Spanish Immersion Touring - The Multi-Country Experience

Peru

A large portion of our clients choose Spanish Abroad as we can offer them a variety of amazing schools in different locations. Since we are an outside unbiased agent for many individually owned schools, you can choose 3 different cities or more and we can arrange for you to study as the best Spanish school in each city. Our online registration even provides up to 3 spots for this very reason.  It is also possible to just give us a call and register for multiple locations by phone. This will give you the opportunity to discuss your options and consider the different choices further. You can reach us by phone at 1-888-722-7623. 

Argentina

You can choose to study for as little as one week in each location or really have some cost savings buy studying for 9 weeks or long with any number of weeks at each location. We will provide you a 5% discount off the total combined program cost for any tour lasting 9 weeks or longer.  Spanish Abroad provides the same cost as the school and does not add on. In some cases we are lower than the school's normal rates for our standard pricing. 

By studying Spanish in multiple locations, you not only are able to experience many different cultures and spectacular sites across Latin America or Spain, you can also hear how Spanish is spoken with slightly different dialects. Latin America including Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean is made of extremely diverse cultures and customs. You can choose among multiple cities in the same country i.e. Cusco and Lima Peru, or choose multiple countries in the same region i.e. Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, or you can just mix it up as you see fit i.e. Chile, Argentina, and then Spain. 

Ecuador

Being able to experience the variety of food, traditions, festivals, and idiosyncrasies will allow you to broaden your immersion experience. This could be more exciting for some rather than just establishing a base in one country which can have its own merits. Obviously this arrangement is not for the faint of heart. There is a good amount of travel involved and not everyone is up for swift changes from one week to the next or even month to month. 

Spanish Abroad will provide you with a swift registration process and confirm your programs within 2 business days, so that you can make all the necessary flight arrangements. We will provide you with a country guide for each location that you are visiting, as well as full details for each Spanish school for which you will be studying. Airport pickups will be arranged in advance with the flight details you provide and accommodation information is provided about 2 weeks prior to the start of each program, at which point you will be ready for the program.

We will also provide emergency phone numbers for the school as well as a 24/7 support line in case you have immediate issues that need to be addressed. Spanish Abroad has over a decade of experience and a staff whose members all have a minimum of 5 years of experience with the company. We will make sure that you have an easy transition with each new location and are prepared prior to the departure to your first location. Read about one of our Spanish student's tour visiting 6 different locations: Jennifer's Multi-Country Experience

Fundamentals for Learning Spanish: Money, Friends, Brains

Papi Blogger has an interesting take on teaching his children why they need to learn Spanish. While there are many aspects to this question, some of the basic aspects come down to education and culture. By learning Spanish you not only gain from the ability to communicate in a different language, but you also build your overall personal skills that you can use in real life scenarios.

He breaks it down to subjects that children can understand including buying toys, making friends, and being smart. I think these aspects make perfect sense to adults but in a more complex perspective that carries over to a better overall life. Sure there are other skills you can gain that bring these same benefits, but learning Spanish through immersion can certainly be one to add to your list.
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Ask The Director - Playa Del Carmen, Mexico

"What makes a Spanish Teacher Amazing in regards to Spanish Immersion" and he provided us with details on the things he looks for when choosing instructors to lead his classes. 

Jose E. Mendez-Monge

In the age of Internet and Playstation, keeping someone interested in learning the intrinsical aspects of a language can be tricky.  Not only do teachers have to be good at explaining things, but nowadays they have to be good actors and entertainers to keep students motivated and persuaded to learn a new language. 

I still remember the old methods of teaching where the teacher stood up in front of the class dictating and the students would repeat after her then copy notes.  There was little interaction between the two, except for the repetitive statements...  now, with the use of Blackberries, Skype, MSN and the Internet, learning Spanish has taken on a different path.  However, one thing has remained constant for proper language immersion...  the need to have a professional involved in the learning process.

The role of the teacher has also changed with times.  Teachers have had to keep up new techniques in order to offer a more dynamic, exciting and challenging program to their students.  That is where an amazing teacher separates him or herself from the rest.  To me, an amazing teacher is always looking for new ways to teach, for improving his or her teaching skills, for bringing the new technologies and new elements into the classroom and for taking the time to learn about his or her student, and to adapt the class to their needs.  It is so important that teachers know their student's desires and their motivations for learning Spanish.  In this aspect, teachers must include a little bit of psychology in their classes, so that they can reach out and make an impact.

