Mexico City and Santiago rank in the second and third place for the best investment environment, and Bogota, the Colombian capital, rose from ninth to fifth place, thanks to recent internal developments. Lima also saw a rise to fourth place,  and the Argentinean capital of Buenos Aires continues to be attractive to developers.

With the growing importance of Latin America in the business world, speaking Spanish language will give you the advantage of outpacing your competitors in this challenging business world. While it may seem like a bad time to enroll in a Spanish course, it doesn’t have to be as expensive as you might think.

There are so many internet resources available. To keep up your Spanish, or to learn new vocabulary that will be useful to your business venture, read the online newspapers in Spanish, sign up for Skype language exchanges, or download Spanish language podcasts to listen to on your commute. Just that little bit of daily Spanish can keep your language skills growing.

Keep and eye out for special offers on language courses, especially with the summer sales on at the moment! Make sure you do sufficient research before you enroll, especially with in-country language courses. How much more are you missing out on for that cheaper course, would the intensive option be more effective for you?  While the big cosmopolitan, capital cities are really appealing, would it be cheaper to live in a smaller town? Every little helps.

Ask around for advice; locals are a great source of knowledge. You could save yourself the money buying a guidebook by going to the nearest tourist information office. It’s free, and a great way to sneak in some language practice!

Language graduates are always in demand. Translation or interpreting jobs aside, the education, marketing and sales sectors really appreciate language skills and major global companies value bilingualism too. Furthermore, if you have your sights set on greener pastures, English teachers are finding work the world over. Why not get qualified to teach English as a foreign language, and travel the world with your linguistic skills.

By Erin K., Teen Delegate Scholar and AmeriSpan Blogger studying at AmeriSpan’s Alajuela Spanish school

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a school as beautiful as this one. Nestled in a valley between coffee and sugarcane plantations, it’s not at all unusual to see a family of cows wander by the classroom window.  The classrooms are simple but comfortable; one even replaces chairs with hammocks.

We get there every morning around 8:00 when the bus we meet in Carrillos drops us off outside the gate. Each week we’re assigned a new teacher and a new classroom.  The classes are so relaxed and the teachers are friendly, making everyone feel right at home even though we’re thousands of miles away from our hometowns.  One of the first days we’re there, we take a break from studying to wander through the school’s gardens.

It’s time for our lesson on “plantas medicinales,” a huge part of Costa Rican tradition. Minor, the gardener, tells us how most Costa Ricans turn to the garden before they call the doctor.  Every plant has some use, like the “sleeping plant” that folds its tiny leaves in when touched. It’s used to treat insomnia.

Most days, the first half of class is spent learning about the Preterit tense (among others) or Spanish grammar. Then after a twenty minute break, usually spent chilling in the hammocks, we learn about some aspect of Costa Rican cultures. From legends to slang, food to traditional games, the school fully immerses us in all aspects of their culture.

The school is one of the best parts of my trip so far.  The people are warm and welcoming, with the typical Tico friendliness, and I’m learning more than I’ve ever learned during summer vacation. The campus is like a paradise with its sprawling gardens and panoramic views of the mountains.  I don’t know how I’ll be able to go home to Wisconsin now.

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By Laura K., Guest Blogger who wants to learn Spanish in Guanajuato, Mexico

Hola. It has now been one week since I arrived in Guanajuato. I feel much more at home now as I am in a routine. Every day I wake up at 745am and eat breakfast at 830 with my house mom and my roommate from Japan. We eat a plate of fruit covered in yogurt, usually melon, papaya and mango. I never liked papaya before, but now I love it! It’s supposed to be very healthy for your stomach too. We also eat toast with jelly. One thing I found is that peanut butter is incredibly expensive here compared to the US, but it’s one of those things that makes you feel more at home.

I also feel more at home now because I have girl friends from school and no longer have to go places alone all the time. Today we took a city bus an hour outside of town to the world’s second largest Jesus statue, Christo Ray. It was a good experience and there was a very nice view of the surrounding mountains.  The photo above is of the church in San Miguel de Allende, La Parroquia de San Miguel Archangel, at night. There was a wedding going on and I was was lucky enough to be outside as a bride and groom were saying goodnight. A mariachi band was playing beautiful traditional music as they made their exit. Mexico is a place where religion is omnipresent, which is much different than where I live in Denver. I am excited for tomorrow as new students arrive every Monday. I can’t believe how fast this week has gone.

