Teen Spanish Summer Camp

Before I arrived I had multiple changes to my flights and the team at intercultura were very flexible.

When I arrived in Costa Rica, the school had arranged transport in the middle of the night, and the staff helped me into the apartments. The apartments are very nice, 2 rooms, 3 beds, kitchen and bath. The apartment was very safe, clean and comfortable with a table/ bar to study. I cooked my meals and the store is close by.

The class was great and meet my needs. I felt it was just above my skill level and was the correct placement to challenge me to improve. My teacher Samuel was great, along with everyone else at intercultura. I felt very welcomed by all the staff and wanted to be to here. I wish I had more time here.

I studied Spanish in Heredia for two weeks. Both of my teachers were excellent teachers. The lessons were well planned and their teaching styles worked very well for my class. My classmates became friends as we really were at the same level of SPanish ability. The classrooms are well equipped for teaching and the community spaces are pretty and allowed the breeze to keep it cool. My homestay was only two blocks from the school and Sonia was encouraging and helpful to my studies. I think that I liked everything about my time in Heredia. There was nothing that I would suggest to do different.

The school was great: the teachers were all very welcoming, personable and attentive. The teaching was very informed and pushed you to challenge yourself. The location and organisation of the school were great also.

I want to write in English about my experience at InterCultura Costa Rica- Heredia City Campus, so that I can concentrate on sharing my thoughts more easily than writing in Spanish, even though my Spanish is MUCH improved after just two weeks!

Our teacher, Jesús, was/is absolutely amazing. His dedication to and energy for, his teaching of Spanish was wonderful. At the END of a 4 hour class (!) his energy and interest in his subject was noteworthy. I was also very impressed with the structure of the lessons in my class, which came from the wonderful course books created by the school. The audio-video equipment at the school is state of the art and REALLY helps in presenting the varies materials.

The school itself was easily reached with a 25 minute walk from my host family’s home. EVERYONE I met and came into contact with at the school or the activities, was wonderfully warm and welcoming. The school itself is immaculately kept,
from the cleanliness to the maintenance. Carlos, at the door, is especially friendly and welcoming.

My host family, mi mamá tica, Eli Sequeira, was also incredibly warm and welcoming. From our very first meeting at the airport, to our fond farewell, we had a wonderful relationship. We communicated very easily almost exclusively in Spanish. The accommodations were very comfortable and the food was very tasty and delicious.

Our guide for the two tours I took, Jerry, was very friendly and knowledgeable. The Doka Coffee tour and the La Paz Waterfall tours are definitely recommended.

I was happy with all aspects of my three week stay in Heredia. My placement in the Spanish class was appropriate. I was continually challenged but it was not impossible. The professors are excellent. They are engaging, dynamic, skilled in pulling language out of my uncertainty. A wide range of activities was provided. I took trips to a coffee plantation and to Manuel Antonio, a wonderful National Park. Both were very good. The staff at Intercultura is always friendly and helpful. And the homestay was an important adjunct to learning Spanish. My wife and I are next year.seriously considering a return for a two week course

A good school where you feel welcome from the first day. I had one week of class where I learned a lot and I also appreciated the activities (cooking class, visits, etc.)

My teacher, Carolina, was the best! And the stay in my family was perfect!

The teachers were all very friendly and tried always to explain the Spanish grammar.

The location was gorgeous! It was in front of the beach, and we always had perfect dinner, thanks to Mama Tica!

I spent a very good, short time at the Intercultura Language School.

Die meisten Lehrer sind sehr gut. Ich konnte kein Spanisch und kann nach 5 Wochen Sprachschule kann ich einer Konversation gut folgen und daran Teilnehmen. Ich reise durch Zentralamerika und kann mich mit den Locals auf Spanisch unterhalten.
Von nichts kommt nichts. Ich habe meine Hausaufgaben jeweils konsequent gemacht.
Die von der Schule organisierten Touren waren alle bis auf eine gut.
Die Schule ist super gelegen, direkt am Strand.

When I was at Samara, there was nothing that I disliked, Janette, my teacher, was excellent. She made your language so interesting and fun to learn. I loved it all - the staff, the location, the students.. and the dancing lessons were a bonus.

We stayed at the Esmerelda hotel. I enjoyed meeting the staff and other students there. It was just a great all-round experience.

Thank you Intercultura.

We both really liked both campuses. Of course, the showers and huge outdoor space at the beach campus were really terrific. The instructors were all attentive, encouraging, creative and tireless, and the administrative staff were all friendly, helpful and a lot of fun! The materials provided by the school were helpful and we both loved the total immersion experience (despite how hard it was at times).

We can't say enough about how much we enjoyed staying with our host families. Both were absolutely wonderful and helpful with everything - from the language to how the average Tica lives life. They really made us feel like part of the family and we would highly recommend the host family option to anyone taking classes, as our time with our Tica families was almost as helpful in improving our Spanish as the classes were, and it gave us a great opportunity to learn more about Costa Rican culture.

Our only regret is that we were only able to go for one week at each campus, with a two-week break in between. For someone at our basic level, at least two weeks (and preferably more) of classes would be advised to make progress and get the most out of the experience. But that was our scheduling problem, not the school's.

