised that you get it at the local bank before you leave to avoid long lines. You MUST bring your passport to the bank. |
Language
| Language acquisition improvement? |
Without a doubt, my language skills improved 90%. I can now put together basic sentences and expressions in Spanish. |
A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Be aware that professors have a large "No English" sign over each white board in every classroom. If you have no prior experience in Spanish, take it upon yourself to study before you start the program so you don't have "language panic." |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Special Topics |
| Course Department: | Spanish 590 |
| Instructor: | Professor Longwell |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | I think the course through NMSU sufficiently alligned with the requirements of CPI. I found the weekly diarios and final paper to be very self-reflective. Professor Longwell takes each student's prior experience into account while grading the assignments, thus reducing anxiety about the level of Spanish completed. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
