 THE SCHOOL
Centro Lingüístico Conversa is a language school in San José, Costa Rica. Founded in 1974, Conversa is dedicated to the teaching of Spanish and English as foreign languages.
At our school in San José, we offer a wide range of Spanish courses. We have designed language programs for several American university groups. In 1980, we purchased a six-acre campus near San José and launched our High Intensity Spanish Program, designed along Peace Corps training lines.
THE CAMPUS
Our campus is located on a hilltop about ten miles west of San José. It has a dining hall, a lounge, twenty classrooms (sixteen indoors and four outdoors), two lodges, a fifty-foot long swimming pool, a volleyball court, a basketball court, a tennis backboard, ping-pong tables, a bathhouse (solar heated showers), two meeting rooms (T.V. and VCR), and lots of hammocks. The views from the campus are spectacular. Tropical fruits are available in abundance and the air is fresh and pure. We believe that our campus is an ideal place for intensive language study.
 THE ACADEMIC PROGRAM
Students are tested on day one, right after the orientation session. Small, homogenous groups are formed, maximum four students per group. Students are exposed to a new instructor for each week of the program. The instruction is entirely in Spanish, and each week a specific grammatical sequence is presented. The instructors are skilled in blending conversation with grammar to meet the individual needs of the group members. A portion of each day is dedicated to the correction of workbook exercises, and about one hour per day of homework is required. Students are frequently moved from one group to another during the program to maintain smooth functioning and to maximize individual progress.
Our methodology is "Constant Contact"...students develop a wide range of personal contacts with native Spanish speakers as a result of their daily routine...chatting with a staff member on the morning jeep ride out to the campus, asking the gardener about a particular variety of citrus, sharing a recipe with our cooks, or punching out a homework exercise with a member of their Costa Rican host family.
As the student goes through a typical day out on the campus, Spanish takes on a new dimension...it is no longer a dry academic exercise, but a tool for facilitating communication with others.
HOST FAMILIES
Housing is an important aspect of our overall program. Upon arrival in Costa Rica, Conversa will place you with a Costa Rican family (one student or married couple per family) in the town of Santa Ana. Your hosts will provide you with a private room, breakfast, dinner and laundry service. Conversa will serve lunch at the campus on week days. On weekends, you may eat with your family if you wish. The object of this plan is to provide you with the opportunity to practice Spanish in a different setting, and to provide you with a window on the culture. You'll find that your hosts are interested in learning about you and your culture too.
CONVERSA'S LODGES
Conversa offers two alternatives to the host family program. The first is "La Casona", an attractive lodge with six bedrooms, each with a private bathroom. It also boasts a large dining room, two lounges, a reading/study area and kitchen. The second is "La Casita", a smaller lodge made up of two family suites, each with its own bathroom. There is also a shared kitchen and lounge. Both lodges have balconies with spectacular views overlooking the Santa Ana Valley.
THE STAFF
The director of Conversa is David Kaufman. A native of New York State, Dave obtained a B.A. in Spanish from Ithaca College and began his language teaching career as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Dominican Republic. Later he received an M.S. in Linguistics from Georgetown University and served for six years as Language Coordinator for Peace Corps training programs in Puerto Rico and Costa Rica. Dave has lived in Costa Rica for over twenty years.
Our program administrator, Steve Beaudreau, is also a "gringo", who came to Costa Rica from Boston in 1985. Dave and Steve's commitment to quality language training is shared by a staff of experienced Costa Rican instructors. They are mature, sensitive people, well acquainted with the language learning habits of foreigners. Together, they will do their best to provide you with a rewarding language experience.
TOURING
Conversa offers discounts to its students on selected weekend tours, such as white-water rafting, excursions to volcanoes, biological reserves, and the Calypso Pacific Island Cruise.
WHAT MAKES CONVERSA DIFFERENT:
THE ACADEMIC PROGRAM
Either four or five and a half hours of Spanish classes daily. Small groups - max. 4 students Director's weekly grammar lectures. Saturday morning tutorials. Highly experienced language instructors. Daily contact with bilingual program coordinators. Program supervised by professional linguist. Weekly instructor changes and on-going evaluation of progress. Reference library and video room. Daily breakfast and lunch with the staff.
HOUSING AND SUPPORT SERVICES
Airport pick up and return. Three housing options...host family, on-campus lodge or on-campus family suites. Introduction to host family accompanied by staff member. Daily transportation to and from campus. Child care and special children's programs.
RECREATIONAL/SOCIAL ACTIVITIES AND FACILITIES
Six acre mountainside campus with fruit trees, birds, fresh air and breath-taking views. Sports facilities (swimming, volleyball, basketball, ping pong, hiking and tennis backboard). Open-air classrooms. Field trips to San José's museums and markets. Mid-program evening cook-out on terrace overlooking Santa Ana Valley.
ENTERING THE CONVERSA PROGRAM
You may have some doubts...Am I too old? Do I have enough language background? How much can I expect to learn?
Through our initial testing process, regardless of your age, language learning background or aptitude, we will place you in a small group where you'll be able to make good progress.
How much will I learn? If you come down to Costa Rica as a rank beginner, or if you come down unable to generate complete sentences (subject-verb-complement), then by the end of the four-week cycle, you'll be able to form simple, correct sentences. You'll be able to form questions, negative statements, and even negative questions. You'll be able to ask for and receive basic information about most simple topics (travel information, meals, making purchases, etc.) In short, you'll be able to survive. If you come to Costa Rica already at "survival level", we will get you to "limited conversational level". You'll be able to handle all basic verb tenses and several compound tenses as well, with a high degree of correctness. You'll be able to handle basic work situations, interviews, and general conversation with ease and confidence. If you come in at "limited conversational level", we will get you to "complete conversational level". You'll be able to talk to anyone about anything, and convince them you are a competent speaker.
Regardless of your level upon entry into our program, or upon completion of our program, we will help you to develop a solid base in standard Spanish which will enable you to continue your progress after you've left Costa Rica.
PROGRAM CREDIT
Upon completion of a program, Conversa will provide students, on request, with a letter certifying study dates, attendance, progress and language level based on the Foreign Service Institute's scale of oral proficiency.
Conversa's programs have also been approved by the College Consortium for International Studies (C.C.I.S.) and students can earn six or seven credits for a four-week cycle in our Super Intensive program. |
