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PostPosted: Wed Jul 03, 2019 9:35 am 
Ticas ask me for advice!
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Joined: Sun Oct 26, 2003 3:35 am
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Location: La Sabana, and SoFla
With 20 years of quick trips here, and living in San Jose for over 3 years, I am so glad I buckled down and learned Spanish. It took a long while and now it is so rewarding to navigate purely in the local language.
I have met quite a few expats who decided not to learn Spanish and it's ok, but I dont get it.

Below are some tips that worked for me.
The local slang is not easy to pick up, at first. There is a quite a bit of difference between the use of the language between the working professionals and the ladies we meet from the various lower status barrios.
I have stood outside the HDR, smoking a blanco, and could not understand a word being spoken between the cabby and one of the ladies. Pure barrio usage of the language.

First -- learn proper or middle of the road Spanish (Colombians speak more middle of the road )and then the slang will come little by little. We all have some dinero, or a little plata. The harina, lana, billetes and moneda will come later. Learn 'good morning, how are you' , first. Then you can learn 'Sup, dude. How's it hanging bro. It's cool '

Second - learn a few solid phrases and build from there. for example- My name is Jose, but all my friends call me Delgado. It's been years since I have been coming here as a tourist, and am now living at the Hotel Asia (chhuckle) Care to spend an hour with me for 25 mil ? I live here and don't have any dollars, sorry.

Third. send a little time on Duolingo.com it's free and offers great at-your-pace lessons.

Fourth- If you like a certain song, go on youtube.com and find it along with the words. Sing along

Fifth- Netflix has a lot of latin soap operas. watch them in spanish with english subtitles. Most of these 'telenovelas' are produced in Colombia, Mexico or Miami and each season has like 50 or so episodes. by listening to the same actors over and over, you'd be amazed how much you absorb. Some good series are ' Bolivar', 'Senora Acero', and 'La N*na'

Encourage your favorite tica (or Nica) to speak to you in English and you only speak in Spanish.

All in all, learning Spanish will really enhance your enjoyment of CR, and any other Latin American country.
The differences in the various slangs will all come with time; as the cubans eat half of their words, the Argentines talk like Italians, the Mexicans use unique words, and who knows what the Puerto Ricans speak - Spanglish ??

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PostPosted: Wed Jul 03, 2019 10:01 pm 
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Rico1040 wrote:
With 20 years of quick trips here, and living in San Jose for over 3 years, I am so glad I buckled down and learned Spanish. It took a long while and now it is so rewarding to navigate purely in the local language.
I have met quite a few expats who decided not to learn Spanish and it's ok, but I dont get it.

Below are some tips that worked for me.
The local slang is not easy to pick up, at first. There is a quite a bit of difference between the use of the language between the working professionals and the ladies we meet from the various lower status barrios.
I have stood outside the HDR, smoking a blanco, and could not understand a word being spoken between the cabby and one of the ladies. Pure barrio usage of the language.

First -- learn proper or middle of the road Spanish (Colombians speak more middle of the road )and then the slang will come little by little. We all have some dinero, or a little plata. The harina, lana, billetes and moneda will come later. Learn 'good morning, how are you' , first. Then you can learn 'Sup, dude. How's it hanging bro. It's cool '

Second - learn a few solid phrases and build from there. for example- My name is Jose, but all my friends call me Delgado. It's been years since I have been coming here as a tourist, and am now living at the Hotel Asia (chhuckle) Care to spend an hour with me for 25 mil ? I live here and don't have any dollars, sorry.

Third. send a little time on Duolingo.com it's free and offers great at-your-pace lessons.

Fourth- If you like a certain song, go on youtube.com and find it along with the words. Sing along

Fifth- Netflix has a lot of latin soap operas. watch them in spanish with english subtitles. Most of these 'telenovelas' are produced in Colombia, Mexico or Miami and each season has like 50 or so episodes. by listening to the same actors over and over, you'd be amazed how much you absorb. Some good series are ' Bolivar', 'Senora Acero', and 'La N*na'

Encourage your favorite tica (or Nica) to speak to you in English and you only speak in Spanish.

All in all, learning Spanish will really enhance your enjoyment of CR, and any other Latin American country.
The differences in the various slangs will all come with time; as the cubans eat half of their words, the Argentines talk like Italians, the Mexicans use unique words, and who knows what the Puerto Ricans speak - Spanglish ??


You hit it Rico1040. All very sound advice.

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PostPosted: Fri Jul 05, 2019 10:32 pm 
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Rico1040 wrote:
With 20 years of quick trips here, and living in San Jose for over 3 years, I am so glad I buckled down and learned Spanish. It took a long while and now it is so rewarding to navigate purely in the local language.
I have met quite a few expats who decided not to learn Spanish and it's ok, but I dont get it.

