NaturalSpanish.com

Living with a Costa Rican family is a great opportunity to get to know the country and learn the language.

Family services include:

o A private room (double beds or single beds)
o Breakfast and dinner
o Either a private bathroom or a shared bathroom (the majority of families share bathrooms)
o Laundry services

Why live with a Costa Rican family?

There are numerous advantages to living with a Costa Rican family. First and foremost, it is a place where you should take advantage of the opportunity to practice your Spanish, besides the fact that you will learn about several cultural aspects such as, the food and patterns of social conduct. However remember, it is up to you to take the maximum from this experience. Through interaction and asking the members of the host family questions, many students have discovered it to be a grand help in furthering their language skills.

The main reason for the diversity in Costa Rica’s weather is the various elevations at which different parts of the country are located. For example Guanacaste has a dry arid climate as it sits on the lowlands, while Montverde a highland city that is misty and foggy throughout the year due to its higher elevation. The Central Valley with San Jose enjoys the best climate in the country as the weather here has an average of 22 degrees Celsius or 72 degrees Fahrenheit and is tempered with a cool coastal breeze. In the highlands the temperature averages 13 degree Celsius, while in the lowlands or at sea level the temperature stays at around 26 degrees Celsius or 79 degrees Fahrenheit, with hot days and sultry evenings.

Puerto Jiménez Offers Quality Dining
at the Edge of Corcovado’s Wilderness

By Dorothy MacKinnon
Special to The Tico Times | editorial@ticotimes.net

The last stop before you drop off the grid, the Southern Zone's Puerto Jiménez is the gateway to the Osa Peninsula's eco-lodges and deserted beaches, and the staging stop for hikers heading into Corcovado National Park.

Hot and dusty, with iguanas basking on the broken sidewalks and scarlet macaws perched in almond trees, this rough-and-ready frontier town is not the first place you'd expect to find decent, let alone excellent, food. Surprise! You can eat remarkably well here.

The newest kids on the Puerto Jiménez culinary block offer an almost cosmopolitan range of good eats, from down-home barbecue pork ribs to real Italian pizza and fresh local seafood, as well as tasty treats from homemade ice cream to brownies, bagels and espresso

¿Hay agua caliente? ¿Cómo se usa?
No hay (papel higiénico, jabón)
Se fue la luz / no hay luz

Is there hot water? How does it work?
There’s no (toilet paper, soap)
The electricity went out

Necesito una habitación doble
¿Cuánto cuesta?
¿Incluye desayuno?
¿Tiene descuentos para estudiantes?
¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta de crédito?
¿Puedo cambiar dólares?
¿Puedo cambiar de cuarto?
Hay muchos mosquitos en mi cuarto.

I need a double room
How much is it?
Is breakfast included?
Do you have students discounts?
Can I pay with credit card?
Can I change some dollars?
Can I move to another room?
There are a lot of moskitoes in my room.

In Costa Rica only very modern buildings have hot water. That’s why electric shower water heater are installed instead. Since electricity is expensive, people try to take a short hot water shower. In the coast, people don’t install these showers because they are used to regular water temperature. Here, it’s also common to take at least 2 showers: one in the morning and one in the evening.

No comprendo, repita por favor.
¿Qué significa ____________?
Una pregunta …
Más despacio, por favor.
Disculpe ...
Disculpe, necesito ir al baño.

Disculpe, necesito agua.
Necesito salir más temprano.


I don’t understand, please repeat.
What’s the meaning of _______ ?
One question …
Slowly, please.
Excuse me ...
Excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom.
Excuse me, I need some water.
I need to leave earlier.

¿Quiere (comer, desayunar)?
¿Le gusta?
Con permiso.
Disculpe, no puedo comer (carne, azúcar)
Está muy rico.
Estoy lleno (a)
Hoy no vengo a cenar.
Soy vegetariano (a)
Estoy a dieta
¿Me regala un poquito de (sal, pimienta, leche)?
¿Puedo servirme más (arroz, ensalada, fresco)?

Traducción

Will you like (to eat, to have breakfast)?
Do you like it?
Excuse me. (to leave the table)
I’m sorry, I can’t eat (meat, sugar)
It tastes very good.
I’m full.
I will not be back for dinner.
I’m vegetarian.
I’m on a diet.
Can I have some (salt, pepper, milk)?

¿Can I serve my self some more (rice, salad, natural juice)?

In Costa Rica, people shake hands when they are introduced in a formal situation. This is not common among young people.

Vocabulario

People: gente
To shake hands (dar la mano)
To introduce someone (presentar a alguien)

Pronombres personales
(Singular)
Yo I
Tú * You (informal)
Usted You (formal)
Él He
Ella She I


Personal pronouns
(Plural)
Nosotros We
Vosotros* You
Ustedes You
Ellos They (femenine)
Ellas They (masculine)


* The pronoun “tú” is not used in C.R. We always say “usted” even in an informal situation. We also use another pronoun for informal or familiar situations that is “vos”, but this is thaught only in advanced levels.

* The pronoun “vosotros” is used only in Spain. In that case, we say “ustedes” in both cases: formal & informal situations.

Alemania Germany
Austria Austria
Canadá Canada
Escocia Scotland
Estados Unidos U.S.A.
Francia France
Inglaterra England
Italia Italy
Japón Japan
Suiza Switzerland

http://www.spanishunlimited.com
http://www.ilovelanguages.com
http://www.learnspanish.com
http://spanish.about.com
http://www.learnspanishtoday.com
http://www.spanish.bz
http://www.spanish.com
http://www.spanishprograms.com/learn/htm
http://www.readspanish.com
http://www.spanishromance.com
http://www.studyspanish.com
http://www.june29.com/Spanish/index.html
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Thebes/6177
http://www.spanish.sbc.edu/Language_sites.html
http://www.fsu.educ/modlang/spcai/coursesite/GrammarExplanations.htm
http://www.elemadrid.com/spanish_language.htm
http://www.sispain.org/english/course/calgary/index.html

The buses have a bar system. As you walk into the bus, there will be two short bars that record the number of people who have entered. You shouldn’t stand between the bars too long because you might have to pay the toll over again and the driver doesn’t appreciate it. Try to bring exact change for the bus toll and in coins. Have your money ready to hand to the drive as they like the process as fast as possible. Pay as you enter and try to not use bills.

* San José’s attractions include the Gold Museum, the Jade Museum, the National Theater, and the Simón Bolívar zoo. www.museosdecostarica.com

*You should be careful to not use jewelry, cameras, clothes, bags, or laptops that might attract attention.

*You shouldn’t walk alone at night. Try not to take taxis alone late at night. Apply common sense and be careful.

*Tourism (El Instituto Costarricense de Turismo, or ICT) in the Plaza de la Cultura located at the corner of Avenida Central and Calle 5.

* Tener + edad
Ella tiene 20 años

* Tener suerte
Mis padres tiene mucha suerte

* Tener prisa
Nunca tengo prisa, soy muy tranquilo

* Tener dolor de...
Los pacientes tienen mucho dolor de cabeza

* Tener sueño
Al mediodía tengo mucho sueño

* Tener pereza
Los estudiantes tienen pereza