Learn Spanish in Costa Rica | Costa Rican Trip

The sure way to learn to speak Spanish is to “live it”.

schweg — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:44:15 +0000

The sure way to learn to speak Spanish is to “live it”.
We start new classes every Monday; just pick the date best for you!

If you’re serious about learning Spanish and want to learn, quickly, efficiently and professionally, AND you want to be totally immersed in the language and the culture of one of the most enchanting and safe countries in the world, then you’ve come to the right place! You’ll be treated like a member of the family at INSTITUTO PARA ESTUDIANTES EXTRANJEROS. We know how important it is for you to feel comfortable in your new environment, and we do everything to make you feel right at home.
If you would feel more comfortable talking with a real person, just e-mail your phone number and a convenient time to call, and we’ll be more than happy to call you to discuss our programs or any questions you may have. We want you to feel very comfortable with your choice.
E-mail: info@costaricantrip.com or USA: 1-865-329-7166 CR: 001- 506-8348-7814

We’ve made the process simple and direct. It really is this EASY!
1. Fill out an application and mail it in with your deposit or you may cut and paste and e-mail an application. Specify the dates and for how long you’d like to attend (1 week to 3 months). You can also let us know about your host family preferences, such as no-smoking, allergic to pets, vegetarian, etc.
2. We will confirm receipt of your application and send your host family information and other tips to help you prepare for your trip.
3. The day you arrive we’ll pick you up at the airport and take you directly to your host family. Expect a nice warm welcome.
4. A current passport is required.

You will feel confident that you’ve made the right choice. INSTITUTO PARA ESTUDIANTES EXTRANJEROS’s total immersion methodology along with professional classes is the fastest and most fun way to learn Spanish. Your progress will be phenomenal because you will not only be learning the language, but using it from the first day in real life situations. We have a very well developed tour and excursion program that will let you experience some of the most enchanting and beautiful places in the world.

• Live with a pre-selected host family in a safe, upscale residential neighborhood.
• All of our professors have degrees in teaching Spanish as a second language.
• There are never more than six students per class.
• There are co-owners of the institute always present and their attitude towards our students is readily evident.
• Courses from one week to 3 months in length; we operate all year-round, just pick which Monday you wish to start.
• 8 separate levels; from absolute beginner to advance and classes for teaches, translators, professionals and Medical Terminology also.
• Children’s classes are also available, taught by teachers specially trained in teaching young students.
• Children and adult programs are the same cost.
• Casual, yet very professional atmosphere.
• Free broadband internet and e-mail

Before we begin I’d like to say “Thanks for stopping by”. Now that you are here, you’ll start to see what makes INSTITUTO PARA ESTUDIANTES EXTRANJEROS so special. You’ll find ALL the information you need within this web-site. If you do have any questions (none are too small), just email and you’ll get a complete answer quickly!

The “Everything in a Nutshell” page gives a general overview of the entire process of attending INSTITUTO PARA ESTUDIANTES EXTRANJEROS.

You’ll find our staff’s credentials, syllabi, tours, excursions, fees, cultural information, what to expect and tips on what to bring. You’ll even find a currency converter. Enjoy, and leave a comment on what you think of our site, or if you can suggest an improvement.
There is no quicker way to learn a foreign language than to “live it” in a total immersion environment. We are dedicated to making your experience in Costa Rica a most rewarding educational experience that you’ll remember for a lifetime.

The principal objective of our Institute is the teaching of Spanish as a Second Language, along with introducing the student to the cultural values and natural wealth which our beautiful country offers. INSTITUTO PARA ESTUDIANTES EXTRANJEROS was created as a response to the need that Costa Rica has for a serious and professional language school that offers, in addition to the customary language courses that are taught in this country, a more specialized and personalized program. College credit can be arranged.

Our teaching methods emphasize communication, and to this end we use the most modern techniques, with didactic materials, audiovisuals, and books written by the Institute’s professors along with field trips and excursions and home stays with highly qualified Costa Rican host families.

