COSTA RICA JOURNAL — Learning English is now so common in Costa Rica that most language centers become money making machines where students are offered anything from classes on Sundays to speaking fluently in 3 months. However, the learning of a language is an excellent opportunity to do more than just improve economic conditions by way of increasing access to better jobs. That’s where Living Rooms makes the difference.
[su_pullquote class=”H2″]Living Rooms has launched a campaign to raise funds: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/help-living-room-expand-english-global-education/x/8604126, looking for cool people who can donate or share their story. [/su_pullquote]Opened in June, Living Room is much more than a learning center located in Heredia. Lives are being changed with the acquisition of English or Spanish, conversation practice, pronunciation techniques and more. We believe in building community to foster global understanding and communication.
Relax and learn is our motto. We teach Language for Change both online and at our school. Our classes take place in a comfortable home environment that simulates the way we all first learned languages. Forget about boring desks and hierarchical structures. Our living rooms have chairs, and sofas and we always share a cup of coffee or tea.
Another aspect that differentiates us is our community involvement. We created the Angela García Scholarship for underprivileged children who have the chance to learn the language and come in contact with our volunteers from different countries. Right now, three school-aged kids are getting an opportunity of a lifetime.
To continue with our community involvement, we created a GoFundMe campaign. We also want to be able to offer underprivileged kids and youth in the USA the chance to learn Spanish online and get to know more about our culture, as a way to expand their worldview. We believe that cultural understanding is key to creating a more peaceful future.
Living Room is the dream child of a gringa and a tica. Clover Johnson and Sandra Argüello met when the latter was coachsurfing in Chicago six years ago. Their combined experience in teaching, writing, social work, and dance have allowed them to enrich their approach to teaching languages.
To support us and learn more, visit: http://www.gofundme.com/exjf8o or find us on Facebook under Livingroomcr.
