By Reza R., Guest Blogger and Volunteer Abroad participant in Buenos Aires, Argentina

I remember vividly the first day that I started my work at the orphanage. I was accompanied by Maria, who is the project coordinator from the school for all the international volunteers and interns working in Buenos Aires. It was a 1.5 hour commute from the center of city. We had to first take the subte (metro), and then a train to the Provincia (outskirts of the city). It was a much anticipated visit. After all, I had been in Buenos Aires for over a month now, studied as much Spanish as I possibly could, and now I was able to carry a simple conversation. I was ready to begin!

On the way to the orphanage, I remember I was bombarding Maria with lots of questions about the orphanage…

• How many kids are there? 13 kids
• Boys or girls? 10 boys, and 3 girls
• How old are they? From 2 to 12 years old
• What happened to their parents? Some have passed away, some just didn’t have the capacity to take care of them, some kids were taken away from their parents because of drugs, violence and abuse.
• How long do they live there? As long as they have to until someone adopts them! Sometimes they live until they are eighteen years-old to be on their own, sometimes they get adopted after a couple of years.
• Are they all HIV positive?  No, at this orphanage they are not; the kids with HIV live at another house (I was a bit disappointed to find out at first that I didn’t get to work with them).
• What will I exactly be doing there? I'll meet the director, and she will tell me everything.
• Why is the orphanage so far?? Because rent is cheaper outside of the city!
• And how does the orphanage get the funding it needs to support them? The government helps a bit; sometimes they get donations from regular people; sometimes some companies offer them money, etc.

I didn’t quite understand all her answers, but I listened pretty intently! Apparently, the staff there were also eagerly anticipating my arrival as the personnel including the volunteers were all women, and 90% of the orphans were in fact boys. Boys from the ages of two to ten years old. Hence, they much appreciated a male volunteer who could play with the kids, and perhaps help them calm down a bit. By the way, I am not suggesting that the women couldn’t do that! The women in fact did a fabulous job. However, sometimes boys relate to boys better if you know what I mean.

After a short walk from the train station through the quiet alleys in Beccar neighborhood, we found ourselves in front of the orphanage. It is a very modest looking house with a metal, sliding, garage-style gate at the entrance. I peaked thru the gate to see how it is like inside. I could see the kids sitting around the table and having lunch. This was it! I was a bit nervous, and also excited at the same time.

As we rung the bell, there ran five or six children towards the gate to open the door. Some were looking at us with a curious expression, and others laughing, just happy to see a new visitor. We quickly found out from the on-board manager that the director wasn’t there (not really surprised by now). We were asked to come in, and hang out until she would arrive sometime later. Within a matter of minutes, I found myself being climbed up by a couple of young boys no more than 5 years old, a couple trying to take off my t-shirt, and others pulling on my back-pack to see what’s in it! This wasn’t what I expected!

Read see Raza's other blogs

Discover Argentina study abroad

Number one on this list was, unsurprisingly, Buenos Aires, Argentina! This metropolitan hot spot attracts Spanish students and South Americans alike with its famously diverse and vibrant neighborhoods and European-like atmosphere.

Want to see which other cities made the list? See the original CNN article, Top 5 Cities in Central & South America

Discover Spanish courses in Buenos Aires, Argentina for yourself!

By Katie B., Guest Blogger and SALUD Medical Spanish Student in Buenos Aires, Argentina

My first week was awesome. I can hardly imagine the week getting much better.

I had four days of Spanish class in the beginner level. It was just me, and another student from Poland named Ania. Our teacher, Brenda was great. She challenged us, and forced us to converse as early as day one. I loved that our classroom was so small, it enabled Ania and I to really focus on our weakness and build upon our strengths. The week terminated with an exam on Friday. Of course, as a medical student, I studied very hard for it. Ania and I supported each other throughout the week, and even studied together on Thursday. It paid off, and we both did well enough to move onward to the next level. Hurray!

I am so blessed to have such a wonderful host “abuela.” Each day, I understand more of what she is saying, and I can contribute more to our dinner conversation. The relationship we are building is truly amazing. Although she is 55 years older than me, we have a strong relationship and I look forward to it growing as the weeks continue and my Spanish develops further. This is my first immersion experience, and I can honestly say that immersion is the ONLY WAY to get a language. I am forced to speak in Spanish all day, and it is pushing me to learn quickly.

The students at school are great. I have met many of them, and we got together on Friday night to have some drinks and go out. We ended up staying at a restaurant until 2 a.m. talking and eating pizza. Sunday night we got some parrilla (see pictures) and spent four and a half hours talking, eating, and drinking wine. Parrilla is the Argentinean style of barbequing meat and it is fantastic. While here, I want to soak up as much Argentine culture as possible.

This week’s goals: tango and “real” maté. I have been to multiple cafes, ordered maté, and it just a regular old teabag. I am determined to get the fancy cup and matching metal “straw.” I will let you know how that goes. Until next time –

Hasta pronto!

Read all of Katie B.'s blog entries

Find out more about AmeriSpan's Argentina Spanish schools

This is my first blog entry and my first week in Argentina!

