TAKE
A SPANISH COURSE IN ARGENTINA
while living locally and absorbing the flavour of the country
STUDY SPANISH
on a structured course at the University of Buenos Aires or with private tutors
who will tailor your lessons to your individual needs.
If you're a complete beginner at Spanish, we recommend that you take Spanish Lessons
in Buenos Aires as these will provide an excellent base to learn from.
Both private lessons and university courses are well
structured and the teachers usually have a high level of English, which makes
them ideal for beginners. If you're not a beginner, we'll ensure
that you are
allocated to the correct level.
Argentina is a
vast country with a dramatically varied landscape, from the subtropical north to
the sub-Antarctic south. Buenos Aires, where our programmes are located, lies
close to the edge of the great Río de la Plata.
STUDY SPANISH
on a structured course at the University of Buenos Aires or with private tutors
who will tailor your lessons to your individual needs.
Travellers havetwo types of Spanish Course available, both of which are
available at Beginner, Intermediate or
Advanced level.
Intensive courses at the University of
Buenos Aires
PRIVATE LESSONS: These will be
held at a nearby language centre with a qualified Spanish teacher. They are monthly
courses of 10 hours per week (five two hour lessons) and are individually
tailored to your level of expertise. The lessons are usually arranged on a one
to one basis where you will receive individual tuition and lessons prepared
especially for you. During your course, one lesson each week will be held at a
cultural place to enable you to practice you Spanish in real life situations. At the end of the course, you’ll receive a Certificate
issued by the Institute your teacher belongs to, stating that you have done the
course, to what level, and the duration in hours of the course you have
completed.
These lessons can be taken for a period of one month or more and have no set
start and finish dates. Private lessons are recommended if you are
a complete beginner and want to spend time learning at your own pace.
This is also a great option if you want to combine
Spanish lessons with another programme, such as teaching. If you do want to combine lessons, you
will have just 6 hours of lessons each week, at a discounted combination price
(please contact us for details).
SPANISH COURSES AT THE UNIVERSITY:
The University of Buenos Aires is divided into various schools, one of which is
the schools of Agronomy. This school has set up its own language extension which
runs specially designed courses to help foreigners learn Spanish.
The best thing about this course is that it includes visits to museums, theatres
and other places of cultural interest, all of which will help you to
adapt what you are learning to everyday situations, at the same time as
exploring Buenos
Aires.
There is a maximum of 14 students per class with two teachers.
The courses can be taken at all levels from beginner to advanced and is an
intensive, one month course.
INTENSIVE:This is
a one-month intensive
course of 15
hours per week.
You will attend three hours of classes a day and all classes are in the
afternoon. This course covers a total of 60 hours tuition over one month.
If you are doing Intensive lessons at the same time as another placement you
will have quite a busy schedule.
This course starts at the beginning of each month - please contact us for
exact dates as you will need to arrive a day or two before hand in order to
be enrolled.
Travellers will liaise with you regarding which level
of course you should take and will make all arrangements accordingly. Spanish
lessons at the University are certificated. You will attend lectures at the
University, going there and returning daily by bus or Metro, and you’ll live in
the same hostel as other volunteers or with a host family, depending on
your preferences.
If you
are a complete beginner at Spanish, we recommend that you take Spanish Lessons
in Buenos Aires as these will provide an excellent base to learn from.
Both private lessons and university courses are well
structured and the teachers usually have a high level of English, which makes
them ideal for beginners. If you are taking a university course
and aren't a beginner you will be given a personal interview
before enrolment to ensure that you are allocated to the correct level.
If you want to pack in a lot of learning instead of having a relaxed placement,
we can combine your University course with additional lessons from Spanish teachers.Your schedule for all of the courses given above will allow time for studying
and also time for sightseeing and absorbing the experience of being in the
Argentina culture.
LIVING IN ARGENTINA
The romance of Argentina takes one's
breath away. The natural wonders alone take some beating! From the
northern deserts to the southern Andean Cordillera, from Iguazú Falls to
the magnificent desolation of Patagonia, Argentina's geography is varied
and stunning.
For
cosmopolitan types, there's the elegant capital, Buenos Aires. This
fabulous city is renowned for its sophistication and has a surprisingly
European feel about it.
BA is reminiscent of Paris
and its tree-lined avenues and frequent plazas
have a beguiling, faded elegance. Downtown, the Plaza de Mayo is the
traditional focus of activity. Nearby Avenida 9 de Julio is popularly
known as the world's widest thoroughfare and, with its
nine lanes of traffic, is truly a pedestrian's nightmare! Avenida
Santa Fe is the most fashionable shopping area.
Argentina is geared
up to thrill - from nights tangoing in the chic quarter of Buenos Aires to
gaucho riding in the grasslands of the Pampas. Dynamic and bustling, a
city which seems never to sleep, Buenos Aires
is one of the most exciting cities in Latin America. Tango was born here,
restaurants serve all manner of world cuisines, bars play the latest
music, cafés spill on to the streets and nightclubs allow dancing
throughout the night.
Buenos Aires is famous throughout South America for
its theatres, museums and galleries. Gucci, Armani, Prada, to name a few,
line the boulevards catering for the fashion conscious porteños, their
offerings as stylish as anything found in the cities in Europe or North
America.
Argentine cuisine
is an adaptation of Spanish, Italian, Middle Eastern and other European
food, with a heavy emphasis on meat, in particular Beef. Beef is consumed
in a variety of ways, the most traditional is the Parilla – other wise
known as a Barbeque! Also common are meat and vegetable pies, empanadas
(similar to pasties) and pasta dishes such as meat Ravioli or bolognese.
Vegetarianism is not all that
common in Argentina so if you are a vegetarian
you may find that there is a limited choice in local
restaurants.
Argentineans have
a sweet tooth and desserts usually include ice cream, custard flan,
pastries and cakes all sweet enough to rival those found in European
cities like Paris. Dulche de Leche is a caramelised
milk and sugar concoction which is often eaten for breakfast and is
a typical local delicacy.
Area:
2,776,890 sq km (1,083,000 sq mi) Population: 37,812,817 Capital city: Buenos Aires (pop 16 million) Language: American Spanish, plus 17 indigenous languages
ACCOMMODATION
The hostel is decorated in a modern
style throughout and is a very homely place The TV room
There are two choices for accommodation in Buenos Aires. Depending on
your preferences you can either stay in the modern hostel, in the young
and trendy neighbourhood of Palermo, with other volunteers or, if you
would prefer a more cultural experience, you can be placed with a host
family and be fluent in Spanish is no time!
HOSTEL: You will be accommodated in a small,
modern
hostel situated in trendy Palermo, a beautiful area located near to the
heart of the city.
Palermo is the young people’s capital of Buenos
Aires and is full of restaurants, bars, and boutique style shops. Even
though on each block you can find the latest fashions and nightlife
hotspots, the neighbourhood is traditional with wide streets and old
colonial style houses. Many of the streets are cobbled and tree lined
and to the west you’ll find a huge park (similar to Central Park in New
York).
The hostel has recently been renovated with new decor and furniture.
Features such as high ceilings, wooden floor boards and friendly staff,
help create what is a chilled and relaxing atmosphere. Big enough to be
sociable and fun, yet small enough to feel at home - the hostel receives
a great deal of positive volunteer feedback. Even though the hostel is
open to the public, you will have your own room, shared with other
Travellers volunteers of the same sex. You could be sharing with 2 or 3
other volunteers.
At time of writing the facilities at the hostel include; Reception area
with open fire and sofas: a large living room with cable TV, air
conditioning, sofas and huge bean bags; two computers with FREE internet
access 24/7 with Skype and MSN; a large dining area with music/stereo:
kitchen with full facilities: private and enclosed garden/patio, with
garden furniture: ping pong table, table football, board games, and
books: local DVD store with hostel account: access to telephones for
outgoing calls and emergency services, and a London telephone number for
incoming calls: staff 24/7: security cameras outside: soft drinks and
snacks for purchase.
A traditional Argentinean breakfast will be provided every day at the
hostel and an allowance for your evening meal! We have this
arrangement in place to give our volunteers the flexibility to sample
the great Argentinean food! Right on the door step of the hostel there
are many cafes and restaurants with great priced menus just waiting for
you….the choice is yours! This means that you will only need to pay
for lunch out of your own money.
