Our summer program is not for everyone.  It requires you to live for several weeks in a foreign country - away from the people (and the comforts) you know.

It will be a challenge and many college students do not yet have the courage to succeed.  Some even beg to go back home shortly after arriving in Lima, quickly realizing they are "not in Kansas anymore".

Frankly, if you don't adapt well to new surroundings, you are not ready for Peru.​

This is not a travel-oriented program where you'll be taking pictures to show off to your friends back home.  

In fact we recommend leaving your camera behind much of the time. 

If your idea of going abroad is to relax in a quaint foreign playground, you'll be very disappointed.  ​You probably shouldn't be on this page.

But you are in the right place if...

• You are aware that Spanish is increasingly necessary for a human services career in the United States, in many cases a strict requirement to even get interviewed.
• You know that without mastering Spanish, you’ll be doing a disservice to, and perhaps even putting at serious risk, a large portion of the population.
• You are curious about other cultures, and you want to see how another society's social system operates. - how a “third world country of limited resources” still makes things work.
• You like the idea of traveling abroad, forming new relationships, and accumulating travel stories you’ll still be telling 30 years from now.
• You can step out of your comfort zone and live in unusual surroundings, try foods you don't usually eat, and meet people far different than your friends and family back home.
• You do not want to do the program merely to "stack the deck" on your graduate school application or to "fill out your resume" as a tie-breaker, but to genuinely become someone capable of helping Spanish-speaking patients, understanding not only their language, but also their cultural backgrounds.

If you identify with the above, and know that a summer in Peru could improve your career, as well as the people you'll help along the way, please keep reading.  

You will learn how to not only greatly improve your Spanish, gain counseling field exposure, and deep-dive into Peruvian culture, but also how to stand out in a competitive applicant crowd in a way that transgresses GPAs and certifications.

"So what is 'Ecela' anyway?"

Ecela is an acronym for "Español y Cultura En LatinoAmerica".

It​ is our mission to get 2,000 people fluent in Spanish and fluid in cultural awareness by 2020.  

Our six schools in three countries (Argentina, Chile, and Peru) all share the same core principles: 

1. Teachers Great at Teaching  We do not hire our Spanish instructors based on the fanciest degrees, the most research prizes, or the most books authored.  All that's important, but we primarily focus on two things: effectiveness and empathy.  After all...We want you to wake up looking forward to class...and dread having days off.
2. Extra Small Classes  By keeping classes at a max of 8 for fundamentals, and only 4 for conversation, we ensure you get plenty of "reps" for rapid progression.  Actually speaking (much more so than reading, writing, or hearing) is"where fluency is made."  Small classes keep you engaged, holding at bay the "mind drift" and "clock-watching" common to larger lectures.
3. Cultural Integrations  Not only will your heightened cultural awareness make you a better person, but being able to use your Spanish "out in the field," the very same day you learn it, gives further incentive to concentrate and activates your "memory storage muscles" for easy vocab retention.

Our simple but effective roadmap to fluency:

Ecela Spanish Fluency Pathway

We have carefully designed our course to deliver rapid improvements in your Spanish communications with only four hours of class time per day, leaving you lots of free time for cultural explorations.

• Fundamentals (2 hours/day Max 8 students/group)  Solid foundation in grammar & proper structure.
• Conversation (2 hours/day Max 4 students/group) Practice what you've learned in a supportive group.
• "Field Practice" (unstructured) Get real-world practice by using your Spanish in the surrounding areas.  Explore by yourself or with other students in your "360 degrees of Spanish" environment.
• Homestay (Optional but highly recommended) Get even more Spanish practice (and cultural immersion) with a local host.

The USA Has More Spanish Speakers than Spain?

Yes, the USA has more Spanish speakers than Spain. In fact, only Mexico and Colombia have more.

Soon, the USA will move into second place.

What does that mean for social workers and counselors?

What does that mean for you?

Of course, to meet that demographic reality, more and more hospitals require Spanish of their workers.

