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SPRING TERM IN COSTA RICA '08 --
Prof. Barnett
SPAN 201 (6 credits): Supervised Study Abroad in Costa Rica:
Direct exposure to the language, people, and culture of Costa Rica.
The course is designed to improve grammar and vocabulary of the
advanced student through intensive training in Spanish with special
emphasis on oral proficiency. The program includes an
on-campus portion (one week) which offers an overview of the culture
of Costa Rica and as well as extensive pre-departure oral language
training.
The site portion includes five weeks of supervised academic work at the
Instituto Guanacasteco
in Nicoya, Costa Rica. Nicoya is the cultural capital of the
Guanacaste province, situated between the Pacific to the west and
mountains to the east, along with the Nicaraguan border to the north
(see
map of
Nicoyan peninsula and
map of
Costa Rica).
 In
addition to the language classes at the Instituto Guanacasteco, a
community-based service learning component allows students to test their
language skills as a volunteer at the local hospital, primary school,
law firm, court house, or local businesses, among others. The
program also promotes cultural awareness through lectures by native
authorities as well as excursions to local and national sites of
interest. Following the course, students may wish to remain and
travel to any of
Costa
Rica's interesting sites of interest.
| Course
Information | Important Dates |
Costs |
Excursions
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| Transportation, Meals and Lodging
| Safety and Health |
| Contact Info | | Books
and Materials | Useful Links |
Course Information: See the complete
Program Calendar (in Word) and check back for updates.
 SPAN
201: Supervised Study Abroad in Costa RicaLimits:
There will likely be a cap of 12-14 students in the course so check
with Prof Barnett early in the fall term.
Eligibility and Pre-requisites: SPAN 201 counts toward
the major in the Related category (6 of the required 12). If
you already have credit in SPAN 202 (Supervised Study in Spain) you
are still eligible for this section.
 Contact
hours: The first week consists of a three hour daily meeting
which entails an examination of Central American nations and
introductory language training. In Nicoya, students meet four
hours a day for language training and four hours a week for
community-based service learning. Unless otherwise
indicated all excursions and Institute activities form a part of the
course and are considered required activities.
Grading: Students will be evaluated on linguistic proficiency
and improvement as seen in classroom performance on quizzes and
exams, as judged by the W&L professor in consultation with the
Institute instructor. The level of engagement in cultural
excursions and service learning will also form a part of the final
grade. The W&L professor will be solely responsible for the
recording of the final grade but will consult with related
instructors and staff, observe the student in the cultural setting,
and read and evaluate the student’s weekly academic journal.
 Methodology
at the Institute: The courses are total immersion, meaning
home stay with a Costa Rican Spanish speaking family, all materials
are in Spanish, and only Spanish is spoken in the classroom.
Some teachers do speak English, and occasionally may even offer a
brief explanation in English. However, that is not the norm.
Classes are conversationally based, meaning that there is no writing
in class other than note taking. All written assignments are
done outside of class time. Normally, there’s about an hour of
homework each day. On most days a grammar topic is introduced
and can be the basis for that session’s oral practice. Because
each class size is limited to a maximum of four students,
students have ample time to devote to communicative interaction with
positive results.
On-Campus Orientation: There will be four on-campus
meetings (once monthly January thru April). One orientation
meeting upon arrival, including a Walking Tour of Nicoya.
Winter meetings will consist of “business meetings” in which
particular trip details are addressed (eg., forms, ‘what to take’
etc.). During the first week of the spring term, the academic
portion of the course will entail detailed cultural information (eg.,
the peoples and places of Costa Rica, etc.)
Orientation sessions are mandatory.
Failure to attend these meetings may result in your dismissal from the
program. In such cases, the deposit is not refundable.
Important Dates
and Itinerary (for more details see
Program Calendar)
*A note about dates: the program officially
begins on April 21 and ends on May 31. Students are expected
to be present for the program's entirety (no late arrivals to
campus, no early departures from Nicoya). You may wish to
remain in Costa Rica afterwards, but the University is not
responsible for your safety and well-being.
Sept 25th
Study Abroad Fair (initial information and distribution list formed)
Oct 17th
Mandatory Student information meeting
Oct 25th
Students submit application to the Center for International
Education (CIE)
Nov 1st
Program Directors send course acceptance notification to students
and CIE
Nov 5th
Students submit Fin. Aid
application to Financial Aid Office
Nov 12th
Financial Aid notifies students and CIE of awards
Nov 29th Students submit Agreement of
Responsible Travel form and non-refundable
deposit of 10% of course cost due
to CIE by 4:00 PM
Jan 18th
Last day for students to withdraw from program before incurring
responsibility for full program costs. After this date
refunds or waiver of program fees are made only in the case of
medical emergency or program cancellation.
