Location

Cuidad Quesada, Puerto Viejo, La Fortuna , Costa Rica

Program Description

Join us for an unforgettable experience in Costa Rica where you will immerse yourself in a beautiful foreign country in order to practice applying knowledge and skills of teaching English as a foreign language to Spanish-speaking students in a bilingual English-Spanish school. This private school is located in Cuidad Quesada where you will spend three weeks teaching students English. Cuidad Quesada is located at the foot of the Cordillera Central in the fertile agricultural lowland of Costa Rica and 47 miles away north of San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica.

One of the four weeks there, we will travel to Tortuguero - – the protected wildlife reserve and Puerto Viejo – a small town on the Caribbean coast, which is known for surf breaks and beaches.

On weekends during school weeks, we will travel to waterfalls, hot springs, and volcanos with an overnight stay in hotels. More specifically, our weekend trips will include a day trip to hike to waterfalls in Bajos del Toro, which includes hikes to three waterfalls and swimming in crystal clear waters; a trip to La Fortuna with a zip-line tour and swimming in hot springs; a trip to Tenorio volcano with coffee plantation and tubing.

Be prepared to be amazed by exotic wildlife such as sloths, monkeys, reptiles, butterflies, and birds, and of course, the hospitality of people of Costa Rica.

Location Description

Three weeks of our stay will be in Cuidad Quesada where you will be teaching students English at a dual-language school while a fourth week will be spent sightseeing and traveling. On weekends, we will be traveling to places that are not too far away with at least one overnight hotel stay.

Weekend trips: 

• Day trip to hike to waterfalls in Bajos del Toro (included hikes to 3 waterfalls, swim, and meals)
• Trip to La Fortuna (includes hotel, zipline tour, hot springs entrance, and meals)
• Trip to Tenorio volcano (includes national park entrance, coffee plantation, tubing, and meals)

• Tortuguero rainforest, Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean sea, and Poas volcano, (includes hotels, tours in Tortuguero, entrances to national parks, coffee tour, and meals)

Director

Dr. Katya Koubek | koubekex@jmu.edu | EFEX

Accommodations

Accommodations will be provided by host families. Students will be in shared double rooms. Internet and laundry facilities are part of these accommodations.

During school days, students will be provided breakfasts and lunches at the school while dinners will be served by host families. During trips, all meals will also be provided. Hence, all meals will be provided as a part of the program.

Additional Items to Consider

No visas or vaccines are required.

Students are recommended to have an international cell plan; however, it is not required.

COVID-19 Location Information:

Each country has different requirements upon entry with regard to COVID-19. Please check this website for the most up-to-date information on what is required for the country (or countries) that are part of this program. Please note that this changes often, so we encourage you to check back frequently.

Applicant Criteria

Applicants must have a GPA minimum of 2.0

Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors

Prerequisite: TESL 300 or TESL 426 - Second Language Acquisition Course

All students are welcome. However, this study abroad trip is best suited for TESOL minor or major students.