Spanish Study Abroad
Costa Rica


Time Period:
 January and February 2003 (approximately seven weeks in Costa Rica).

Eligibility:
The minimum requirement is completion of Furman’s Spanish 21 course
or the equivalent. Completion of at least one course above the 21-level, preferably Spanish 25, is strongly encouraged.

Director:
A full-time faculty member from Furman’s Spanish staff will be named
program director and will accompany the group to Costa Rica. The director will have the primary responsibility for coordinating the homestay and travel experiences, for supervising the academic program, and for teaching one of the two courses.

Program Description:

This program offers you the opportunity to live abroad for seven weeks, enjoying concentrated exposure to one of Latin America’s most beautiful and most peaceful countries. We provide you the context for maximum interaction with Costa Ricans, hoping that each student will return to Furman with a well-rounded impression of life in Latin America. The program includes homestay with a Costa Rican family (with only one Furman student per family); program excursions to different areas of Costa Rica (rain forests, beaches, and mountains); program day trips (to see historical landmarks in and around San José, volcanoes, etc.; regular and interactive attendance at events and sites of cultural interest; readings in contemporary Spanish-American literature and culture, with special emphasis on Costa Rica; lectures by Costa Rican professionals.

A special feature of this experience is the “Amigos Program,” by means of which four or five Costa Rican college-age youths are employed by Furman to provide conversational interaction, orientation to the youth culture, information about project resources, and opportunities for you to learn first-hand about many facets of life not normally covered in the classroom setting.

Courses Offered:
All participants will be enrolled in the following courses, each of
which provides four semester hours of credit:

  • Spanish 49: Foreign Studies in Spanish Language (4)
    Regular class sessions will be taught by local faculty who are native speakers of
    Spanish. Students will be placed in the language class best suited to their
    experience and ability level. The program director will assign appropriate extra-
    curricular activities and journal entries and determine the final grade in
    conjunction with the teaching faculty. [4 sem. hrs.]
  • Spanish 53: Foreign Study in Spanish American Literature (4)
    This course will provide an overview of contemporary Central American literature focusing primarily (but not exclusively) on the Costa Rican narrative (short stories and novels). Students will read and discuss representative works from some of the region’s most acclaimed writers. Several short papers will be required. Spanish 53 will count as an advanced literature course in the Spanish major. The course will be team-taught by Dr. Bost and Dr. Prince. [4 sem. hrs.]

Approximate Cost:
The last program in Costa Rica (in 2001) cost approximately $7,000. It is reasonable to assume that next year’s program will be slightly higher. However, such factors as the actual number of participants, the future exchange rate between the dollar and the Costa Rican currency, variability in airline rates, and inflation make it difficult to project exactly at this time what the charges will be. A definite fee will be quoted before the first major payment is due in September, 2002.

  • The fee includes the following:
    Tuition and required texts; international air transportation (Miami/San José/
    Miami, or Atlanta/San José/Altanta); homestay and all meals in San José,
    including laundry in the home; program week-end and daily excursions in
    Costa Rica.
  • The fee does not include the following:
    A ir transportation to Miami or Atlanta (from the participant’s hometown) and
    the return trip; souvenirs, entertainment, dry-cleaning; weekend excursions and
    day trips that are not part of the program.

    Special Note:
    The Alden and Johnson Scholarships have been designated for
    Furman’s foreign-study programs. Some students may be eligible to receive
    special loans from the University as well.

The application process will take place in January and February. Successful applicants will be notified by mid-March 2002.

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Department of Modern Languages and Literatures | Furman Hall 210 | Furman University | Greenville, SC 29613 | Telephone: 864-294-2108