College Program

The Institute offers its services to Christian colleges and universities who are looking for a program that is strong in both academics and hands-on ministry. At the Spanish Language Institute, college students receive outstanding instruction from native speakers who are experienced in helping career missionaries achieve the language proficiency they need to be effective in ministry. At the same time, students have the opportunity to live in a middle class, Costa Rican home and do volunteer service, twice a week, in a ministry to poor families.

The college program is not all work and study, however. There is ample opportunity for students to enjoy social and recreational activities and to get out of the city and experience the natural beauty and cultural diversity of Costa Rica, a Central American country known for its public policy and private efforts to promote environmental awareness and responsibility.

Following are courses that the Institute has offered in the past. To set up a program for your university, please contact the Academic Director, who will endeavor to put together a program designed to meet your students’ particular needs.

Course Descriptions

SPAN 302 Advanced Grammar. Taught in Spanish. Exhaustive study of all grammar topics aimed at helping the speaker sound more native-like. Methodology is visual, but includes oral drilling and creative production. Books and hand-outs provided.

SPAN 303 Advanced Conversation. Continuation of SPAN 203, now aiming at more complex structures and better functionality. Opportunity to improve narration and be exposed to more abstract and hypothetical situations. Learners are encouraged to find ways to express their ideas and opinions using circumlocution. Methodology is very eclectic. Hand-outs provided. Bible is needed.

SPAN 401 Latin American Culture. Concepts of culture (definition and cultural expressions); human behavior (concepts of reality, time and space, sex and gender, race and racism), cultural changes (adaptation, culture shock), and culture and society (social class, social stratification and how it applies to Latin America), to the end that students grow in God´s love toward other cultures by means of practical activities and classroom discussion. This course may include field trips, in which case it would require a minimum of six students in the group.

SPAN 402 Community service. Opportunities for hands on participation in Costa Rican culture and society by means of volunteer service (six hours per week) to the community, under the supervision of Institute staff and an associated ministry. Active participation and written reports are required.

SPAN 403 Translation. This course aims at promoting awareness of the complexities involved in producing a translation that is faithful to the original and sensitive to the reader, or listener, of the target language. Students will be provided with written, oral and listening exercises that allow them to apply and practice the basic translation guidelines, principles and theoretical concepts they have studied.

SPAN 404 Latin American Literature. This course aims at enhancing comprehension skills and extending vocabulary. Students will be asked to read at home and also read out loud in class, discuss new vocabulary, and summarize what they read. Samples of poetry, short stories, novels and dramas will be chosen. Also, the student will learn to understand newspapers and current magazines.

SPAN 405 Creative Writing. This course aims to develop the writing skills, and also at perfecting the spelling of Spanish words. Students will learn and practice all the spelling rules. They will also learn to write different types of writings, such as memos, newspaper ads, comments, summaries, poetry, curriculums, and so forth.

SPAN 406 Spanish for Health Staff. This course aims to increase relevant vocabulary for students that are or will be involved in a medical career or service. It aims also at helping the communication skills of students through role - playing and reading.

SPAN 407 Spanish for Business Administration. This course aims to acquire vocabulary in this specific area. Students investigate, expose and discuss issues related to the world of business and business administration. They will also learn technological vocabulary and learn to write business documents in general.

SPAN 408 Spanish for “Second Career” Students. We now offer a customized language learning program for "second career" students who might be concerned that learning a language may not be as easy as it was back in college. This course aims to teach our students basic Spanish vocabulary and Grammar structure to help them communicate around the city and for use in every day life.  Special learning methods and visual aids are used.

How to obtain college credit

Many students have received college credit for studies completed at the Spanish Language Institute. You will need to give your university a copy of your transcript and a description of the courses that you took. Both of these can be obtained from the Institute’s Academic Director. (Transcripts cost $10.) If possible, check with your university’s Spanish department chairperson before coming to the Institute. If they have any questions about the program, invite them to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it the Institute’s Academic Director, who will be happy to respond.