Spanish Immersion Programs in Costa Rica

Centro Panamericano de Idiomas:
Centro Panamericano de Idiomas (CPI) is a Spanish immersion language institution in Costa Rica in Central America. CPI is the only Spanish immersion school in Costa Rica with campuses in three diverse regions of the country, with the same quality service: CPI Monteverde, CPI Heredia and CPI Flamingo. CPI Monteverde is located in the rural region of Monteverde, CPI Heredia is located in San Joaquín de Flores, a suburb of Heredia and CPI Flamingo is located in Flamingo, a beautiful Pacific coastal town in the province of Guanacaste.

With three campuses across Costa Rica, each operating independently with the same high quality service, CPI is working to achieve its mission. CPI makes every effort to offer its students options that meet their individual needs and interests. We continue to accomplish the following goals year after year:

-To invest in the quality of our professors by attending annual language conferences, providing regular training seminars, and consistently updating our teaching methodologies and materials.

-To provide superior student services by reviewing and incorporating student feedback into our programs, improving our educational facilities, and attending to each student's individual needs.

-To offer high quality education at a competitive price.

-To increase global communication through language immersion and cultural education.

-Standard Spanish Program
-Preparation for the Spanish DELE Exam
-Homestay Program with a Local Family
-Business Spanish Seminar
-Social Work Spanish Seminar
-Medical Spanish Seminar
-Seminar for Spanish Teachers
-Study Abroad Program for High School Students
-Family and Kids' Spanish Program
-Retirement Travel Spanish for Seniors
-Dive Certification with Spanish
-Soccer Camp Spanish Program
-Public Safety Spanish Program

Accreditations:
-The CPI Spanish program is approved for transfer credits through the New Mexico State University (NMSU) for "Language Credit via Distance Education" program. Undergraduate credit for beginner to advanced courses is available and is transferable to other accredited universities. Graduate credit is also available.

-CPI's teaching staff consists of professionals with university training and experience in teaching Spanish as a second language. The teaching staff is accredited with the Costa Rica Ministry of Education.

-In addition, we offer preparation for the ACTFL Certified Oral Proficiency Exam. This exam is accepted by various North American universities and allows students to receive credit for their classes at CPI

-CPI Heredia is approved by the Instituto Cervantes.

-CPI Academic Coordinators are members of the select ACTFL.

CPI's teaching methodology is based on daily conversations derived from the interests of the students. The conversations are guided by the professors and are supplemented by oral and written exercises as well as other activities in which the students can practice what they have learned. CPI's programs are designed for students of different levels (beginner, intermediate, and advanced and superior) with time periods of 2, 4, 6, 8 or more weeks.

Our method emphasizes conversation and provides the students the opportunity to speak Spanish from their first moment in class. We tailor our programs to the academic goals of the student. The professors are open to teaching survival skills and grammatical structures which are most important to students. Mastering difficult concepts is facilitated by the small class size (Average of 2 students, 4 maximum). As class sizes are limited to 4, you get extra personalized attention from our well-trained teaching staff.

Our Spanish school CPI has three campus locations, allowing students to experience three very different parts of the country, Heredia (Central Valley), Monteverde (Mountain) and Flamingo (Beach) . Its peaceful history, natural beauty, and friendly people make Costa Rica the perfect country for learning Spanish, with programs to suit all ages and levels.

"I enjoyed my experience; my teacher was very supportive. We talked a lot and she helped me overcome my fear of speaking Spanish. This was a problem for me but now I have confidence and am speaking to everyone possible in Spanish! I hope to return next January and study with CPI again. Muchas gracias por todo!"
Carolina-Canadian, Occupation: Management, Volunteer Sector

“ After 8 weeks of intensive Spanish course at CPI Heredia I would love to tell everybody, that this school is by far the best I have ever seen in all the languages I studied abroad. The staff as well as the teachers connect to the students from day one. The level the teachers have is very high and the change of teachers allows the students to experience different teaching methods and Spanish accents. More over the staff makes you feel comfortable at school, in your home stay or with the activities they organize for you. They almost read your wishes everyday and try to make them become truth. CPI, thank you for the great experience!!! Pura Vida!!! ''
Yves-Switzerland, Occupation: Engineer

Homestay Program with a Local Family:
Our families, all of which are carefully screened and accustomed to hosting foreign students, live within the area of the school so that students may either walk to class each day or meet at a central location for morning transportation. The host families are patient and extend themselves to help our students learn Spanish.

Student Residency:
Shared/single room at student residency.

Private Studio Apartment:
Top quality, modern lodging in studio apartments.

*Note: Different lodging options, either as you transfer to a different campus or while at the same campus on a weekly basis, can be combined to best suit your personal needs. The residency and the apartments are located in close proximity to the schools.