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People of all ages and backgrounds can study Spanish abroad in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica. This is one of the many Spanish immersion programs offered by Spanish Por Favor. Manuel Antonio is the perfect place to study Spanish! Located on the Pacific coast, Manuel Antonio is the most developed beach town in Costa Rica.

In addition, those students who want to study Spanish in Manuel Antonio, will have access the the world-renowned National Park located 5-minutes from the Spanish language school.

You can be confident in our selection of our Affiliate Spanish Language Schools (ASLS). It is our policy to personally visit and evaluate each school we represent. In addition to a comprehensive tour of all campus facilities and in-depth interviews of key faculty and staff, we actually takes the classes offered to ensure that the company's elevated standards are upheld. A formal review and evaluation of all homestay accommodations is also undertaken. Relax, we do the work for you!

*Please contact us with any questions.

Learn and study Spanish at our Affiliate Spanish Language School in Manuel Antonio,
Costa Rica.

School History

Our Affiliate Spanish Language School (ASLS) in Manuel Antonio has been teaching Spanish to foreigners since 1994.

The school is known for being the best language school in the area by offering personal attention, excellent curriculum, a professional staff, caring homestay families, and quality customer service.

Last year, over five hundred students from around the world studied Spanish through immersion education here.

The owner states that, "I am very proud of our hard-working staff who is eager to teach you Spanish and more about our local culture.

Our goal at is to meet your objective in learning and improving your Spanish language skills. Our teachers are experts at knowing what the students need in order to improve their language skills in a short period of time".



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School Location

The school is located approximately two miles from famous Manuel Antonio national park and beach.

The Manuel Antonio beach is one of the best beaches on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast. It is known to be the most developed beach towns in all of Costa Rica. You can find anything from five-star hotels to budget-friendly hostels here.

The national park is also wonderful for short walks or full day hikes. The park is a combination of rain forest, beautiful white sand beaches, and magnificent views.

This is an ideal environment to learn about the diverse ecological communities in this region of the country.

Students at our ASLS in Manuel Antonio will find shops, cafes, restaurants, internet cafes, bars, and nightclubs within walking distance of the school. A short bus ride will get you to the school everyday, and your homestay family will gladly direct you on how to do so.

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The School

The school is spacious and it’s many large windows allow the sun-light to spray the eleven classrooms and common areas with inspirational natural light.

There is no need for air conditioning at our ASLS in Manuel Antonio because the open air layout allows for a pleasant ocean breeze all day long.

The school also has a kitchen where students can get free coffee, typical Costa Rican food, and water before and after class and during breaks.

There is huge patio that outlooks the Pacific ocean and this view is breathtakingly beautiful!

Classes are often held outside, which enhances learning. Students are assigned to morning or afternoon classes.

Monday through Friday, the morning classes are held from 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM and the afternoon classes are held from 1:15 - 5:15. After class, students can do whatever they want.  Explore and have fun!

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Technology

The school has a computer lab with six computers and offers students access to the World Wide Web while studying at our ASLS in Manuel Antonio.

There is, however no WiFi connection at the school so students are not encouraged to bring their laptops.

For a fee, students can buy international phone cards and make international phone calls or faxes from the school.

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Cultural and Social Learning Activities

Once a week, for free, the school offers Latin Dance classes for all students who wish to participate.

In addition, our ASLS in Manuel Antonio offers Costa Rican cooking classes once a month, and monthly theme parties for students and staff.

All of these cultural activities are included in the price of tuition and the school is continuously adding new activities to keep language acquisition fun and exciting.

In Manuel Antonio, students can participate in additional activities like fishing, snorkeling, diving, boogie boarding and surfing, white water rafting, ski kayaking, jet skiing, horse back riding, dolphin watching, canopy tours, and much more!

Day and weekend excursions can be arranged once you arrive and they are all reasonably priced. Below are some of the options available to students.

Additionally, our ASLS in Manuel Antonio offers fantastic volunteer opportunities for all students.

Please let us know on your application if you are interested in volunteering while abroad.

*Below are some of the options available to students:

- Latin dance class

- Museum visits

- Presentations and movies

- Cooking class


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Course Summary

To be selected as an ASLS, the school must offer classes that primarily focus on developing the students' communicative skills to achieve specific goals.

Classes are fifty-five minutes long with a ten minute break in between. The pace of the class is set according to the student's language skill development progress.