All orientation meetings will take place on the second Monday of each month, from 6:30 to
7:30 in the Commons, Room (to be announced). As stated above, these are
mandatory without exception.
*--- Jan. 14th (week 2) --
Orientation Meeting #1
*--- Febr
11th (week 6). -- Orientation Meeting
#-2
*-- Febr.
25th-- Deadline to email me your student profiles.
*-- March 10th (week 9) ---
Orientation Meeting
#-3
*--March
24 -- (Deadline to take placement exams. Return via email) *-- March 31--
(week 12) Orientation Meeting #-4
-- note that this will obviously not take place on the 2nd Monday since that
would occur during our break.
April 21-24 Classes begin on campus; 3
hours a day (M thru F); time divided between lectures on Central
American history and language training. Note: You need to block out the
entire day on Wed. April 23th!
April 27 Arrive Liberia (Make your air
reservation for "LIR" Liberia Costa Rica); Arrive Nicoya
April 28
Classes begin (4 hours of intensive Spanish training daily, four hours
volunteer work weekly)
May 2-4
Excursion to Sámara
May 9-11 Excursion to Monteverde / Arenal
May 13
Town meeting in Nosarita
May 16
Excursion to Guaítil and Women's Cooperative in Santa Cruz
May 17
Excursion to Palo Verde National Park
May 18
Excursion to Rincon de la Vieja National Park
May 24-26 Excursion to Granada, Nicaragua
May 30
Last day of classes; Graduation banquet
May 31
Return to US
Costs:
$2,550 is payable to W&L*
W&L Program Fee
= $2,550 (revised: lowered on 11/28/07)
Estimate for air
= $ 600
Estimate for meals not included = $ 315
Estimate for Insurance
= $ 70
Estimate for Spending money = $ 250
__________
Total:
= $3,785 approximately
The program fee includes:
-
Airport arrival meet & assistance
in Liberia and transfer to host family in Nicoya
-
Return transportation from Nicoya to Liberia
-
5 weeks (25 actual class days) of language
instruction, 4 class hours daily; max. 4 students per teacher
-
local volunteer program 4 hours weekly
-
Homestay while in Nicoya with
daily breakfast and dinner, laundry, private room / shared bath.
Begins Sunday night, ends Saturday morning)
-
Lunch is included on the Guaitil excursion,
Horseback excursion, the Palo Verde excursion and dinner on the
Nosarita excursion.
-
Weekend Excursion to Granada, Nicaragua (double
or triple occupancy and breakfast)
-
Weekend Excursion to Monteverde/Arenal (double
or triple occupancy and breakfast)
-
Excursion to Sámara
-
Day excursions to Palo Verde National Park
(Canopy Tour and Boat Tour), Rincón de la Vieja National Park,
Samara Beach, Guaitil pottery village, Town meeeting in Nosarita,
Horse Back riding in Quiriman Mountains,
-
Afternoon activities as shown on the Program
Itinerary such as Dance classes, Pronunciation Workshop, folkloric
children’s dance group, presentation of diplomas, etc
-
All course materials
-
All federal and local tax
Does not include
airfare, daily lunch, personal spending money, airport departure tax or
Costa Rica / Nicaragua border fees, which are approximately
$25 per person.
Payment schedule:
A non-refundable deposit of
$270 is due Nov. 29th
Subsequently,
a payment of 1/3 of remaining balance
is due: Jan. 31, Feb. 28, March 31 (All payments should be
made payable to Washington and Lee University, Spring Term Abroad
Program and must indicate on the check item line the course # and
Program Director name (eg., SPAN 201/Barnett)
These payments should be presented directly to the Business Office.
Policy on refund of deposit:
January 18th is the
last day for students to withdraw from program before incurring
responsibility for full program costs. After this date
refunds or waiver of program fees are made only in the case of
medical emergency or program cancellation.
Excursions:
 We
have planned a full slate of exciting excursions for 2008. Among
others, we'll take a multi-day excursion to
Granada, Nicaragua and another to
Monteverde Cloud Forest and Arenal Volcano. We'll also take trips
to the nearby beach in Samara, Palo Verde National Park (Canopy Tour and
Boat Tour) and Rincon de la Vieja National Park as well. Nearer to
Nicoya, we'll also visit a pottery village, go horseback riding
in Quiriman Mountains, and attend a town
meeeting in Nosarita. All of the excursions listed on the
Program Calendar are included in the
program fee, except for incidentals and meals as indicated.