My name is Katie, and I am a 3^rd year medical student at Drexel University originally from Rochester, NY. I came to Buenos Aires, Argentina to learn Spanish so that I can communicate with the multitude of Spanish speaking people in the U.S., in an attempt to bridge the gap between the number of Spanish speaking patients and doctors.

I will be in Buenos Aires, Argentina for four months, three of which I am enrolled in AmeriSpan Spanish classes. For the first four weeks I will be studying general Spanish, and the next eight I will be in the SALUD (medical Spanish) program.

I am going to be honest with you, when I arrived here I had no idea what to expect. I was somewhat terrified to move to a foreign country for four months on my own. The moment I walked into my host abuela’s apartment I knew it was going to be the experience of a lifetime. She was so welcoming. She barely knows any English, and my Spanish is horrible, yet we still managed to carry on a thirty-minute conversation with lots of hand waving and facial expressions. I felt at home right away.

My limited ability to speak to my host mom has definitely been motivating me to learn Spanish fast. On the day I arrived, she gave me directions to the school at least three times. I repeated them back to her, and we both agreed I would find my way to the school just fine.

I guess I misunderstood my abuela. I walked for 25 minutes in the opposite direction of the school. When I reached the end of Paraguay, I gathered the courage to ask a nice parking garage employee “Donde está calle Suipacha?” He muttered something in Spanish, and brought out a map. He told me that I was “muy lejos” from Suipacha. I was already late to class so I jumped into a cab and got to class fifteen minutes late. If that isn’t motivation enough to learn Spanish, I don’t know what is!

The city of Buenos Aires is breathtaking. There is so much to see, do, and learn from the people living here. I am so blessed to have to opportunity to commit four months to a language and culture. Until the next update – Hasta pronto!

Read all of Katie B.'s blog entries

Find out more about AmeriSpan's SALUD Medical Spanish programs

Meet Barbara Franconi, Head of Studies and Volunteer Coordinator at AmeriSpan's Buenos Aires Spanish school (Budget-Friendly)

What is your background?
I am thirty years old. During my childhood, I lived in southern Argentina have been living in Buenos Aires since I was a teenager. My family consists of my 3 brothers, an adorable nephew and my friends. 

Do you travel abroad often?
Yes, in recent years I have traveled to various countries in Europe and Latin America. I started to travel abroad in my teens when I traveled to the USA.

Have you ever studied abroad?
A few years ago I was an exchange student for 2 months to learn English in the USA. Last year, I took a specialized course in English in Lima, Peru. 

Which languages have you studied?
I speak native Spanish and English. In recent years, I've studied a little Portuguese, Italian and French, acquiring basic knowledge for chatting with students. 

How did you enter the study abroad industry?
I remember working in a library, Mayo Avenue in BA, and I noticed that they sold, among other texts, English textbooks. So I started to investigate the industry and learned that a relative of mine worked at a language institution beginning to develop their Spanish department. With him, I presented an English proposal and they decided to hire me. 

When was your organization started?
Our school opened in 2009; our partner school in Cusco, Peru opened in January of 1998.  

What is your job within the organization?
I'm the Head of Studies and Volunteer Coordinator 

What do you like best about your job?
That the whole time I'm facing new challenges brought about by learning and knowledge. 

What person or group of people have contributed to your success?
Everyone who has accompanied me at some point in my life. 

Tell us one of your biggest challenges in starting your organization?
Being a good team, maintaining a spirit of solidarity and thoughtfulness- both teaching and administrative, for excellent service and therefore an excellent product. 

Tell us one of his biggest mistakes teaching a language or traveling abroad?
At first I had to learn not to assume that whoever is in front of me has the same knowledge or worldviews I do. My experience has been demonstrating and teaching diversity, and there is always the possibility of complementing the different knowledge and perspectives. 

Can you tell us about your school's philosophy, specialty and / or why you. think is special?
Our school has two distinguishing features: firstly, the excellent pedagogical performance of teaching staff, interpreting the communicative approach to teaching ELE effectively for students who come in search of a linguistic and cultural immersion. They will not only be satisfied and see the results, but will also enjoy learning and learn to enjoy the new cultural context. On the other hand, our school is also like home. From its infrastructure, to the decor, the location in BA, to the team and the atmosphere we breathe, the school is a welcoming and comfortable place. 

Anything else you'd like to add?
Let us never forget that communication is vital, learning languages ??opens us up to the future and that to come in contact with different cultures is enriching at any stage of life.

See details about our Buenos Aires Spanish school (Budget-Friendly)

The diversity of Argentina doesn't stop with the geography – AmeriSpan also offers a variety of courses    throughout Argentina, and there's something for everyone! Spanish students of all ages and language levels will love the language schools. College students can rack up their creditos at our college study abroad program at our Buenos Aires University Choice location. Those with bigger hearts can volunteer with children at one of our volunteer placements. There are even summer programs for teenagers and skiing/dancing classes for athletic types!

See details about learning Spanish in Argentina

The school's beautiful building boasts a great location and many sought after amenities, including large bay windows, free Wi-fi, a tango room, a lounge, cafe, full kitchen, and more – not to mention the truly brilliant and attentive faculty! One student loved his experience here so much, he used his multimedia expertise to make a "mini-documentary" about this school for future students!

Learn more about AmeriSpan's Buenos Aires Spanish school (Budget-Friendly)