| Host
Families
Participants are encouraged
to live with Costa Rican Families. The Spanish language school
takes great care in selecting Costa Rican families who will welcome
you warmly, familiarize you with the Costa Rican way of life,
and give you every opportunity to practice speaking the language.
Most houses are within a 15 minute walk from the school. Hotel,
hostel, or apartment accommodations are also available upon request.
On the first day, a member
of your host family will be responsible for bringing you to classes
until you feel comfortable and have learned how to find your way
to the Spanish language school.
You will be given breakfast
and dinner at your host home. The breakfasts tend to consist of
eggs, "gallo pinto", bread and coffee. Cereal, peanut
butter and such items are very expensive and are not usually found
on the table.
If you are going to be late
for your evening meal, or not coming in at all, please remember
to phone your family. In addition to being the courteous thing
to do, its lets the homemaker whether to prepare your meal and
keep it warm, leave it in the refrigerator, or not make anything
for you that evening.
Laundry service is also included
in the package. It is essential that, upon your arrival, you find
out what are the customs for doing laundry in the particular household
and let your housemother know what are the specifics about your
clothing. For example: which cloth should be ironed and which
shouldn't, about bleach, and the items that can't be machine-washed.
All homes have hot water in
the showers; however, 95% of these use what is known as a "thermo-heat".
You adjust the temperature of the water by how much water pressure
you let out. The less water that comes out the hotter it gets
and vices versa. There might be a switch on the wall that connects
this system. Due to the tropical climate, showers are used instead
of tubs.
Each family has been asked
to supply you with a house key so you may come and go freely.
However, it is appreciated if you inform your host family if you
are to be away for the weekend or coming late. It is common to
have a person come in to help with the cleaning of the house.
If you plan to have a visitor, be sure to let your housemother
know and see if it is all right with her.
Make a good first impression on your host
family
Words of wisdom from past students:
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Bring a suitable inexpensive gift from
your country to your host family.
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Learn the family members' names and favorite
topics of conversation.
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Inquire about "house rules" for
use of bath, kitchen and television.
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Learn and respect mealtime hours and special
family observances.
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Read the family's newspapers and magazines
to share their interests.
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Keep your bedroom tidy and presentable,
particularly before going out.
-
Try all of the family's food at least once.
If you can't handle any particular item, tactfully inform
your host mother and suggest an alternative.
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Inquire about house key(s).
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Ask your Costa Rican family for suggestions
about places to go and things to do. If you are invited to
go out with members of your family, go at least once.
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Offer to go "Dutch" if you are
invited places with members of your Costa Rican family, especially
to bars, restaurants, cinemas, sporting events, or places
where discretionary income may be limited. Most Costa Ricans
are generous with guests, even if it hurts their budget.
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Avoid asking direct questions of your family
members about their political, religious, or philosophical
views until you become better acquainted than you will be
during the fist weeks.
The following are some suggestions for
improving your ability with the Spanish language:
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Speak Spanish as much as possible: at home,
at the Institute and with friends.
-
Don't be shy about making mistakes. Most
people are quite patient and helpful. In fact, most of them
feel honored that you should want to learn their language.
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Keep a notebook of new words. Whenever
you hear a word you don't know, write it down. It then becomes
more familiar. You might want to divide a notebook into categories,
i.e. adjectives, nouns, prepositions, and prepositional phrases,
etc.
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Review your grammar: verb tenses (especially
the subjunctive), gender of nouns and accordance of articles
and adjectives with nouns, prepositions and prepositional
phrases, etc.
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Use an all Spanish dictionary: you'll learn
more in the long run. It will take longer at first, but your
vocabulary will increase rapidly. An inexpensive one can be
purchased in Costa Rica.
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Expose yourself to Spanish dictionary listen
to conversations and the radio, watch Costa Rican television,
read newspapers and magazines. The greater the exposure, the
faster you will learn.
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