Homestays Program

Spanish classes at CRLA can be taken along with our Homestay Programs.Our Spanish & Homestay Programs include:

	a regular schedule of Spanish lessons
	cultural classes (Latin Dance, Cooking, Conversation)
	24 hour airport transportation
	lodging with a Costa Rican family

Homestay Services Your New Home Host Family Selection

Duration of Homestay Other Accommodations

Homestays are an excellent way to immerse yourself in the Costa Rican culture. As part of the family, you will practice speaking Spanish every day and at the same time you will learn first-hand about the Costa Rican way of life.

HOMESTAY SERVICES Room You may live in a Costa Rican home where you will have your own private bedroom. If you are traveling with others, we can also accommodate couples, friends and family in the same homestay (either in shared or separate rooms).

Laundry
Your family provides laundry service and a weekly change of bedclothes. You need to bring your own towels for the homestay. (If you do not have a towel the Academy can lend you one).

Coming & Going Your host family will give you a front door key to your home and are free to come and go as you wish. (However, please make sure to inform your host mother if you will be coming home late at night or if you are going away for the weekend so she will not worry).

Airport Transportation
Free Airport transportation is included withour homestay program. When you arrive in Costa Rica our driver will meet you at the airport (he will have a sign with your name on it). He will take you to your homestay and introduce you to your host family. He will also take you back to the airport when you leave the country. There is no need for you to contact your host family before you arrive. We will inform them of your arrival time so that they will be expecting you.

YOUR NEW HOME CRLA is located in a quiet, residential / commercial neighborhood area very close to downtown San José and our homestays are located in nearby residential neighborhoods. Most of the host families live a short 15-20 minute bus ride from the Academy. Our host families have clean, secure, comfortable homes. While you may not find all the luxury of a hotel room, a homestay will give you warmth and love that you will not find anywhere else. It will also provide you with the opportunity to practice your Spanish as much as you want!

HOST FAMILY SELECTION

Our homestay families are carefully selected for their hospitality, friendliness and warmth. They all offer clean lodging in safe neighborhoods.

The CRLA's homestay coordinators visit each family and get to know them personally. We also ask students to evaluate their homestay experience before they leave so we can ensure that families are constantly providing students with a good service.

There are many different types of families (with or without children, married couples, single parents, young or older, etc.) We assign the homestay families according to the preferences the students select in their registration form. Just let us know what type of family you would like and any preferences you may have (pets, diet, smoking, etc.) and we will make every effort to place you with the best family for you.

The most important quality we consider when choosing a host family is that they are genuinely interested and excited about hosting a foreign student. Even though the families receive a fee for their service, it is important that the family is not doing it just for the money but for the experience of sharing their home and culture. We look for opened-minded, friendly and outgoing families. Talkative, warm and protective "mothers", friendly but respectful "fathers" and friendly, well behaved children. It is also important that the whole family be willing and open to having a student in their home so that the student feels totally welcome and at home.

First we have the families fill out an application form with all their information: names, ages, pets, other family members who live in the home, schedules, who spends more time at home, etc. We choose the families that seem the most suitable, considering the family composition, neighborhood, and access to public transportation. Then we visit each one personally. We spend some time with the family, try to meet each member, talk about their interests, their family activities and their concerns about hosting a foreign student, and explain about cultural differences and special situations that have occurred in the past.

We also try to have as much information available as possible about the student (age, interests, diet, personality, expectations about living with a family, etc.) so we can tell the family in advance and prepare them as much as possible for the student's arrival.

When the family is really looking forward to hosting a student, and the student is also friendly and considerate, things always work out and cultural differences are not a problem.

DURATION OF HOMESTAY

The Homestay extends until the end of the week (7 days).

You can stay with a family for a minimum of one week or as long as you would like. Many students begin their homestay on the Sunday before they start classes and leave on a Saturday. But you may arrive in Costa Rica and start or end the homestay on any day of the week.

Spanish classes can be taken 4 or 5 days a week but the homestay is always for 7 nights per week.

Also, like most students, if you wish to extend your homestay and stay with your family for a few days before or after your classes, you may book those extra days and we'll arrange it. The cost for extra homestay is $18 per day.