Costa Rican Experience Past Review
By Bry P (Spanish Language Teacher Education., Indiana University of Pennsylvania) for
Instituto de Lengua Española / The Spanish Language Institute: San Jose - College Program
Better understanding with the language when returning to school for my major.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
My credits were looked over by my university here when my grades were complete in Costa Rica and they saw an overview of what i learned in all my classes. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The program size was perfect because it was all small class sizes and made it easier to learn. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
LOVED MY HOST FAMILY. |
| * Food: |
Didnt eat a lot of the host family's cooking because I dont care for red meat and they made a lot of soups even when it was warm out. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Field trips all over the country to experience the Costa Rican lifestyle and culture. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Safe as long as you stayed in groups and didnt go anywhere alone. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Spanish 5 in high school |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
Host family, friends, and I needed the language everyday because not many spoke English. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Great if you're a Spanish major or minor because you get thrown into the language and really learn a lot because the teachers don't speak much English and typically the host familys don't either. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Grammar and Translation |
| Course Department: | Span200 |
| Instructor: | Lizette Guise |
| Instruction Language: | Spanish |
| Comments: | They were both wonderful courses and were taught only in Spanish. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No because they sent my transcript right away after my grades were submitted. |
