Walking down a palm-tree lined street as you enjoy the temperate weather, marveling at the culture around you, accessing locally sourced fresh tropical fruits & vegetables, time & space for exercise, interacting with the locals, maybe even volunteering with a local NGO – all +s as you establish a new life in Costa Rica. From the first day, you find yourself amazed by new experiences that stimulate all 5 senses as you take in your surroundings with tranquility now that all the logistics in actually getting to Costa Rica are behind you – your dream of an improved life balance, along with new opportunities for personal growth, is a reality!
As this paradise is going to be your home for a while, you now can focus on acclimation, not wanting to be seen as a tourist; you set your sights to patronizing local businesses, eating typical fare and you start feeling like a Tico – ‘pura vida’! However, you may then begin to realize that there is an aspect you have not mastered, maybe you have been living in the country for 6 months, maybe for a year, or maybe longer but you cannot communicate in Spanish at the level you desire. Perhaps you feel a bit lost at times - struggling with big numbers, you can ask for directions but are not fully clear on the reply, order ‘un casado con una cerveza, por favor’ in Spanish but you want more. Possibly even small fears start to arise and you question, “Was moving to Costa Rica a good idea?” “Will I ever learn Spanish well?”
The good news is ‘¡SÍ SE PUEDE!’. If you are interested in being able to communicate effectively with the community, at CPI Spanish we have been teaching the specialized skill you require for almost 30 years, offering programs for all ages and needs so you can efficiently interact with Spanish speakers. The CPI teaching methodology and structure -- which is ideal for learning – extends to you the perfect balance to align with your goals. An added bonus is that our CPI professors are 'solid insiders', being able to give suggestions on where to find different products & services and teaching you how to navigate in any sort of setting - social, business, and health as well as how to integrate into the local community.
Available to you are group lessons with no more than 4 students per class, running from Monday to Friday, organized based on similar linguistic level to one-on-one lessons with a more flexible schedule that you can adapt to your daily needs. Perhaps you can hybrid your learning with an initial week of 4 hours a day/5 days a week and then segue into taking our 20 hour Resident Program that adapts to your preferred time and schedule – for example, two days a week or 5 hours on Saturdays. The level of our services takes into consideration both your professional and personal responsibilities, giving you the chance not only to improve linguistic skills, but could be an opportunity to share a few hours per week with people like you, who are far from home and trying to learn the language.
Alternatively, perhaps you may want just a few hours a day without leaving the comfort of your home. In this scenario with the CPI live-format online program you can learn Spanish in the comfort of your office, your mango tree lined garden or any place of your preference. No need to commute or deal with traffic – all that is required is internet access, a device with internet connection and your desire to learn the language.
Lastly, but perhaps most importantly, remember learning Spanish should not be seen as an obligation but rather the key that opens the door into the beautiful and authentic cultural world of your new home. Be cognizant, too, that learning Spanish does not need to be seen as stressful; on the contrary, over the years our EXPAT students mention that learning the language served as a stress reliever, even affording a certain joy attained through self-improvement and learning about a new culture.