It only makes sense. It’s certainly a tiebreaker between two equal candidates.

Fair or not, ”it is what it is“

Other than perhaps counting to diez, it is true that most older counselors do not speak Spanish.

They are “grandfathered in.” their English-only ways accepted. Access to an interpreter is what they’ve come to expect.

Newcomers to the field do not have that luxury.

Belt-tightening organizations cannot keep staffing interpreters when so many other candidates speak Spanish more than adequately.

“An increasing number of clients request Spanish-speaking social workers each year."

Service organizations and career placement organizations nationwide agree on the glaring shortage of Spanish-speaking employees.

The St. David’s Foundation of University of Texas is dedicated to increasing the amount of bilingual social workers in Central Texas:

• Dr. Michael Wilson: “Without bilingual social workers, Spanish-speakers lose the opportunity to have their needs understood on their terms and in their language.”
• Jane Kretzschmar, a dean for the master’s program: “the need for social workers who speak Spanish is acute… an increasing number of clients request Spanish-speaking social workers each year."
• “Many times families come in and ask ‘Do you speak Spanish?'” Lorena Urbina said. “When I respond, ‘Yes’, I can see that this alleviates pressure and anxiety for the families about having to communicate in English.”
• “Often the adolescents are bilingual, so I go with their preferred language, but in most cases the parents are only Spanish-speaking.” – Daisy Thompson, St. David’s Foundation Scholar.

Administrators in eight out of 10 school districts say they don’t have enough Spanish-speaking counselors to serve the growing Hispanic population, according to a University of Florida study.

• “Parents need to be able to talk to a counselor about their child’s progress,” said Professor Harry Daniels, Chairman of the Counselor Education department at UF’s College of Education and a co-author of the study. “They need a place in the school system where they feel safe, where they feel their child’s needs are understood”.
• “Hispanic students who face mental health issues may find it difficult to trust or open up to English-only speaking counselors, and often need someone who speaks their first language,“ Smith-Adcock said.

From La Prensa in Riverside County (California): As the number of native Spanish speakers in California public schools rises, experts and educators alike say access to culturally competent counselors is key to future academic success – yet “such counselors are becoming an endangered species“.

• “I felt I couldn’t help my kids. I came to the school and there was no one who spoke Spanish,” remembers Alicia Loera, a 52-year-old mother of two.
• “I didn’t feel guided,” adds her daughter Evelin. “My advisor was not bilingual, so I had to translate for my mom. For me, it was very difficult because sometimes there were things I didn’t want my mom to know.”
• Loera says her inability to communicate with Lugo’s counselor prevented her from getting more involved in her daughter’s education. “When she did the translation, I asked her, ‘Are you telling me everything?’ My daughter would answer by saying she understood very little.”

We ask prospective applicants like yourself why Spanish is important to their futures and have received hundreds of fascinating answers. Here are some of them:

“I am applying for PhD Counseling Psychology programs and I have realized the importance of being bi-lingual. I live in Colorado and I am learning about our higher rates of Latino populations in our community. I want to be an effective therapist for many people and I do not want language to be the barrier that prevents me from reaching many people.”

“I am aiming to do Social Work in Arizona, and hopefully work with refugees or immigrants, so it will greatly help me to be able to communicate with those Spanish speakers who cannot speak English.”

“My goal is to be a clinical social worker in urban environments (currently New York City) and want to be able to help as many people as possible. In most of the clinics that I’ve researched, clientele is largely Spanish-speaking.”

“I intend on being a licensed counselor in the state of Texas where the Spanish-speaking population is very large. I will be working in schools where students will have parents who do not speak English. If I can keep my students from being a translator, my job as a counselor will be better performed by not placing my students under that awkward pressure and stress.”

“It will allow me to serve more diverse populations. I also plan on moving to Miami, FL where Spanish is a pre-requisite for many counseling positions.”