Below are some tips that worked for me.
The local slang is not easy to pick up, at first. There is a quite a bit of difference between the use of the language between the working professionals and the ladies we meet from the various lower status barrios.
I have stood outside the HDR, smoking a blanco, and could not understand a word being spoken between the cabby and one of the ladies. Pure barrio usage of the language.

First -- learn proper or middle of the road Spanish (Colombians speak more middle of the road )and then the slang will come little by little. We all have some dinero, or a little plata. The harina, lana, billetes and moneda will come later. Learn 'good morning, how are you' , first. Then you can learn 'Sup, dude. How's it hanging bro. It's cool '

Second - learn a few solid phrases and build from there. for example- My name is Jose, but all my friends call me Delgado. It's been years since I have been coming here as a tourist, and am now living at the Hotel Asia (chhuckle) Care to spend an hour with me for 25 mil ? I live here and don't have any dollars, sorry.

Third. send a little time on Duolingo.com it's free and offers great at-your-pace lessons.

Fourth- If you like a certain song, go on youtube.com and find it along with the words. Sing along

Fifth- Netflix has a lot of latin soap operas. watch them in spanish with english subtitles. Most of these 'telenovelas' are produced in Colombia, Mexico or Miami and each season has like 50 or so episodes. by listening to the same actors over and over, you'd be amazed how much you absorb. Some good series are ' Bolivar', 'Senora Acero', and 'La N*na'

Encourage your favorite tica (or Nica) to speak to you in English and you only speak in Spanish.

All in all, learning Spanish will really enhance your enjoyment of CR, and any other Latin American country.
The differences in the various slangs will all come with time; as the cubans eat half of their words, the Argentines talk like Italians, the Mexicans use unique words, and who knows what the Puerto Ricans speak - Spanglish ??


All very good ideas I think. One thing I would add... it would not hurt to take say 3 to 4 weeks of immersion Spanish once in a while...assuming you can then try to use it right away afterward. And if you find you half enjoy classes do that a couple of times a year.

It helps you sort out what it is you are learning...and could actually speed up your learning. But there is nothing like being in a totally Spanish environment. To me the ideal would be 4 weeks of class...then a couple of months in a Spanish environment...then another 4 weeks...etc. etc. I've done that a few times...but always going back to a non-Spanish environment between...and so would be re-learning the same stuff next time I came down. But eventually some of it sticks...and the understanding of the basic grammar and language structure really gives you stuff to build on...I think.


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PostPosted: Fri Jul 05, 2019 10:38 pm 
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Immersion is good too. Tuning to a spanish radio station while in the states is excellent idea.

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PostPosted: Fri Jul 05, 2019 11:56 pm 
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Rico1040 wrote:
Immersion is good too. Tuning to a spanish radio station while in the states is excellent idea.

All good advice, but getting a girlfriend to practice Spanish with is the best.

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PostPosted: Sat Jul 06, 2019 12:25 am 
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Location: La Sabana, and SoFla
Jawanker wrote:

All good advice, but getting a girlfriend to practice Spanish with is the best.[/quote]
Great idea. Many want to learn english too.
Also,There are latinas all over in the states. Maybe the gov should offer us tax breaks to provide newcomers sanctuary.

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PostPosted: Thu Aug 08, 2019 5:53 pm 
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All great advice--especially immersion. Guatemala and Ecuador are the cheapest.

One other piece of advice.. Learn verbs. Its all about the verbs, and most people neglect them. Learn both past tenses, the present and compound future right away.

Progress to subjunctive mood for big fun :)

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PostPosted: Fri Aug 09, 2019 7:39 am 
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Many mongers don’t realize that speaking the language actually lowers the price. I know mongers who have been here 7 years and speak 10 words os Spanish. They are very happy in the Gringo circles and really don’t care.

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PostPosted: Fri Aug 09, 2019 8:05 pm 
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Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2017 4:49 pm
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Location: Twin Falls, ID
In my job in Idaho when I was there, my coworkers would ask me how I learned the language, after watching me converse pretty fluently with the maid in the elevator with us.
I stopped trying to rattle away all of the sources of material that I use, and I instead answer in a different way - because I realized that's not even the point of the learning resource ( but my sources are: starting off with Pimsleur, buying over 5 books from amazon on grammar and vocab, listening along to slower-paced youtube spanish channels, duo lingo podcast because of its transcripts , and finally buying the last level of Rocket Spanish).
I always answer with this: You need to set away 30 or 40 minutes minimum *every day* ( preferably 40 minutes, because you'll phase out sometimes, or check your email, get a drink, or something else which will bring it down to 30 minutes anyway ). The reason for every day is skipping a day makes it harder to get back to it when it comes to learning it. But you choose to study what you want in that time. Just be logical about what you need each day's session. If you *know* you're not up on verb tenses, you need to focus that time on your grammar book.
Otherwise, if you've done book learning for the past 2 weeks and you're burned out on that, then spend the 40 min on listening to a medium-paced spanish podcast.
It's tedious as phuck the first few months because you're putting in time with zero or little payback in that time.. so you gotta follow the advice of Brain Tracey's book Eat that Frog (if you eat a frog first thing, the rest of the day is phuckin easy ).
First thing in the morning, get that 40 min done. Even plan a 20 minute fun period right after, .. like some queued up videos of your favorite youtube channels, while having a tasty coffee, as an immediate reward.
IT'S INCREDIBLY GRATIFYING TO LEARN THE LANGUAGE OF TASTY, SUMPTUOUS, LOVELY CHICAS