Monteverde Cloud Forest
and
Arenal
Volcano
 Acclaimed
as one of the most outstanding wildlife refuges in this hemisphere and
one of the most famous ecotourism communities in Central America,
Monteverde Cloud Forest
will reinforce preconceived images of the tropics while at the
same time it will leave you with new and lasting impressions about the
diversity of Costa Rica's flora and fauna (see
Photos).
After traveling by bus from Nicoya to Monteverde, we will arrive in time
to take a nocturnal fauna walking tour. The next morning we'll
walk over incredible hanging bridges through the canopy of the forest.
We will want to do this part early in the morning since that's the best
time to see wildlife, including the resplendent Quetzal. The next
day will promise to be an exciting adventure.
 We'll
go by 4-wheel drive and boat across Arenal Lake, which is the
best way to see the
spectacular views of the conical Volcán Arenal, the youngest
stratovolcano in Costa Rica and one of its most active.(see
map of the Arenal area) Arenal is one of the favorite destinations
in Costa Rican tourism and you should read up on it before we go. Take
a look for example at
Frommers-Arenal and the
related links at the bottom of
photo.net page among others, such as
Arenal Volcano Costa Rica - info,
hotels and tours or
Arenal
Volcano Quicktime movies.
That evening we will have a special
treat: we will arrive in Fortuna, and visit the famous
Baldi Hot Springs Resort at the base of the volcano, hike to the
Fortuna waterfall. and go
swimming in the lagoon. In returning to Nicoya, we will go by bus
along Lake Arenal through dense forest where it is usual to spot
wildlife, including coatimundis, howler monkeys, large parrots and
toucans. Our
program fee
includes overnight hotel accommodations (double or triple occupancy
rooms),
transportation and
entrance to
Monteverde and
Baldi
Hot Springs resort and to Fortuna
waterfalls
Breakfast is included but lunch and dinner are not.
Playa de Samara
Samara Beach is one known as one of the safest beaches on the Pacific
side because of the coral reef that protects it from "rip
tipdes" making it an ideal place for diving,
 swimming,
and water sports. Lonely Planet
calls it "One of the safest and prettiest beaches in the country."
As a group activity the
program fee includes one
overnight
stay and one afternoon trip to Samara, transportation included but meals
(L/D) are not. Lodging will be at
Hotel Samara Beach or
similar. Optional activities not included in the Program
Fee include snorkeling, kayaking, horseback riding, and ATV’s.
On
other occasions--when time and class schedule permits--individuals can
take the local bus which takes about an hour, but see
Individual Travel Policy.
For more information see
Samara Beach page and
Frommers-Samara.
Palo Verde National Park
A short distance from the Institute,
Palo Verde National Park is one of the premier locales for seeing
wildlife, including howler and white face monkeys, coatimundi, giant
iguanas, reptiles, and crocodiles up to 15 feet long!
Scientists from around the
world visit this unique nature sanctuary to learn more about the
different species that inhabit one of Costa Rica's most diverse
ecological locations, with 15 different topographical zones from
mangrove swamps to evergreen forests. One of the most important
migratory zones in Central America for waterfowl. See the
page,
Central
America.com page ,
Costa Rica -
Palo Verde national park,
Palo Verde
National Park, Costa Rica,
Costa Rica tourism and travel bureau - Palo Verde National Park, or
the
Google Search among others.
The program fee includes a day trip
with transportation, one of the longest Canopy tours in Costa Rica in
the morning, followed by a buffet lunch, then an afternoon riverboat
trip through the jungles of Palo Verde.
 Guaítil.
The small village of "Guaitil" is home to the last descendants of the
Mayans in Costa Rica. Proud of their heritage, they have protected much
of their culture; especially their ceramic art.
We'll visit local artisans at San Vicente pottery
village where Chorotega pottery is
handcrafted
Horse Back
riding in the Quiriman Mountains
Transportation, fully escorted, a two hour
horseback trip through a teak forest in the nearby mountains of Quiriman,
a typical Costa Rican farm lunch is included, and refreshments.