"I am a social worker, working in New York City with immigrants and victims of human trafficking, many of which come from Spanish speaking countries. I would like to become fluent in conversational Spanish to better suit the needs of my clients.”

“My plan is to go into Correctional Psychology (aka Prison Psychologist). The biggest obstacle to the rehabilitation of inmates/offenders is a language barrier, and the Hispanic inmate population is rising. I will be better able to treat patients if I am able to communicate with them effectively.”

"I hope to go into counseling someday in the Chicago area. Possibly with specializing in victims of rape and sexual assault. Given the high Mexican and Spanish speaking population in the area, Spanish fluency would be immensely beneficial.”

“I hope to be a counselor for individuals who are in recovery from abuse in the home, or that have been rescued from some sort of bondage (sex trafficking, labor trafficking, etc). Spanish would help me in my career because I would be able to live and work in communities that have large Spanish-speaking populations, and I would not have that language as a barrier.”

“As an activist who hails from LA, I realize knowing Spanish is incredibly important to make sure social movements are accessible to all who are affected by issues of social inequality. After I graduate I intend to use my Urban Studies major to do community organizing and to confront the racial, economic, and gendered social divisions made visible in urban spaces.”

"I am applying to graduate programs in Arizona and for projects aimed at providing clinical intervention for Mexican-American families. The program will allow me to better communicate with our target group.”

“My intent is to stay in the medical setting working as a social worker with children. Nebraska has a high rate of Spanish speaking families and being able to communicate with them fluently would create rapport and increase likelihood of their trust with me as a professional.”

Let’s face it: With traditional grammar drills, memorization and repetition-based teaching through high school, colleges, DVD’s, books, CDs, apps and even more being some of the most common ways in which students attempt to learn, is it any wonder why so many people give up or fail?

Unfortunately they are usually:

Too hard

Too long

Too boring

Too confusing

Too repetitive

Too ineffective

Here’s why…

1. High school and college classes are usually filled with too many people – which means little participation opportunities and not enough time to focus on individuals.
2. The mood is usually a very low energy as most of class doesn’t want to be there – they just need a grade.
3. Often they are overly focused on grammar and vocabulary (because it’s far easier to grade than conversation practice, which ultimately is what you really need to excel).
4. Learning times are structured using rigid scheduling which simply is not convenient to a busy lifestyle.
5. Languages are being taught for only a few hours a week, and that simply doesn’t provide the consistency required for focused learning, so often people forget what they learned the last time they were in class.

Then there is the downside to self-study through books, DVDs, CDs, apps...

1. You can learn on your own time, but unless you’re super disciplined, most of the time you will never get around to actually doing it — and even if you do — it generally doesn’t last for long as the distractions of everyday life will usually pull you away.
2. Plus not having a teacher around to give you instant feedback makes it virtually impossible to know where you going wrong, what adjustments you can make to improve or if you are even progressing.
3. Boredom usually sets in when wading through material because there is no social component, or conversational interaction with others, and it soon becomes a boring and lonely experience.
4. Then you have books, DVDs and CDS which usually end up gathering dust in the corner or being given away in a yard sale.
5. Also with so many apps on the market claiming to help you, it’s very easy to get overwhelmed and confused as to which one is really going to work, and how accurate their method of teaching is over the long haul.

"So what's the alternative?"

Fortunately there's a better way.  You can learn Spanish at a fast pace while also enjoying yourself so much that it seems practically effortless.

