Using language purposely is vital. You stop thinking about your pronunciation and your grammatical errors and simply focus on communication. For this reason Irazu encourages professionals to volunteer in their respective fields of expertise. In our increasingly globalized world interaction across cultures within the same professions is very useful and helpful to both parties. We give students the opportunity to work in businesses, primary or high schools, public and private institutions, law firms, clinics and hospitals.
They will listen and hear the language as it is used everyday and really improve their Spanish vocabulary in their area of interest.
Clinics-Hospitals: Assist with patient consultations, offer brief charlas (talks) on areas of interest such as hygiene or vaccination for children and accompany social workers on their visits to homes to evaluate the care provided and to instruct people how to avoid mosquito borne diseases like dengue, bacterial infections, and viruses.
Public-Private Institutions: Help with daily tasks like accounting, reception, filing, and assisting with the public. Interchange knowledge on the use of new technologies.
Teachers: Be a teaching assistant in a class in your field be it English, history, science, Spanish, physical education, etc. Plan special activities, give lectures, play games, have informal conversations etc, Students love to meet and interact with visitors from other countries.
Lawyers: Discuss the similarities and differences in Costa Rican law and the system of your home country. This is an opportunity for your Costa Rican counterpart to practice his English while you practice your Spanish.
National Parks: Experience first hand the marvelous flora and fauna of Costa Rica in parks throughout the country. Help protect all this by helping with administrative functions like taking inventories, or providing information to the site for visitors.
Turtle Protection: Playa Grande in Guanacaste is the traditional breeding ground of the enormous (and endangered) Baula turtle. Help the young turtles begin their perilous journey to the sea. You can also work at Playa Nancite and in Tortuguero on the Caribbean.
Drug and alcohol Rehab: Give brief talks and provide emotional support for people struggling with addictions to alcohol and drugs. This can be an extremely rewarding assignment.