Some things i have noted about life in Mexico either funny, frustrating, enamoring, or otherwise are: “machismo” in the men takes a bit to get used to, and it’s best to completely ignore. It is especially hard to camouflage when you have blond hair and blue eyes. There are “Perros de la calle”, stray dogs, everywhere! They are generally friendly but I wouldn’t pet them!  Things run on a slower time schedule, or none at all. Things will happen when they happen, it’s best to slow down and enjoy life. A ham sandwich with mayonnaise for breakfast is totally normal, and it is always a good idea to have small change if you are in public and need to use a bathroom, toilet paper’s not free!  I am having a great time and look forward to going to the mummy museum this week. Hasta luego!

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By Courtney C., Guest Blogger and Peru study abroad participant

¡Hola!

Now for a little bit about my family…..

When I arrived at the airport, my host parents, Belinda and Cesar, were there to pick me up with great big smiles on their faces.  I explained to them that I don´t speak much Spanish yet, but that I wanted to try to speak as much as possible.  They were very understanding and they have been very welcoming.  That first day they explained to me that to avoid a bad  case of altitude sickness, I needed to drink some coca tea and go straight to bed for a few hours, and so I did.  That evening their family had a huge family gathering because one of their nephews, who now lives in New York City, was coming in for a couple of days, so when I woke up I had a lot of friendly faces to meet.  The food was fantastic—lots of vegetables and some grilled meats such as chicken, sausage, and even slivers of cow heart of a stick.  It was all really tasty especially when dipped in a special sauce that they made with various herbs and spices.

My host parents have three children: Ursula (I think she is around 30 years old), Adriana (I think she is in her late 20’s), and Cesar (I believe he is around 20).  Adriana is married and has two sons, Augustine (around 2 and a half years old)  and Nicolas (8 months).  Adriana’s family lives in an apartment that is enclosed with her parents’ home by a big gated wall.  Ursula and Cesar live at home.

All of the food is great so far and I help by setting the table or washing the dishes after a meal.  I love to cook, but I haven’t had the chance to help yet because of my class schedule.  I have had many dishes that I want the recipe for for!

My bedroom is simple and cozy and the view is pleasant too as I can see some cute houses and the mountains in the background.  The only two ¨social rules¨ that I have found different is that you should always come to dinner with your shoes on as it is considered impolite to come barefoot, and in fact, it seems that the whole family wears their shoes at all times in the house.  I prefer to be barefoot!  But I think I can manage.  Second, you are not supposed to dispose of toilet paper in the toilet (this goes for all toilets, not just in my host family’s home), but rather in the trash can next to the toilet.  This rule is more practical than cultural because the pipes here are old and narrow and they can easily clog, although it is hard to get used to because I have been trained otherwise.

This weekend I am going on a trip to Puno and Lake Titicaca, so next week I will fill you in on my trip there as well as about my school.

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By William P., Chile study abroad participant studying Spanish and skiing in Santiago

Today was my second day and I was still very frustrated that I was having trouble understanding even the basic words that I know I should remember from high school or that I know on paper.  However, at least I was starting to understand most of what the teacher was saying today as she spoke to us in phrases that an intermediate beginner would know.  I know that learning a language does not occur overnight but because I know I am not very good yet I realized I was getting very nervous in front of people and ultimately too scared to talk.  My nervousness would make me forget simple verbs and phrases that I easily remembered later but was stuck without words at the time.  It also is very difficult to conjugate verbs on the spot and while I may know it on paper, speaking them efficiently will take many hours of practice.  Therefore, I did not have a lot of confidence in my abilities at all today.

However, when classes were over I went on my computer and decided to chat with one of my friends in the United States that speaks Spanish.  He was more than willing to help and in our conversation online I found myself finally being able to put what I have learned to good use.  There was no need for me to be nervous behind a computer.  I also had the comfort of both my verb book and dictionary and with the lag of the Internet and the numerous other reasons for pauses such as chatting with other individuals, I could easily communicate with my friend online and fill in gaps that I needed.  I started to learn a lot better this way.  I also for the first time gained some confidence that I can do this.  Due to the successful conversation I was able to control my anxiety a little better and therefore was more willing to talk in Spanish to others.  I obviously have a very long way to go but today I just might have gotten over the hump of not being afraid to make mistakes.

Therefore I strongly suggest for anyone else in the same situation where you are very nervous and afraid to speak do to worrying about mistakes and being embarrassed, then find a chat room in the language you are studying and start off by writing online.  Better yet, if you know a friend that knows the language, chat with him as friends will generally be more than willing to help you out.  Writing really does lessen the anxiety and it is also a great way to learn.

I will continue to chat with my friends that know Spanish using my very book and dictionary to build further confidence throughout the time I am here.  It was a great idea for me and I think it is a good idea for everyone providing of course you make the effort to speak to other people afterwards.  I don’t want the computer to be too much of a crutch for me  but I think as long as I make the effort to also speak the language here in the City, the computer is a good way to continue to lessen Spanish anxiety!

