Spanish Immersion Trip for Adults Registration & Payments

Spanish Immersion for Adults

(20 customer reviews)

Make your payments for the Spanish Immersion for Adults program here!

The minimum deposit* to reserve your spot on the Spanish Immersion for Adults program is $500. If you would like to pay more than the minimum deposit payment for this trip, you may increase the quantity of the $500 payment, or you may enter a more specific amount by selecting the Remaining Balance Payment* option.

Winter ’25 Costa Rica Programs:

  • 1wk CR: 2/1/25 – 2/8/25
  • 2wk CR: 2/1/25 – 2/15/25
  • 3wk CR: 2/1/25 – 2/22/25
  • 4wk CR: 2/1/25 – 3/1/25
  • 5wk CR: 2/1/25 – 3/8/25
  • 6wk CR: 2/1/25 – 3/15/25

Summer ’24 Ecuador (EC) Trip Dates:

  • 1wk programs: 6/15/24 – 6/22/24 | 6/22/24 – 6/29/24
  • 2wk program: 6/15/24 – 6/29/24

Summer ’24 Combo Ecuador & Costa Rica (EC & CR) Programs:

  • 2wk program: 6/22/24 – 7/6/24
  • 3wk program: 6/15/24 – 7/6/24 | 6/22/24 – 7/13/24
  • 4wk programs: 6/15/24 – 7/13/24 | 6/22/24 – 7/20/24
  • 5wk programs: 6/15/24 – 7/20/24 | 6/22/24 – 7/27/24
  • 6wk programs: 6/15/24 – 7/27/24 | 6/22/24 – 8/3/24

Summer ’24 Costa Rica (CR) Trip Dates:

  • 1wk programs: 6/29/24 – 7/6/24 | 7/6/24 – 7/13/24
  • 2wk programs: 6/29/24 – 7/13/24 | 7/6/24 – 7/20/24
  • 3wk programs: 6/29/24 – 7/20/24 | 7/6/24 – 7/27/24
  • 4wk programs: 6/29/24 – 7/27/24 | 7/6/24 – 8/3/24
  • 5wk programs: 6/29/24 – 8/3/24 | 7/6/24 – 8/10/24
  • 6wk program: 6/29/24 – 8/10/24

What is the registration & trip preparation process like?

There are a handful of steps that start with payment today to reserve your spot on the upcoming trip:

Step 1: Reserve your spot by making payment here on this page

Step 2: Fill out your travel registration (Contact information, passport details, emergency contact, program goals, etc). We’ll send you the link.

Step 3: Find flights into CUE (Airport in Cuenca, Ecuador) or SJO (Airport in San José, Costa Rica) depending on your program.

Step 4: Start your pre-departure course to get ready for your trip!

Step 5: Work with your travel team to prepare your outreach projects

Need to review details of the Adult Spanish Immersion trip, click here to go back to the Adult Spanish Immersion Trip description

SKU: adultimmersion Category:

20 reviews for Spanish Immersion for Adults

  1. Laura Whiting

    This was an intense and fantastic program. I am a low intermediate, Spanish speaker, and it had been many years since I had done any formal Spanish learning. The program is very well run from start to finish. Leslie and Rory make you feel welcome and are attentive to each students needs. The quality of the teachers was exceptional. The optional excursions were well chosen. Living with a host, family truly added depth to the experience and made me feel like a member of the community. I met several people who are passionate about learning Spanish. I highly recommend this program!

  2. Phil D

    I spent a week with Common Ground Intl in Costa Rica. In short, it was a great experience. I am an intermediate Spanish speaker. I was looking for an immersion program where I could perform volunteer activities and improve my Spanish. This was the perfect trip for me. The program is very well run and the people are friendly and capable. This trip checked all of the boxes for me. I had the opportunity to improve my comfort level speaking Spanish and contribute to the community in Costa Rica.
    If you are able to take two or more weeks, I would encourage it.

  3. Bob Whitecotton

    Choosing a Spanish language school is not a simple task and requires a fair amount of research because it involves a significant financial investment: airfare, tuition, adventure trips, and living expenses among others.

