Academia Columbus Costa Rica Add to wishlist

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Our international language school in Santo Domingo de Heredia offers year-long Spanish courses for all Spanish proficiency levels. You can begin your course on any Monday of the year, and you will learn Spanish together with students from all over the world. In addition, you will experience the Costa Rican culture while participating in our lively activities and exploring the country on our excursions. A great assistance during your stay in Costa Rica will be the clearly spoken Spanish of the inhabitants, allowing you to understand your conversations more easily and encouraging you to reproduce the words that you have heard - you'll progress quickly and have fun experiencing the Latin culture at the same time. Academia Columbus Costa Rica, founded in 2005, is located in the picturesque town of Santo Domingo, just 5 km (3 miles) from the capital city of San José. The school is surrounded by a tropical garden with palm trees and exotic plants, and has 15 bright, spacious classrooms. There is a large hall which is used for social activities such as dancing or drama classes. During the breaks and after lessons have finished, students can relax and enjoy the sunshine in the garden´s sitting area. Lessons can also be held in the garden if students wish. There are various shops, restaurants and bars within walking distance of the school. The centers of San José and Heredia are just 10 to 15 minutes away by bus. Wireless internet is free of charge for our students to use. Alternatively, you can also use one of the Internet cafés located near the school for a small charge. The school provides tea, coffee and water free of charge. There is also a small shop close to the school that sells drinks and snacks at reasonable prices.

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Course

Start date

Weeks

Course Type

Course type

Total price

No. of Students

Spanish One to One 20 lessons per week

Course title: One-to-One 20
Course hours: 08:30 - 13:00
Minimum age: 18

€691.41

€720.22

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There are places available


Days of the course: Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri	Maximum class size: 1
School admin. fee: €41.55	Average number of students: 1
Lesson duration: 60 minutes	Course materials: Mandatory and not included
Course certificate: No
Levels: Beginner, Elementary - Level A1, Pre-Intermediate - Level A2, Intermediate - Level B1, Upper Intermediate - Level B2, Advanced - Level C1, Proficient - Level C2
In our individual classes, the content of the course as well as the tempo is personalized according to the student‘s needs and wishes. Therefore students are afforded the maximum amount of flexibility and individual support.

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General Spanish + conversation 20 lessons per week

Course title: Intensive 20 Program
Course hours: 08:30 - 13:00
Minimum age: 18

€398.89

€415.51

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There are places available


Days of the course: Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri	Maximum class size: 5
School admin. fee: €41.55	Average number of students: 3
Lesson duration: 60 minutes	Course materials: Mandatory and not included
Course certificate: Yes
Levels: Beginner, Elementary - Level A1, Pre-Intermediate - Level A2, Intermediate - Level B1, Upper Intermediate - Level B2, Advanced - Level C1, Proficient - Level C2
The Intensive Course is our standard program of 20 lessons per week of general Spanish. This means you will have 4 hours of class per day from Monday to Friday. The course is offered year-round at all 6 levels and is taught in mini groups with maximum 5 and average 3 students with the same proficiency level. Before the start of your language course, you will take a placement test which helps us to place you in the correct group. You will develop and improve all language skills (writing, reading, listening and speaking). Besides the language, you will also learn more about the culture of Latin America and the specific country where you are studying.

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Group Spanish + One to One 30 lessons per week

Course title: Combined Spanish 20+10 Program
Course hours: 08:30 - 16:00
Minimum age: 18

€691.41

€720.22

Book now

There are places available


Days of the course: Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri	Maximum class size: 5
School admin. fee: €41.55	Average number of students: 3
Lesson duration: 60 minutes	Course materials: Mandatory and not included
Course certificate: Yes
Levels: Pre-Intermediate - Level A2, Intermediate - Level B1, Upper Intermediate - Level B2, Advanced - Level C1, Proficient - Level C2
The Combined Spanish 20+10 Program is a combined course of the 20 lessons intensive general Spanish in mini groups plus 10 individual classes in the afternoon to address personal interests or difficulties in the language.