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In every third world country I’ve visited, dogs have been a large part of life. Dogs guard houses, dogs offer companionship and sometimes, dogs even provide food. Honduras is no different – every house has at least one guard dog and at any given time one can find a dog or two roaming the nearby streets.

My house has three dogs. A rottweiler mix named Tequila and two small Dachshund-like dogs named Oscar and China. The dogs took to me instantly – I guess because I passed into the yard through the house instead of the gate. They never barked at me nor snapped. Two days after my arrival, Tequila gave birth to eleven puppies, and although she is a guard dog to be sure, she was calm enough that I could stroke her and her pups.

Of the three dogs, Oscar seems to be the smartest. He can easily climb over the fence in yard despite his diminuative size. Whenever I leave, Oscar comes with me – peforming a sort of double duty as we walk. He growls at imagined threats and barks whenever people walk near me. I worry about him on these walks. I tell him to go home or not to follow me, but he always stays with me. In a way, it´s nice to have a companion like Oscar. Language doesn´t matter with him, and when I´m feeling lonely or need a break from Spanish, I can go sit with him on the porch.

Oscar, and the other dogs too, are also good conversation starters with the family. The children like to talk about the dogs, especially the perritos (the puppies) and again, they´re transcultural. A few nights ago, two of the girls from the family invited me on a walk to a nearby store while we waited for dinner and, of course, Oscar followed us. The youngest girl laughed and shrieked as she chased after Oscar and he yipped and wagged her. We may be from different cultures, and Oscar may be another species, but no one needed any translations that evening.

Until next time! Hasta luego!
Liz

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The first adjustment:  nearly everyone spoke English to me at the San José airport.  Like some of the more tourist-oriented towns, the prices switched to dollars.  While I understood when the airport staff converted to the prices to colones, I still wondered why they said "thousand" instead of "mil" for the amount. 

The size of a movie poster at the Dallas airport threw me off, too.  Being able to understand every single word around me – whether I wanted to or not – overwhelmed me.  While I understand quite a bit of Spanish, I can still screen out the meaning if I'm not concentrating on the person speaking.  

At times, I've found adjusting back to the United States to be more difficult because I expect it to feel more familiar.  After all, I'm home.  I've missed this place and the people.  Why then, am I wishing that I could walk to the park in Heredia?  Or that I could walk through the door and see the smiling faces of the customer service staff at Intercultura?  It even feels strange not to be a foreigner anymore.

Now that I'm back in San Diego and still have fresh memories, let's rewind back to the final Friday.  Graduation, a ceremony done for all departing students, was sweet.  Since it was the end of the semester, there were several heartfelt goodbyes for students who had been there for several months.  Everyone gave a short speech, thanking the school's staff for their time.  It felt a bit unreal.  Several weeks ago, it felt like I had all the time in the world.  At that moment, however, the time was slipping away. 

After graduation and before my final afternoon class, I explored the stalls of Christmas market at the local park with a new friend.  Artisans and retailers alike had their wares displayed, everything from jewelry to bubble wands.  We bought some jewelry, then my friend realized that I hadn't been to a local bakery chain.  "You must have this experience before leaving Costa Rica," she said, and I tried something that resembled a danish with guanabana jelly and cream cheese. 

In my class that afternoon, we watched a movie, La Lengua de Mariposas (simply titled "Butterfly" en Inglés).  It was the first time I had watched a movie with Spanish subtitles.  I was amazed with how much I could understand.  The more I learn, the more I realize how much more there is to learn – more vocabulary, more time to practice and implement what I have gained within these past few weeks.  The movie was sweet, sad, and profound.  We discussed the film, and then wrapped up our class with several parting activities.

"…Que tenga más confianza, y esté mas feliz.  Que le vaya bien" were some of the parting wishes of the teachers and staff.  I took a few last pictures, lingering for a moment on details of the school setting:  the decoraciónes navideñas, the flowers in the courtyard in the last light of the day, and the welcoming lobby of the school. 

I took a deep breath, then walked the blocks back to la casa for a final time.  For all the challenges I have faced throughout this experience, I truly believe that it has been worth it.  I have not only grown as a person, but I have also realized how much I want Spanish to continue to have a place in my life.  I truly love the language, and I am certain that it will open up doors for me both personally and professionally.

If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend taking yourself out of the context of your own culture and language.  Whether you have two weeks, a month, or several, it can be the experience of a lifetime.

¡Pura Vida y Adiós! 

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