Learn a little Spanish

Of the many things you can do to enhance your trip to Costa Rica, the most important is to study Spanish, even if you learn just a few basic phrases. The country will open up to you in direct proportion to how open you yourself are to it, and making an effort to communicate with locals just shows basic respect. Learning a language well is a lifetime endeavor, but even small efforts will yield great rewards.

How to begin? A class…perhaps at a nearby university or language school is a good investment but don’t stop there. Rent movies in Spanish, watch Spanish-language TV and listen to Spanish radio stations. At first it may all sound like gibberish, but without even realizing it you’ll be absorbing the tone and rhythm of the language., In many parts of the United States, there are large communities of Spanish-speaking residents., Perhaps a recent arrival from Central America would like to meet regularly to practice English. You could converse half the time in Spanish, half in English and you’d both be learning a great deal. Or look for children’s books in Spanish-the basic vocabulary is about the right speed for beginners and the illustrations will help fix the vocabulary in your mind.