One of the best ways to learn any language, especially one that is often deemed "easy" like Spanish, is to jump into total immersion. In this type of environment, you have no choice but to use the language to survive. The forced practice quickly cements the language in your mind. Stephanie Hellemanns, a Belgian student, has been learning Spanish in Peru through Ecela Spanish, and a couple of months into her stay, she spoke to us about her motivations and what she's learned during her time in the country.

Stephanie knew nothing about Peru before she went there -- she just wanted to try something new. She says she learned some Spanish in high school but that what she learned was not enough to let her speak freely, nor was it very good Spanish. She feels that Spanish is relatively easy for French speakers to learn, though there aren't many Spanish-language learners in Belgium.

Stephanie visited Machu Picchu on a weekend excursion while learning Spanish at Ecela Lima.

Taking off and joining the program wasn't an easy step for Stephanie. She says she was afraid she wouldn't understand people, that they would speak too quickly and she wouldn't be able to follow along. Luckily, that turned out not to be true; while Peruvians are fast speakers, she's been able to follow along quite well.

Initial loneliness didn't last long. Stephanie is taking part in a homestay, where she lives with a family that has a teenage daughter. School also made that loneliness disappear quickly because of all the friends Stephanie was able to meet. Living in Peru also means she gets to hang out with Peruvians all the time, so learning about the country and its culture -- all while using the Spanish she's learning -- has been a snap.

Outside Ecela Lima, where Stephanie learned her Spanish.

Stephanie has both grammar and conversation classes through Ecela, and while she says she prefers the conversation class, she likes both. She acknowledges that the grammar class teaches useful information that only helps her speak more properly. The grammar class follows a more traditional style of learning, where information is presented for the students to learn, and her conversation class involves more games and interactive exercises. She feels her conversation class is a lot funnier because of the mistakes she and others make when speaking.

It hasn't all been fun and games; Stephanie says the many verb tenses and irregular verbs are probably the most difficult part of Spanish for her. But her professors help her by placing the verbs on the board in class so she can see them and keep learning them.

With Ecela, you're not in a classroom all the time. Stephanie says she spends time after class with other students in the park. They also take trips to various cities to learn more about Peru; for example, Stephanie's been to see the cities of Ica and Cusco on multi-day trips.

Entrevista

Listen to Veronika Vilski, host of Planeta Ecela, and Stephanie on this 15 minute interview.

Stephanie Hellemans of Brussels, Belgium, gives us a good view of being one of our younger students at the school and how our Lima, Peru school stands up in regards to safety, finding friends, and enjoying thesurrounding areas.

Stephanie is on her way to speaking many languages, and she has big travel plans to enjoy South America’s many countries.

Stephanie says you should be a people-person and like to speak if you want to succeed in one of Ecela's classes. You have to answer questions from the teacher and speak to others in order to practice, so if you prefer to stay quiet and avoid people, you might not get the same benefit out of the program as she did.

A common concern about going to a foreign country is safety. South America, luckily, has some very safe areas, and the area of Lima that Stephanie is in is quite safe. She walks a lot, and she can take taxis or buses at night, especially if she wants to get to the center of the city. She says the teachers in the school helped her learn how to use the buses, but she also notes that the system is very easy to figure out. She's found it easy to travel around Lima.

Like most students in Peru, Stephanie found the food particularly good.

Stephanie recommends that you stay in a homestay so that you can fully experience life in the country. Your host family can help you learn, and you see what home cooking is like in the culture instead of always going to a restaurant or cafeteria. She has learned a lot more by being in the homestay instead of a dormitory or hotel.

Speaking of food, Stephanie has discovered the joys of Peruvian food. She says that the fruits really stand out. Stephanie has also experienced Lima's nightlife, calling it safe and quite a lot of fun.

Stephanie's experiences here have shown her how much she loves the Spanish language, so much that she can't choose a favorite word. She loves how the language sounds and is happy to speak it. She hopes to travel more in South America, with Colombia next on the list.