There was very little we did not like about our two-week stay and study in Heredia, CR. Everyone was very gracious and warm to us. We only had Monica for a teacher and she was very well prepared, had high expectations, and gave us a high level of instruction. We had tons of laughs and fun in there but she meant business and we really moved. She was well-versed in the use of the instructional AV board which was very impressive. She was well-prepared. Again, it was so much fun. I can't remember when I have laughed this much! The material was hard but it really made me work and I continue to work on my Spanish almost every day.

The facility was lovely in its beauty. The location was great; we enjoyed the long walk daily to our Tico home and back to the school. We loved walking all around and seeing a different route each day. Our Tico home and mom were perfect.

We really liked the coffee plantation tour as well.

My stay at Intercultura far exceeded my expectations.

Firstly, the host family really made me feel like part of their family and contributed to my learning experience by taking the time to sit down and talk to me. The accommodations were modest but clean, and the food was excellent.

The school staff were outstanding and take the time to get to know each student. They go above and beyond what is necessary to make each student feel welcome. Dance classes, and cooking classes really enhanced my learning experience, as they allowed me to interact with and get to know many of my fellow students. I highly recommend taking a few weekend excursions. Jerry and Guillermo are excellent and knowledgeable guides who can tailor trips to suit the students likes, and Jerry's connections throughout Costa Rica ensure that all excursions are very reasonably priced.

Most importantly, I was really surprised how quickly I was able to pick up basic Spanish after only a few weeks of school. Intercultura's system of teaching languages, which incorporates reading, writing, videos, music, in-class conversation, and games, is well designed and very effective. Each teacher adds his or her own personal touch to the learning experience, and changing teachers every week allows the students to learn through different teaching styles. I personally enjoyed Monica's classes the most, as she maintained the structure necessary to learn, yet incorporated a lot of fun activities to get us to converse freely in Spanish.

One thing I would change (which I encountered as I entered my 4th and 5th week of the program at the Samara campus), was the fact that all instruction is in Spanish only. If the class didn't understand something, the teacher tried different ways to explain it in Spanish. There were some concepts which I feel I would have understood quicker and better if they were explained to me in English if Spanish explanations weren't working.

I had five different classes that I took in my 15 weeks studying in Intercultural. All of the classes entailed a lot of work, but they were all very interesting and fun. I learned more information than I could have ever imagined. All of the teachers were extremely nice. They were very good at explaining everything and they even made learning fun. They also truly cared about each student and they did everything they could to help you improve.

The location of the school in Heredia was a great location. It was not too far away from the beaches or the mountains. It was also a nice location because it was not a tourist location, so you can truly be immersed in the culture. The school facilities were very nice, clean and had good Wi-Fi and technology. Also, all the people who worked at the school were extremely helpful and caring. The activities were fun, especially the cooking classes with Janet. Also, every Friday there was a graduation with delicious fruit. The housing program for me was the best part of the trip. I absolutely loved my host family and felt like an actual member of their family. I spent a lot of time talking to my host family, and this is one of the most beneficial ways to improve your Spanish. I also had a lot of fun with my family - from watching soccer games, going to the markets, the feria, different shops, and learning how to cook.

Overall, words cannot even begin to describe my experience here and I am so thankful for all the people I met and experiences that I had.

I traveled to Intercultura Language School in January 2015. I spent one week in Heredia and then one week in Samara. I was excited for the opportunity to re-learn Spanish. I was nervous at first because I was traveling alone but the staff was extremely interactive and answered all of my questions in email prior to my trip. The communication prior to my travels was exceptional.

When I arrived at the airport, I followed the instructions provided by the program and everything was exactly as they said. Unfortunately, my Mama Tica was arrived late to pick me up, but the written instructions guided me to what I should do next. When I called the school, they explained that she was on her way.

My host family was very friendly and eager to immerse me in the culture and her family. We visited her family and friends and went to two parties on the first day! I loved this because I was able to eat their food, and some of the younger family members translated words for me when I didn't understand. The following day, we celebrated a religious and cultural holiday.

My school and class experiences were nice. It was intimidating at first because other students had learned so much in the following weeks. After the first hour or so, I was extremely comfortable. My teacher, Jesus, was very supportive in his teaching style. He encouraged us to use what we learned in Spanish, and his knowledge of other cultures helped him to explain things to us so that we understood better. He was great! I'm sure all of the teachers were good but I would definitely request for him again.

I absolutely adored the front desk staff. They were very friendly and helpful. Whether I had questions about the school, activities, community or even how to be safe in the evenings, they were knowledgeable. I really appreciate their customer service. Actually, this was all of the administrative staff. Many of them were responsible for the great communication prior to my arrival.

I like that the school offers cultural opportunities after class. I did a little of everything just for the experience. The team found teachable moments in everything we did. They would encourage us to listen to the lyrics of certain songs or try different foods so that we would really learn the culture and not just the language.

My experience at Intercultural definitely improved my Spanish skills. I practice with every opportunity that I get. I hope to have the opportunity to return to learn more. This was a great experience and I would recommended (and have recommended) it to others.