An amazing teacher of Spanish will help you learn Spanish but will also make you appreciate the diversity of the language, the culture and the history behind it.  That amazing teacher will guide you through the complicated explanations of the Subjuntivo, while making you enjoy the lyrics of one of Ricardo Arjona´s songs or guide you through Youtube to find a song to sing along.  Internet is an essential tool and an amazing teacher will take advantage of it to explore new areas of language learning, among other things. 

Above all, an amazing teacher is one that understands the needs of the students, can relate to them and can bring the best out of them using the tools available to him or her.  That teacher will be someone that the students will never forget, and will try to imitate in their life. The teacher will show them that Spanish is not just a language, but the representation of an amazing, exciting and incredible culture, one that they too can make their own!  Finally, an amazing teacher will transform his or her students into teachers themselves, motivating others to discover the beauty of the Spanish language!

About the Author: Mr. Mendez-Monge has been the director at our school in Playa del Carmen  for the past 4 years and establishes great bonds with many of the students that study at the school. He has over a decade of experience directing Spanish Schools in Mexico, Spain, and the United States. 

Review about Spanish Abroad: Partner Alert: Spanish Abroad Immersion for Backpackers

Partner Alert: Spanish Abroad Immersion for Backpackers

Thu Sep 02 2010

As with any travel related activity, Backpackers can find the best means of studying Spanish in a full immersion environment without breaking the bank. Antigua, Guatemala is a quaint colonial town 45 minutes outside of Guatemala City that has been a hotspot for backpackers looking to learn Spanish in the quickest means possible at a low cost. Spanish Abroad can make arrangements to have private instruction with 4 hours per day, host family accommodations, and 3 meals per day for only $190 per week. Jesse from Spanish Abroad told us that upon arrival in Guatemala City they will have a driver pick you up and bring you to your host family. The host family experience will provide you with 3 meals per day and a means to practice your Spanish in a practical setting.In the morning the host family will help you find the school. The standard program includes 4 private lessons per day which equates to 4 hours with a 20 minute break. You can opt to take more lessons as you see fit. We asked Jesse for a little more info on the classes... "Our classes focus on conversational Spanish and since it is all one on one, the course will be customized to your individual level and needs including complete beginners. A good portion of time is spent building the formal structure of the language including Grammar and Vocabulary, but you will also take part in a lot of practical conversation to utilize the language in everyday scenarios. Classes run Monday to Friday with host family accommodations starting on Sunday and ending on a Saturday." "Spanish Immersion allows you the experience of learning in a formal setting while having the opportunity to practice the language in a natural setting. Spanish Immersion programs are offered through Latin America as well as Spain. Guatemala offers programs at half the cost of most other locations." The Spanish school also arranges activities outside of class so you can interact with other students including dance or cooking classes, visits to sites of interest, discussions, and town tours. They also arrange weekend excursions at a discount through local travel agencies based on student interest.Additional costs include your airfare to/from Guatemala City as well as airport pickup for $30 each way, and an initial $90 registration fee. They will discount the registration fee to $45 for all qtripper.com members that mention this article.You can register with Spanish Abroad online at: Online Registration or by phone at 1-888-7722-7623.

Happy Labor Day Weekend!

Spanish Abroad would like to wish all of our students a safe Labor Day Weekend!

QTripper.com A Backpacker’s Guide to the World

Any trip requires a multitude of details and gathering of information. The internet, with all its uses, offers all the information and details a traveler could desire, but QTripper presents itself as a web directory with very practical tools to easily find anything you might be looking for. The site is really rich in terms of content and features. It is impossible to mention just everything, but in general terms you have detailed information on various countries in the world, and that information can be accessed as globally or specifically as you want. That is, you can individualize any country that you are keen on visiting, or you can take a more comprehensive approach and take a look at the continent on the whole.

As if all of this weren’t enough, QTripper allows you to add content to the guides by adding Recommendations in the Blog section. This is a great way to log information about your experience studying Spanish Abroad. Anything a user adds gets thrown into the travel guide making it possible for all of us to stay away from tourist traps or head over to where locals go. It allows us to feel like locals when we travel!

Last but not least, a set of travel tools will let you find embassies all over the world along with all the information you could need about airlines and airports. The travel writer in you will enjoy the blog section, which allows you to create scrap book type journals for your trips to share with friends and family. You can also add a Paypal function to receive donations to fund your trip.

End of Summer Savings: 5% Discount on all Programs

LUPE's Corner

Cultural exchange happens everyday. Lupe's corner is devoted to the cultural experience of a native Mexican.

What would life be without a challenge? One of my most important decisions was to move to the United States. It has been difficult at times but overall a very extremely rewarding experience. I still remember when I arrived to Phoenix with the idea of completing a Bachelors Degree in Finance. Looking back in retrospect, I realize I was very naïve. I was younger and I thought everything was a “piece of cake." I never imagined learning English was going to be so much work and more importantly, I never even considered the difference in the cultural aspects.

