Twenty-three Elon students and Prof. Gerald Dillashaw are in Costa Rica for the spring semester as part of Elon’s Study Abroad program. The students are living with host families and enjoying this cultural immersion experience.
All students are studying Spanish and selecting other courses from sociology, political science, environmental science, Latin American literature, and a general studies seminar in Costa Rican culture. In addition to the regular classes, there have been weekend excursions to the beautiful Pacific beaches of Manuel Antonio, the cloud forest reserve on Monteverde and the oldest Costa Rica settlements in the Orosi valley. Students taking the environmental science class have collected aquatic insects in the Tirimbina Biological Reserve as part of a study to monitor water quality in the Atlantic rain forest.
The thirteen education majors are engaged in a practicum experience in several Costa Rican schools in San José. The teachers and students in the schools have eagerly welcomed the Elon students and welcome the opportunity to be able to practice their English skills with a native English speaker. In turn, the Elon students are getting plenty of opportunities to practice their Spanish skills with the teachers and the students. From the school experience, the education majors are also gaining deeper insight in to Latino culture which will be of immense value to them in the schools in the United States with the growing Latino population.
After about seven weeks in Costa Rica, the students are comfortable with the city environment of San José and have mastered the public bus system and the taxis so that they are finding many diversions to enjoy. From the students’ comments and writings, it has become apparent that they will be remembering and benefiting from this study abroad experience for many years to come.
Submitted by Janelle Rouse, director of education outreach for the School of Education