The staff and teachers, the facilities, the community, and the families created an experience that was positive, rewarding, encouraging, and stimulating. The classes were engaging. The teachers were very well prepared, and the materials were useful. The after-class programs were a major bonus, especially clase de baile, clase de cocina, and the tours. The administrative staff were warm, helpful and fun. The overall atmosphere was positive. The building was also very comfortable. We stayed with two different families and enjoyed staying with both. Heredia is a nice place to study.

The excellent facilities and professional, passionate staff made our learning experience memorable. Extra-curricular activities and a beautiful location enhanced the learning experience. Accommodation was at our own expense in a local hotel, so we cannot comment on school-arranged accommodations.

Overall, it was an outstanding experience. Within a week of coming home, we booked a return visit to Samara next year, and we will attend the school again. We are determined to learn Spanish and can think of no better place to do just that and have a fabulous time!

Thank you!

I was at the Heredia location for my 5 weeks of instruction. I found the program to be very good and I really enjoyed it.

Hi! My name is Ira and I had been at Intercultura Sámara for 5 months, including 6 weeks of language classes. The campus directly next to the beach is beautiful, and there is nothing better than to take a swim after four hours of hard working Spanish class. The teachers are really good and you can start at any level, no matter if you are a bloody beginner or high advanced. I by myself started at the lowest level and it was really possible to follow the classes. Of course, you have to learn, and for those who finished school a long time ago it might be a little bit strange to do homework or learn vocabulary at school, but it is worth it. Week by week, you get better and you are in a homestay where you can practice easily what you have recently learned. If you have the time, you can take part in a voluntary program. I chose teaching at a local school and it was good to see how fast my Spanish improved there. Most of the children are native Spanish speakers and the mixture between English, Spanish, French and sometimes German was weird at the beginning, but you get used to it after some time.

In summary, I can totally recommend Intercultura. They care about you and you can ask every single question you want to be answered. I really have to say thank you to the team in Sámara!

Intercultura Sámara is the real deal.

With it being right next to the beach, the location is beautiful and exactly what you expect and more.

The school itself is beautiful, with hammocks, wifi, showers, lockers and many other things.

The programs in which you can participate outside of school are various. For example, there are yoga classes every morning, dancing (salsa y bachata) classes every afternoon, artesanía every Thursday, and cooking classes every Thursday as well, and those are all for free!

The system they are using for classes is well thought out, because there are 12 different Spanish levels you can get into, depending on your knowledge. The focus of the classes is on speaking and being able to have a conversation, but grammatical concepts are taught really well too. The teachers are all super friendly and helpful.

The classes have at most 6 students in them from all over the world, although majority are either Swiss or German.

In conclusion, I would say that this school is perfect for learning Spanish and for meeting people from all around the world, AND you can connect school with beach vacations :).

Living in a Tico family is another thing you don't want to miss out. My family was really friendly and helped me a lot to develop my Spanish skills fast and efficient. The meals are super yummy and plentiful!

I spent 6 weeks in total at the Intercultura Language School, both in Heredia and Samara, and I had a great time! The school in Heredia is super central; you can enjoy all the comforts of a city, and the market and shopping opportunities were very nice! In Samara, you have the campus right next to the beach, and studying Spanish with the sight of the water is sometimes a little hard as it is so beautiful out there ;) All my teachers have been very professional and enthusiastic, and they tried to get the most they can out of the classes.

My host families were all very nice and I felt comfortable almost all the time. Of course, there are always difficulties in the beginning, but that gets better super fast! I would like to especially thank one family I stayed with in Heredia: Maria, Diego, Juan Carlos, and Karla, as they made my stay awesome. I have never met such a heart-warming and communicative mum like Maria; she is a great cook and an even better Spanish teacher, and is super patient with beginner speakers ;)

I took part in some of the activities of the school and they have all been really good. Gerry, the tour organizer in Heredia, was a especially a big help in organizing the tours, even if you wanted to do something individually!

I loved Samara from the first minute I arrived there: the beach, the sun, and good teachers. It was a very nice location, plus the perfect homestay with my Mama - Tica. Therefore, I decided that instead of staying there for just one week, I stayed for almost four weeks.

My teacher Janelle, was excellent, and she had excellent patience with my learning disability, especially pronouncing the words correctly in Spanish. I also liked the visuals she used in the classroom; they were very helpful.

My host family was kind of rude to me and to my roommate Amber. Her husband especially was; once he found out that I did not speak fluent Spanish, he did not speak to me the rest of the week. Tina was excellent as a wonderful individual, but she did not help us with our Spanish. She kept on speaking and did not care if we understood. I would only put fluent Spanish speaking students with them, then I think everything would be great. My bedroom in the garage was extremely hot. Maybe she could put a larger fan in the room.

The location was excellent; it made my day to look at the beach daily. The activities were adventurous and I liked having something to do daily.

Also, our guides Luis and Heriberto were excellent, and I will never forget them.

I wish the air conditioning in the classrooms were as cool as the ones in the office.

Thank you,
Julie

Classes:
The classes were mostly well-mixed. The level of the mates were sometimes pretty different. I would say that you did your best to set-up all the students on right level. It must have been very difficult.

Teachers:
Thank you to all of you! Every one of you gave the best and I really appreciate your work. It's normal that some of you were closer and some were not.

Location:
Simply the best :) For me, it was personally better to be on the beach as compared to being in a big city.

Facilities:
Looking good. It's on Costa Rican-Level.

Activities:
There were several of activities which I didn't use.

Housing:
Well, my homestay was ok. But not the best I've had in my life. It was important to me was for the family members to really talk a lot to the students. Mercedes was totally correct and nice, but she didn't mind to communicate a lot. I would say she was a bit depressive. Well, if I book a homestay, the main topic to look out for would be to "talk and communicate", especially the host family.

But all in all a nice experience :)

This was my fourth time at Intercultura, and it was the best language learning experience I have ever had. The teachers were invested in what they do, and wanted the students to learn. Heredia was a great place to live in because it was close to San Jose, which made it very easy to plan trips to other parts of Costa Rica. The activities at the school, from the cooking and dancing classes to the weekend and after class excursions, were fun. Everyone who I got to meet at Intercultura was friendly and inviting, and I would like to go back as soon as possible.

It was a great trip. The teachers were professional and very welcoming.

Our host mother (Genarina) was very clean and friendly. Our school was in Samara and not in Heredia.

A million thanks to you! Bye for now!

Attending Intercultura Language School and Cultural Center was a great experience. It was the perfect way to learn more about the culture, the countryside, the language, and the people of Costa Rica. My flight into San Jose was delayed by a day and I arrived near midnight, but my host family was there to pick me up at the airport. I had been in communication with the office staff, and despite my late arrival, I was able to go on an excursion the very next morning at 7 am. I believe there was a substitute driver (as it wasn’t Jerry) and it was a very rough ride to the gate of Poas Volcan, which was clouded over and we were advised not to bother as there was nothing to see. Instead, we visited Doka Coffee Plantation, which was very interesting and informative. After another rough ride, we were taken to Cataratas Chorros which was beautiful. As I hadn’t adequately prepared for this outing, I missed out on the swim but was able to chat with the local guide in Spanish. We also went out for an early dinner where I had my first fresco and my first taste of guanabana! The excursion was a great way to meet a few people from the school before I started on the following Monday.

Once at home, my host mother and daughter, and several other family members warmly greeted me! (They greeted me all in Spanish as they spoke no English). My home, by the way, was very comfortable and spacious. I shared a bathroom but had a large room to myself. On Sunday, I was taken to the Central Plaza, where I was treated to a t-shirt, a souvenir mug, and a “copa”, and I was shown the old church, the fountain, and a few other sights. On Sunday evening, a son arrived with his wife and two grandchildren, along with several other friends and relatives for a huge family dinner. My host mother was a fantastic cook, and throughout my visit, she prepared a great variety of traditional Costa Rican food. While we talked, the bull fights or soccer games blared on the television, but it was all part of the experience!

On Monday morning, my host mom walked me to school. I was greeted by warm and friendly staff (Joanna and Rumi) and was given an oral interview. I was told that (surprisingly) my classes would be in the afternoon. I was then taken on a tour of Heredia, which was really informative. As it turned out, I was the only person at my level so I had the privilege of having a private teacher for both my Spanish courses and my dance lessons that first week. I was put in B1 Intermediate, ESP 203 with Samuel. I had hoped to meet a few more students in my classes, but instead I had very intensive sessions where I had Samuel’s full attention. We were able to converse about our daily activities, our families and all kinds of topic, so I was able to really practice my Spanish - both listening and speaking. He was a great teacher and was very accommodating when I wanted to attend a cooking class and leave early on Friday for another excursion.

The homework was helpful, and I was able to practice what we had gone over each day. I also found the book I was issued to be very clear in its explanations. I enjoyed the videos he showed as well. I had several private dance lessons with Henrique and one group session. He was a fantastic teacher too, and I enjoyed practicing my Spanish with him while listening to some terrific salsa music. And oh yes, a cousin took me by bus to visit San Jose on Wednesday afternoon. The bus ride was an experience and I enjoyed seeing the National Theater and the Plaza.

On Thursday, as I was leaving the school, I thought there’d been a fire as the air was really smoky. As it turned out, there’d been a volcanic eruption. The neighbor, and sister in law, of my host mother, had invited me over for agua dulce and home-made tortillas, and she, her young employee who was studying English at the university, and I, all enjoyed our snack while worrying a bit about the volcano.

The next weekend, I joined an excursion to Monte Verde and Arenal Volcano led by Jerry. He was so helpful, accommodating, and knowledgeable, and seemed to know people everywhere we went. We had some good meals, sat in the thermal waters, crossed a lake on a boat with Arenal in the background, and then arrived for our second night of the trip in Santa Elena. My friend and I had signed up for the hanging bridges walk, which was a little disappointing. The guide wasn’t super knowledgeable and apparently because it was later in the day, there weren’t many animals. We did manage to see a quetzal though, and that was exciting. That night, we went on a fabulous Night Walk and saw all kinds of creatures. The next day, happily, monkeys came to our hotel, which was one of the highlights of the trip. I arrived back in Heredia on Sunday afternoon, pretty tired, but ready for another fun family night with my host family.