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Select accommodation

Arrival

Departure

Accommodation type

Total price

No. of Students

Host Family - Single, Half board

Students per room: 1
Board: Half Board
Minimum age: 18
Accommodation type: Host Family

Total price

€295.48

There are places available

Distance from school: 15-30 minutes walking
Facilities: Bed linen
Host family stays provide an excellent opportunity to experience the culture of the country and its way of life. You will speak Spanish with your family, eat the local food and see how they live in the respective country. You will be given bedding, but must bring your own towels. Please state if you have any dietary requirements. Families can wash and dry your clothes for no additional cost once per week.

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3 - Transfer

Transfer from and/or to the airport

Total price

No. of Students

€0.00

Booking Summary

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The school charges an admin fee the first time you book them.

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General information: Academia Columbus Costa Rica

Number of classrooms: 15

Average nº of student per classroom: 3

Minimum student age: 18

Level test on first day:

Distance from the airport: 15 km.

Closest airport: Juan Santamaría International Airport (SJO)

Year school opened: 2005

School opening times: 8:00 - 16:00

School close dates: Show

Facilities

Internet WIFI

Tea / Coffee

Accreditations and quality seals

AATSP - The American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese

CEELE - Calidad en la Enseñanza del Español Como Lengua Extranjera

IALC - International Association of Language Centres

NAFSA - NAFSA: Association of International Educators

Student information

•Our schools use the ´Prisma Latinoamericano´ teaching materials as a base for our programs. This method has been specifically developed to cover the latest aspects of teaching Spanish to foreign students within the Latin American countries. The teaching materials are up to date and follow the guidelines developed by the Instituto Cervantes, guaranteeing efficient study of Spanish as a foreign language. Besides text and exercise books, we use a wide range of additional teaching materials (broadcasts, CDs, video, television, movies and lectures), guaranteeing high quality instruction in all areas: speaking, reading, writing, listening, grammar and vocabulary. We use games and roleplays to improve communication between students and to inspire their creativity, powers of association and reflection as well as their cultural understanding. After successful completion of their course (minimum attendance of 80%), all students will receive a course certificate.

• All our teachers have a degree and extensive experience in teaching Spanish as a foreign language. Continuous training further guarantees our teachers‘ expertise and therefore optimal learning success. We employ a wide range of modern teaching strategies, supported by multimedia elements. Central to all of our courses is a strong focus on applying the language in practice following our philosophy ´Living and Learning Spanish´.

• All students take an online test prior to the course start which will help us to determine their level of Spanish. Beginners are not required to take the test, and should start only on beginner starting dates. Students will be assigned to their course based on the test results and a short interview on the first day of classes. In addition to the course levels, we are able to divide the levels even further, if necessary, to place our students in the most suitable class for them. Should a student be unhappy with his/her assigned course, it is possible to change the course after consulting the teacher or the director of studies.

• In addition to our language courses, we also offer a weekly workshop on grammar or pronunciation for all students at a fixed time in the afternoon. Furthermore, you can request free tutoring once per week to repeat topics from your lessons for which you require further explanation. Students can contact our director of studies at school in order to arrange a time for the tutoring lesson.

Terms & Conditions: Academia Columbus Costa Rica

- Services must be paid in full 14 days before the course starts in order to complete the enrolment and secure a place in the course and/or accommodation.
- Bank charges are payable by students
- Students must be 18 years of age or over

Cancellation policy

- The cancellation needs to be communicated in writing to the school by the person who booked the course.
- The deposit is non-refundable.
- Enrolment fee is non-refundable.
- There is no refund for any cancellation once the course has commenced.
- After a course has started there is no refund for any accommodation or other item booked.
- No tuition refunds are given for late arrivals, early departures or absences, for whatever reason, from classes during any course.
- If a student is absent for one or more weeks at a time, arrangements can be made for the course duration to be extended at no extra cost.

Refund policy

- Bookings may be cancelled up to 2 weeks prior to commencement of the course without penalty or fee.
- If a course is cancelled between 14 and 1 days before course start: 75% refund
- If a course is cancelled less than 1 days before the start date full price will be charged.

Visa refusal

- 1- No refunds whatsoever are given for Visa refusal.

