UGA Costa Rica

Language & Culture Service-Learning

The Language and Culture Service-Learning study abroad program is in its 8th year, and introduces undergraduate and graduate students from any discipline to basic linguistic concepts and theories while exploring through applied activities such questions as: How does language work? How do we learn it? How is language tied to our identities? How do we construct gender through language? What happens (to language and to people) when people who speak different languages come into contact with one another? How does this impact students and teachers in schools? How is globalization impacting the way we talk?

The month-long course runs during second summer session. During that month, the students explore through reflections, discussions and theoretical readings, the nexus between language and culture and how this impacts the teaching of ESL/EFL. As part of the service-learning component, the participating students apply what they are learning in a week-long “English Camp” for local elementary school children. The students develop interactive lessons that integrate the Costa Rican national science curriculum and apply strategies for teaching English to non-native speakers of English. We also talk with a women’s cooperative and a group of local farmers who are developing sustainable agricultural practices to explore how English is impacting their lives and communities. Most of the course is held at the rural UGA Costa Rica campus and the surrounding communities tucked into the mountains around the Monteverde Cloud Forest; however, we also travel to Turrialba in the Atlantic zone to see a “real” Costa Rican city, and finish out the trip at Playa Hermosa, one of Costa Rica’s coastal jewels in the Guanacaste region.

Although participating students may be enrolled in different classes, study abroad is different from "regular"class in that we attempt to make the course a seamless whole, integrating all the program activities into the overall learning experience exploring the role of language in shaping culture and vice- versa. With that in mind, all participating students must enroll in the LLED 4620/6620 - ESOL Service-Learning, which will encompass the work we will be doing in the community and reflections on that work regarding language and culture. In addition, students may choose 1 or 2 of the four content area courses offered: LING 2100 – Introduction to Language; LING(CMLT) 4870/6870 - Language, Gender, & Culture; LLED 5040/7040 - Language & Culture in the Classroom; and, LLED 5730/7730 - First and Second Language Acquisition (these last two are among the 3 ESOL endorsement courses required by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission). A student may take a minimum of 6 credit hours and a maximum of 9.

UGA COSTA RICA CAMPUS

Courses are taught in state-of-the art classrooms and via "living classroom" excursions. All in all, the 155-acre campus is comprised of 36,000 square feet of built space, which includes computer labs, spacious bungalows, a student union, and recreational facilities. Additionally, there are nearly 3 miles of hiking trails throughout the property, along with a working organic farm and reforestation nursery.