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Learn Spanish in Montevideo
in Uruguay

The school is in the center of the historic district of Montevideo, on central Plaza Matriz (Plaza Constitución), right next to the main sights and attractions of the city and with excellent public transport to all other parts of town. It occupies the top floor of a completely refurbished historic building, with access to a rooftop terrace with great views over the old part of town.
As most of central Montevideo, the Institute’s neighborhood is a very safe place, at day and night.

Tuition Programs

• 1 lesson: 55 minutes
• Minimum age: 16.
• Schedule from 9am to 1pm or from 2 to 6pm
• Maximum 5 students per class.
• All levels available.
• School material according to your needs.
• Test and certificate of linguistic training.
• Excursions on the spot at low prices.
• 2 activities per week organized by the school.
• Internet access, email. WiFi
• Library and DVD on site

Starting Dates

• Each Monday of the year.

Closing Dates

Options Available

• Airport transfer (one way) : 50$US
   
• Our prices are available from January 1st to December 31, 2011. These prices never include the Air Fare.

  

      

  Co-Op program: click here for more details

RATES

Currency Converter
Prices are in US dollars. Please convert in Canadian dollars when final payment is made. Thank you.       

Enrolment fees (once): 90$US

* Multiply by he number of weeks you wish

Spanish and volunteer work The school offers you the possibility to combine Spanish courses with volunteer work. You can work in different organizations and projects in Montevideo, discovering very particular problems and benefiting people in many sectors. Share your time, ideas and skills with Uruguayans and discover their culture in a unique way! We consider volunteer work as an exchange whereby the volunteer in social organizations offers his work and the organization offers a space to share experiences. Receiving a volunteer implies integrating him into daily routines, allowing him to get to know one’s way of life. Being a volunteer, for us, is not an act of charity. It is a way of getting to know and to respect other cultures. We work with various organizations and you will have to pay neither for our help in organizing your volunteer work, nor for actually working there. If the volunteer organization depends on donations, The school will make this contribution, not you. In all cases we ask you to take a minimum of three weeks of regular Spanish classes at school. Our program is for all students willing to share their energy and time for a period of at least 4 weeks on a concrete project. There is no age limit. There is no better way to learn Spanish and live a full cultural immersion. Contents When you contact us, you briefly explain what you are looking for, what kind of social work you would like to do and what your expectations are. With regard to Spanish classes, you can take our online test (plus an oral test when you come here) and will then be assigned a group of your skill level. You can also communicate your housing preferences, in case you require housing.  Usually the volunteer program starts with a one-day orientation during which you will get to know the place where you will work. You will then be assigned specific tasks based on what the organization needs, your availability, your skills, your Spanish level, your area of interest and obviously also on what you agreed upon in previous contacts with us. What are the tasks usually assigned to volunteers? Obviously the answer to this questions depends on the institution where we organize your stay. For instance we cooperate with an officially recognized association of volunteers work on two different projects. Some of the tasks include: kitchen help, working in the bakery, teaching English, teaching computer skills, translation, help in the textile production, working in a radio station, etc. Remember that the better your Spanish level, the easier you will be able to communicate in your workplace and the easier you can choose between different tasks. That is true for all volunteer activities. We are looking forward to seeing you volunteer in Uruguay! Your help will be appreciated.   Start dates every Monday, year-round Duration minimum 3 weeks of Spanish courses, 4 weeks of volunteer work Requirements intermediate Spanish level - at least level 4 according to the school level system Rates Volunteering: free -- Spanish course: 200US$ per week (includes extracurricular program); Inscription fee: 90US$.- to be paid once. Includes teaching material, activities ....

Accommodation: family, private apartments, shared apartments, hotels, hostels.

• Arrival on Monday. Departure on Saturday.
  
                                 Placement fees (once): 50$US
   

• Living with a family during your stay in Montevideo, Uruguay, is a unique possibility to get to know our way of life: our habits, our food, our daily schedules, traditional Uruguayan hospitality and much more. It allows you to practice your Spanish in everyday situations, to improve your vocabulary, to improve your pronunciation and to get a feel for the use of certain expressions and phrases. Host family stays are the perfect way to truely learn and live the local lifestyle.
  
  
  The families that work with us are part of our program and know the way we work. They are prepared to receive our students and to introduce them to life in Montevideo. Most importantly, they share with us the fundamental desire to receive people from all over the world, to exchange experiences and help familiarize students with our culture. We match our international students and local families, depending on their ages and special interests.
  
  There are three lodging options to consider when staying with a family.
  
  - Individual rooms (no meal included): 160US$ per week                                                            Additional day 27$US
  - Individual rooms and half board (breakfast and dinner): 180US$ per week                                  Additional day 35$US
  - Individual rooms and full board (breakfast, lunch and dinner) : 215US$ per week                        Additional day 45$US
   
  
  Students can arrange special requirements and considerations regarding breakfast and dinner with their respective families. In most cases, bathroom and kitchen usage are shared with family members.
   
• The school offers its students the possibility to share an apartment or house with other international students and generally at least one person from Uruguay. Usually, 3 or 4 students share an apartment, each with his / her own bedroom.
  
  
  Couples and friends travelling together can ask to share a bedroom. The living and dining room, the bath and other parts of the house or apartment are shared.
  
