From villages along the Inca Trail in Peru and Ecuador to the charming mountain towns of Costa Rica and Nicaragua, it is the real-world experiences Broadreach students have outside of the classroom that set their Spanish immersion programs apart. Students take part in authentic cultural workshops, homestays with village families, and meaningful and sustainable volunteer opportunities with community-based organizations. Locations are off the tourist-beaten path, which enables students to have a truly immersive experience they would not get in highly traveled tourist destinations. In Ecuador, students have the opportunity to volunteer in local health clinics, which provides them with a unique venue to practice their Spanish and lets them give back to a community that gives them so much throughout their stay. The weeklong homestay allows students to do more than visit a culture, but to actually live that culture. Peru not only has students trekking the ancient path of the Incas, but provides them with a unique opportunity to work at a biological research station with a Broadreach partner organization, the Amazon Conservation Association, on service projects that have a huge environmental impact on the Amazon River ecosystem. In Costa Rica and Nicaragua, the zip lines of the jungle canopies and rapids of the Rio Pacuare provide an adventurous backdrop for practicing Spanish in real-world situations.
WAYRA Spanish Institute
WAYRA is located at beautiful Tamarindo Beach, a perfect place for those who enjoy water sports, the natural outdoors, and lively entertainment. Situated on the northwest coast of Costa Rica, WAYRA Spanish Institute has offered a full Spanish immersion program since 1996. Recognized as a DELE examination center and associated with the Cervantes Institute, it is a great choice for students, from any age or occupation, who want to learn Spanish in a professional environment. At the same time they can enjoy the beaches and the many outdoor activities such as surfing, snorkeling, diving, sailing, kayaking, fishing, tubing, yoga, martial arts, hiking, and more. Spanish Classes are held in beautiful and comfortable classrooms both in and outdoors. Students learn in lots of space and perfect views of an amazing tropical garden where animals like iguanas, monkeys, anteaters, porcupines, squirrels, and many exotic birds can often be seen. They offer a wide variety of lodging options such as student houses in Tamarindo, which are all within walking distance from the school and the beach. In addition, students can experience real Costa Rican life and the meaning of “Pura Vida” by staying in one of their typical families, carefully selected in the nearby towns.
Intercultura
With two unique locations — the vibrant university town of Heredia and beautiful, tranquil Sámara beach — Intercultura offers total immersion Spanish language and culture programs for students of all ages and nationalities. Students move easily between the two campuses without any interruptions in the learning process and experience two very different lifestyles of Costa Rica. Students also participate in free cultural and extracurricular activities offered daily and can volunteer if they choose. Intercultura is the only language school in Costa Rica recognized by the United Nations’ Global Compact. They work with individual students and groups from around the world and have been chosen by Duke, UNC, the University of Connecticut, and others for their study abroad programs. Widely recognized as one of the top language schools in Costa Rica, In Heredia, students can also choose the 24/7 Homestay Spanish Immersion or enjoy Spanish + Surf in Sámara.
Language and Friendship
A host family awaits each student who embarks on an experience abroad with Language & Friendship which offers individual immersion family-stay experiences in France, Costa Rica, Argentina, and Spain. They are designed for students who have had at least two years of language study, and are ready to speak the language and experience a new way of life in the culture by living the daily life with a host family. Each individual family stay lasts three to four weeks. Students grow in self-reliance and personal responsibility, expand global career opportunities, and, most importantly, forge new international friendships. With 25 years of experience in language immersion programs, Language & Friendship offers a tried-and-tested study abroad option.
Academic Experiences Abroad
AEA’s Spanish immersion programs bring students to Spanish-speaking communities in Latin America — such as Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica. There, students not only study with local teachers, but also immediately put their skills to use while visiting the sites, exploring the markets, and experiencing the local cuisine and culture. All AEA programs are customized to specific requests and academic goals.
Global Leadership Adventures
Global Leadership Adventures (GLA) offers unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for high school students to catapult their Spanish skills to the next level while participating in meaningful volunteer projects abroad. Students — from beginners to fluent speakers — travel to beautiful regions of Costa Rica, Guatemala, or Peru for the chance to immerse themselves in the sights and sounds of a new way of life. From community service to excursions and cultural events, language is given a new context throughout the entirety of a GLA program, and students return with an increased comfort and understanding of the Spanish language.
Ecela Spanish
Ecela Spanish, with language immersion institutes in Santiago and Viña del Mar, Chile, plus schools in Argentina and Peru, promises to take novice students to near Spanish fluency in five to seven months. Their distinct teaching approach centers on learning by speaking, with 60% of class time spent in conversation “micro groups” of only four students. Cinema Latino movie nights, “turbo privados” (one student, two teachers), and conversation exchanges with locals enhance the intensive and enjoyable learning experience. Because Ecela attracts students from all over the world, people often cite their unexpected, international new friendships as the program highlight. A yearly reunion weekend is held each March, rotating between Argentina, Chile, and Peru. The event is exclusive to “Familia Ecela” (ex–Ecela students and past and current staff members). Although most students arrive as beginners or intermediates, Ecela is also popular with Spanish instructors looking for skill enrichment. During summer 2015, a special seminar will give 16 educators a chance to experience Chilean culture and boost their teaching skills. The special program is exclusively for Spanish instructors whose native language is not Spanish.
CPI
CPI allows students to see more of Costa Rica by combining classes at two or all three sites in different regions of the country: the city of Heredia, Monteverde Cloud Forest, and Flamingo Beach. Students appreciate the professional academic campus setting infused with comfortable spaces, lovely gardens, a pool, sporting areas, and open-air dining facilities. They offer support services like bilingual office staff, Wi-Fi, cultural activities, and tours to enhance the learning experience. The school also offers flexibility to customize programs, as well as to combine morning group classes with afternoon private classes. Groups are no larger than four people, which allows individual attention and increases the student-teacher interaction. Programs are for all ages and are available year round. Students can alternate accommodation options by living with a host family in one location and choosing the student residency in another. CPI offers competitive prices and works with U.S. universities to assign academic transfer credits.
Tía Tula
Tía Tula is a lovely Spanish school with two centers both situated right in the historical university center of Salamanca. It is accredited by the Instituto Cervantes as a school of high-quality Spanish teaching. Just like Salamanca — a city which is known worldwide for Spanish teaching — Tía Tula combines its classical framework and facilities with the modernity of its people and their methods. Inside, there are pretty, comfortable, and pleasant classes with views of the monumental zone of the city. The school has an excellent academic program and an extraordinary body of teachers specializing in teacher training and offers high-quality accommodation and a wide range of extracurricular activities to complement the lessons and live Spanish in the streets.
Valencia
Come for the Spanish, stay for the beach!
