How to Learn Spanish
Public, Group, Private & Home Stay
Courses in San Jose

Although many of Costa Rica's well-educated people speak English, (and more than 30,000 English-speaking foreigners live permanently in Costa Rica), Spanish is the official language. Anyone who seriously plans to live or retire in Costa Rica should know Spanish - the more the better. 

Frankly, you will be disadvantaged, handicapped and be considered a foreigner to some degree, without Spanish. Part of the fun of living in another country is communicating with the local people, making new friends and enjoying the culture. Speaking Spanish will enable you to achieve these ends, have a more rewarding life and open the door for many new, interesting experiences. Knowing some Spanish also saves you money when you're shopping and, in some cases, keeps people from taking advantage of you.

If you take our advice and choose to study Spanish, for a modest fee you can enroll at one of Costa Rica's intensive conversational language schools. In addition to language instruction, most of these schools offer exciting field trips, interesting activities and room and board with local families-all of which are optional. Living with a family that speaks little-or preferably no-English is a wonderful way to improve your language skills, make new friends and learn about Costa Rican culture at the same time.

Spanish is not a difficult language to learn. With a little self-discipline and motivation, anyone can acquire a basic Spanish survival vocabulary of between 200 and 3000 words in a relatively short time. Many Spanish words are similar enough to English, so you can guess their meanings by just looking at them. The Spanish alphabet is almost like the English one, with a few minor exceptions. Pronunciation is easier than in English because you say words as they look like they should be said. Spanish grammar is somewhat complicated, but can be made easier if you are familiar with English grammar and find a good Spanish teacher. Practicing with native speakers improves your Spanish because you can hear how Spanish is spoken in everyday conversation. You will learn many new words and expressions not ordinarily found in your standard dictionary.

Watching Spanish television and listening to the radio and language cassettes can also improve your Spanish. We suggest that if you have little or no knowledge of spoken Spanish, you purchase the one-of-a-kind Costa Rican Spanish Survival book and accompanying cassette advertised in this book. It is designed especially for people planning to retire or live in Costa Rica. It makes learning easy because the student learns the natural way, by listening and repeating as a child does-without the complications of grammar. If you are interested in a deeper study of Spanish, we are including a list of language schools at the end of this section. Please check first with the school of your choice for current prices.

The Spanish spoken in Costa Rica is basically standard Castillian Spanish except for one big difference which confuses beginning students. Spanish has two forms for addressing a person-usted and tú. However, in Costa Rica vos is used instead of tú. The verb form used with vos is formed by changing the r at the end of a verb infinitive to s and adding an accent to the last syllable. This form is seldom taught because it is considered a colloquial form; used only in Central America and some parts of South America (Argentina and Uruguay). It is not found in most Spanish textbooks.

Don't worry! Once you live in Costa Rica for a while and get used to the Costa Rican way of speaking, you will learn to use the vos form almost automatically. If you do makes mistakes and use the tú form, most Costa Ricans overlook it because they know you are not a native speaker. Costa Ricans appreciate any effort you make to speak their language.

You will notice that Costa Ricans frequently use local expressions called tiquismos, that are not used in other Latin American countries. Some of these common expressions are: pura vida (fantastic, super, great); tuanis (very good); buena nota (good, OK); salado (tough luck, too bad); and many others. One saying in particular, hijo de puta (roughly translated as "Son of a B--"), is considered offensive and vulgar in most Spanish speaking countries, but usually not in Costa Rica . You will be shocked hearing this expression used so frequently in everyday conversation. Even children and old women can sometimes be heard uttering this phrase. We don't encourage you to use this expression. However, be aware that it is a local custom and is usually used with no malice in mind.

Another trait of the Costa Ricans is the common use of don (for a man) and doña (for a woman) when addressing a middle age or older person formally. These forms are used with the first name - as in the case of the famous "don Juan." However, you will usually hear the more traditional señor or señora used instead of don or doña. For some basic Spanish phrases and more tiquismos, see the section titled "Important Phrases and Vocabulary."

Language Schools
Centro Lingüístico Conversa has an excellent conversational program at the main school in San José and another campus west of town in a rural setting.  Write to Apdo. 17-1007, Centro Colón, San José, Costa Rica. Tel: 506- 221-7649; Fax 506- 233-2418 E-mail conversa@racsa.co.cr , www.conversa.co.cr

Speakeasy Language School is a new school with an innovative method. If you are a memeber of the Association of Residents of Costa Rica you receive a 20% discount. Tel: 506-374-2712/ 506-374-8067, E-mail: speakeasy@racsa.co.cr.

Instituto De La Lengua Española is an excellent intensive program. Six hours daily for 15 weeks for $635. Terms begin in January, May and September. Apdo. 100-2350, San José, Costa Rica. Tel: 506- 227-7366; Fax: 506 -227-0211.

