Our Partner Language School in Costa Rica (Expedition Costa Rica)

Centro Panamericano de Idiomas

The San Joaquin de Flores, Heredia Centro Panamericano de Idiomas campus (CPI Heredia) was founded in 1991 by certified teacher Romy Morales. Since that time two other campuses have joined the CPI “system”: one in Monteverde (CPI Monteverde) and the other at Flamingo Beach (CPI Flamingo).

Each campus has its own academic coordinator who oversees the quality of class instruction, is responsible for determining the student’s placement level and for following the individual progress of the students, often working with the professor to select the method and materials appropriate for each student.

When students change campuses, as is the case for ECI students, the academic coordinators at the different campuses work together, exchanging student information related to level, capacity and learning style, thereby ensuring uninterrupted progress throughout the program.

Key points about the program:

1. There are 9 different levels of Spanish offered at CPI, and all classes are taught entirely in Spanish, regardless of level, and focus on grammar and conversation.
2. Class size is restricted to a maximum of five students per class.
3. Classes are held in the afternoon, Monday through Friday, from 1PM to 5PM.
4. Classes are divided into two sessions with a twenty-minute break in between.
5. Each class includes a new grammatical topic that is developed through written practice, and, most importantly, conversation.
6. A homework assignment that the students must complete is given at the end of each class to reinforce the day’s lesson.
7. Students have the opportunity to earn up to three semester units of credit* through The University of Southern Mississippi, a fully accredited US university. These credits are transferable to most accredited universities and colleges in the United States.

*There is an additional cost for the university credit option.

Our Partner Language School in Costa Rica (Natural Wonders)

The Academia Centroamericana de Español

ACCE was personally selected by ECI directors for its professionalism and dedication to quality language instruction. All of ACCE’s instructors are native Spanish speakers who have been carefully selected to teach at ACCE. The methods employed at ACCE are based on a two-fold philosophy: the logical study of the structure of the language and the emphasis on conversation.

Key points about the program:

1. Students receive thirty hours of Spanish instruction during the two weeks of classes.
2. Classes are held in the afternoons, Monday through Friday, and are divided into three sessions.
3. Students are placed at their appropriate level: beginner, intermediate or advanced.
4. Because students all learn at different speeds and in different ways, these three macro-levels are each divided into three micro-levels which ensures that every student receives instruction that is catered to his or her ability, capacity & learning style.