On returning from the rural stay, students undertake a major research project in the social sciences or humanities related to a theme of the Core Course. Students generally write their research papers in English. Past projects have included studies of the status and rights of women in Costa Rican society, the potential for eco-tourism and the results of the Arias peace plan. This course introduces students to the contemporary literature of the region. Class work includes analysis of poetry, fiction and drama.
Readings are all in Spanish.
Costa Rican authors meet with the class to discuss their work. This course focuses on improving students writing skills through emphasizing good exposition, grammar review and the development of an effective style. The emphasis of this course is on attaining greater fluency through work on pronunciation, vocabulary development and conversational skills.