The second week, I had classes (B1 204) in the morning with Nuria (who was also a great teacher), again as the only student. This second week exposed me to a lot of new vocabulary as it dealt a great deal with the culture of Costa Rica. Because the previous week had primarily discussed direct and indirect objects, it wasn’t quite so obvious that I had problems with the various past tenses. Nuria was very helpful in trying to bring me up to this B1204 level, with some remedial lessons. I felt a little over my head at times, but I think, because I was first placed in B1203, I had missed some grammar along the way. Nuria was also very accommodating as there was an excursion to Nicaragua on my third weekend. She gave me 4 hour-days on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, and came in early so I could meet with her for 2 hours on Thursday before I left. She gave me good homework assignments and was very patient with me as I struggled through getting the hang of simple past and preterit past while trying to learn past participles, perfect preterit, and pluperfect tenses as well. I feel like I received a ton of information that will be useful as I study at home.

My trip to Nicaragua was wonderful as well. Again, Jerry was a great guide and I so enjoyed seeing the colonial style buildings in Granada as well as the beautiful countryside. I was the only older person along on the trip and the other students were very kind and included me in their activities. Jerry chose some great sights, like Lake Managua, Apoyo Lagoon, Masaya Volcano, and town, and I was able to see more monkeys! I arrived back in Heredia pretty exhausted, but ready for a final farewell dinner with the extended family. We had delicious food — ceviche, avacados, and fried bananas, and all kinds of delicious dishes… que rico!

On Monday, although I was tired, I was invited to go by taxi to the Brita Coffee Plantation, as the sister-in-law wanted to buy me some coffee for my trip home. Everyone was so kind and generous! That day, my host mom wanted to take me to Cartago to see the old church. We took the bus there and returned by train. It was fun to spend some one-on-one time with her, as I had missed some of that given I’d been gone every weekend. As we talked, I realized that I understood a lot more of the conversation than I had when I’d first arrived. She helped me arrange for a taxi to pick me up at around 4am and she actually came with me to the airport, just to make sure I was dropped off safely.

Overall, although the activity was non-stop, I enjoyed Intercultura, my host family, and the excursions tremendously! I would recommend the experience to anyone wanting to improve their Spanish and who is interested in learning more about the culture of Costa Rica!

I loved the intimacy of the classes and the teaching methods, but I felt it was a lot to absorb each day. There was so little time to review a new lesson. We basically only had overnight to study, so I found it a bit tough to keep it all straight. I was only there for a week, so I was spinning by Friday!

The location was excellent, and the facilities were great. I stayed in a hotel, but I loved the town. All the staff were very helpful.

By the way, I was at Samara Beach, not Heredia.

My homestay family was very nice and the food was excellent. The teachers loved their jobs. The location was directly on the beach, which was incredible. There were a lot of social activities every day. I will go back as soon as possible. I highly recommend it.

The location and facilities are great.

The staff were generally friendly and welcoming; however, a few instructors appeared to be impatient when some of us struggled with the language. The curriculum was solid.

I do not think I was placed in the appropriate level. It was much too difficult and I struggled for four weeks (I even repeated one week). The pace was too fast for me and I felt a lot of stress while taking classes. The stress prevented me from enjoying the experience.

I did not think the teachers understood that people have different learning styles and personalities (especially when different from their own). For example, I am an introvert. I tried to do my best, completed my homework at night and studied the material. However, I did not like feeling forced to speak before I was ready. Another woman in my class stopped coming for the same reason.

I would recommend the school to those who have taken some Spanish classes before because I think the curriculum is designed well to complement at least a basic understanding of the language.

I would not recommend the school for beginners.

I enjoyed my experience at Intercultura Language School and felt that I learned a tremendous amount in just the one week I was there. My class schedule was nice because the days alternated with morning and afternoon classes. The environment was great because everyone was made to speak Spanish unless in designated areas, which was very beneficial in helping the flow of the language come more naturally. The town of Samara was awesome since it was right on the beach. Samara had a native feel to it with plenty of students like myself which made it comfortable yet culturally enhancing.

I found the classes very interesting and challenging. The teachers were all passionate about teaching the language and kept things moving. The facilities were very comfortable, and this includes being able to stay after school to use an empty classroom to complete our homework. Movies, dance, and cooking classes were great additions to the learning experience. Our homestay was excellent - we're still in touch with our Mama Tica. The trips we took on weekends were an excellent way to see more of the country.

I started from nothing, which was tough at first, but the teachers took me through step by step and were amazingly good at communicating even when I had no Spanish at all. They would explain concepts through acting out words, drawings, parallelisms, and when we really needed it, there were reference sheets in English, French, and German translations.

My host families in both locations were great. I loved doing both courses. I would definitely recommend starting in Heredia then going to Sámara. In Heredia, you will probably learn more because there are less tourists and lots of Costa Rican students at the school, but Sámara is just so beautiful that it was a great combination of learning and enjoying the holidays.

I also learned how to dance salsa and cook empanadas, which I never imagined I would know how to do!

Long story short, I loved the school. I've been to two others and this was by far the best - the administration people were super organized and helpful, and I felt like the school really cared that we had a good experience. We evaluated classes, families, and activities every week, and if we made suggestions they were listened to.