Forester Institute International offers a variety of classes. Prices range from $600 to $1150 depending on the program. Apdo. 6945-1000, San José, Costa Rica. Tel: 506- 225-3155; Fax: 506-225-9236 E-mail: forester@racsa.co.cr.

Intensa has two, three and four week programs with home- stays available. Prices range from $260 to $545. Apdo. 8110-1000, San José. Tel: 506- 225-5009; Fax: 506 253-4337 E-mail:intensa@racsa.co.cr, wwwintensa.com.

Centro Cultural Costarricense Norteamericana has five-week courses, three hours daily for $280. Apdo. 1489-1000, San José, Costa Rica. Tel: 506-225-9433; Fax: 506-224-1480.

Instituto Británico offers a three-week course, three hours a day, with field trips for $1000 includes home-stay. Apdo. 8184-1000, San José, Costa Rica. Tel: 506-234-9054; Fax: 253-1894.

Instituto Universal de Idiomas has various programs . Apdo. 751-2150, San Pedro, Moravia, Costa Rica. Ave. 2, Calle 9 Tel. 506-257-0441; Fax: 506- 223-9917; E-mail: info@universal-edu.com.

Institute for Central American Development Studies which offers one-month programs, five hours a day, for $892, includes classes, lectures, field trips, and home-stay with a Costa Rican family. Apdo. 3-2070 Sabanilla, San José, Costa Rica. Tel: 506- 234-1381; Fax: 506- 234-1337; E-mail: icads@netbox.com.

Academia Costarricense de Lenguaje has intensive classes and many cultural activities for $975 a month. Apdo. 336-2070, San José, Costa Rica. Tel: 506-221-1624; Fax: 506-233-8670E-mail: crlang@racsa.co.cr

Centro Panamericano de Idiomas is a new school in a beautiful rural setting. The cost is around $1000 monthly and covers instruction, home-stay and excursions. Apdo. 151-3007, Heredia, Costa Rica. Tel: 506- 265-6866; Fax: 506- 265-6213.

Mesoamerica Language Institute gives four hours of instruction each day for $80 a week. Apdo. 1524-2050, San Pedro, Costa Rica. Tel: 506-234-7682 E-mail: mesoamer@racsa.co.cr.

Lisa Tec, Tel: 506-239-2225 Fax: 506-293-2894 E-mail: mkcarney@itspanish.com, www.itspanish.com.

IPEE Spanish Language School, Tel; 506-283-7731 Fax: 506-225-7860 E-mail: ipee@gate.net, www.ipee.com.

Academia Tica's various courses and home-stays cost between $120 and $180 for twenty hours of instruction. Apdo. 1294-2100, Guadalupe, San José, Costa Rica. Tel: 506-229-0013 e-mail: toyopan@intercentro.net.

ILISA, Instituto Latinoamericano de Idiomas. Apdo. 1011, 2050 San Pedro, Costa Rica or Dept. 1420, P. O. Box 25216, Miami, FL 33102-5216Tel: 506-225-2495 Fax: 506-225-4665. In U.S. and Canada: 800-454-7248 E-mail: spanish@ilisa.com

Centro Lingüístico Latinoamericano teaches intensive courses five hours per day for four weeks, including home-stay for $295 weekly. Apdo. 425-4005, San Antonio de Belen, Costa Rica. Tel: 506- 293--0128 Fax: 506-239-1869.

Central American Institute of International Affairs (ICAI) specializes in workshops and conferences, all levels of Spanish and also offers deluxe tours and college credits. Apdo. 10302, San José, Costa Rica. Tel: 506-233-8571; Fax: 506-221-5238 E-mail: icai@expreso.co.cr, www.expreso.co.cr/icai/index.htm

University of Costa Rica now offers Spanish courses as a foreign language through the School of Philology, Linguistics and Literature. This program lasts four months and the space is limited. The cost is around $450. Tel: 506-207-5634 Fax: 506-207-5089 E-mail: espanucr@cariari.ucr.ac.cr.

Berlitz offers different language programs to meet all of your needs.Tel:(506)-204-7555, (506)-253-9191 Fax: (506)-204-7444, (506)-253-1115or http:www.berlitz.com.

This list should start you on your way. Private, individualized language classes are also available. For listings look in the classified section of the Tico Times.

For a Spanish conversational club for foreigners wanting to improve their Spanish skills call 254-1433 or 235-7026. The Instituto Universal de Idiomas (Ave. 2, Calles 7/9) has an exchange club where you can practice Spanish with a native speaker in exchange for help with English (Tel: 257-0441). Centro Cultural also has free Spanish social- conversation classes through a program called "Simply Spanish" .


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