Why Spanish?
Spanish is the second most used language in the Western hemisphere. Its importance is growing year by year. The global world requires more communication and more interaction where there is more trading, commerce and internet use. Also, the Hispanic community in the United States is growing and acquiring more social and economic roles.
Therefore, we believe that learning Spanish is an important issue for most Americans who are willing to interact in the global world, for pleasure, culture or business. Students Tours Cusco
Why Spanish in Cusco?
The setting of the ancient city of Cusco is ideal for a great visiting experience as well as for a learning process.
Cusco is the former capital of the Incan empire and is surrounded by all kinds of architectural remains. Cusco was also an important center for the Colonial administration and evangelization. This is what shaped the city as it is now. Cusco is also a great tourist destination and has a cosmopolitan atmosphere.
Cusqueños have a magnificent sense of hospitality, and the use of Spanish is one of the best spoken in Latin America . The local accent is not difficult to understand throughout the Spanish speaking countries.
About our Course:
We are aware that English speaking travelers worldwide are searching new ways of learning Spanish as a second language. This involves traveling and learning together with the acquisition of communicative competence in this important language. Students Tours Cusco
From the four skills of the language (speaking, listening, reading and writing) we focus on those that will be most useful, which means listening and speaking. These skills will be the key to open the doors of reading and writing as well.
We learned that our students are positive-minded individuals who are
searching for an experience that involves:
- An interactive learning process,
- Respecting the local culture, and
- Professionalism and awareness of the staff (i.e. teachers, companions, hosts) in regards to the new teaching approaches and methods.
We understand that our students are willing to learn in a safe environment with a great variety of activities; therefore, we understand the process of learning a language and achieving of a variety of skills needed. But, most importantly, interacting in our social and cultural environment is what makes learning a language impressionable.
That is why we say: "Learning a language involves a process of learning a culture."
OUR LEARNING EXPERIENCE:
Although our focus is in the method written by our staff (book, workbook, grammar aids and charts), we involve a number of people who interact with the students. They are aware of our learning tasks, and will therefore have an attitude to help and enhance the entire learning process. Students Trips Cusco
Most of the homes will be “labeled” to help acquire vocabulary, which involves all of the family members participating in the student's activities.
The activities planned are suitable for any level of proficiency in the language. The improvement is clearly noticed by our students.
A typical day:
After sharing with the local family (who is aware of the student's learning goals), the student will then meet their teacher who will explore the student's actual knowledge and proficiency and then plan the aspects to be developed first (grammar, verbs, vocabulary, etc.). According to these objectives we plan both the learning and also the activities for the day, remember you came here for touring as well!
A normal day includes two hours of grammar, rules and written exercises. After classroom instruction, we have time for field visits, museums, markets, meeting people, social activities (and we mean TALKING in the real environment). This is a total of four hours a day of education and language experience. Students Trips Cusco
- Class activities with formal instruction
- Cultural visits & tours
- Recreational activities
- Travel Journal & homework
- Home activities with Hosts families
- Interaction with locals
Academic objectives:
The students will acquire a practical use of the Spanish language as we introduce them to diverse aspects of the language grammar, syntax, vocabulary and verb conjugations.
Social objectives:
- The student of Spanish will communicate with people they meet.
- They will have a respectful attitude towards the local culture.
- They will learn to understand the culture's diverse aspects.
- The students will be able to express his or her own feelings and ideas through exercises of critical thinking.
- The student will learn new songs.
- The student will be able to use idiomatic expressions.
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Achievements:
Our expectation is that by the end of the given time the students will have developed communication skills in the Spanish language. Students Tours Cusco
They will be confident in establishing conversation with Spanish-speaking people and will have the necessary information to express themselves correctly in the most important tenses.
We can proudly state that our students learn not only through a communicative competence in Spanish, but also a new culture.
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The
method:
"Aprendiendo Español en Cusco" (Learning Spanish in Cusco), is a method that offers students the tools of acquiring communicative competence in a short time and at different levels and in settings.
The aims are the following three objectives:
- Functional
- Gramatical
- Cultural
Functional - the book offers settings that are practical and deal with real situations in the context of Cusco´s environment.
Grammatical - the focus is simple and easy to understand with exercises suitable for the goal. It also has an appendix, which allows the student to get further information. Students Trips Cusco
Cultural - the objectives are achieved through readings that contain historical information and data about today's reality.
The students will also develop a
"research attitude" Through the "work book" that consist on a systematic journal of all the fulfilled activities using the "multiple intelligence approach".
Moreover, this method links theory with practice, so the students actually visit the places described in each unit and participate in activities involving the language lesson.
Material:
1.-
Learning Book; specially written to enhance a more intimate vision of the cultural aspects of the city and their experience.
2.-
Work book; This is a journal of the student's integral experience, which provides the ideal structure for learning Spanish.
APRENDIENDO ESPAÑOL EN CUSCO
DAY BY DAY ACTIVITIES
This is a description of all the activities needed to perform in order to achieve the goals proposed. Each day is divided into two areas:
• Theoretical lessons in a classroom that uses realia to aid in educating, such as visuals, charts, tapes and flash cards. The time involved will be a minimum of four hours a day; however, some activities need a longer time and so the seminar may take a full day.
• Exercises, questions and answers, pronunciation exercises, building vocabulary and homework on diverse tasks.
• Field visits that involve diverse settings and locations where our students will experience ‘'hands-on'' opportunities with the local culture, and at the same time, enhance the learning process.
The time given to all activities is ideal. We may, however, change one or more days if your travel plans do not fit within our program.
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