Intercultura Costa Rica - Samara Beachfront Campus

I spent two weeks learning Spanish at the Intercultura school in Sámara. It was both the most amazing learning experience and vacation experience I have had. I was looking for an immersive program to jump start my Spanish learning. I found the classes to be rigorous and engaging. The instructors were personable and professional. They challenged me to speak, study, and think in Spanish while building my confidence.

By the end of the second week, I felt confident enough to converse with local shop owners and waiters. My only regret is not staying an additional week! I so enjoyed the planned activities the school coordinated. They helped build camaraderie with other students, soak in the culture of the country, and offered an inclusive way to just have fun.

Since my return home, I have used my new found cooking knowledge to prepare fun meals for my family while we relive our experiences and practice our Spanish around the dinner table. I did not utilize the on-campus housing facilities, so I cannot speak to those, but the classrooms, school as a whole, and certainly the location were all stellar. In short, I loved my time at Intercultura and will return many times over!

I was very impressed with everything about how this school is run. We decided to stay an extra week in Samara after touring the school and loving the staff we met and the campus on the beach. Our experience once we started classes, exceeded our expectations of what school would be like. Every part of the day was well planned out and even on our breaks, we were speaking Spanish and meeting other students from around the world. My teacher (Nelson) was so kind, knowledgable, and professional. Not only did he teach in a very hands on and interactive way, he also shared information about cultural events taking place while we were there and provided resources in the community that were available to visitors to enhance our experience there and our Spanish speaking skills.
The school also provided after school hours activities for students including yoga, cooking classes, dance classes and excursions. I wish I could have stayed longer!

I truly leaned the specific material in Spanish which I always wanted to learn to make clear within 1 week. When I took the oral exam with the stuff, she was able to detect what I have been missing immediately, and she placed me at the exact class! The class was small (2 students with 1 teacher), and we fully enjoyed every class, every day! The teacher Iris was super excellent at explaining the grammar. For me, it was the best of best learning experience in any other Spanish schools ( I have been to 15+ Spanish schools all over the world).

I really enjoyed the teachers and the classes. I initially thought my one on one evaluation put me in a level that was mostly review for me however by the third day I felt like I was being more challenged. I felt like it was good to be at a level of review to be able to more comfortably gain more speaking confidence. The second week I was definitely challenged and felt at the correct level with my classmates. Having two different teachers was a challenge as well as I adapted to their teaching styles and way of speaking.

The location of the school was fantastic and the facilities gave us the opportunity to spend time on campus in the shade on the hot afternoons (too hot to be in my homestay with no a/c). It was nice to have lockers, outdoor showers and the like to be able to head to the beach from school as well. The school was very close to everything in the town and to the restaurants, especially those on the beach near us. I enjoyed the cooking class but did not enjoy the Latin dance class. I felt the dance teacher covered too many individual dances in a row without giving us an opportunity to really try them with the music until the very end. I would recommend showing a couple of the dances, then trying them with the music before showing more dances. I enjoyed the water biking/snorkel trip offered thru the school. I also went on other tours with friends that we booked with tour companies near the school.

When I arrived Liberia I was nervous that I was not given the number of the taxi driver in advance but he was there waiting for me with my name on a sign so all was good. When he dropped me at my home stay in Sámara, I was met by my house mom, Jenarina. She did not speak English to me at all and that was a little intimidating at first. She showed me to my room, then told me to come downstairs in thirty minutes to eat the dinner she was making for me. I asked her for the wifi password half way through dinner and she told me she would give it to me after dinner. I was hoping to be able to use google translate to speak with her more at that point but no. The next morning she made me breakfast and then walked me to the school, which I really appreciated. She ran her building of four students (whom I eventually met) pretty much like a business. She was there to make our breakfasts and dinners and to offer to clean our clothes and rooms once per week. I did not feel like she really wanted to get to know any of us. I adjusted to this and tried to be respectful to let her know in advance if I was not going to be available at a meal. I didn't mind the minimal accommodations because this is what I expected. Jenarina made sure everything was very clean and the meals she made were very good and plentiful. I was glad there were three other students to share this experience with.

In the future, I hope to return to the school to continue my education. I will most likely look for more comfortable accommodations however I am very glad I signed up for the homestay for my first immersion experience.

The instruction was well matched to my level and was engaging and effective. Another week would have been perfect. The campus and building are exceptional and beautiful. The home stay was the weak link for me as the (very nice!) family did not eat meals together and were very TV focused while I ate alone. I also found the many German speaking students to be rather cliquish and reserved offering little eye contact or friendly conversation. There were exceptions of course. All in all it was a very positive experience I would highly recommend!