    1. The first consideration should center on the school itself. What are the teacher’s qualifications, typical class size, hours of instruction, the online reputation of the school, placement process, location – proximity to housing, individual vs. group classes, and many others of lesser importance?
    2. What are the living accommodations options that are available is another vital criterion. Do they offer host families, apartments, hotel rooms, etc.? What are the arrangements for eating, getting around, and of course laundry, especially if you’re going to be there for more than a week?
    3. What is the overall structure and is it flexible? We all have some concept of what we expect but expectations are not always reality. So, can it adapt to make an on-site reality better meet someone’s expectations quickly and without a lot of muss or fuss?
    4. You’re going to be in a foreign country and everyone wants to see more than just a classroom. So what trips or adventures are offered both during the week and on weekends to provide a more immersive cultural experience?
    5. Finally is it just a school or is it a program? If it is a program, how many years of experience do they have and what does the program encompass? Evaluating a school is a much simpler process.

    Having participated at another Costa Rican school prior to the pandemic, I used that experience to search for another option – a program. The 5 criteria above served as the initial basis for my research. However, more importantly, my research led me to select the Common Ground International (CGI) program, rather than just another school. I’ll spend this time describing my experience at CGI rather than my research findings.

    CGI is a program, by that I mean, it has been designed to provide a comprehensive language and cultural immersion experience across many daily elements. Yes, it incorporates an incredible school called Lapa Verde. The school has probably more than a dozen classrooms and many extensively qualified and devoted teachers. Most groups I witnessed, were small (4 or less) and able to address any level of student need – from absolute beginner to the most advanced Spanish speaker. My teacher had over 20 years of teaching experience and he was exemplary and engaging in every aspect- beyond my expectations.

    And yes, they also have an extensive array of host families intended to extend the language immersion experience beyond just 4 hours of school each weekday and of course, to provide a pleasant living setting once you leave the school. Host families for less knowledgeable students can speak some English; however, more advanced students live with families with little or no English language knowledge thus providing an environment to further enhance the learning experience in a day-to-day setting. My host family could only say “Yes.” Our daily conversations about family, friends food, and lives were a tremendously helpful learning situation. Since the host family provides two meals a day, you will learn Costa Rican cuisine. In my 4 weeks, I was never served the same dinner twice, greatly enhancing my culinary experience of Costa Rican cooking – I enjoyed each and every dinner.

    CGI has for some years involved the program in a local group called CEDCAS. CEDCAS works with immigrants (adults & children) who live in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Costa Rica. CGI’s program contains elements for medical personnel: doctors, nurses, EMTs, etc.; teachers including grade and high schools, Spanish and ESL teachers; high school students; and ordinary adults like myself. The medical personnel develop programs to educate CEDCAS adults, while the rest of us developed educational programs for the children from the barrio (neighborhood). It is a critical element of the CGI experience that is designed to enhance the language and cultural learning process. Moreover, it is an essential component of Rory’s and Leslie’s desire to give back to their Costa Rican friends and family. Every student participates in one of the programs to expand the learning process and as part of also giving back to the community

    Unexpected stuff happens! When there are some 100 students across 6-weeks not everything will happen as the great planning attempts to anticipate; however, how and how quickly a program responds to correct such unanticipated events reflects on its maturity and leadership. Yes, everything didn’t go as planned but the CGI team responded with speed and alacrity to successfully address a few issues. Moreover, even the most casual suggestion was met with a serious effort to effect the suggestion – no matter how minor. Rory and Leslie want every student’s experience to exceed their expectation in every way. This maturity and leadership style has been developed over 20 years of running the CGI program in several Latin American countries.

    The CGI program also is designed to allow students to explore Costa Rica from the Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean Sea; from surfing lessons to watching Greenback turtles lay their eggs, from visiting coffee farms and watching production and tasting fresh brewed to learning how chocolate is made, from hiking volcanoes to plunging down a zip line in a rain forest, from seeing rare reptiles to listening to howler monkeys in an verdant forest. They offer the full spectrum of whatever Costa Rican adventure you might desire all the while expanding your language and cultural knowledge.

