If you are an advanced student of Spanish, we highly recommend that you consult the dictionary of the “Real Academia Española” (www.rae.es/RAE/Noticias.nsf/Home?ReadForm). It’s a free resource and is all in Spanish. You can look at the meaning of a word in Spanish and find its root and different ways of expressing it in Spanish. This resource is wonderfully enlightening, especially if you are immersing yourself in literature or poetry in Spanish. This “diccionario” is a true gem.

I love this free translation dictionary (www.wordreference.com), because it not only translates but also shows you alternate uses of a word. In some cases, you can even hear the pronunciation. It’s a great resource.

When it comes to translating idiomatically rather than literally, “el diccionario reverso” is my favorite online resource (diccionario.reverso.net). It translates idioms and gives a substantial list of idioms derived from your initial question. This resource can enrich and expand your idiomatic vocabulary. Give it a try!

If you go to Costa Rica with us, we will incorporate many of the programs offered by ATEC (Talamancan Association of Ecotourism and Conservation) into our program. This amazing nonprofit organization fosters eco-tourism in our favorite part of Costa Rica, the Southern Caribbean. If you are not taking one of our Language Immersion trips to Costa Rica, but would like to immerse in the culture of Talamanca, please consider what ATEC has to offer. www.ateccr.org

Live the Language has offered Spanish classes at the Montessori House of Children (MHOC) since 2002. Our son attended this amazing school for four years. We were very happy with the Montessori House of Children’s nurturing environment. The teachers at MHOC prepared our son to transition smoothly into Kindergarten. We highly recommend MHOC to parents who want their children to grow in an environment where their children can feel at home and develop confidently while learning to become self-reliant. Check out the MHOC’s website: montessoriaustin.com

If you ever want a unique, astonishing, and artistic website that meets your needs, we recommend that you hire the guru of multimedia design, Russ Smith. You will be glad you did. Check out his amazing designs and photography at ChocolateMedia.com

Our Creative and Culinary Director, Marshall Ryan Maresca, is also a playwright and a novelist. Check out his writing website and blog at www.mrmaresca.com