Field Experience in Costa Rica - 2011

Cultural Immersion in a Latino Culture

WSE students experienced 3 weeks of learning Spanish and living in a new culture, much like their English Language Learners experience, being immersed in U.S. schools. Cultural activities included school visits, 2 service learning projects, tours, cooking classes, dancing, and lectures. They stayed one week in a Spanish-speaking home in Heredia, a safe and peaceful community with few tourists, and 2 weeks in Monteverde, a unique community set in a world-famous Costa Rican rainforest in the mountains. Costa Rica is the safest, most economically and politically stable country in Latin America.  Its people, commonly known as Ticos, are kind and peace-loving.  Costa Rica

The language school, Centro Panamericano do Idiomas (CPI), offers small class sizes (2-4 students). Students are placed in one of 10 levels using the ACTFL exam.  They change professors each week to gain exposure to different teaching styles and accents. Students reflect on their own learning while experiencing being a Spanish Language Learner and continue to reflect as they learn ESL strategies. 

Our nation’s schools have had a sharp increase in the number of English Language Learners (ELLs) and a shortage of teachers prepared to teach this population.  While students won’t come back an expert in ESL or even highly fluent in Spanish, they will be more effective as classroom teachers with ELLs.  This just might be the hardest, yet most meaningful experience of their lifetime!

If you want to read about their individual adventures, please follow their field experience blogs:

2011



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