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LANGUAGE EXCHANGES & AU PAIRS
The best way to learn a
language is speaking it
Mistakes are a natural
part of language adquisition
A relaxed atmosphere is
more conducive to learn
It takes time to learn a
language, so it's important to have fun, enjoy the
process, and stay motivated
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Culture &
Language Exchanges
Do you live in an American state with many Spanish speakers? Do
you intend to travel to South America? Planning holidays on the
Costa del Sol? Looking for recipes of the Spanish omelet, the
tortilla? You have a passion for Flamenco, Spanish guitar or
Corrida? Wishing to understand Spanish songs? Looking for
results of the Spanish football league? Looking for a job in
relation with the growing Spanish world? Do you travel to
Bilbao, Madrid or Barcelona? Needing to translate something from
English to Spanish?
There are 1000 reasons why you may be interested in the Spanish
language and culture!
Spanish is spoken natively by 400 million people. The Spanish
language is the official language of Spain, most Latin American
countries. 21 countries use Spanish as a first language. The
language is also used in several international organizations and
its importance is growing.
In a class, there is very little time to practice speaking,
because a lot of time is spent on instruction and the class may
have too many students to give everyone enough meaningful
practice. Also, there is no native speaker except the teacher
(if you're lucky). That means you are not used to listening to
native speakers and may not be able to understand them. You're
probably not learning the informal expressions and slang that
native speakers use all the time. You don't learn anything about
how the people "are" in that culture, how they interact, their
sense of humor, their values, etc
In a language exchange, however, you practice more than you
would in a class, talking with native speakers of the language
you're learning, in a relaxed and supportive environment where
there is patience and time to understand. A language exchange is
also a wonderful way to learn the real spoken language of the
culture, with all its "incorrect" grammar, informal expressions
and slang. Therefore, a language exchange is the best training
to bridge the gap between classroom learning and communicating
in the real world!
You will be provided with a host family profile that matches
your language level, goals, and preferences prior to your
departure date. All host families are pre-screened and have a
past in hosting international students or other cultural
exchanges
AuPairs
Au pairing (literally “living on equal terms”) provides single
women and sometimes men over 18 and normally under 27 the chance
to study a language and culture while living as part of a family
abroad. The demand for live-in childcare is huge especially for
young women.
The chance of arranging an au pair placement in Spain is very
good. The majority of jobs are in the cities and environs of
Bilbao, Madrid and Barcelona, though jobs do crop up in
glamorous resorts like Marbella and Tenerife from time to time.
The minimum pocket money for au pairs at present is 55-60
euro’s a week. There are also opportunities for young people to
stay with Spanish families in exchange for speaking English with
the children without having any domestic or childcare duties.
Americans and Canadians who wish to work as au pairs should
apply for a student visa before leaving home. Officially, the
Embassy requires both an offer of employment from the family and
a letter from the school where the au pair is enrolled (or will
enroll) to study Spanish for at least 15 hours a week.
The Services we offer are based on experience and sensitivity
which are needed to ensure a successful and rewarding
partnership.
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