Easy Languages

Program

Location

Playa Samara is situated in the north of the country, on the Pacific coast, and is known as one of the safest and most beautiful beaches of Costa Rica. A peaceful environment covered with white sand and surrounded by palm trees and a barrier reef, this spot is ideal for swimming and snorkeling.

However, Samara is not only a pleasant resort area with a wide range of recreational activities, hotels and restaurants. It is also an important outlet for the country’s fishing, agriculture and exotic fruit plantations.

The region offers many surprises and attractions: an unusual flora and fauna, indigenous ruins, underground caverns and several hiking trails.

School

Our partner school is situated on the seaside, in a completely renovated building with a view of the ocean and gardens that extend all the way to the beach: it's the perfect environment for studying Spanish.

Within the school building, there are common rooms, a TV room, a kitchen and numerous classrooms equipped with air conditioning, audio-visual materials and free Internet access.

The school is located near the city centre and has its own garden with trees and tropical plants, as well as hammocks for you to relax in your beautiful surroundings. Sometimes, the teachers might decide to take students outdoors for an hour of conversation, whether in our "rancho", whether in the tropical gardens, or even on the beach in the shade of a palm tree.

Courses

A placement test will be given upon arrival in order to offer courses adapted to the learning needs of each student. Up to 12 different levels can be organised: from complete beginner to superior or advanced.

If you are the only student at your level, the programme will be reduced to 3 hours of private lessons per day.

• Mini-Group Courses: 20 lessons per week
  This programme includes 4 hours of courses per day, Monday to Friday. Courses take place in the morning or in the afternoon, depending on the level of the participant. Group courses have an average of 4 students per class, and never more than 6.
• Private lessons can be added to the programme, at an additional cost and according to availability. Ask about this option once you arrive on-site

Activities

A new activity and excursion calendar is created every month, with a variety of interactive and recreational activities, supervised by an on-site representative to reinforce immersion and practice of the language. Some examples of activities: dance or theatre shows, soccer games, discussion groups, concerts or disco outings.

Certain activities are organised every week:

• Latin Dance Courses: these courses allow you to discover the principle Latin dances, such as Salsa, Merengue, Bolero, and Cumbia, which are all very popular in Costa Rica. The courses are offered 4 times per week, Monday through Thursday.
• Culture Courses: these courses teach Costa Rican culture, civilization, history, ecology, literature and politics and are instructed completely in Spanish.
• Costa Rican Cuisine: once a week, you can learn to cook a new typical Costa Rican dish.
• Intercambios: this is an opportunity to meet local Costa Rican students and practice your conversational Spanish.
• Yoga: yoga courses and other fitness activities are organised several times per week and take place on the beach.
  

On the weekend, excursions to neighbouring attractions are organised by the school for an additional cost (to be paid on-site)

Accommodation

We offer two types of accommodation:

Host families:

This is an ideal option for a true immersion into the culture and the language of the host country. All our families have been carefully selected based on their past experience with welcoming foreign youth and adults into their home. Rooms are equipped with sheets and sufficient storage space, although you are asked to provide your own towel.

You will stay in a private room and you will share the house common rooms with the other members of the family.

Our families come from middle class backgrounds, but students must keep in mind that the level of comfortable living is quite different from Europe or North America. Participants must therefore have a certain degree of flexibility and must be open and willing to adapt to the Costa Rican lifestyle.

Accommodation includes half-board (breakfast and dinner) and clothes-washing. If you have any allergies or special requests, please do not hesitate to list them on your enrolment form so we can match you with the right family. All our families live within walking distance of the school. We advise you to rent a bike on-site because it is the best means of transportation in town.

Accommodation is booked from Sunday to Sunday.

In a hotel or youth hostel

We also can offer you the option of accommodation in a hotel or a youth hostel at attractively low prices.

If you are interested in this option, contact us for a personal price quote.

Prices and Dates

Dates 2012

This programme starts every Monday, year-round, except on public holidays.

The school will be closed on the following dates (public holidays in Costa Rica): 01/01, 01-08/04, 11/04, 01/05, 25/07, 15/08, 15/09, 12/10, 08/12, 16-30/12.

On these dates, the school will be closed and no classes will take place. However, your accommodation will not be affected. There is no reduction offered for weeks containing a public holiday.

The prices include:

• 20 group lessons of 60 min per week (max. 6 students per group)
• Accommodation in host family with half-board and clothes-washing
• All administrative and registration costs
• Academic materials
• Support from the school’s academic counselors
• Activities offered by the school: Latin dance courses, cooking classes, yoga, guided visits through town, conversation groups with locals, cultural courses

Prices do not include:

• The flight
• Airport pickup (available at an additional cost)
• Weekend excursions (organised by the school at an additional price to be paid on-site)

Practical Info

Transport

• Arrival airport: Liberia or San José
• An (optional) transfer is available between airport and accommodation:
  • Welcome at San Jos airport with a transfer to accommodation at San Jos/Heredia
  • One night of housing in a host family at San Jos/Heredia (single room, dinner and breakfast)
  • Transfer the following day to bus station and a bus journey to the school at Playa Samara (see price table)

If you prefer, we can book your flights for you. This must be made clear at the moment of enrolment.

If you intend to book your own flight, try to arrive the Sunday before the start of your course and leave the Saturday following its end.

Visa Information

You do not need a visa for stays of less than 90 days in Costa Rica.

For a longer visit, you must apply for a student visa at your local Costa Rican Embassy.