English was a challenge from the beginning since all I knew how to say was “how are you”. During my first year in college, I took some intensive English classes before taking any other class. As I began to understand English, I became more frustrated. First, I understood what people were saying but I did not know how to answer. Second, sometimes I thought I understood the message but later found out I had not. Third, I always questioned the fact that there were so many grammatical rules but surprisingly enough there were hundreds of exceptions to those rules. However, I was committed to learning English so I immersed myself in the experience. Later, I noticed I was forgetting how to speak Spanish. My family and friends in Mexico used to love making fun of my Spanish while Americans still had no clue that I was actually trying to speak their language. As I became more fluent, I continued to make mistakes mainly with the pronunciation because, again, there are so many ways to pronounce words with the same spelling. I still remember the many embarrassing moments I went through due to mispronunciations. My favorite experience was at a business reunion when I was trying to tell my boss and colleagues that I was having problems “breeding” instead of “breathing”. Needless to say, most people at the reunion thought that I was extremely open about my personal problems.

My problems with the language became more complex as I experienced the cultural aspects. English is a business language and as such it is easy to get to the point. Spanish on the other hand tends to be redundant. Trying to translate Spanish into English can be a disaster, especially when you are still learning English a second language. Often, I found myself saying the same thing over and over without really conveying the message. Quite frankly some people thought I was trying to make up a story and they looked at me with hesitation. While I was trying to get used to the differences in the languages, I was also trying to overcome the solitude. In Mexico, I often visited my friends and neighbors and every time they had something to eat for me. I used to talk for hours because we always had something to say and our relationships were extremely important. Life sure was very laid back, back home. Another cultural aspect, I used to miss is the kiss on the cheek or the big hug when greeting someone. It is funny to think about it but personal interactions are very important for some cultures because it creates a feeling of belonging.

All in all, my experiences were great! English and the cultural aspects were challenging but I learned to go with the flow while enjoying the many benefits of living in another country. Even though it was frustrating and embarrassing to make mistakes, I learn to accept them to become fluent in English. I can’t remember when but one day I stopped judging the way I spoke English and I focused more on understanding my mistakes. As I became more fluent, a new world was open to me. I finally was able to understand the cultural aspects of the American society.

REVIEW FROM REPEAT CUSTOMER!

Why Spanish Abroad? 

My younger son (he's now 25) and I started immersion Spanish classes about 9 years ago and have now gone 4 times, for a total of 16 weeks. We used spanishabroad.com each time. We stumbled across spanishabroad.com the first time, and then continued to use them because they continued to give us a great experience each time. They have always placed us in good schools with good family stays. 

Locations Visited: Spain, Costa Rica, Panama

We've been to a variety of schools including Malaga in Spain, Quepos in Costa Rica, and schools in both Panama City and Bocas Del Toro, Panama. Every school and every city has its own pros and cons. The Spanish Abroad web page actually gives a pretty good idea of what you're getting into at each school, and their staff can refine the information if you ask.  

Personal Suggestions: 

In a small school I would suggest taking private lessons. They're not that much more expensive, and in a small school the group lessons may have to try to accomodate too diverse a set of Spanish levels in order to form a group. You'll be frustrated either way. Either the class is taught way over your head or you have to slow down too much. If you are going for group lessons, the larger schools seem to have enough students and instructors that they can be assured of setting a class where all the students are at your level.

I think the private lessons become more useful and interesting as you become more advanced, as you can focus in on your interests, personal needs, weaknesses, etc. In Bocas Del Toro for example (a small school), I did 4 hours a day, private, split between 3 different instructors, for 4 weeks, and it was an awesome learning experience. Beware though, private lessons are intense. 

You better come prepared to pay attention and to work if you want to get the most out of them. Also, for me at least, more than 4 hours of privates in a day is just too intense. A good compromise that we tried once previously was 4 hour group and 2 hours private daily. Home stays, for our money, are a huge part of the experience. 

A home stay is a way to connect with the people and culture of the country, make some new friends, eat the real people's food, etc. You're not living in the country long term, but it's still a very different experience than the normal "tourist" visit to a country. Much more meaningful and satisfying. We probably wouldn't do it without the home stay. If you go to a small, more "3rd world" area and do a home stay, you will also come away with a whole new understanding and appreciation for the way other people in the world live their lives, and for that matter, a whole new appreciation for life in the USA. 

Anyway, those are my thoughts. Best wishes y que le vaya bien.

Michael Z.