I was initially really scared of living with a host family in which I didn't know the language and in a country so far away from home, but my host family were so warm, friendly and welcoming that I felt at ease straight away. I still think about them even now - 7 months later! I only knew a few basic greetings/phrases in Spanish to get by but after the week with Andrea I felt a lot more confident. I thoroughly enjoyed the lessons as they were very helpful but fun at the same time. The activities were very good - learning to dance salsa especially was so much fun! The facilities were also very helpful - the water filters were especially put to good use by me and the group I was with.

My husband and I attended the Intercultura Language School and Language Center for two weeks, May 15 - 29, 2011, and four weeks, February 5 - March 3, 2012. In 2011 our daughter-in-law and her parents participated with us. Up until May 2011 the only times I had studied a foreign language were in high school and three months of college level Spanish at age 43. As I conversed with English speaking students as young as 40 or even younger, who had not studied a foreign language in many years, l sensed the same level of frustration as I was experiencing.

From now on I mainly will be referring to the four week period in 2012 and will include my husband. The first two weeks we were in a group class. Other than us, all the students were young and their primary language was not English. They spoke with an accent, so many times it was difficult to understand what they were saying. Due to the frustrations we felt, especially during the second week, we requested to work together with an instructor for the final two weeks. Those final two weeks were extremely satisfying. We had talked of returning, but due to our present life situation have not been able to do so. Note the quality of teaching rating is one star lower than the highest rating due to our second week in 2012.

We would suggest that occasionally English be used by the instructors for clarification. This could eliminate any misconceptions by the students.

We very much appreciated the school's location facing the beach in a small community. Studying on campus, interacting with students from various parts of the world, living with a wonderful local family and attending planned activities away from campus were some of the highlights. We yearn to return.

They are the best. We really enjoyed our time at the intercultural Samara campus. Good school, great teachers, friendly staff. Overall great experience. Stay with a local Tico family to make the most of your experience. CR is a great country too; very beautiful.

I loved the classes, teachers were great, location was just the best you could imagine, right on the beach with palms; beautiful!
The trips were well-organized and interesting, activities fun.
I can't remember a single thing I didn't like about Intercultura!

I was at Intercultura several years back. Maybe 2009. As a part of an ISV trip.
Initially we were given a short test to determine our understanding of Spanish, which mattered little as we were a group and we were always going to be put into the same group classes. I had spent 5 years in high school learning Spanish, and since I knew enough to get by outside of the school, my position in the class became like a help for the teacher, which was fine but not ideal.

If the initial test was introduced as an ability test, I might have done differently and shown I didn't need to be re-taught the basic verb structure, etc. However, sticking with friends wasn't at all a bad thing.

Family homestay excellent - 100% immersion. Grammar gained in classes great. Thematic learning/layout of curriculum enjoyable.

I appreciated the library available at Heredia's campus. I could check out kids' books to practice learning fluency.
Locations excellent.
I loved all of the plants within the Heredia campus.
Both times I studied in Heredia, the excursions to practice our dance weren't my favorite.
I enjoyed the sightseeing excursions a lot: Poas, Arenal, etc.
I thought it FANTASTIC that you have a mini-vacation planner who arranged get-aways each weekend and throughout the week and provided group rates, housing, etc. THANK YOU! This was a highlight of the experience!!!!

Staff were SO SO helpful in helping me arrange my own travels before and after my study/homestay. They were SO helpful helping me arrange public transportation and understand the public bus system. THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!


My only disappointment was that the rule to only use Spanish within the school, both Heredia and Samara, was not enforced by staff and faculty. It was too easy to speak in English. I tried hard not to, but many of the younger students instantly spoke English as soon as classes ended. It took away from the immersion experience. I felt the staff didn't enforce it well.

I do not remember my exact study times. I studied 3 times with Intercultura. End of June and 3 weeks of July in 2008; and first 2 weeks of July, 2011 in Heredia. During 2008, I spent the first 2 weeks in Heredia, the second 2 weeks at Samara. I stayed with same family both times in Heredia.

The teachers were good. I liked my two weeks in Playa Samara a lot. My daughter was with me. We had a problem with our housing at a hotel, which was immediately resolved for us by a staff member at the school.

I really liked that classes started and ended on time. I liked the "graduation" night on TR. I loved the coffee that was available.

Suggestions - More organized activities for students who stay in town for the weekend, maybe something like a service project or just setting up some beach time for them. We stayed in town most weekends and had time on our hands.

A problem for me during my first two weeks (can't remember the name of the town!) ((and this has happened to me at other schools in different places)) was being in class with less-serious students, students who were there for fun. I wonder if it is possible to have two tracks - one for serious students of Spanish and one for the travelers.

I liked the curriculum and really liked the two teachers I had. I would readily recommend Intercultura.

I remember fondly my time there, and it got my daughter started on Spanish (she was a 19-y.o. beginner at the time) and she hasn't stopped!

