Sprache wählen - Choose your language

You can choose between the following courses: A Standard Mini-Group 20 units of 45 minutes each, per week, in groups of 6 or less students. Duration: 1 to 34 weeks. 6 levels: beginner to advanced. General language course: reading, speaking, pronunciation, listening comprehension, grammar, vocabulary expansion, Middle American culture. Lessons: Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. with a 30-minute break. If there is only one participant for a given level, that participant will receive 15 units of private instruction per week instead of 20 units of group instruction. B Intensive Mini-Group 30 units of 45 minutes each per week in groups of 6 or less students. Duration: 1 to 34 weeks. 6 levels: beginner to advanced. General language course: You follow Standard course A and receive 2 additional units of group instruction Monday to Friday. No new grammar is introduced here; instead, you do in-depth exercises to reinforce the material you worked on in the morning. Lessons: Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. with two 30-minute breaks. If there is only one participant for a given level, that participant will receive 21 units of private instruction per week instead of 30 units of group instruction.

C Combination Course
25 units of 45 minutes each per week; in addition to Mini-Group A, 5 units of 45 minutes each of private instruction per week to work on individual weaknesses/needs.
Duration: 1 to 34 weeks.
6 levels: beginner to advanced.
Lessons: Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. with two 30-minute breaks.

D Intensive Combination Course
30 units of 45 minutes each per week, 20 of those units in Mini-Group A and 10 additional units of private instruction, either in general Spanish or technical terminology.
Duration: 1 to 34 weeks.
The following modules (among others) are available for private instruction: preparation for developmental work; preparation for engineers, scientists and doctors for work in a Latin American country, with integration of aspects of intercultural training; organization of lectures; Español Comercial; Legislación (legislation); Spanish for embassy dependents; and technical Spanish (water and waste management, for example).

E Private Instruction
Either 20, 30, or 40 units of 45 minutes each per week, either in general Spanish alone or in combination with technical terminology. We recommend a crash course of private instruction if you only have 1 or 2 weeks available for a language course.
Duration: of 1 to 8 weeks.
All levels.
Lessons: depending on course intensity,
from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (20 units),
from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (30 units),
or from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (40 units).

Group courses are conducted in classes of a maximum of 6 students. The average per class is 3-4 students only. One lesson is 45 minutes. On the first morning of each course you will be tested to evaluate your level of Spanish. Following the test you will be assigned to one of the following six course levels which correspond to the following modules:

Module I (Levels A & B without prior knowledge): The goals of these introductory courses are to achieve a basic level of oral communication in the present, future and past tense. At the same time students will acquire a general knowledge of Costa Rica and Latin America: Students will learn the minimum vocabulary and grammatical structures needed to develop the first contacts with the Spanish speaking community.

Module II (Levels C & D, Elementary and Intermediate Level): In elementary and intermediate classes the basic communication skills will be strengthened and expanded by more complex verb forms including the preterite, conditional, subjunctive. Various didactic methods are used including practice with written Spanish and works with various topics of the Costa Rican and Latin American experience.

Module III (Levels Upper Intermediate and Advanced): In these courses, students review the grammatical problems of Spanish as a second language and work with more advanced topics. In addition, students will strengthen their existing knowledge and minimize existing weaknesses. Intercultural analysis of Latin America, the interpretation of literary works, and the improvement of written Spanish are emphasized.

Each level includes grammatical structures of the Spanish language and presentation and discussion of details and special characteristics of life and society. Technical Spanish and Composition exercises are available, too (optional). Modules II and III include writing exercises. Module III includes (optional or combined) Technical Spanish, contemporary Latin American literature, Latin American tradition and folklore, Latin American political and social problems.

In addition to our working files we also use local newspapers, magazines from Central America, songs, videos about the Latin American reality, illustrations, maps, textbooks and many other materials which are especially prepared for use in Academia Tica: We also visit places related to the topics and invite experts to give lectures. Discussion themes are presented in sections and include a variety of listening exercises. Some examples from the catalog topics:

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