Keep learning Spanish outside the classroom and apply it into your work or studies field
The program is for people interested in learning. All opportunities will work in partnership with local people in a variety of community-based projects. This unique program offers exciting hands-on work opportunities, meaningful cultural immersion, and enriching language program.
The Program includes 20 hours per week of Group Spanish classes. Maximum number of students per class is 5, with the average being 2 students. Groups are organized in a way that each will always consist of students possessing the same level of Spanish. At the conclusion of your studies, you will receive a certificate of completion.
The method is based on the 4 language skills: listening, grammar, oral and written comprehension. No English will be used in class.
Classes are 55 minutes in length. On the first Monday, students are given a city tour and information about the city, school, family life and culture. No formal Spanish classes take place the student's first Monday.
Classes are either from 9 until 1 or 2 until 6 with two short snack breaks.
Our school is ideally located in Recoleta. Upscale but traditional neighborhood, close to downtown Buenos Aires but also near quiet parks.
The building has 12 classrooms plus common areas, including a rooftop patio for asados (barbeque). Wireless internet for your laptop or PDA.
After class, you will enjoy that we are close to many bars and restaurants.
Location:
20-25 minutes from the institute in Buenos Aires
Eligibility:
Undergraduate, graduate students and adults with an undergraduate degree or higher. * Prior experience in the area & Spanish background (Spanish Intermediate level normally is required)
Minimum Work Commitment:
A minimum of 4 weeks preparatory Immersion language study at the school plus a minimum of 4 weeks commitment to the volunteer opportunity is required
Visa
U.S. citizens traveling on regular passports for tourism or business do not need a visa for a stay of 90 days or less. Those planning a longer visit must obtain a visa in advance of arrival.
Position in Argentina
• Health Care • Social Services • Orphanage • Teaching • Language Teacher (English, French and German) • Women and Men, & Elderly.
The program includes:
• Group - 20 Hours per Week in Group of 5- 12 Students per class. ( 4 week min) • 50 min class hour • Volunteer Placement in local Organization. • Shared Apartment - Single Room, no meals. • Arrival Transfer from the airport • Placement Testing • 1-2 Organized Activities Weekly* • Access to E-mail • Access to Multimedia Learning Center • Certificate of Completion • Pre-Departure Information • Planning Guide • Medical, Accident and Sickness Coverage ** • Medivac Coverage • Other Travel Coverage (repatriation, baggage, personal effects, accidental death and dismemberment , etc.) • 24 Hour Emergency Multilingual Hotline (call collect from anywhere in the world)
* Entrance fees, transportation, etc. may be at additional cost. ** See policy for definitions and exclusions.
Group Program & Volunteer: 20 hours per week. The Group Program consists of 4 hours per day, Monday through Friday, of Spanish language study in a group setting with a maximum of 5 students per class. Volunteer opportunity will start start after the 4 weeks Spanish Classes.
Levels & Course Content
Our program is divided into 6 levels of study. The first eight are concentrated on grammar, vocabulary, practical situations, and conversation. The next levels, advanced and superior, focus mainly on conversation and advanced reading and writing topics.
NOTE: Content descriptions are examples of topics covered. Discussion topics and themes vary.
- Beginner 1: (No Spanish) pronunciation, identifying people and things, present tense, family members, "ser" and "estar", interrogative pronouns, indefinite/definite articles, greetings, demonstative adjectives, present progressive tense, "hay" and "tener", days and months, possessive adjectives.
- Beginner 2: reflexive verbs and pronouns, sports and activities, future informal ("ir" + ), preferences and desires, "nunca"/"siempre", imperative tense, ordinal numbers, "tener que", "haber", and "deber", prepositions of time and place, imperfect tense.
- Intermediate 1: relative pronouns, interrogative pronouns, "para" and "por", past perfect irregulars, future imperfect, conditional tense, present subjunctive, uses of subjunctive verbs, "seguir" and "quedar", preterite perfect "estar" + gerund, irregular subjunctive verbs.
- Intermediate 2: preterite perfect subjunctive, passive voice, uses of "se", verbs with prepositions, adverbial expressions, diminutives and augmentatives, idomatic expressions, preterite imperfect subjunctive, prepositional phrases, synonyms and antonyms.
- Advanced: advanced writing, reading, and conversation. Topics vary.
Materials
Teachers use our own course book, developed by a team of our teachers, for about half of the class, while the other half of the class is devoted to special class needs and supplements, such as selected audios, videos, and current readings.
Teachers All of our teachers are native speakers with university educations and are very experienced teaching Spanish to foreigners. Most have learned a second language themselves and understand the student's perspective.
Bueno Aires:
A sprawling metropolis that rises from the Río Plata and stretches more than 194 square kilometers (75 square miles) to the surrounding pampas, the fertile Argentine plains. Block after block of tidy, high-rise apartment buildings interspersed with 19th century houses continue as far as the eye can see. Dozens of suburban neighborhoods, each with its own particular character and well-groomed parks, surround the downtown area.
Unlike most South American cities, whose architectural styles reveal a strong Spanish colonial influence, Buenos Aires looks more like Paris, with wide boulevards lined with palatial mansions. Flowers are sold at colorful corner kiosks, the smell of freshly baked bread fills the air around well-stocked bakeries, and cafés appear on every block.
Major sites in Buenos Aires include Casa Rosada, the official presidential residence and government headquarters; Catedral Metropolitana; Centro Cultural Recoleta, with its art shows and concerts; Museo Historico Nacional, outlining the official history of Argentina, and many other sites of great historical value.
SPL is centrally located in downtown Buenos Aires.
Lodging:
Shared Apartment:
Our most popular housing option is the shared apartment, where you will live with other students. No meal plan is available with the shared apartments, however you have kitchen access to prepare your own meals. Furthermore, cooperation with other students is necessary as the common areas are maintained only once per week. The student apartment is the best option for everyone who wants to combine the Spanish experience with meeting new friends. All apartments are fully furnished and equipped.
Cultural and Social Activities
The study center in Buenos Aires plans afternoon social activities three times per week in places that are not frequented by the average visitor, thus giving the student an "inside" look at Argentine life. These activities are offered for a small fee.
• Community dinners • Sporting events such as soccer games in local parks • Theater productions. • Weekend outings and activities are organized once a week. • The Activities Coordinator can offer and advise on tango lessons, nightlife activities and culture.
The Clarin or La Nacion, a locally printed newspapers, provide daily local and world news and is also a good source for information about movies, concerts, art exhibitions, and other events of interest in the city and its surrounding towns. There is always plenty to do in Buenos Aires, day and night!
Click in each photo
Application Procedure:
• To apply for the Volunteer Opportunity, fill out the Registration Form by clicking the register link and submit on-line or mail including the deposit of $140 US.
• Also, you will have to send your Curriculum Vitae/Resume in Spanish OR English, typewritten by email to study@nrcsa.com or fax at 414-271-8884.
Keep learning Spanish outside the classroom and apply it into your work or studies field
Levels & Course Content
Bueno Aires:
