ISV is pleased to provide participants with a wonderful opportunity to extend and enhance their experience in Costa Rica with Spanish language and Latin dance lessons while living with a local host family. Last year we offered this option for the first time to Australian and New Zealand participants, and the evaluations from those participants were outstanding, with all participants rating this option as 4.9/5

Who is this for?
This opportunity is optional and is open to all ISV participants travelling to Costa Rica in 2008/09 regardless of their Spanish language skills; beginner, intermediate and advanced Spanish language lessons are available.

Why should I participate?
This is an invaluable opportunity for participants to develop and/or improve their Spanish language skills prior to beginning their ISV Volunteer Project, and includes an exciting introduction to Costa Rican culture.

What is included?
Participants who choose to take advantage of this option will fly into San Jose, Costa Rica on Sunday, five days before their ISV Program begins and experience:

• 5 days and 5 nights living with a Costa Rican host family, including two meals a day in their home
• 20 hours of Spanish language lessons for all levels
• 7.5 hours of local Latin dance lessons
• An authentic Costa Rican cooking lesson

Spanish Lesson Participants will be met at the San Jose airport by their host family and taken to their home in the area of Heredia (a suburb of the capital city of San Jose). Participants will be responsible for arranging transportation to the Hotel America in central Heredia on Friday afternoon for the ISV Orientation meeting (note: the Language School is only four blocks from Hotel America). All ISV participants will stay at Hotel America on Friday night and depart for their volunteer projects on Saturday morning.

What is the cost?
The cost for this option is $395 AUD

What about flights?

Those participants travelling to Costa Rica earlier than the scheduled start date for the ISV program in order to participate in the Spanish lesson option may arrange their group flight through ISV as follows:

Depart AUS	Arrive in San Jose, Costa Rica	To join project for the departure date
15/11/08	4pm on 16/11/08	20/11/08
29/11/08	4pm on 30/11/08	4/12/08
27/12/08	4pm on 28/12/08	1/1/09
10/1/09	4pm on 11/1/09	15/1/09

There are no group flights available for participants wishing to participate in Spanish lessons and joining the 20 November project start date.

What if I am arranging my own flight?
arranging their own flight must arrive before 4pm on the following dates:

Arrive in San Jose, Costa Rica	To join project for the departure date
4pm on 16/1/08	20/11/08
4pm on 30/11/08	4/12/08
4pm on 28/12/08	1/1/09
4pm on 11/1/09	15/1/09

There are no group flights available for participants wishing to participate in Spanish lessons and joining the 20 November project start date.

How do I sign up?
Please email the office – isvaustralia@isvonline.com enter “Spanish Lesson Sign Up” in the subject field of the email.

Copy and paste the following into your email and complete your details.

Name:	....
ISV ID No:	ISV
Departure Date:	Costa Rica
Deposit:	$100 AUD (non refundable deposit to secure your place)
Payment Method:	(Send cheque or postal order/online deposit/credit card payment)

Please remember to include your surname and ISV ID number in all online payments so we can easily identify and assign your payments. The balance will be due with all other program costs on or before 65 days prior to departure.

What next?
Please complete the online reservation form. This provides your homestay family and our Costa Rica office with information about you and you will receive information about your homestay family closer to your departure date.