    Is this program for everyone – clearly it is not? The program provides the broadest educational elements possible to enhance a student’s educational requirements from both language and cultural perspectives. It is both intensive and totally immersive – from morning until you go to bed at night. Clearly, not every interaction is in Spanish with students who have such a broad range of language knowledge; however, everyone attempted to speak Spanish whenever possible – we were all there to learn Spanish to the fullest extent possible. Rory and Leslie subscribe to that philosophy completely such that they use every minute to encourage speaking Spanish whenever possible – to great effect.

    If you truly want to experience language immersion that includes service projects to help local Costa Ricans, daily conversations with native Spanish speakers, learning from top-rated Spanish teachers, and adventures you might have never imagined, then CGI is the program for you. Learning a language is not easy but CGI makes the process fun, exciting, and enjoyable. If you just want to attend a language school for 3 hours a day, there are many other options and I would not suggest the CGI program.

    One final note, I attended this summer during the rainy season which was a concern. Throughout the month of July, I used my rain jacket once. Most rains occurred while we were in class, which might have been 5 times.

  4. Tom Postlewaite

    Want to improve your Spanish, experience life living with a Costa Rican family, have the opportunity to participate in amazing adventures, and meet and pass time with devoted amicable people? This is it! I have participated in three other amazing immersion programs, all were rewarding. CGI, however, raised the bar for me. The directors, Rory and Leslie, have amazing super powers for running a professional and personal immersion program. All the elements of CGI were five-star (the classes, the instructional staff, the supportive staff, the pre-trip communication (and during), the host family, the adventures, and the service with CEDCAS). From my first contact with Rory to nuestras despedidas, I felt genuinely cared for).
    Para mi aprendizaje del español, me sentí felizmente desafiado y estoy agradecido por las mejoras. No fue solo en nuestras clases de la tarde, pero el maravilloso tiempo con nuestra familia tica. Era español 24/7.
    Lo más destacado para mi esposa y para mí fue la oportunidad de participar en el programa CEDCAS, compartimos una actividad, ¡en español!
    ¿Consideraría volver a participar? ¡En un instante! ¡Gracias CGI por enriquecer nuestra vida! Pura vida!

  5. Stacey

    One of the best experiences of my adult life. The program was well run and organized and exceeded my expectations on every level. The Foster family treated us like family, and no detail was missed. I will do another trip in the future and would recommend this to anyone with a desire for fun, adventure, knowledge and getting outside of your comfort zone. I can’t say enough about how wonderful this program is.

  6. Lou Ionis

    I thoroughly enjoyed the immersion experience that CGI created for me. It delivered on everything I was looking for –> cultural exposure, social interactions, helping the community and learning a ton of Spanish! They handled everything for me – I had no worries and always felt safe & secure.
    I would 100% do it again.

  7. Mark Morris

    Beautiful country and beautiful people. Great experience!

  8. Tanah Wagenseller

    I went to Costa Rica with Common Ground and loved every minute! The program is accessible, and the Fosters are very accommodating. I highly recommend especially if you want to improve your Spanish!

  9. Cheryl Gilbert

    I traveled with Common Ground International medical immersion program in July 2021. The trip was fantastic and I am so glad that I went. I was hesitant before the trip because of the hassle factor, expense and the fact that I had not traveled out of the US in at least 30…yes thirty years. I wanted to improve my Spanish and felt like I was at a point where using Spanish was the only way I was going to succeed. The details of the trip were well thought out and things went quite smoothly. At my age, 63, I wasn’t sure that living in someone else’s home was going to be comfortable but the host family was very welcoming and I felt very much at home. The language instruction was on point but the opportunity to use Spanish in my host families home and in every day life was even more valuable. I had a fantastic time and felt like my time and money were well invested.

