Rustic Pathways Language Immersion Programs for Teens are supervised programs for students ages 14 to 18 that combine at least 40 hours of formal language instruction with daily opportunities to use the language in real-world situations.
Choose from three programs in Costa Rica, Spain, and South Korea, with Spanish and Korean language options. 2027 Language Immersion program tuition ranges from $4,495 to $5,995, excluding flights to and from the program.
Costa Rican homestay and morning Spanish
Flights to and from the program aren't included.
Flight options include: Chaperoned Group Flight, Independent Flight with Support, or Self-Managed Airfare. You'll choose with your advisor after enrolling.
Spanish homestay in a medieval town
Flights to and from the program aren't included.
Flight options include: Chaperoned Group Flight, Independent Flight with Support, or Self-Managed Airfare. You'll choose with your advisor after enrolling.
40 hours of Korean, two weeks in Seoul
Flights to and from the program aren't included.
Flight options include: Chaperoned Group Flight, Independent Flight with Support, or Self-Managed Airfare. You'll choose with your advisor after enrolling.
Select View Dates on a program card to see 2027 departure dates and current availability.
Compare Rustic Pathways’ three 2027 language immersion programs by their language instruction, immersion format, duration, and tuition.
| Program | Language instruction and immersion format | Class hours | Duration | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spanish Language Immersion in Costa Rica | Study Spanish in level-appropriate classes and live with a Costa Rican host family in Turrialba, using Spanish at home and during activities around town. | 40 hours | 15 days | $4,495 |
| Spain: Spanish Language Immersion | Study Spanish in Sigüenza and live with a Spanish host family, using the language during daily life, cultural workshops, sports, and local activities. | 42 hours | 15 days | $5,995 |
| Korean Language Immersion in Seoul | Take private Korean classes taught only to the Rustic Pathways group, then practice the language during cultural activities and daily life across Seoul. | 40 hours | 14 days | $5,995 |
Students should compare the language, immersion format, class structure, and destination before choosing a program.
Students who want to study Spanish can choose between Costa Rica and Spain. Both combine formal Spanish instruction with a host-family stay, but students experience different regional varieties of the language. In Costa Rica, students hear Latin American Spanish, with Costa Rican vocabulary and pronunciation.
In Spain, students are exposed to Castilian Spanish, where pronunciation and vocabulary differ from much of Latin America. Both programs develop broadly transferable Spanish skills while giving students experience understanding and communicating with native speakers in different Spanish-speaking regions.
Korean Language Immersion in Seoul combines structured Korean classes with practical language use throughout the city.
Spanish Language Immersion in Costa Rica and Spain: Spanish Language Immersion use homestays to make the target language part of everyday life outside class. Students eat meals, spend time, and communicate with their host families in Spanish.
In Seoul, students stay together in a guest house with Program Leaders and practice Korean during cultural activities, meals, commuting, shopping, and other experiences around the city.
The Costa Rica program includes 40 hours of Spanish instruction with students grouped by ability. Spain provides 42 hours of instruction through Segontiae Hispanic Studies, with lessons adapted to student levels and guidelines from their home schools.
The Seoul program includes 40 hours of private Korean instruction taught only to the Rustic Pathways group, which is capped at six students.
Complete beginners can participate in all three programs. Students with previous language study can also study at a level appropriate to their existing skills.
Turrialba offers Spanish practice in a smaller Costa Rican city alongside outdoor activities and daily life with a host family. Sigüenza places students in a small Castilian town with cultural workshops and excursions to Madrid, Toledo, Segovia, and nearby natural areas.
Seoul offers an urban where students practice Korean while exploring contemporary and traditional Korean culture.
Regardless of the language, destination, or immersion format, Program Tuition covers the same core inclusions.
All Rustic Pathways language immersion programs include accommodation, scheduled meals and transportation during the program, scheduled activities, gratuities, Program Leader supervision, and 24/7 emergency support.
Formal language instruction is also included. Spanish Language Immersion in Costa Rica includes 40 hours of Spanish instruction. Spain: Spanish Language Immersion includes 42 hours of Spanish instruction, course materials, and a course diploma. Korean Language Immersion in Seoul includes 40 hours of Korean instruction.
Flights to and from the program, the enrollment fee, travel insurance, medical insurance, passport and visa fees, and health costs are separate. Rustic Pathways requires every participant to carry medical insurance with coverage in the destination country, and strongly recommends travel insurance.
Detailed inclusions and exclusions are listed on: what’s included and not included in Rustic Pathways programs.
Short-term language immersion programs are designed to strengthen speaking confidence, listening skills, and practical conversational ability rather than produce fluency in two weeks. Progress depends on a student’s starting level, participation in class, and willingness to use the language outside the classroom.
Students complete 40 to 42 hours of formal instruction and continue practicing in real situations. That practice can happen over dinner with a host family, while navigating a neighborhood, during a cultural activity, or through everyday interactions in the destination.
The goal is to connect classroom study with real communication so students return home more comfortable listening, speaking, and using the language outside a traditional classroom.
Rustic Pathways combines Program Leader supervision with destination-specific arrangements for language classes, homestays, cultural activities, and structured independent time.
Supervision and accommodation differ by program. Families should review each individual program page for its homestay arrangements, lodging details, participation expectations, and destination-specific supervision.
A language immersion program combines formal language instruction with opportunities to use the language during everyday activities in the country where it is spoken. Rustic Pathways programs pair at least 40 hours of classes with practical language use through homestays, cultural activities, meals, and local interactions.
Rustic Pathways offers Spanish immersion programs in Costa Rica and Spain and a Korean language immersion program in Seoul, South Korea.
Spanish Language Immersion in Costa Rica includes 40 hours of Spanish instruction, Korean Language Immersion in Seoul includes 40 hours of Korean instruction, and Spain: Spanish Language Immersion includes 42 hours of Spanish instruction.
No, students do not need any previous language experience to join a Rustic Pathways Language Immersion program. Complete beginners as well as students with an existing base in the target language can enroll. Language instruction on all programs are tailored to be level-appropriate for all participants. Students should be willing to participate actively in class and use the language outside the classroom.
Students should not expect to become fluent during a 14- or 15-day program. The programs are designed to strengthen listening skills, speaking confidence, practical vocabulary, and students’ ability to communicate in real situations.
No. Spanish Language Immersion in Costa Rica and Spain: Spanish Language Immersion include host-family stays. Korean Language Immersion in Seoul uses a guest house where students stay with their group and Program Leaders.
Rustic Pathways’ 2027 language immersion programs run for 14 to 15 days. Korean Language Immersion in Seoul runs for 14 days, while the Costa Rica and Spain Spanish immersion programs each run for 15 days.
Program Tuition for Rustic Pathways’ 2027 language immersion programs ranges from $4,495 to $5,995. Flights to and from the program, the enrollment fee, travel insurance, medical insurance, passport and visa fees, health costs, and personal expenses are separate.
No. Flights to and from the program are not included in Program Tuition. Families should review the travel information on each program page before booking flights.
Rustic Pathways Program Leaders supervise students throughout scheduled programming. Rustic Pathways maintains a median of one staff member per 4.37 students (4.37:1), with no program exceeding 7 students per staff member (7:1). During homestays, Program Leaders remain based locally and reachable, while structured independent time uses buddy groups, defined boundaries, and meeting points.
Cultural immersion focuses broadly on a destination’s daily life, history, traditions, food, and contemporary culture. Language immersion makes formal language instruction and repeated real-world language practice the central focus of the program.
