Costa Rican Language Academy

The Costa Rican Language Academy (CRLA) is a private school of Spanish as a foreign language in San José, Costa Rica, located in a residential and commercial area very close to downtown. It has offered Spanish programmes since 1989 and is owned and operated by Costa Ricans. The school has 15 permanent native-speaker teachers, rising to 35 in the high season; the teaching staff is accredited with the Costa Rican Ministry of Education, and all instructors hold university degrees from the University of Costa Rica or the Universidad Nacional.

• Group classes at Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced levels (I to III)
• Intensive 4-day (Monday to Thursday) or regular 5-day programmes
• Private lessons and group packages
• Medical Spanish, business Spanish, Spanish for lawyers and courses for Spanish teachers

Groups average three to four students, with a maximum of six. New classes start every Monday all year, programmes last from one week to six months, and students choose three to six hours of instruction a day. Free afternoon classes in Latin dance and Costa Rican cooking, excursions and volunteer projects are offered, and students receive a course completion certificate. Classes can be combined with a homestay with a Costa Rican family. No deposit is required: students pay on their first day of classes.