Spanish Language School- SEPA SCHOOL

Location :

Costa Rica, Calle Moya, San José, San Isidro de El General, 11901
Added by Jopie, at 23 February 2017

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• Bob Madar

  20 March 2018

  Based on our 65 years of combined experience in k-12 education - from classroom teaching to providing technical assistance in instruction, curriculum design, and whole school restructuring to schools and school districts across the United States - we found the instruction at SEPA to be rigorous, engaging and comprehensive. We took the intensive course, four hours of instruction per day, for a period of four weeks. We both agree that it was one of the best educational programs we have ever experienced. At the beginning of the course, we took a test to determine our background knowledge of Spanish (very limited) and the instructional program was designed based on that assessment. Our instructor, Karina Young, did an outstanding job. She is a highly skilled, expert teacher - knowledgeable, supportive, and humorous - and used just the right combination of direct instruction, questioning, and review of previous learning to help us master an amazing amount of Spanish in just four weeks. Her use of wait time - giving us time to think about the answer to a question - was particularly impressive. It gave us the opportunity to search our memory for elements of grammar and vocabulary we had previously learned, reinforcing our learning and preparing us to speak Spanish in the world outside the classroom.
  Excellent classroom instruction is only one part of the SEPA program, equally important to our learning were the home stay, the field trips, and the volunteer opportunity we experienced. Our home stay host and her family spoke only Spanish, so we were required to use our newly acquired skills immediately. After school and on weekends, we would venture into town to shop, visit cafes, etc. and both hear and speak Spanish. Our host family took us on several outings - a birthday party for a friend's grandson, a rodeo, and a visit to a hot springs - that gave us a sense of daily life in Costa Rica. We participated in several SEPA field trips: an evening at the cinema, a shopping trip to a local farmers market, a trip to a butterfly conservation center and a visit to a local organic Finca. All of these trips deepened our understanding of Costa Rican life and culture, and gave us additional opportunities to practice speaking and understanding Spanish. We also had the opportunity to volunteer in a third grade English classroom at a local elementary school where we were able to help the students with English while they gave us help speaking Spanish.
  The combination of classroom instruction and the application of our learning both at home and in the community made our month at SEPA one of the most effective, enjoyable and satisfying educational experiences we have ever had. We will definitely come back for more next year.
  Christine and Robert Madar

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• Suzanne Zalokar

  18 March 2017

  When I arrived at the SEPA school, I was overcome with the beauty of the school and the surrounding area. The instructors and staff are kind and demonstrate a sincere interest in teaching us, not only how to speak Spanish, but also in helping us to gain a true understanding of Costa Rican culture.
  
  The program in which I participated was for college credit and was quite rigorous and intensive. At times I was overwhelmed with the amount of information that I was absorbing at any given moment, but the gentle encouragement of my teachers and the other staff helped me to stay on track. And like a good cup of tea, I now have time to let all of this information steep in my mind. Happily, the experience here, in tandem with my previous studies in the United States, will provide a solid foundation for me to teach GED classes in Spanish when I return to the United States – something about which I am thoroughly excited.
  
  Costa Rica is a country of inexplicable beauty. SEPA school is located in San Isidro, Perez Zeledon. It is not a tourist town at all. It is a town that gives you a taste of life in a real Costa Rican town. The city is not far from both the mountains and the ocean beaches. In seven weeks, I was able to explore much of the South Central Coast and a bit in the mountains on weekend trips. There are many wildlife corridors, biological centers, National Parks and natural places to explore that are reasonably assessable from San Isidro.
  
  We also had the great fortune to participate in many cultural experiences including dance classes, cooking classes and a trip to the indigenous community of BriBri.
  
  Finally, the people of Costa Rica are some of the most kind-hearted and welcoming people I have met in my travels. The family with whom I stayed in QueBradas have become not only my friends, but have also become a second family to me– my “Tico” family. I know that when I return to Costa Rica, I will always have a home with them. I know that I will return here, it’s only a matter of when.

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• Paul Eckhardt

  02 March 2017

  I am the director of a study abroad program at Mt. Hood Community College (Oregon) and we have been bringing our students to SEPA for five years. Our students receive 15 credits of college Spanish during a 7 week program at SEPA. During the 7 weeks, the students are in class from 8 to 12 every day, Monday through Friday, and once or twice a week we have cultural activities in the afternoons. Our students overwhelmingly report that they are very happy with the language instruction at SEPA. The classes are in small groups from 2 to 6 students. The instructors provide lots of speaking opportunities for our students, the instruction is clear and challenging, and the instructors are very warm and understanding towards our students, all of which creates a relaxed environment so that students can have fun with the language. They live with Costa Rican families during the 7 weeks and the bonds that they develop with their host families are special for both students and the family members. Nidia Gamboa, the director of the school, is particularly attentive to the needs of students, and very flexible in the way she runs the language school to take into account our needs for college Spanish. SEPA itself sits on a beautiful rise that overlooks a lush valley, and there are lots of trees, flowers, birds on the grounds, all of which make it a beautiful place to learn Spanish. SEPA works with individuals and groups and from what I have seen, they do an awesome job of not only teaching Spanish, but presenting Costa Rican culture in ways that are highly meaningful for students. If you want to contact me personally you can do so at
  
  [email protected]
  
  Puravida.

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