Also like what rico1040 wrote.


Last edited by sb_boise on Sat Aug 10, 2019 8:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Sat Aug 10, 2019 8:04 pm 
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Location: From behind pulling her hair
CRLA Costa Rica Language Academy

https://spanishandmore.com/

I have taken 2 weeks worth of classes there (2 separate trips one week each) and was very impressed. I would go 6 hours a day Monday to Friday and would learn in the week as much as I would in a full semester at my community college. The largest class size I had was 8 people for the first 3 hours, then 5 for the next hour. After lunch, I was either by myself or with one other student. The school is close to San Pedro mall and I would walk back to the gulch after class as I liked the exercise and exploring on foot. Found a lot of good restaurants this way. I always lied about where I was staying and what I did after class as you do have homework nightly. nothing extreme usually just writing 1 page about what you did after school. If you go Monday - Thursday it's 393.00, Monday to Friday 489.00

I had a great experience and highly recommend the school. After you become a student you get a discount on future classes. They also have quite a few perks you can take advantage of.

FREE 24 hour airport pick-up (probably not a good idea if going to a monger hotel)
FREE Internet access
FREE wireless internet for your laptop
FREE use of telephones for local calls and international collect or calling card calls
International telephone card sale
FREE books and class materials
Extra “level adjustment” Spanish classes at NO COST when required
FREE luggage storage while you travel
Safety deposit box
Postage stamp sale and mail drop off at post office
Homestay or hotel accommodation service
Volunteer work information and arrangements
FREE export quality Costa Rican coffee
(as much as you want!)
FREE natural refreshments made of tropical fruits
School cafeteria with typical food at low prices
Social & recreation areas for students
Certificate of Attendance & farewell ceremony
FREE Latin Dance classes
FREE Cooking classes
FREE Conversation classes (every Tuesday & Thursday)
FREE Gym membership with our 4 week intensive Spanish & Home stay programs
Travel advice and information service with great discounts on tours
Hotel, tour, and airline reservation and confirmation service
Bus schedule information and ticket purchase


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PostPosted: Sat Aug 10, 2019 9:01 pm 
Ticas ask me for advice!
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Location: Twin Falls, ID
Ilv4play wrote:
CRLA Costa Rica Language Academy

https://spanishandmore.com/



Do you know if it's possible, for those people that have already reached an intermediate level through self-study and italki, that they could join a 4 week program at a later stage, ( and thus its only 2 weeks for them ) so they don't re-learn the basics like hablar, decir, etc.. and present / past conjugations, etc? ( that would drive me nuts lol )


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PostPosted: Sat Aug 10, 2019 10:30 pm 
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Last edited by Boynton on Wed Mar 18, 2020 10:51 am, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Sun Aug 11, 2019 10:51 am 
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Boynton wrote:
I did some CRLA classes last year. I can give them a provisional recommendation. I had planned on taking 4 weeks, but stopped after only two. I couldn’t stand the slow pace. They wouldn’t refund the balance, but offered a one year credit on the balance if I chose to resume classes. They have been around a long time, and many of their teaching methods and materials have not kept pace with the times. They will test you and place you ahead in THEIR roadmap. But from there the classes are kind of “one size fits none” in my experience. You have to follow at the pace the teacher sets.

They usually have multiple tracks in progress, The more basic classes have more students, the more advanced classes have fewer. This is good for practice at the initial stage, and I found being with other learners to be more effective than just being thrown in with native speakers. While they offer 4, 5, and 6 hour options, the day is divided into a) new material from their book (mornings), b) group interaction (early afternoon) c) board games an flash cards. If I had to repeat, I would have just done the morning. I would also recommend paying week by week, rather than a full month. It is a bit more expensive than paying for 4 weeks, but it is easier to exit the program. You get the entire month’s textbook during the first week, and I found it easy to finish on my own.

