Costa+Rica

= Costa Rica Project =

Costa Rica may be a small country, but it offers a wide variety of climates and activities. Which area of Costa Rica and which activities are most appealing to you?
 * You will read authentic documents
 * You will view video clips
 * You will acquire vocabulary necessary to talk about planning a trip and to talk about a trip upon your return
 * Review common verbs -- hay, ser, estar
 * Review adjective agreement
 * Use present tense -- especially IR + a + infinitive
 * Use preterite tense

Are You an 'Ugly American'?
Read this article from Yahoo

Before you start the project:
 * 1) Test your 'Tico' IQ
 * 2) View a video clip about [|la naturaleza] in Costa Rica.
 * 3) View a video clip about [|la cultua y las provincias]de Costa Rica.
 * View from 0:00 to 1:11
 * View again and write down Spanish words & phrases that you know & recognize
 * View two more times and continue to add to your list
 * View from 3:00 to 4:10--first time simply watch then view three more times as you write down Spanish words & phrases that you recognize

4. Read this [|itinerary] for a trip to Costa Rica
 * Highlight all of the __ideas__ that you can understand.
 * Fill out the //formulario de solicitud// on the back page

You have been assigned a new project!
 * You work for a Costa Rican travel company that has been hard hit by the worldwide economic crisis. In order to increase revenue (and keep your jobs), your work team has been asked to create a new 8-day itinerary for Costa Rica that will appeal to one of the specific markets below.
 * Serious students of the Spanish language from the U.S. who wish to be immersed in the language and culture, and make connections with the Costa Rican people
 * Teenagers from Spain (ages 15-18 ) who would like a mix of adventure and culture in a different hemisphere
 * Spanish-speaking biologists from throughout Latin America who would be interested in an overview of Costa Rica’s conservation efforts through land reserves and protection of endangered species
 * Extreme sport enthusiasts who have an understanding of Spanish as they know it is necessary to allow them to get off the beaten track to pursue their interests in surfing, cycling, bungee jumping, hiking, running, etc.
 * Bilingual U.S. business owners who are looking to gain an awareness of Costa Rica as well as new opportunities for manufacturing, technology, agriculture, etc
 * People looking to escape the pressures of city living and immerse themselves in a new culture, language, and low key lifestyle
 * Spanish-speaking chefs and restaurant owners from the U.S. who are looking to expand their menus and restaurant appeal; they need an awareness of the country as they consider different dishes to offer, ideas for restaurant decor, perhaps even moving their restaurant into more of a “concept”
 * Photographers and videographers from Mexico who could take advantage of the beauty of Costa Rica’s people and scenery to create amazing work
 * A market identified by your team that does not appear on this list

__Process:__
 * 1) Your team will select a market they wish to target and develop an 8-day itinerary that would serve its particular needs and interests. Good salespeople research their clients as well as the product they wish to sell them, so you will need to give some thought to the types of people who make up your market segment.
 * 2) Once you know more about your potential clients, conduct research and construct an itinerary that will appeal to their interests. Your itinerary must include detailed descriptions for each day of the trip including travel arrangements on Day 1 and Day 8.
 * 3) You will make a presentation to your Spanish-speaking Board of Directors and perhaps even some market research groups composed of people similar to those who you are targeting. Since your job is on the line, your presentation will be in the best format as decided upon by your team to convince the board that this itinerary should be offered in the company’s new fiscal year.

Itinerary Requirements Sample Itinerary

__Assessment:__ Scoring Guide for Itinerary Scoring Guide for Presentations
 * Itinerary--Each team member detailed two days of the trip and contributed to the map, list of sources, airline info., and page that lists each person's efforts.
 * Group presentation of the itinerary (see #3 above)

__Sitios de Interés:__

Teatro Nacional |[]]] Arenal/Baldí |[]]] Parque Turu Bar Ri |[]]] Río Pacuare |[]]] [|more cool places to visit and things to do in Costa Rica]

[|additional links]'

__Other Resources to check out by googling these topics:__ Travel Companies in Costa Rica Language Schools

//Here's a link to the school in Costa Rica// [|iclc.ws]