SCC Education Abroad Program Immerses Spanish Language Students in Costa Rican Culture
Scottsdale, AZ (October 9, 2008) – For many Costa Rican’s, Pura Vida is a common expression of satisfaction often used to indicate good spirits, good life, and good times. For SCC Spanish instructor John Ellis and his 13 students who visited Costa Rica this summer, the experience of Pura Vida was one of the many take-aways from their 4-week intensive program in Spanish language and culture.
During their trip, Ellis and his students were immersed in the culture continuously. Opportunities to share food, leisure time, and events with host families – and to do so within a Spanish speaking context was an invaluable experience.
“The goal of the trip was to become aware of the context in which the language is used,” he said. “The experience cannot be easily replicated by learning Spanish in the US.”
Ellis explained that the exposure to other cultures and overcoming any fears were as valuable as the linguistic benefits. Another benefit of the program was to help students become confident interacting with people of other cultures and traveling to other countries.
“It was a safe setting – they felt they were taken care of,” he said. “After the trip, they all expressed a desire to travel to other places, such as South America.”
ILASO, the Costa Rican organization that administers education abroad programs for high school and college international education programs, coordinated the teaching facilities at Ulatina in San Jose. Academically equivalent to a Spanish 201 course, classes were held Monday through Thursday for four hours each day, and most often used to prepare for the day’s upcoming experiences in the city, as well as to share experiences of the previous day.
Planned guided activities often produced exciting topics for discussion in class, such as the hike up Arenal Volcano, Costa Rica’s constantly active volcano.
“We saw smoke,” said Ellis, sharing that smoke was a sign that the volcano was letting off steam, allowing tourists to safely visit the site. “But they had to evacuate tourists the following week,” he then added.
The group visited Manual Antonio National Park and the Guanacasta region – both known for their beautiful beaches. Next on the list was a coffee processing plant in San Jose, and a gold museum (the 2nd most important in the world) that produces indigenous artifacts made of solid gold such as miniature jaguars, frogs, and crabs.
“By traveling, living, studying and simply experiencing life in an environment different from one’s own, most students come away with an increase in self-confidence, tolerance for ambiguity, empathy, flexibility, and a lasting impact on their worldview,” said Jen Sydow, SCC’s Education Abroad Advisor.
Students had an opportunity to use their “survival” skills in addition to their language skills as they participated in a customized version of The Amazing Race. For this activity, students were divided into several teams - armed simply with instructions and bus fare. Their goal: go downtown, follow the instructions, complete the task, and return to ‘base camp’.
Unplanned activities also allowed students to sharpen their language skills, such as the day they happened to meet up with Ulatina’s ESL students who were in the process of learning English. “They helped each other,” said Ellis. 
While in Costa Rica, each student kept a journal to identity words they needed to describe their experiences. By the end of their trip, students had learned close to 1,000 new words from their daily experiences.
“Everyone acquired new words and could share all their experiences,” said Ellis. “Learning was student-generated - based on what they needed.”
Prior to leaving for Costa Rica, SCC hosted two pre-departure orientations to ensure a successful trip. According to Ellis, orientations are helpful in building a classroom community prior to the trip. “They knew each other before they left for Costa Rica,” he said
Ellis also conducted post-travel meetings in which students were able to express concerns, share positive experiences, and give the trip a sense of closure.
“I learned a lot as well, as much or more than the students,” remarked Ellis about his experiences in Costa Rica. “It is a great experience for faculty. If they have the opportunity, they shouldn’t think twice.”
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About Scottsdale Community College:
Scottsdale Community College offers over 1,500 academic and non-credit classes each semester. Located on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, the campus is known for its serene atmosphere and beautiful plant and wildlife. With nearly 12,000 students, Scottsdale Community College is proud to offer high-quality, affordable programs in small class settings. From Motion Picture/Television Production and Culinary Arts to Nursing and American Indian Studies, students have a wide variety of programs from which to earn credits for university transfer, launch their careers, train for new ones, or pursue a special interest. The SCC Business Institute offers customized programs to meet the needs of local business. Scottsdale Community College is one of the ten Maricopa Community Colleges.
To learn about the many academic programs at Scottsdale Community College, call us at (480) 423-6000 or visit our website at www.scottsdalecc.edu.
Media contact:
Denise Kronsteiner
(480) 423-6567
denise.kronsteiner@sccmail.maricopa.edu
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