Studying Spanish Abroad
By: Joe Volz Source: AARP.org Date Posted: 2006-11-09 14:47:05.060238-05:00
By Joe Volz
Why Spanish?
Spanish is the world’s third most spoken language, after Mandarin Chinese and English, and ranks second in terms of native speakers. Polish your grammar and soak up another culture – it’s the perfect intergenerational vacation.
A vacation studying Spanish abroad combines learning the language with immersion into a new culture, compatible company, and a real escape from everyday life. A friend, Cecile, reports back that the Spanish classes she took in San Miguel de Allende in Mexico not only provided a new experience with new friends, but launched her into learning another language.
And there’s always the lure of local culture to tempt a teenager to come along on the adventure.
Getting Started
Guidebooks to individual Spanish-speaking countries are one source of information on schools. The Web is another. As The People’s Guide to Mexico puts it, language schools in Mexico and Central America are "a minor industry." In the chapter on Mexican language schools, the book recommends referral/booking services such as AmeriSpan.
Another source of information is Berlitz Study Abroad, which offers classes in different languages at 29 different locations around the world. With 128 years of experience, Berlitz offers Spanish classes in locations from Barcelona, Spain, on the Mediterranean to Viña del Mar, Chile, on the Pacific.
For a different learning experience, check out COSI, a Spanish language school in Costa Rica. According to its website, it offers classes in San Jose, the country’s capital, and at Manuel Antonio National Park (beach and rain forest) on the Pacific Coast. It also offers college credit to eligible students of all ages.
San Miguel de Allende
San Miguel de Allende suited Cecile because of its climate, size, and variety of activities. The local boast is that there are as many clubs as churches and every day is a fiesta. The latter is perhaps a stretch but there are dozens of boutiques, restaurants, bars, and schools. The beautiful colonial town, declared a national monument in 1926, is in the state of Guanajuato (northwest of Mexico City).
At 7,000 feet above sea level, it has mild climate year-long, charming (but narrow and steep) cobblestone streets, and is very walkable. It is home to a large community of foreign residents and attracts many English-speaking tourists. However, it is definitely Mexican.
During the mornings, Cecile practiced rusty high school Spanish with a teacher recommended by the Instituto de Allende, one of several language and arts schools in the town. In the afternoons, she explored the shops and art galleries or hired a car and driver for nearby sights.
After dinner, she often gravitated to the main plaza, El Jardin, where babies, grandparents, and everyone in-between played music, danced, ate, and drank through the cool evenings. Even teenagers joined in and Cecile vowed to return with older grandchildren, whose high school Spanish isn’t a distant memory.
Learning Options
Obviously, the more intense the instruction, the faster you’re likely to learn. Total immersion is just that—you speak, hear, and hopefully think Spanish for the entire day. With one-on-one private instruction, you benefit from being the only student. Interaction in small groups with similar fluency levels can also be stimulating. What suits your style, pocketbook, and time commitment?
Come to Costa Rica
For a different learning experience, check out CPI, a Spanish language school in Costa Rica. It offers classes close to San Jose, the capital city, near the cloud forests of Monteverde and at the beach on the Pacific Coast in Flamingo. New additions are programs catering to mature students an option for student apartments in addition to the traditional home stay.
Homework
Many schools have websites. Sorting through the volume of information is the first priority. Here are some considerations:
- Location, location, location. Depending on your interests and budget, you have many choices for locations.
- What is the philosophy about teachers using English extensively with students?
- How old is the school? Does it offer references?
- How large are the classes? How experienced is the faculty?
- What is a typical school day’s schedule?
- Does the school organize field trips?
- Is there a minimum attendance? Must one start at the beginning of a session?
- What is the minimum age for students? If an adult must accompany a minor, must the adult also enroll in the school?
- Will I, or accompanying family member, receive college credit?
- How far is the hotel/host family from the school? Can I walk?
Links
Books
Find these books online at Borders.com
The People’s Guide to Mexico: Wherever You Go … There You Are!!
Carl Franz, Avalon Travel Publishing, July 2002
In-Flight Spanish: Learn Before You Land
Random House Inc. Staff, Suzanne E. McGrew (Editor) Format: Compact Disc 1 CD, 1 hour, Random House, Incorporated, June 2001
The Plain Truth about Living in Mexico: The Expatriate’s Guide to Moving, Retiring, or Just Hanging Out
Doug Bower, Cindi Bower, Universal Publishers, July 2005
The 500 Best Ways for Teens to Spend the Summer Language programs in Spain
Princeton Review, February 2004
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