Listen please

Costa Rican’s Dry Forest

schweg — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 17:04:50 +0000

The tropical dry forest native to the lower elevations of Guanacaste and the Nicoya Peninsula nearly all went through the typical progression referred to as “improvement.” The commercially valuable lumber was removed by clear cutting and everything remaining burned to open new fields. Sometimes peasant farmers (campesinos) used it for a few years as small mixed planting farms but ultimately most of the land was absorbed by huge cattle ranches as pasture.
Costa Rica’s ranching expansion threatened to eliminate the frontier that bred the “Wild West” spirit of the region. In the seventies cattle pasture was growing as quickly as the forests could be clear-cut and burned. The economics were somewhat confused since there was no domestic market for the increased production and the ultra-lean grass fed beef was considered inferior on the U.S. market where fattier marbled meat is preferred.

In the 1980’s an effort spearheaded by Daniel Janzen a tropical biologist on the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania, brought international attention and more importantly money, to bear on the problem of the destruction of the dry forests.

Janzen and the “fathers” of the National Parks Mario Boza and Alvaro Ugalde, along with Costa Rican President Arias, U.S. contributors, The Nature Conservancy and the World Wildlife Fund bought huge ranches at depressed prices to create Guanacaste National Park and massively expand Santa Rosa.

The newly protected areas created a “mega-park” covering the corridor that birds and other wildlife used for seasonal migrations from the cloud forests in the highlands and Atlantic slope rainforests to the dry forests along the Pacific. Around the same time bee researchers were starting the process that created Lomas de Barbudal reserve effectively extending the other dry forest park, Palo Verde into a similar mega-park.

While Costa Rican ranches and agricultural lands continue to grow it’s now less ecologically haphazard, and there have even been some reversals of the deforestation. The dry forest parks are comprised in large part of former cattle ranches where the second growth trees are beginning to mature.

Costa Rica Cloud Forest

schweg — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 05:52:46 +0000

: The Cloud Forest

Costa Rican Cloud Forests
One of the most unique environments in the world survives on Costa Rica’s mountaintops-at least for the moment. Cloud forests like Monteverde’s are formed by a combination of wind and geography (individual cloud forest descriptions are listed in the menu to the left).

When tradewinds flow from the northeast across the warm Caribbean Sea they drive moist air into the Cordillera Tilarán. The slope of the mountains pushes the air upwards to cooler elevations around Montevede. Since cool air holds less moisture the excess humidity forms tiny droplets, mist and clouds.

When tiny droplets are deposited on surfaces before they collect together and fall as rain it’s called horizontal precipitation and in cloud forests it can be the main source of moisture.

Peaks enveloped by tradewind-derived clouds can capture huge amounts of water when they are covered with tropical montane cloud forests. Their sponge-like epiphytes (mosses, ferns and bromeliads) massively increase the surface area for horizontal precipitation. The whole ecozone functions as a water regulator-soaking it up in the rainy season (preventing erosion), and releasing vapor to the atmosphere and runoff downstream in the dry season.

Cloud forests are distinctive biologically as well. They don’t quite match the biodiversity found in the world champion ecozone-tropical lowland rainforests-but they exceed them in uniqueness. The concentration of endemics (species found in only one location) is higher than other locations except for islands like the classic example at Galapagos which are isolated by the ocean.

Deforestation eliminated most of the world’s tropical montane cloud forests years ago and continues today. Unfortunately even protected areas like Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve are threatened as rising world temperatures move the elevation where the clouds first form higher and higher. Plants and animals from lower climactic associations have been encroaching on the reserve and other Costa Rican cloud forest areas for more than a decade.

The Golden Toad

schweg — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 20:01:20 +0000

The male Golden Toad

The Golden Toad once occupied a small area in Northern Costa Rica in The Cloud Forest knowas the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve. The male toad are a very striking orange cobration, and the females are black with scarlet blotches edged in yellow.

Trip Planning

admin — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 17:36:31 +0000

From the time you begin planning your trip from the comfort of your home to your last moments in the country, costaricantrip.com is here to help. Knowing ahead of time what to expect can make your visit more enjoyable and help avoid potential pitfalls. We have first-hand information including driving directions to all the major locations and small towns in between, travel guides to popular (and not so popular) destinations, tips on what to bring and how to get around once you are here, and detailed facts about this beautiful country you are about to visit. Our Site offer a personal perspective of the many travel services offered in Costa Rica and include unique photos you won’t see anywhere else.

Costarican trip!

admin — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 14:27:17 +0000

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