Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Spanish Language Schools In Chile Look Forward To Ski Season

Are you looking for Spanish language schools in Chile and at the same time want to enjoy fresh power of the skiing season? Tourists from around the world visit popular spots in Chile during the skiing season. Some of the most attractive characteristics of skiing are available in Chile. The snow conditions of Chile are suitable for every kind of snowboarders and skiers. The skiing location of Chile has cornices and off-piste slopes appreciated and loved by snowboarders and skiers from all over the world.




Among all the countries of South America Chile is the best-known option for practicing skiing. One of the best characteristics that insist the tourists to flock here is the height of the slopes. The heights are positioned in such a way that almost throughout the year, skiing is possible.



During this time accommodation becomes a major problem as tourists rush in from all over the world. In Chile, the skiing season starts from June to October. Skiing is an expensive sport. The cost includes expenses like accommodation, transportation and food. Firstly, you don’t have to think about accommodation and food which will be provided by this renowned Spanish school as a part of the program.



Some of the locations are Portillio, La Parva, El Colorado, Antillanca, Antuco and the list goes on. Coincidentally, these places are also popular places for skiing. Every aspiring student of a Spanish language school in Chile look forward to the ski season, but if you are a student of Spanish school then enjoying ski season will be a unique experience as you will learn the language and get the feel of the Spanish culture along with your ski holiday.



It ensures the fact that the students experience other aspects of Latin America in its fullest form. During the recess the students and the teachers mingle freely and sometimes they even take their lunch together. The School organizes regular student weeks that include activities like city and museum tours, trips to coastal areas and colonial villages etc. Equally attractive are the weekend trips and excursions in Chile that includes trekking and water rafting.



Skiing in Chile is a once in a lifetime experience. Almost all Spanish language schools in Chile look forward to ski season because they can attract the maximum number of foreign students during this time. Chile has not less than four thousand kilometers of mountain region that is an internationally known skiing destination. This recognition has come from various factors like excellent quality of slopes, first graded infrastructure, picturesque landscape and last but not the least proximity and accessibility to urban centers.



Another reason for which Spanish language schools in Chile look forward to ski season is they ensure that students get the ABC of skiing from qualified and experienced teachers. Added to this, one can also learn the necessary safety tips related to skiing. Generally, skiing is of three types - namely traditional, randonne ski and Nordic. And the equipments also vary accordingly which ordinary Spanish schools in Chile cannot provide.



Among the popular ski centers, Portillo ski center is the oldest and most famous in Chile. It has the infrastructure of snowmaking system where some of the famous world records on downhill speed ski races have been made. La Parva is another popular ski center where the valley of Santiago can be seen in all its magnitude. It has 14 runs of different vertical drops and lengths that are considered as a good option for every type of skier.



Another notable ski center of Chile is Cerro Mirador that allows a stunning view of Punta Arenas city. This center consists of 12 runs which are supposed to be made through the trees thereby making skiing here more difficult.

You can enjoy the facilities of Valle Nevado ski center that is the largest and most modern in Chile. This center has the competence of cover almost 30% of the surface area to cover with snow. And studying in a foreign land makes the learning process even more adventurous.



Getting Educated En Español, Spanish Language Schools Provide Learning Options

Sitting in a private classroom on the lower slope of the Pichincha volcano, more than 9,000 feet above sea level in the Ecuadorian Andes, I am unaffected by the thin air. But the conjugation is driving me insane. Zayra Ibujes, one of several language instructors at the Amazonas Ecuador Spanish Language Schools, has just asked me to conjugate the verb aullar (to howl).

“Yo aullo. Tu aullas. El aulla ...“After correctly rattling off, “1 howl, you howl, he howls,” I mispronounce the “we howl” conjugation.

“No, no, no, señor,” says, Señorita Ibujes, correcting me in Spanish for the l5th time this morning. “Nosotros aullamos.” 1 stifle the urge to lean back in my chair and aullo!

Amazonas is one of more than 60 Spanish-language schools in Quito, Ecuador. A mild year-round climate, relatively safe surroundings, a clearly spoken Spanish dialect and low prices make Ecuador’s capital the place to be for Spanish-language learning.

Depending on which school you choose, you’ll pay from $6 to $10 per hour for private, one-on-one spanish classes with an instructor certified by the Ministry of Education. Most students remain in class four hours per day, but schools are willing to cater to all schedules.

As is the case with mi profesora, Senorita Ibujes, most teachers speak little or no English. This worried me initially. But after one week of Spanish language immersion, 1 began understanding at an accelerated rate. Since opening its doors in 1989, the Amazonas Ecuador Spanish Language Schools averages approximately 500 foreign students per year. Most come from Europe (England, Germany and Holland are prime markets), although Spanish-speaking wannabes pop in regularly from the United States, Canada, and as far away as South Africa, South Korea and the Czech Republic. According to general manager Gustavo Guzman, the average student is about 24 years old. “But we’ve had students as young as 8,” he says. “And as old as 76.”

The school provides three language learning options. The “Super Dynamic” curriculum is recommended for those with only one or two weeks to spare. Classes generally run four to five hours per day. Lessons deal with real-life situations like ordering food at a restaurant or checking into a hotel. Eighty percent of the class involves conversation. The remaining time is devoted to reading, writing, grammar and punctuation.

The “Dynamic” program is best suited for those with three to four weeks in which to study. Again, classes run four to five hours, five days per week. With more days in which to learn, however, students receive a more comprehensive approach Education begins with the Spanish alphabet and moves on to numbers, colors, days of the week, and one of the most important (and sometimes most difficult) aspects of language learning: verb conjugation.

Travelers with a few months on their hands will no doubt benefit from the “Regular” program, which allows for a thoroughly detailed approach to language learning. “We have great success,” says Senior Guzman. “Our students know we are here to help them.” Help is available at all levels, from beginner to advanced. The school prides itself on having taught American Airlines pilots and flight attendants, as well as corporate executives like the general manager of Heineken in Ecuador.

To enhance the language-learning experience, many schools offer a “Home Stay” program. This allows students to live with a carefully screened, middle-class Ecuadorian family in a comfortable environment. The families speak no English. Students are thus provided with the impetus to reinforce Lessons learned in class. Seventy-five percent of students at the Amazonas Ecuador Spanish Language Schools, myself included, take advantage of the Home Stay program. I live in the sprawling three-story home of Dr. Jaime Yepez Castro and his wife, Ines Maria Darquea de Yepez. During their six-year affiliation with Amazonas Ecuador Spanish School, the retired couple has hosted 98 students from ah over the world. After I signed their dog-eared guest register, Senora Yepez wrote “99” below my name.

My stay includes three scrumptious home-cooked meals per day, laundry service, a large private bedroom with a color TV, and a private bathroom. At a cost of $20 per day, it’s cheaper and more carefree than living at home. Which brings me to a bilingual revelation. I pay $8 per hour for private Spanish classes that would cost $20 or more in the United States. If you’re serious about learning Spanish, it may be cheaper and far more interesting to fly to Quito, enroll in a Spanish language course and live with an Ecuadorian family.