Jonathan Brenner, from many different places in the world due to a military background, spoke to us during the final week of his Spanish immersion program with ECELA in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Jonathan and his wife Heather, along with their two dogs, made the trip from California to brush up on their Spanish, learn to tango, and sample the local culture.
He gives good insight into finding a private place tolive and how his many years of formal Spanish education brought him to where he is in his Spanish-learning journey.
0:20 – 12 years of formal Spanish education, but not up to snuff
0:56 – Military station in Spain
2:10 – Spanish dog-immersion for Cooper & Zoey
4:03 – Facing a learning challenge with a spouse
5:39 – How ECELA responds to medical emergencies
8:13 – Typical weekday for Jonathan
9:39 – Heather likes the tango, Jonathan likes the entire experience
11:08 – Favorite restaurant: Melo
11:45 – Malbec and Torrontes wines
12:35 – Surprising difference between Spanish classes in US vs. immersion
13:48 – Teachers make the difference
14:01 – 4 weeks, tremendous improvement
15:23 – Finding accommodations for pets & privacy
16:24 – Safety of ECELA location & apartment
17:21 – Argentina’s similarities to European countries
18:43 – “Lo siento.”
19:06 – Overview of Spanish immersion experience