Your accommodation is ideally situated only two blocks from the subway,
trains and just around the corner from a major buses route, thus making
it very easy to get to and from your placements and around the many
tourist attractions: the Obelisco, the Casa Rosada, the Congreso, La
Boca neighbourhood and San Telmo district.
HOST FAMILY: If you would prefer a more cultural experience, we can arrange for
you to stay with a local Argentinean Family. Host family accommodation
gives you the opportunity to become more integrated with the local
community and is ideal if you want to practice your Spanish
(Basic/intermediate Spanish is required to stay with a Host Family). You
will be integrated into the family and will be provided with a
comfortable and clean private room and will have use of the kitchen.
Breakfast will be provided every day and for dinner (optional) you will
usually share a typical Argentinean meal with your family. Facilities in
host families do vary, but you will have the opportunity to express your
preferences regarding the type of family that you stay with (for
example, a family with/without children, pets etc). If you
stay in a host family you will be provided with the contact details of
other volunteers living in Buenos Aires at the same time as you so that
you won't miss out on any socialising!
Cost of living: The currency in Argentina is the Peso and
at the time of writing the cost of living is very cheap. Can of coke
costs: 2 pesos /40 pence, One Bus trip costs: 80 centavos /15 pence, One Subway
trip costs: 70 Centavos / 13 pence, A Taxi journey across the city
costs: 10-20
pesos / £1.60 - £3.30, Lunch in a café with drink costs:
13-17
pesos/ £2.10 - £2.80, Evening meal costs:
20-30
pesos/ £3.30 - £5.00.
There are approximately 3 Pesos to the US dollar, and 6 Pesos to £1
Sterling. Exchange rates are subject to fluctuation, so please check these
regularly as the figures quoted may differ.
WHAT IS REQUIRED OF YOU:
As with all our destinations, the
Argentine culture
and heritage, although European in flavour, is different to Anglo-Saxon cultures and this must be borne in
mind.
Self-reliance and independence are highly
appreciated in all our destinations and will help you to make the most of this
wonderful opportunity!
Once you have applied for a placement, we will send you a very
detailed Argentina Information Book, as well as an equally detailed Safety Guide
- both of these will help to make your stay in Argentina one that you will never
forget!
This is a truly awesome, elegant and beautiful
country.
TRAVEL:
You have the option to arrange your
own flights or we can assist you with your flight arrangements. If you would
like us to do this for you, we will liaise with you regarding available flights
and dates to suit you. All arrangements for your flight bookings/payments will
be fulfilled by Murray Rogers Travel Ltd., ATOL No. 6856. (Read more about Murray Rogers Travel Ltd.)
Where possible, we arrange for two or more people to travel on the
same flight and we will let you have the names and telephone numbers of other
volunteers on your flight, so that you can chat to each other or even meet up
before leaving for your placement.
We can also arrange your flight
dates
to give you additional time at the end of your project for travelling around and sightseeing - this is a
fascinating country!
You will fly into Buenos
Aires where you'll be met by either Melina or Adriana Saccal,
our local organisers. From the airport you'll be taken to
your accommodation. Several days later, once you have settled in and recovered
from the flight, you will be enrolled on to your course.
To see what Support
& Backup we provide in our countries,
please click here.
VISAS:
Visa’s are not required for a stay of 90 days if you are a British Passport
holder. If you are not a British passport holder, we will liase with you about
specific requirements, if any, and make the Visa process very easy for you.
Where possible, all flights we arrange for you have changeable return tickets because many of our
volunteers choose to extend their stay once they are in their destination
country.
Changeable return tickets enable you to do so, within the limits of your visa
and the level of your air ticket,
of course. If you choose to book your own flights, you should endeavour to get
a changeable ticket.
PRICES:
To see the Prices of this project and all
our other projects in Argentina, please
click here
Prices
include
Food & accommodation (excluding lunch)
while on your project,
2 T-shirts, if required
for your project
All support and backup
during your programme
Meeting you at the
nearest airport, where appropriate, but exclude international travel.
Please note that if you'd prefer to live with a host family, there is an
additional supplement of £45 per month for bed-and-breakfast and £75 for
half-board.
.
+44 01903 502595