I first moved to Heredia to teach English at Intercultura back in 1999. I spoke no English and really wanted to immerse myself in the local culture and language. I signed up for classes at Intercultura and can say that it was one of the best educational experiences of my life! The teachers challenged me and encouraged me to speak Spanish at all times. They did an excellent job using a number of visual aids and interactive didactic materials to ensure that all of us were engaged in the class and communicating. I loved the close-knit classroom set up (we sit at a table together) as opposed to traditional desks. The location was great. I was able to speak Spanish with locals everywhere I went. The school had all I needed as far as facilities are concerned and the extra bonus of free Costa Rican coffee! The staff was super friendly and went out of their way to make sure we were comfortable and enjoying our time in this amazing country. In addition to learning Spanish, I took dance classes at the school and became a huge fan of Salsa dancing! Overall I had an amazing experience at Intercultura and would recommend their program to everyone who is truly interested in having an immersion experience!

Intercultura was a fantastic way to start our ISV trip. The classes at Intercultura were entertaining and educational. My teacher was so cool and she ensured that we all took part and did well. The Intercultura location and facilities itself were very easy to get to and it was also a very relaxed and chill place to learn and hang out between classes. Can't 100% remember which week I was there for, but I was there with ISV in Jan-Feb of 2012.

The school feels like a little family; you would never think that every week a new group of students were coming in because the staff makes you feel so welcomed and special. The teachers are really good and are there to help you and be your friend. It's a lot of learning in one week, but they make it fun and easy. It gets very overwhelming but at the same time life changing and simply amazing. The activities outside of class (cooking, dancing) were what I remember the most.

I decided to study at Intercultura after several visits to the hometown (Heredia) of my family's foreign exchange student. I love the location of the school in the middle of the city. Most days, I would walk the mile to school from my host-family's home in front of La Palma. I will always remember the ham and cheese croissants that I would buy from the gentleman who came to sell his food to the students during our lunch break. While I did not participate in any of the activities that the school offered, I know from others that the various activities and trips that were offered were a great experience.

My teenage daughter was not so thrilled at first to study Spanish during her summer, but then got very motivated and learned a lot. She looked forward to her classes, and improved a lot. It helped her prepare for high school English. She knew some Spanish before taking classes at Intercultura, and then was able to skip Spanish 1 and 2 in HS.

Although the experience was a bit intense with the length of class time, I learned a lot; especially with regards to listening better. I particularly enjoyed the culminating events on the closing day. The beach and atmosphere contributed a lot to the richness of the whole experience. Housing doesn't apply to this evaluation as my family stayed at a very pleasant villa nearby. Food was excellent and my only regret was I didn't get out on the water to fish. Loved the country and the people. Enjoyed salsa dancing at my teacher's party.

I loved the salsa classes! I also made a lot of friends at Intercultura and we would go out salsa dancing at night together. I learned a lot of Spanish. I was put with a very lovely family to live with. They had kids my age and a beautiful backyard to have breakfast together. Intercultura later helped me organise other trips in Costa Rica such as volunteering with Habitat for Humanity and with an art gallery in the mountains.

I already spoke some Spanish when I started classes, but still was considered a beginner level student. On the first day students were expertly evaluated to determine their current skill level, which I think is very important. Students with similar skill levels were grouped together in classes that addressed their next steps to greater proficiency. In my case it was what I call the "first veil": verb conjugations. It was a real advance for me to finally understand, and then start to instinctively use what had been frustrating grammatical rules, in a comfortable manner. I stayed at this plateau for some time, but I think it is the first thing a beginning learner needs to master, as Spanish conjugations are so different than those in English.
Once I was sufficiently capable with verbs I was put in a more advanced class studying pronouns and other aspects of the language and also learned a great deal. Unfortunately, my time there was short, as I had to report to a job in Ecuador. I learned a lot more Spanish during a year in Ecuador and 9 months in Honduras, but if I had not had the excellent base training provided at Intercultura I would not have been able to function effectively.
I really didn't participate much in all the social activities offered but I did meet many interesting people from all over the world, some of whom I still keep in touch with.
I enjoyed living in Playa Samara and made many friends among the locals.

Teachers: Supportive, interesting, knowledgeable, fun

Classes: I thought grammar was addressed thoroughly, but I wish teaching/introducing vocabulary was incorporated into the program. As I started from Level 1, and had no Spanish when I began, I was left to my own devices to learn the vocabulary that I heard or encountered. I felt overwhelmed by my lack of vocabulary.

Location: Beautiful. Amazing.

Activities: Well thought out. Helpful to language acquisition. Made class time interesting.


Housing: I wish there were more options presented by the school for private housing, with different price ranges. I think I ended up paying way more than friends taking the TEFL course at the same time I was studying Spanish.

Altogether the trip to the Intercultura Language School was a good experience. Unfortunately I had no luck and there were a lot of accidents. I could not really enjoy it!

Positive arguments:
- Many friendly people
- Good activities in school (aerobics, salsa, gym, sightseeing)
- A beautiful place
- Good care by the teacher

Negative arguments:
- Lessons were handled too fast (too many subjects)
- No care outside the school

I would not recommend the exchange program of "Praktikawelten" but I would go to the Intercultura Language School a second time.

At Intercultura I had a lot of fun! I was alone in my class, but I learned a lot. My teacher was nice and good! The location of Intercultura was beautiful. Nice rooms and a wonderful garden, like everywhere in CR :) . I am really sad I just stayed a few weeks there, because I couldn't learn so much Spanish, but I already fell in love with this country and also with this school. All in all I had a great time at Intercultura Language School and it's not a bad decision to go there!!!