The location is idyllic, and provides a great base of operations for beach time. In addition, the school functions in many ways like a hostel; the staff helping to facilitate trips and activities, and as a good place to find adventure buddies. I enjoyed the laid back atmosphere, and found the instructors to be very invested, competent, and friendly. My Homestay also went very well, with my ‘mama tica’ being easygoing, and an excellent chef. I think it would be difficult to find a better beachfront Spanish school.

Students are grouped homogeneously.

Groups vary from 6 students to 2. '

The activities are dynamic and adapted to the educational objectives.

The teachers are very competent and encourage the learners a lot.

The computer and interactive system in each class is very useful.

Air conditioning in each local very appreciated.

No comments about the family or activities. I lived alone.

The situation of the school is perfect: in the center of everything and on the edge of the sea.

This is my second visit to Samara.

I did not like to learn that I paid more for you and that your price proposals were much higher than on site. Ex: Airport transportation costs $ 40.00 and not $ 140.00.

The courses were cheaper than what I paid, and there was a possibility to study a week if you wanted to.

I would like you to pay me the portion of the course I paid too much.

I know that you calculate in Canadian $ and they in $ US.

Thank you for your attention and also the quality of your service.

Michèle ;

The school was very well located. Teachers are great. I really enjoyed my classes at intercultura.

I was very impressed with the Intercultura program. On my first day, I had a brief intake conversation with one of the instructors and I was pleased with the class I was put in. I attended classes for three weeks and had two different instructors. They were both very good. We had 6 students in one class, 5 in another and only two students my last week, which was great. The classroom facilities were a little small, but air conditioned and thus very comfortable. The “smart boards” used by the instructors were very useful. The school was very accommodating to me as I have a back problem and was unable to climb the stairs to the second floor. Each week they assigned me to the appropriate class for my level on the ground floor. The campus is in a beautiful location and very comfortable. Although I was significantly older than the rest of the students, I felt very comfortable as if I belonged. I didn’t take part in the Homestay program, nor the various tours that were offered. All in all, I felt the Intercultura program is excellent and I improved my Spanish significantly. I forgot to mention how useful, cooperative and friendly the administrative staff were.

Spending four weeks in Samara was a great experience. I lived with a hosting family and that helped me a lot in practicing my Spanish; it's also a great opportunity to learn traditions and cultural aspects of Costa Rica.
The campus is front of the beach and the staff is very nice. I had a different professor every week, so I could experience different way of teaching. Four hours a day are enough to learn and at the same time take advantage of the different activities organized by the school: cooking, dancing and yoga classes, tours, etc...
I would definitely spend more time there!!

The intercultura school in Samara is really a treasure, the place is wonderful, the team is great, the atmosphere and the services are amazing. The only thing I regret is that I did not know this place 40 years ago. I recommend to any young person to go there and enjoy this wonderful place. Thanks to all the intercultura team in Samara

I learnt a lot in my classes so I am grateful to the teachers and secretaries. I'd like to come back to Samara again. What I didn't like was that in my 3rd week, one of the new students from USA kept talking and interrupting other classmates but the teacher couldn't control the class.
Furthermore the trip to Nicoya was badly organised. As we left Samara at 2pm, we had to wait for 2-3 hours in the hot town for the horse procession. Some of us were forced to take a local bus to get back to Samara, for the bus arranged was scheduled at 10:30pm.

I felt comfortable from the time the local family picked me up from the bus Depot. They treated me like family. The school was the same. They laid the information out in simple and comprehensive manner. Then quick to help with any questions. I wish I had been in assigned in a higher level class as I didn't get the lessons about tenses and familiar expressions I was hoping for. I also would have liked more classes on the last day as I am more concerned about learning than graduating. Nothing could be improved: the location, facilities, teachers or housing. They were perfect

The classroom was too small. However the teacher was very good, nice location and the facilities were also good.

I liked the school very much. It had a very friendly atmosphere. The staff was always ready to help you when you had questions. It was very good that we were only allowed to speak Spanish within the school area. I was alone in my group with a very good teacher.

The location of the school was fantastic as it was beside the beach. I liked to buy food or coffee for lunch from the private persons outside the school area.

The housing was very good; it was perhaps a little far away but we rented bicycles from the family. I would have liked that the housewife discussed more with us. She was very friendly and always joined us at the meals but she was not so talkative.

I cannot remember anything that I did not like.