  10. Kathi Van Eepoel

    Donde? Where to begin with my review—the great Pre-Immersion course that allowed me to be more than adequately prepared to travel alone to Costa Rica? Or, the Travel Spanish course that Rory and staff made available right when I needed it? Then there is the actual Lapa Verde Language School in Santo Domingo that is run by top notch educators with a passion for sharing their experience with students at every level of Spanish language base. They assess and then assign you right where you need to be—-for me, the very beginning. My instructor, Karen, was gracious, kind and firm. All necessary skills for dealing with pre-schoolers! Then, I could move on to my wonderful host “mama”. While we are in different generations, she was able to bridge the gap and make me feel welcome while also encouraging me to “stay in Spanish” in the evenings. Last but not least, by any means, the wonderful excursions, all while spending time with the extraordinary Foster family and other immersion students. To say it was the “trip of a lifetime” seems to fall short of the impact these past two weeks have made in me—booking my next trip(s) as soon as I finish posting this review!

  11. Margaret Engasser

    Just returned from a 2-week immersion with Common Ground, in Costa Rica. The trip exceeded my expectations in so many ways! I felt well-prepared when I left home because the pre-departure information was very detailed. My Tico family was wonderful, and helped me practice over delicious, home-cooked breakfasts and dinners. From the language classes, to learning to cook gallo pinto, to the weekend trip to Manuel San Antonio National Park, the trip challenged me to keep up in Spanish, but never left me feeling overwhelmed. This is a first-rate program. Thank you Rory, Axa, my fellow students and everyone at LV!

  12. charles simpson

    I give Common Ground International Spanish Immersion in Costa Rica the highest recommendation. I went with my very nervous 13 and 15 year olds who had only had taken very limited classroom Spanish. Within 24 hours my kids were comfortable with the school and home. The family run business makes you feel like you are part of the family. The class room sessions were intense and long, but this program is to put your Spanish on a steep learning curve. The host family was warm, nurturing, and really contributed to our dramatic increase in our spoken language skills. The weekend excursions were fun filled, perfect for kids with short attention spans! I don’t know how the Fosters keep the pace! I guess the fact that they have similar aged kids gives them great perspective and drive to give these trips their all! In short, we really missed the program once we left and vacationed on our own. However, we were departed with the gift of increased Spanish fluency which we greatly enjoyed during our travels.

  13. Penny Rucks

    My husband and I participated in Common Ground International’s 4-week Spanish Immersion Program in Costa Rica the winter of 2019. Everything about that experience exceeded expectations, from the quality of pre-immersion material and availability of CGI staff to field questions before we left, to the expertise of our instructors in country, and the effectiveness of the classes. My speaking ability moved from almost nil to good-enough to engage with Spanish speakers at home – and read,! However it is the people we met during our volunteer experiences, our host family, and fellow students, that I will remember most.

  14. Mike Rucks

    Perfect experience. Four weeks in Costa Rica with a host family as a “general” student. The medical group was a real treat to meet, but did their own morning projects. Everyone together from 1-5 at Lapa Verde language class. I got 80 hours of instruction in 100% Spanish from Sandra as the only student. Amazing experience. Volunteer projects in the morning were challenging and highly rewarding. Weekend trips were a marvel of organized adventure led by Rory, aka Señor Látigo. Host family was a total treat. If you’re looking for a Spanish language and cultural experience, they’re waiting for you. Went with my wife. We’re 72 and all the younger medical students were really fun to be around. Even had a couple really interesting doctors. Quite a group.

  15. Lauralette

    Awesome 3 week Spanish immersion experience in Costa Rica through Common Ground International. I am glad that I chose to do my Spanish immersion in Costa Rica and stay with a host family. The leaders at Common Ground International were professional, welcoming and attentive. The Teachers were patient and encouraging. My goal was to obtain a better understanding of Spanish verbs so I can increase in my Spanish conversation level. Costa Rica offers endless opportunities to learn about their rich culture and history while learning the language all at the same time. The natives were friendly and warm and easily ready to assit you if you had any questions. It was also easy to get around and I also felt safe. My host mother was amazing and made my stay a pleasant one, she encouraged me to speak in Spanish and introduced me to many native dishes. She was a wonderful host and great cook. And I cannot forgot I met some awesome people and made a few good friendships along the way. Including my host family’s dog. I left Costa Rica with a better understanding of Spanish verbs, increased vocabulary and the ability to converse with more confidence.