Groups classes will be divided whenever a student demonstrates a different pace of learning. All classes are well organized and follow daily lesson plans. All teachers plan their day's classes in advance, in order to incorporate each student's particular needs. Every Thursday the teachers meet to discuss the student related topics to ensure that each student is receiving an excellent educational experience.

GROUP: Students take a total of twenty hours of group classes per week and have the option of taking private one on one classes thereafter at an additional cost (see price list for details). During most of the year classes take place in the mornings. *There will be no more than 6-students in each group class to ensure personal attention and a excellent teacher to student ratio.

ONE-ON-ONE: Private lessons are specially designed for those who have specific goals or who have limited time. These classes take place according to the student's desires, in the morning session (8 AM to 12 PM) or in the afternoon session (1 to 5 PM).

GROUP PLUS: Additionally, there is a group (4-hours) plus two hour private lesson design for specific reinforcement of lessons and this can be tailored to meet the specific needs of the client. The school takes beginners up to advanced native Spanish-speakers for all courses.

HOURS OF OPERATION: The school opens at 8 AM and closes at 5 PM. Classes start on every Monday of the year, except holidays, and there is a minimum student age of 17; however, during the summer a teen program in which the minimum age is 13 is offered for three weeks. This program is specifically for teenagers who are interested in improving their Spanish language skills through immersion education.

SPECIALTY COURSES: Our ASLS in Manuel Antonio has many specialty Spanish courses for people of all ages and backgrounds. These courses are taught in a private/one on one setting for maximum effectiveness. Examples of such courses are:

Spanish for Health Professionals: Students will learn the technical vocabulary to be applied in the health care field and learn how to communicate in a culturally sensitive way.
This course is for people who are working in health care or for student who are studying in the health science field.

Spanish for Executives: Students will learn technical vocabulary used in the business world. Also addressed in this course is: business letters writing, holding meetings, oral presentations, and other common business protocols are taught. Of course oral communication is top priority.

Intercultural communication: Communication in different cultures and contexts. Diversity and similarities in human beings.

Spanish-American culture and civilization: History and culture in the Spanish American world. Comparisons of the values in the Spanish American culture and other cultures.
Latin American current events: Current news, political and economic trends in Latin America.

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Teachers

There are ten full-time Spanish language teachers on staff at our ASLS in Manuel Antonio, but this number increases during the high season.

All of the Spanish language teachers have earned bachelors degrees and some hold Master's degrees in linguistics.

All teachers receive ongoing teacher training throughout the year and are trained in American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (OPI-ACTFL). The school teachers are certified testers to place students in their appropriate language levels, which is based on the OPI-ACTFL method.

The teaching staff is multi-lingual, speaking English, French, German, and Italian as well as Spanish.

All of the teachers have over two years experience teaching Spanish as a second language and most have over ten years experience.

Teachers are rotated weekly, but students can choose to stay with the same teacher.

Spanish Por Favor recommends that students change at least once a week to increase their exposure to different teaching styles and teachers.

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testimonials

The students who wrote testimonials have agreed to share their experiences with anyone who is interested. However, their email addresses will only be shared upon written request.

Testimonials coming soon!

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Additional Information

All students receive an orientation on their first day of classes, which will address andy and all questions you may have. After this, students will take a verbal examination to identify their appropriate language level. This test usually takes thirty minutes to complete.

The school guarantees no more than 6-students per class; however, the average group class size is about 3-4 students.

If there is only one student in a particular language level the cost will not change but the student will only have class for three hours instead of four, with the understanding that they will learn more in a one-on-one setting. The ASLS in Manuel Antonio has affiliations with universities in the United States where students can receive academic credit for classes taken.

The owner states that “60% of our students are from the United States, 35% are from Europe, while 5% are from other countries around the world”.

After you have completed your Spanish immersion experience, you will be asked to fill out a satisfaction questionnaire to critique your teachers, overall classroom experience, and homestay.

We at Spanish Por Favor are always striving to improve our programs and services and, therefore, will also request that you critique your experience once you return to your home country through our own personalized survey.

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manuel antonio - price points

Prior to departure, students must pay a $99 enrollment fee and deposit to reserve a seat. All homestay accommodations (to live with a native family) start on Saturdays and end on Sundays. The airport pickup service is optional, but highly recommended.

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800-699-9685