Rincon de la
Vieja
A hike on Las Pailas
trail through this mountain rainforest to see the volcanic activity of
the bubbling mud pools and fumaroles and, if time permits, a dip
in the clear lagoon of the Rio Blanco. Wildlife that can be seen here
are koatimundis, anteaters, howler monkeys. While Tapir live in the
park, they are rarely seen. Transportation included. For
photos of
Rincon de la Vieja visit Virtourist.com
Granada,
Nicaragua:
 In
Week 4 we'll take a 3 day excursion to Granada, Nicaragua --the second
oldest city in Central America, founded in 1524. Given its
importance as a cultural center, we'll visit such sites as the Convento
de San Francisco, Palacio de Cultura, Museo de Granada, and other
historical sites. The next day we'll take a boat trip through the
Isletas in Lake Nicaragua, one of the largest lakes in the world.
Before returning to Nicoya, we'll visit the Masaya marketplace, known as
the center of Nicaraguan arts, and the town of San Juan de Oriente,
famous for pottery artisans. During our orientation we'll look at
the poetry of Ernesto Cardenal (who was born in Granada) and discuss
William Walker, the American filibuster who took up residence in Granada
in 1857. Transportation, lodging, and breakfast is included; lunch /
dinner and border fees are not. (Border fees are usually about
$25, cash).
A word about all hotel accommodations:
All rates are quoted Based on double occupancy. In some cases a
triple room & a single room, may be substitute for two double rooms
In addition to the excursions, there
are many activities in Nicoya, such as the Concert in the Park series,
Latin Dance Class, the Partners Program, and more.
Transportation, Meals, and Lodging
Transportation: Students arrange their own air transportation
from the US to Liberia, Costa Rica (LIR), located in the northwest
corner of the country. You will find direct flights from
Charlotte, Miami, Atlanta, and Dallas, among others. Flights
to Liberia are more expensive than those to San Jose, but given
Liberia's location to Nicoya, ultimately flying to Liberia is more
efficient and economical. If you choose to arrange your air
travel through San Jose, you will be responsible for your own ground
transportation to Nicoya.
Once in Liberia, the Institute will meet us at the airport and provide
ground transportation to and from Nicoya.
We will
try to coordinate our arrival times as best possible to make it
convenient on all and minimize waiting time. You should arrive
on Sunday, April 27th. Please check back to see what hour
would be the target arrival time. Meals: Breakfast
and dinner are provided with the host family and are included in the
program fee. Students pay for their own lunch, which typically
costs around $4 to $5. As noted above, you should plan on
bringing about $315 for lunch and other meals not included while on
day and weekend excursions.Lunch typically consists of a meat
dish (beef in salsa, bistec, chicken in salsa, fried chicken,
fish, pork chops or pork in salsa, or a variety of some dishes that
are a mixture of chopped vegetables with or without meat).
Vegetarian lunches are not difficult to find. Salads vary, but
usually are shredded cabbage with tomato and lime wedges with a
vinegar dressing. There are many different tropical juices,
always freshly made at the restaurant (small restaurants are called
sodas). Sodas make juices with either water or
milk, as you prefer. So, for a complete lunch, with a
juice beverage one can easily eat for $4 or $5, and some sodas are
less.Lodging: Students stay with host families,
private room, shared bath On excursions involving hotel stay,
all rooms are double occupancy, or triple if there is an odd number.
Safety, Health, and Personal Conduct:
Individual
Travel Policy: While in our
host town--Nicoya--students are required to consult with the W&L
Professor prior to traveling to other cities / locales in Costa
Rica. This is not intended to discourage you from
exploring other sites of interest; rather, it is imperative that
the Program Director be able to offer you advice and to know
where participants are at all times.
Immunizations: All of you
should have had MMR, tetanus, diptheria and hepatitis B vaccination
for entrance to W&L As for other precautions the first rule is
that each of you should check with your family physician regarding
vaccinations
Secondly, The CDC (Center
for Disease Control) offers a number of recommendations
including that you obtain hepatitis A and typhoid vaccinations at
least 4 to 6 weeks before our departure. (The cheapest means of
obtaining them is the local health clinic in town.) Neither yellow
fever nor rabies vaccinations should be necessary. Malaria
prevention with chloroquine will not be neccesary for Guanacaste;
however, if you plan on remaining in Costa Rica following our trip
and plan on travelling to the Caribbean side, you should ask your
physician about malaria prevention.
As a Costa Rica participant you may be receiving pertinent health
info from the university physician, Dr. Horton, who has agreed to
see you individually to reivew your particular travel health needs.