    I recommend you try it.

    Pura Vida

  16. S. Rosado

    I attended the immersion program for two weeks and stayed an extra weekend to go on an excursion at the end and it was awesome! The program is very well organized and you get the full experience of practicing Spanish the entire time you are there (classroom, volunteering, group excursions). I’m so impressed on how well the program was organized for every single group – and there were three different groups (maybe more) going from high school, medical-adult, and adult immersion. The program Directors (Leslie and Rory) were always available to answer and/or clarify any questions, help explain things, recommend best eating places, and just made the whole experience amazing! I definitely recommend this program to anyone who is interested in learning spanish – no mater what level you are at – it is good for all levels and they put you in classes tailored just for your learning ability so you succeed while you are there! I also highly recommend doing the excursion to La Fortuna and Tortuguero to see the turtles laying their eggs! 🙂

  17. Alice Yeh

    I had an amazing time with Common Ground for the Adults Immersion trip in Costa Rica. It was an amazing and unforgettable experience! I learned so much Spanish – going from very limited basic vocab to full sentences and basic conversations in 5 weeks. The program is incredibly well organized and a true immersive experience – volunteering in the morning, class in the afternoon, evenings with your host family, and free weekends to travel with the group or do your own thing. I highly recommend it!

  18. Margie Obendorf

    My experience with Common Ground and their immersion program was very positive. Before I arrived I was a little nervous and also wondered if I could gain that much in two weeks. But the hosts, Leslie and Rory, understand well what immersion students go through and quickly helped me feel comfortable. The program is also very full and supports the students efforts to learn Spanish very well. I found that at the end of two weeks I had both picked up more Spanish and become much more comfortable speaking the language than I had hoped. In addition, everyone involved was both helpful and supportive and made for an engaging and happy learning environment. I am very happy that I went

  19. L. Seto

    I attended the immersion for adults for 2 weeks in June of 2016, and I couldn’t have been more satisfied with my experience. I wanted to gain confidence in using the little bit of Spanish I knew (from high school many years ago) in the non-medical hospital setting where I was about to begin work. The leadership of this program was so professional and yet so personally supportive, it made me feel safe to take risks with using my Spanish and exploring away from my English-speaking colleagues.
    I just enrolled in a Spanish class at my local community college and I can’t believe how much more confident I am in knowing how to ask my questions and make comments about the classwork in Spanish—and this is just Spanish 1, second semester! I am planning to return to Costa Rica for another immersion program next summer because of how it stretched me so successfully and yet responded well to my fears and uncertainties along the way. Experiencing the culture and food firsthand through living with a family was definitely the best way to go. My host family and I are still maintaining contact via email.

  20. E. Wells

    The Common Ground International Spanish Immersion trip was a trip of a life time. It is well organized, but be ready to be busy. There is little down time! San Isidro de Heredia is a wonderful town. Big enough to explore, but small enough that it is not overwhelming. My host family was warm and welcoming and made the whole experience even better. I learned a lot everyday and felt I was able to use what I learned while I was in Costa Rica. ELEC school was also a great experience. The teachers were professional and well prepared and the teacher to student ratio allowed for individualized attention while also being able to learn from the fellow students. The school grounds and buildings are beautifully maintained and the view into San Jose is amazing. Saphire is a great leader and is also very open and helpful if you are having any issues or concerns. Overall I was extremely pleased with my Costa Rica immersion trip. I do wish there had been some more time to spend in town and get to know San Isidro de Heredia better and also use some Spanish in an every day setting outside of school and the home stay. However, my three week visit made me feel comfortable that I could go back to visit Costa Rica or another Spanish speaking country and know that I could make my way around and be understood.

Add a review

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Shopping Cart
Browse Store
Close
Scroll to Top