PROs
1. While all the staff are native speakers, they are also fluent in English.
2. The instructors are educators and can explain the grammar as well as syntax.
3. I found the textbooks to be quite good. The examples and practice material, not so much.

CONs
1. I found the practice materials and games to be far less effective than Duolingo.
2. Most of the other students were high school / college students doing semester abroad studies with home stays and volunteer and tourist outings. There were also some retiree’s doing the same vacation/study routine. This is fine if you fit that demographic.

The school staff quickly recognized me as a monger. While they were perfectly accepting and willing to take my money, other students (especially the older gringa’s) were not as accepting. The youngest students were not looking to make money and the girls were after younger guys.


Thanks for the review, that was helpful in deciding.


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PostPosted: Sun Aug 11, 2019 1:03 pm 
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My experience was a bit different than Boynton's, but I can certainly understand his plight. I only booked for 1 week at a time and I was careful not to let anyone know I was a monger. I lied about where I was staying and what I was doing and did not try and pick up on any of the students there. Honestly, there were only a couple that was my type anyway, and a couple of the instructors that were hot, were married, so no play there.

The first day there one of the counselors sits with you for about 10-15 minutes to get a feel for your level of comprehension. My first time I was a beginner and had been listening to Pimsleur and had gotten thru 2 levels of their program. I had not taken any classes at my community college yet. Anyway, they had some laminated sheets of paper with different pictures and asked me to identify as many things in the pictures as possible. With that done she tried to speak to me in Spanish and started out where I was not sure what she was saying, then she moved onto more basic Spanish and I was finally able to get to where I got about 80% of what she was saying. From there I got put into a classroom. Boynton was correct though in you getting put into a class that is already in progress and you have missed quite a few lessons but I was able to catch on pretty quick and pick it up after lunch as there was only one other student with me for the last couple of hours and the teacher focused more on helping me get up to speed. All in all, I thought they did a good job of getting me into a class that suited what I was capable of learning from.

My second visit I had 2 semesters of Spanish at my community college and I got placed into a class that was below my level. I was planning on letting the counselor know at break that I already knew the material being taught but the teacher recognized I knew the material well and had me pulled from her class after the first half-hour. They put me into a different class that was more advanced and matched my level of comprehension. This class only had 4 students in it for the first 3 hours, then I was one on one with the teacher for the remaining 3 hours.

As Boynton mentioned the 1 week at a time is the way to go as you do not over-commit yourself. The afternoons for me were where I really picked up on my learning, as it was more personal, and the instructors were accommodating. If I told them I wanted to do something else. Ie: not doing flashcards or board games they were happy to suggest something else or asked me what I wanted to learn.


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PostPosted: Sun Aug 11, 2019 1:16 pm 
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Ilv4play wrote:
My experience was a bit different than Boynton's, but I can certainly understand his plight. I only booked for 1 week at a time and I was careful not to let anyone know I was a monger. I lied about where I was staying and what I was doing and did not try and pick up on any of the students there. Honestly, there were only a couple that was my type anyway, and a couple of the instructors that were hot, were married, so no play there.

The first day there one of the counselors sits with you for about 10-15 minutes to get a feel for your level of comprehension. My first time I was a beginner and had been listening to Pimsleur and had gotten thru 2 levels of their program. I had not taken any classes at my community college yet. Anyway, they had some laminated sheets of paper with different pictures and asked me to identify as many things in the pictures as possible. With that done she tried to speak to me in Spanish and started out where I was not sure what she was saying, then she moved onto more basic Spanish and I was finally able to get to where I got about 80% of what she was saying. From there I got put into a classroom. Boynton was correct though in you getting put into a class that is already in progress and you have missed quite a few lessons but I was able to catch on pretty quick and pick it up after lunch as there was only one other student with me for the last couple of hours and the teacher focused more on helping me get up to speed. All in all, I thought they did a good job of getting me into a class that suited what I was capable of learning from.

My second visit I had 2 semesters of Spanish at my community college and I got placed into a class that was below my level. I was planning on letting the counselor know at break that I already knew the material being taught but the teacher recognized I knew the material well and had me pulled from her class after the first half-hour. They put me into a different class that was more advanced and matched my level of comprehension. This class only had 4 students in it for the first 3 hours, then I was one on one with the teacher for the remaining 3 hours.

As Boynton mentioned the 1 week at a time is the way to go as you do not over-commit yourself. The afternoons for me were where I really picked up on my learning, as it was more personal, and the instructors were accommodating. If I told them I wanted to do something else. Ie: not doing flashcards or board games they were happy to suggest something else or asked me what I wanted to learn.


Both you guys provide so much more of an actual real description of what to expect, and how they approach varying levels of knowledge than their actual website. I am willing to go week by week like this, knowing that they customize your situation and place you where you are more suited.


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