  Price per person, single occupancy :
  Standard room : 160$US per week
  Deluxe room* (check availability): 190$US per week
  
  Price per room for couples or friends sharing a room, double occupancy:
  Standard room, shared (2 twin-size or 1 king-size bed): 230$US per week
  Deluxe room, shared* (king-size bed, check availability): 280$US per week
  
  * Deluxe rooms have one or more of the following: private bath, air conditioning, superior design and additional space. Standard rooms have heating (winter) and ceiling fans (summer) and shared baths.
  
  We are happy to organize and arrange private apartment stays. Apartments are equipped to the highest standard, with all furniture and equipment necessary for a comfortable stay.
  
  Prices range from 700 to 1300$US  per month.
   
• In a hostel students meet other students and backpackers of all nationalities and have a very multicultural atmosphere. People share experiences and stories from all over the world.
  
  Prices range from 10$US per day upwards.
   
• There is a great variety of hotels of all imaginable categories, prices and qualities in Montevideo. If students provide us with their hotel preferences, we will make the necessary arrangements.
   
  Prices range from 20$US per day upwards.

Our greeting families are recruited with great care. The criteria of selection are very rigorous and each family must satisfy a precise schedule of conditions: excellent morality, desire to communicate with their host, satisfactory social standing. We should specify that the families will only speak with you the language of the country where you will be. It is the principle of the immersion courses!
 

City information

Population: 3.3 million
Area: 177.400 sq km
Capital: Montevideo (1.5 million)
Average Temperatures: January 24º C (75º F) - July 10º C (50º F)
Forested Area: 500.000 has.

Uruguay is geographically located between two Latin American giants: Argentina and Brazil. Montevideo, its capital city, is also the administrative capital of "Mercosur", a common market formed by Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Chile as associate member. Uruguay is a peaceful and relatively prosperous country, with a high standard of living and a fair income distribution. Life expectancy from birth is situated among the highest in Latin America, as well as its literacy rate. Uruguayan culture derives basically from the Spanish and Italian immigration that took place between the XVIII and XIX centuries. Since the 80s, Uruguay has begun to plant fast-growing trees. In the last decade, 500,000 has. have been planted. Different species, such as pine, eucalyptus and poplar have been adapted successfully to the Uruguayan forest soil, considered among the best worldwide.

Montevideo is the capital of Uruguay, a nice not so quite but extremely beautiful place, where you can see a display of old architecture style mixing with the newest designs such as the Tower of communications.
A city full of life, culture, great theatres, an intense commercial zone and great international ports. The five stars hotels and casinos are a must, but you can also go to the beaches although not very clean sometimes.
The nightlife is pretty awesome and you will find a place for every taste, from jazz, to tech and rock and roll, even for swingers!

The nation's capital, Montevideo, is one of South America's more attractive capitals, even if its once grand colonial architecture could use a little sprucing up. Home to more than a third of the country's 3.3 million people, it's a city of beaches, plazas, restaurants, cafes, nightclubs and casinos. The Ciudad Vieja (Old Town) and the newer downtown area hold the most interest for visitors, but keep in mind that you should explore the Ciudad Vieja during daylight hours only. We suggest two nights to visit both the old and new parts of town.

A pleasant way to start your tour is to see the entire city from the 11th-story terrace of the Palacio Municipal, located on the main street, Avenida 18 de Julio. Or you can take in the view from the old Spanish fort. Afterward, go to Ordonez Park to see the rose garden (more than 850 varieties) and La Carreta (a covered-wagon monument - there's a similar one for stagecoaches in El Prado Park). Other sights include the Palacio Taranco (18th-century European-style mansion), the Casa Garibaldi (once the home of Italian freedom fighter Giuseppe Garibaldi) and the Solis Theater (one of the best theaters in South America, it was undergoing renovations last time we were in town). If you need to take a break for a coffee or beer, both Plaza Entrevero and Plaza Constitucion have pleasant outdoor cafes.

But if it's lunchtime, head for the Mercado del Puerto in the Ciudad Vieja. Inside this ornate building (it was once a train station), market stalls have been converted into parrillas (grills) and a few bars. Grill after enormous grill is chockablock with various meats. If a space opens up on the grill, another side of ribs is immediately thrown on to rectify the situation. Many of the establishments have proper tables, but we highly recommend sitting on a stool facing the grill for an up-close view of the action.

Also worth seeing are the Plaza Independencia, Museo Torres Garcia (works by Uruguayan artist Joaquin Torres Garcia), National Museum of Fine Arts (Parque Rodo), Museum of Natural History, the Legislative Palace (mosaic floors and stained-glass windows) and the beaches (Ramirez, Malvin or Pocitos). There's also an interesting gaucho museum in the same building where the Banco de la Republica has a small money museum. Make a point of stopping in, if only to see the building itself - the interior is marvelous. The Rambla, the avenue running along the beach, is good for walking.

Montevideo has several interesting outdoor markets, including the Feria de Villa Biarritz (open on Saturday) and the flea-markety Feria de Tristan Narvaja (Sunday morning). The artisans market, located on San Jose Street, is open every day but Sunday. If time is available, drive around the suburbs and the harbor to see ships coming in (sunset from the pier is beautiful). Festivals include a modest version of Carnival and a rodeo during Easter.

"Mate is a highly caffeinated infusion prepared by steeping dried leaves of yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis) in hot water. It is the national drink in Uruguay Mate is served with a metal straw from a shared hollow calabash gourd. The straw is called a bombilla, in Spanish, The gourd is known as a mate or a guampa, while in Brazil it has the specific name of cuia. Even if the water comes in a very modern thermos, the infusion is traditionally drunk from mates or cuias."

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