Study Abroad Blog

Latest Newsletter

Take a look at our latest newsletter: http://www.amerispan.com/newsletters/2010_09_02.htm and learn about offers, new programs and much more.

Connie Marianacci: Study Abroad, My Life Motto

How in the world did I end up living my entire life as an exchange student? I am not sure, but  truth is, it has been enriching, I have learned more about myself than ever before and I have learned to communicate and understand others in many different ways.  I have friends from all over the world and during my last birthday, I had friend say “Happy Birthday” in 10 different languages.

I am originally from Argentina even though I often don’t feel that I come from there anymore.  I will never forget my first week of class at Permian High in Odessa, Texas and then one of my classmates asked me where I was from and I said Argentina.  His reply was “Argentina in Texas??” I wasn’t really sure how to react at that point…  

Studying Spanish in Montevideo Uruguay: Week 3

By Angela B., AmeriSpan Delegate, studying Spanish in Uruguay

So another week in Uruguay...a success, it's still cold but we are managing to have some fun!  This week Juan had another little field trip, this time to a part of Montevideo called Ciudad Vieja, the old city.  It's beautiful and pretty "old."  It is where the city began, so there's a lot of history to look at and learn about, it's beautiful!  We also saw a restaurant that George Bush ate at when he came he to visit a few years ago, I thought that was interesting, hahaha!!  

I've been a little under the weather this week so I've been trying to go out and have fun, but also go home early and try to get lots of sleep, so I've done things like go to the movies instead of walking through the city if I don't have to.  Or take a bus or taxi instead of walk. So one activity that we did this week was a little "intercambio," where some English learning students came over to our school and we spoke with them in Spanish and visa versa. We shared some wine, and tea, and cake and some good conversation, it was great!!

Meet 'Pink Pangea: The First Online Community for Women Travelers'

AmeriSpan likes to keep up with the latest trends in travel resources and blogs, and we know that our students, primarily those who are female, like to travel safely.  So when Pink Pangea came to us looking to recruit female bloggers who have experienced volunteering in another country, we knew it would be beneficial to share with you!

Pink Pangea allows women on location to blog about their experiences and share with other women unique places to go and things to do that are relevant to a female audience.  For example, some of the site's recent blog posts are called "Searching for Parisian Style on a Budget," "Peace on the Horizon in the Himalayas," and "The Many Faces of South Africa," to name a few.

Please contact the site to contribute, and remember that AmeriSpan offers discounts for bloggers!

To discover this great new site for yourself, check out www.PinkPangea.com

To find out how to receive a Blogger discount from AmeriSpan, visit AmeriSpan's Specials Page

My First Impressions of Playa de Carmen

By Alisa W., guest blogger studying Spanish in Playa del Carmen, Mexico

When I arrived at mi familias casa in Playa del Carmen I was very nervous.  When I walked in the entrance, the entire family was sitting around the table, and then I was overwhelmed!  After introducing myself, my papa showed me to my room and explained how everything in the house worked, and what time breakfast and dinner were at.  He also asked if there was any foods I didn't like to eat. After getting unpacked, I took a deep breath, and I went downstairs.  All of the extended family were gone and it was only my new parents and two sisters. I also met my fellow peers that are visiting Playa del Carmen and staying with the same host familia. 

Study Abroad: The Best Way for Me to Learn French

By Ashley C., guest blogger studying French in Lyon, France

I’ve been taking Spanish classes for like six years, and I barely know how to say anything. I’ve been taking French for about four weeks, and I know how to say nearly everything I want to say. The difference? Spanish is harder than French. Just kidding! Iʼm picking up French much faster because Iʼm always, always using it. Iʼm in class everyday, and my instructors will not let me forget the words that we used the day before. I canʼt forget the present tense, because Iʼll use it again and again and again throughout the week. The present tense, the past tense, and the future tense are always in my head and I canʼt imagine going home and forgetting them now. When I took Spanish, I had class (where we mostly spoke English, by the way) for about an hour and then, when I left, I didn’t speak Spanish or think about Spanish until the next class, or when I did my homework while watching the tube, and Iʼm still terrible at Spanish because of it. You have to use the language you want to learn; you have to work and work and work at it, and make sure you donʼt forget it. You really, really need to immerse yourself in the culture, and thatʼs what these immersion classes are all about!

Meet the School: AmeriSpan's partner schools in Argentina

Enrique Helmbrecht is the founder and director of AmeriSpan's partner schools in Argentina, COINED. The school locations in Argentina are: Bariloche, Buenos Aires, Cordoba, and Mendoza. In this interview, we spoke with Enrique about his life, work, and perspective. 

What is your background?
I'm a lawyer, and I had a law firm with an excellent reputation. I had 40 employees and many clients - many of which were banks. However, that is in the past and my passion is now helping people learn new languages and cultures.

How and why did you get into the Study Abroad market?
I have always been interested in study abroad but never really considered it as a career until I went on a trip to Germany with a client from Chile. He was a businessman who had to go to sign some things for a business and I went with him as a lawyer. I saw the challenges he encountered in a new country with a different language and culture. 

Study Abroad in the World's Best Countries

Newsweek recently published a study of health, education, economy, and politics to rank the world's top countries. Go to Newsweek's Interactive Map. 

How do AmeriSpan's study abroad locations stack up?

Overall
#2 Switzerland: Overall, if you would like to experience the country that ranks #2 on Newsweek's list, study abroad in Switzerland. With a 99% literacy rate, Switzerland ranks 6th in the world in education, and they rank 2nd in health with an average lifespan of 75 years. Switzerland has low unemployment, excellent environmental health, and is fairly gender-equal, all of which help it to rank 2nd in quality of life. Switzerland also ranks 7th in economic dynamism, and 11th politically.

   
In Switzerland, AmeriSpan offers French in Montreux, Italian in Lugano, and even a teenager summer camp in Leysin (French).