Speaking the Local Lingo

How to choose a great language school

by Eric Tiettmeyer

A ttending a foreign language school can be a humbling experience. When I entered La Escuela de Idiomas D'Amore language school in Quepos, Costa Rica I faced a harsh reality. After five years of Spanish instruction through high school and college, you would think I had actually learned the language. But what I learned was the how to pretend I knew what I was doing on a daily basis, answering all the easy questions, and of course making pinatas for extra credit. That all worked in the U.S., but upon entering an intensive language school such as D'Amore, pinata craftmanship no longer applies. You learn, and you learn fast.

Intensive language courses are usually designed for small groups, forcing continuous communicate with the teacher and fellow students. More importantly, learning became an adventure. I still didn't want to learn that ornery past participle, but I had to in order to enjoy the Costa Rican lifestyle. Suddenly, sitting in a classroom wasn't a one-hour requirement. It was the key to understanding an amazing culture.

Not only will you learn the language four times as fast due to the small groups, but the activities, family hostings and group discussions that surround the schooling makes for unforgettable times.

Credit Crisis

You have found the perfect foreign language school, plan to study for about three weeks, all the while enjoying horseback riding and beach parties with your new-found classroom friends. The only thing stopping you now is transferring the classes so your university knows it's actually an educational experience and not just a ³learning vacation².

Attaining credit for studying in a language school takes persistence, and more importantly, time. Make the effort to find the language school right for you, with professional courses, and a certified staff. Ask for referrals, contacts, basically anyone that can sell the point to your advisor that this language school is not one big fiesta, and that you learn more words than just guacamole and cerveza.

Finally, ask your academic advisor the best ways to transfer the credits. If the language school has had students transfer credits through a U.S. institution, then your school is obligated to transfer your credits through this school, as long as you pay that institution¹s tuition for the units. It takes a little maneuvering through the bureaucratic process, but will be worth it in the end.

Cash Concerns

So you think a language school is expensive? Consider this: the average student spends an average of two years studying another language in college. At the University of California for example, three consecutive classes are taken for two years to fulfill requirements. These classes are an hour a day, four days a week. Two years of this instruction will cost you 600 hours and over $3,000 in the public system, and often students (like myself) still feel unskilled in the language of study. Now consider the alternative. Students can study abroad in a language school with intensive instruction and often become proficient in the language. The average cost for two months of instruction, 120 hours of classroom instruction, room, board and travel excursion runs about $1,500. After a good language school, it's not unusual for students to test out of language requirements, with less time, less money, and more fun.