My experience at Intercultura was pretty frustrating. I did appreciate the "no English" on campus rule, but I found that it was incredibly hard to learn things in class because of it. If I didn't understand a word that the instructor was using, or a word that was on the worksheet, it was really hard to find a way to understand what it was really supposed to be. My instructor would often just repeat the word and stare at me, waiting for me to suddenly understand. I was looking forward to learning more conversational Spanish that I could use on a daily basis, but found myself staring at worksheets and learning the names of zoo animals instead. Maybe the lessons are less 'worksheet'-y in higher levels, but my class was one of the most frustrating things I've ever gone through. The schedule was odd, in that every day alternated between morning and afternoon classes, so it was hard to get into rhythm.

I was so excited to spend a few weeks at Intercultura, but I barely made it through one. When I registered for classes, I was pressured into signing up for multiple weeks, so much so that I actually was made to feel guilty for not doing so. I chose to register for one week, see how that went, and then sign up for two more if I liked it, but that was NOT what the lady wanted to hear. Just the act of registering made me feel uncomfortable.

It seemed to be great for lots of other people, but I'm an experiential learner; worksheets don't do anything for me, and there was apparently no other way for the instructor to teach me. I learned way more Spanish by just living on the beach than I learned at Intercultura. It might be great for some people, but it wasn't great for me.

Intercultura was heaps of fun. It wasn't just about learning Spanish but about learning the culture and experiencing Costa Rica.

The classes were not too long which made it fun and not exhausting and all the teachers were really great and spoke English well.

I loved staying with my host family. We had to play charades a lot but we always got our message though. I also met and got to know 2 other students who are now close friends.

I have nothing bad to say about Intercultura. They did there very best at teaching every student some Spanish and some Costa Rican culture including food and dancing.

Sorry about any spelling mistakes. I am typing on a tablet.

I have had the opportunity to attend 5 different schools in Costa Rica to learn Spanish. This school was by far the worst one, as far as the organization, curriculum content, communication, and the learning experience are concerned. It was the only school where students fail. All others take you on a sequential journey as you learn Spanish. What did I learn the most here? I gained a true appreciation for students who struggle, and I realized how failure can have a substantial impact on their motivation. I learned what not to do as an educator. I could only recommend this school to someone who is advanced in Spanish; that is, if you don't mind being placed with others who are way more advanced than you are. If you can keep yourself entertained while you are lost and if you can handle repeated failure and frustration, then this might be your school.

I must say though that I loved the town. The school did not educate the students about the amount of theft. Out of all the places I have attended it was the highest in this location. The school should have done a better job with this.

The school has an ideal location and has potential. They should clean up the curriculum to make it sequential for learning. Don't fail students, and instead let them continue their learning from where they are. Communicate so that the home visits include the student instead of treating them as a visitor. I spoke with many students and found this to be typical here. Match your students with the best home-stay based on age and level of Spanish.

Just a few thoughts.

I loved the course that I took at Intercultura. I liked the set-up at the Heredia campus more (with two, 15 minute breaks to break up the 4 hours). Sometimes it is difficult to sit still for so many hours at a time, especially because our group also had another class for 3 more hours during the day outside of Intercultura. The teachers were extremely interesting and engaging. The location of both the schools was optimal. I didn't participate in any of the activities, but I loved the housing. My host families in both locations were kind, straightforward, helpful, and in general a pleasure to be around.

I was beyond pleased with my experience at Intercultura. It was an intense and rewarding challenge, and by the time I'd left I was able to hold my own in many topics of conversation. The staff was wonderful and extremely patient. It won't be everybody's cup of tea, but if you are interested in learning Spanish, I can't imagine there are many places better to do it than Samara and Intercultura.

I took two weeks of classes. One week privately and one week with another student. My teachers were fantastic. I learned a ton and continue to use what I learned today. The location is unbelievable - right on the beach. The facility is clean and comfortable with great art work and wonderful staff. I stayed with a host family who was kind, considerate, helpful, patient and fun! There was nothing I did not like. I highly recommend Intercultura for anyone who wants to learn or practice Spanish!

I liked the immersion portion and when we had to go around the school describing things in Spanish. However, I wasn't a fan of the worksheets because I had not taken a Spanish class for 3 years and learning technical rules of Spanish on paper was not helpful in learning to speak the language. I would have preferred more conversational opportunities to help me later in my trip and speaking to the locals.

The school was very helpful in making arrangements for me to take students to Costa Rica two years in a row.
They arranged excellent housing, a classroom for me to teach, cultural lessons for my students and excellent classes. The teachers and staff are very pleasant to work with and all went smoothly.

My homestay was comfortable and provided a great opportunity each morning and evening to practice the language. I was totally impressed with the commitment and professionalism of the teachers, who were also extremely warm and friendly. The school overall was well-maintained and well-run, filled with multi-generational folks from across the world who truly wanted to master Spanish (as opposed to 18-year-olds seeking fun away from their parents). The San Jose suburb in which the school is located - peaceful, upper-class, extremely walkable - was an unexpected benefit.