Other terms

ENROLLMENT
Please use the enrollment form provided by us for booking your language course. Your travel booking with Academia Columbus will be binding for us as soon as you have received written confirmation of your enrollment. As a rule, you will receive confirmation within the shortest time possible.
TRAVEL DOCUMENTS
You will receive informational materials and travel documents approximately three weeks before your departure. These include the language school and respective accommodation (host family, shared student apartment, etc.) addresses.

NATIONAL HOLIDAYS
On national holidays of the respective country, classes will not be held and there will be no compensation for instructions hours lost.

REDUCTION OF HOURS
In the exceptional case where there will be just 1 student registered for a certain level, the number of lessons per week will be reduced to 60%.

CANCELLATIONS
You can withdraw from your language tour at any time without having to provide reasons for this decision. In your own interests and to avoid misunderstandings, we encourage you to declare your withdrawal in a written statement. If a participant withdraws from the language tour up to four weeks before the scheduled departure, a processing fee in the amount of 10% of the total language tour fees will be assessed. When a withdrawal is received within 2 to 4 weeks before the scheduled departure, a processing fee in the amount of 25% of the total language tour fees will be assessed. When a withdrawal is received less than 2 weeks before the scheduled departure, a processing fee in the amount of 50% of the total language tour fees will be assessed. Should a customer fail to depart for a scheduled language tour or if the cancellation is received less than 3 days prior to arrival, the cancellation fee amounts to 90% of the total language tour fees. Booked services that are not made use of are not refunded. Participants have the right to provide evidence that the organizer‘s costs are actually less than they are said to be.

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How do I book a language course / accommodation?

Booking with us is really easy. You just have to go to the link of the school you are interested in. Where it says COURSE and then START, you select the dates you wish to study there. Afterwards, you select how many weeks you want to study.

You then select the course you wish to attend. You can add optional services, such as accommodation and airport transfer. If you would like to add these additional services, you need to go further down the page where you will find the section relating to ACCOMMODATION. You select the option of the type of accommodation you want (You do not have to select the dates here if they are the same as the course - they are automatically selected).
After the Accommodation, you have another option, that of TRANSFER. This option allows you to book a transport that will pick you up at the airport and will take you to your residence or host family.

Once you have selected all these options, on your right hand side, you are going to see a summary of your reservation with all the information about the course and the accommodation, together with their prices. Also, the deposit you have to pay will be displayed there. You just have to press the Orange Button that says BOOK NOW and this will take you to another page to enter your personal details. When you are booking you only have to pay the little deposit. After that, we will contact the school and request your booking. When your booking is confirmed by the school or host, they will hold your place until the your booking balance is paid in full. The same applies for the accommodation. You can pay either with credit card, paypal account or bank transfer; as you prefer. This deposit you pay now will be discounted from the total price. The rest of the money will not have to be paid until 15 days before your course starts. In any case, you will be receiving emails about your deposit payments; and also, reminders about the rest of the money when it needs to be paid.

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Your booking 100% confirmed: It is very unlikely that something goes wrong with your booking once confirmed by the school. In fact we are so confident, that if you do not achieve a place for a course at the selected school, we will credit your account with your full deposit and find another possible alternative for you.

When do the courses start?

The start dates of intensive and standard language courses are generally flexible. If you have some basic knowledge of the language, you will be able to start any Monday of the year at almost any school. If you are a total beginner, courses usually start once or twice a month.
You should be aware that language schools have more students in July and August than during any other time of year, which means that course fees, housing prices and the overall cost of living are often more expensive during this time. If you would like to book a course in July or August, you should do so very early: schools have limited spots and might be booked well in advance for the high season. Your chances to get your preferred housing type are also greater if you book your course early. Housing options near the school are especially difficult to secure in the summer and tend to fill up quickly.
Language courses during the low season (September to June) are not only less expensive, but also have smaller classes. If you are able to wait to take your courses during this time you will pay less for your courses, and you may even receive better housing, since demand is much lower. Please, review this information within the language course details on the language school page.

How do I know if a place is available?

You can find the availability status underneath each price on the school / host page. Nevertheless, if you submit a reservation request and your place is not available, the deposit paid will be 100% refunded.