First off, the administrative/customer service staff did a wonderful job in facilitating our arrival, arranging an appropriate homestay, and providing referrals for educational opportunities for our kids. They were likewise responsive to our questions and needs during our stay. Throughout, the facilities staff maintained the campus beautifully; it was always a pleasure to spend time there, both in and out of class. We participated in several weekend excursions that were well organized and informative. Finally, the teachers were top notch throughout my six weeks of study, using a variety teaching materials that were level-appropriate and relevant to my stay in Costa Rica.

The school was much more organized than I thought. Everything was very clear from the moment I arrived. Julio was my teacher and he was fantastic. The classes were interesting, informative, and super fun. I didn't think that classes would be so incredibly enjoyable! I was in a class with two other students, and it was a perfect size. I was extremely pleased with the pace and the quality of instruction. You couldn't have asked for a better location. The facilities were in tip-top shape, and I really appreciated the coffee! It would have been nice if yoga was offered at other times during the day, so that it didn't always interfere with class times. My experience at my homestay also exceeded my expectations. Marilyn Gutierrez was incredibly welcoming, and we really connected! She brought me to Playa Carillo and we went dancing together too. It was much more than most homestays would offer.

Maybe it was just that Samara wasn't for me, but I unfortunately did not enjoy my trip and even left early - after just 2 weeks (I was supposed to stay for 4 weeks). The language school was not very well organized. They charged me the pickup from the airport again. I got it back later, but those things shouldn't happen, because after I arrived at my homestay the driver came back to pick me up so he could take me to the bank where I had to get money. Other students I talked to were not happy with the school either. One in particular was not happy because she didn't let a girl change her homestay when she got scared at night in the room she got because the room was completely isolated from the rest of the house.

The school put me in a class that was too easy for me in the first week. Yes, I could have changed the class, but sadly I only found out after they read my feedback after the first week when a woman who worked in the school talked to me saying that I could have changed. The reason why I did not even ask was that another woman on the orientation day told us that we cannot change the classes in the first week, which again shows how badly organized this school is.

I did not feel very welcome at my host family's either, so for my second weekend, I travelled somewhere else and was thinking about travelling around for the rest of the time left in Costa Rica so I wouldn't have to stay with (or "disturb") my host family, but it would have been too stressful and expensive, and I did not expect this.. So I decided to leave the country early.

Classes:
Not too big (maximum 6 people - it's great).

Teachers:
The quality of the teachers is different. but there are a lot of very good teachers. It changes every week; that's great.

Location:
The best location to learn! On the beach, only a few people, sunny every day (January to March).

Facilities:
Top

Activities:
It's really nice. You have the choice to dance, cook, do Zumba and a lot more.

housing
it was a very good experience to live in a house of a "tica" mom. the eat was very good every day

I had a great time in Samara and at the language school. They take it seriously, which is good. The campus next to the beach is fantastic. Thanks to everyone.

I absolutely loved the campus; it was beautiful, peaceful, and very conducive to learning. I took the Derechos Humanos course with one other student and really enjoyed the course. I thought it was a good work load for the time that I had there. My one criticism is the timing of breaks in the classroom. In the Intercultura campus in Heredia, we had two, 15 minute breaks rather than one, 20 minute break. I felt this was better because overall I had more focus during the time which I was in the classroom. Sometimes two hours of talking consistently in such a small class got very tiring, and breaks were much needed. I would consider switching to having two 15 minute breaks throughout the 4 hour course period. Overall, this week was one of the greatest experiences of my life, thank you for everything!

I would have to say that this has been my best experience so far in a foreign country. Going to the Intercultura Samara Langauge School has made me more confident to speak Spanish to other people. The teachers are great and they help you understand anything that you have a problem with. I also liked the small class sizes because I feel that we got more one-on-one attention if it was needed. The school is in a great location right on the beach and I loved the walk to the school every day as I got to have a nice 5 minute walk on the the beach to get there. The school also has great common areas around to sit and chat with others. I just wish I was able to stay longer than one week because I went with my school in the USA. You learn the awesome culture of Costa Rica through this program. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to learn Spanish.

I really appreciated the commitment to speak Spanish only as the common language on most of the school grounds. I was also impressed that the majority of students respected this mantra; it is a key to gaining confidence in my skills of speaking and practicing Spanish.
The friendly, yet structured program really encourages learning and studying.
I lived at a friend's so I did not live within a family setting.
I liked a little less the schedule of morning/afternoon alternating schedule because I lived far away and by the time I got home and studied, it was bedtime and class time soon after; not such a big problem, however.

I learned soooo much and really appreciated Nelsy's capacity to adjust to our unconventional group.
I am looking forward to registering for Feb 2015!

I had a wonderful experience and was particularly appreciative of the assistance provided by Angelica prior to arrival.