You should inform me if I need to be aware
of any allergies or illnesses that may require attention while in
Costa Rica.
Pharamacies and Physicians:
The Institute has a referral agreement with a bi-lingual doctor
at a private clinic, which has the largest pharmacy in Nicoya.
There is also a full service public hospital, with 24 hour emergency
care, and air ambulance service as well. There is a pharmacy
and medical clinic near our hotel in Samara.
"In your passport, write the names of any
people you wish to be contacted in case of a medical emergency,
and list any allergies or medical conditions. Matching a
prescription to a foreign equivalent is not always easy, safe,
or possible, so carry up-to-date, legible prescriptions or a
statement from your doctor stating the medication's trade name,
manufacturer, chemical name, and dosage. While traveling, be
sure to keep all medication with you in your carry-on luggage.
The names in Costa Rica for common drugs are: aspirina
(aspirin), paracetamol (acetaminophen), penicilina (penicillin),
and antihistimínico (antihistamine/allergy medicine). Brand
names such as Tylenol, Advil, and Pepto Bismol are also well
known."
(from Let's Go)
Insurance certification: The school is insured with I.N.S., the
national insurance company for liability.
The Palo
Verde National Park / Canopy tour is authorized and certified by the
Costa Rican Tourist Board (ICT).
As for medical insurance,
confirm that your current medical/health insurance policy will cover
you overseas (for repatriation of remains and medical emergency
evacuation). If not, purchase a supplemental policy such as
HTH at
http://www.hthstudents.com/ ($36 for the one month in
return for $5,000 hospitalization, along with other coverage for
repatriation and med evac). Regardless, a copy of the medical
insurance card must be provided to CIE, and you must provide me with
the "certificate number" as well. An important note, you must
notify HTH or other supplemental agency if have you pre-existing
condition in order to be covered.
Contact
Information:
Prof. Jeff Barnett
Washington and Lee University
Lexington VA 24450
540-458-8950
barnettj@wlu.edu
Alberto Ramírez or Gary Rose, Student Services
Instituto Guanacasteco de Idiomas, S.A.
P.O.Box: 5200 - 85 Nicoya, Guanacaste
Costa Rica, Central America
Web site:
www.spanishcostarica.com
Email:
info@spanishcostarica.com
Tel /
Fax: (506) 686-6948
Books
and materials:
-
A pocket dictionary
-
A specialized dictionary may be necessary
depending on your intern assignment (eg., medical Spanish)
-
501 Spanish Verbs (recommended)
-
a travel guide such as Lonely Planet, Insight
Guide, Frommers, or other.
All other academic course materials while at the
Institute are included in the price and provided.
A complete Program
Calendar in Word form will be updated and available here.
Note
about 5/30 and 5/31: The course officially ends at the close of the
Banquet on Friday evening. Students may leave the next morning
and return to the US or stay in Costa Rica and travel independently.
Regardless, you may not leave before the morning of 5/31.
Subsequent to 5/30 there is no official responsibility to the group.
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TRAVEL GUIDES | MAP
RESOURCES |
TOURISM |
| CULTURE |
NICOYA | ECOLOGY
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PHOTO GALLERIES |
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Useful Links on Costa Rica
El Instituto
Guanacasteco - Homepage of the Institute where we'll
study
La Nacion - The leading
Spanish newspaper in Costa Rica
The Tico Times Online
Home Page - English newspaper
World Fact Book - Demographic stats on Costa Rica from
CIA
Bureau
of Western Affairs: Costa Rica (08/04) (State Dept.)
Consular Information -- Costa Rica (Entry/Exit,
Safety/Security, Crime, etc)
Important!
Travel Guides:
Map Resources:
Costa Rican
Tourism:
-
Costa Rica by
Info Costa Rica - OK portal site with discussion
forum, links, and articles; recommended by Fodors (maybe
too many ads)
-
Costa Rican Tourism Site - useful sites with
interactive maps; information on travel, especially
useful for CR's national parks
-
Costa Rica
- News - useful info on crime, sports, politics
-
Costa
Rica - Travel - general travel info, including
exchange rate, travel warnings,
Things to Know,
currency type, and
Traveler's Info
-
Mapa del Sitio / Site Map - to help you navigate
through the many links of Guia Costar Rica.com
-
Costa Rica Turismo por ticotourism.com : Mapa del Sitio
- Univ of Costa Rica
-
Costa Rica History
General Cultural
Info.
Regional Info of
Nicoya
Ecology:
Photo Galleries:
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