The 9 Main Reasons Why Spanish Immersion Can Get You Fluent Without the Frustrations and Drawbacks of Traditional Education

We've come up with a list of the 9 main reasons that learning here could be more effective than any educational experience you've ever had:

1. ​Single Focus  Unlike a university situation where you're juggling 4-5 classes, or your home life where you're dealing with so many projects, going away specifically to learn Spanish lets you focus on that one thing, not wasting mental energy jumping all around.
2. 360 Degrees of Spanish  Not only in school but also out and about town, you're hearing and seeing your new language constantly, and little by little it sets in subconsciously.
3. Community Support  Ecela students are diverse - you could be in class with a middle-aged Brazilian lawyer, a young Swedish photographer, a retired Swiss journalist, and a college student from Florida - but everyone is moving in the same direction, yet not competing.
4. Engaging Teachers  Rather than focusing only on an instructor's academic background, we place a heavy emphasis on finding teachers who excel at connecting with students in a most supportive way.  This keeps you looking forward to class rather than dreading it.
5. Immediate Learning Incentives  Since you will have the chance to use your Spanish the very same day you learn it, your studying is more relevant (and thus you're more receptive) than when learning about something you may never use.
6. Grammar/Conversation Balance Traditional language courses are almost always way too grammar heavy - after all, it's easier to grade and easier to teach in large groups.  At Ecela we dedicate a full 50% of class to conversation so you won't just be "good on paper".
7. In The Now  You will be mentally and physically in a different place than your past regrets and your future worries.  This gives you what travelers call "heightened aliveness" and your mind is cleared for learning.
8. Extra Small Classes  With only a handful of students in each class you are receiving constant attention and don't find your mind drifting as you would in a "one lecturer to dozens of students" learning situation.
9. Extra Speaking Time  Between the small classes and the Spanish everywhere environment, you'll have constant chances to speak - the area most often ignored in traditional classes and even self-study. 

Emily Caro shows the area for a community development volunteer project on the outskirts of Lima, Peru.

What you can expect during your Spanish immersion in Lima...

• Accelerate your learning with four hours of classes every weekday. Sounds like a lot, and the first day will be tiring. After that, you will thrive.
• Six weeks is equal to two full semesters of college Spanish. But you’ll learn MUCH more than that.
• Enjoy an engaged and dynamic classroom with a “useful in the real world” focus on conversation.
• Bond with like-minded students who share your passion for learning and travel.
• Benefit from extra small class sizes. Because our classes range between 4-8 students max, you’ll have tons of opportunities to participate, get personal feedback, and hone your skills.
• Because the classes are kept under eight students, the dynamic is more like getting coffee with a group of friends than just being another face in a crowded lecture.
• The conversation classes (50% of course time) are capped at only four students, intentionally designed to be intimate enough that even students “on the timid side” have no reservations about participating.
• Get a front-row seat to the real culture Live and play in one of the most popular small cities of Latin America while using your Spanish in real-life settings, speaking naturally and with confidence.

At Ecela, you’ll advance much faster than any other type of course or language program.

We have seen firsthand the results of “Immersion Plus” on over 15,600 students so far – from seven year olds that come on our “family eduvacations” to adventurous seniors that plan to retire here in South America.

It works on journalists from Australia, “gap year” travelers from the UK, lawyers from Brazil, diplomats from France,

....and, of course, social sciences students from the United States.

Social Work Field Experience in Lima

The special program includes a significant amount of exposure to Peruvian social systems:

• Guest lectures. Professionals explain the history and current realities of Peruvian social systems.
• Extra counseling Spanish lessons. In addition to the standard program, you’ll have role-playing and vocabulary sessions focused on social services.
• Community centers. For hands-on participation you will be invited to volunteer in the planning and building of community centers.
• Store your experiences as a “conversational topic bank” for future job or graduate school interviews. Being interesting is often as important as being qualified.​

While You’re Here…Earn 6 College Credits

The program includes a transcript from Universidad Bolivariana to transfer credits to your school (or to save for a graduate program).

• Two college courses may not sound like much, but they can come in very handy down the road when you are overburdened with requirements for graduation.
• Since you will actually advance much more than in a usual class, your NEXT class (in college or elsewhere) should be much easier.
• Note: The credits should be seen as a mere “extra.” A “nice to have” If you are coming just to meet degree requirements, you’d be coming for the wrong reasons.

Inside a fundamentals (grammar) class.

Experience Peru Thru Its Culture

Your program is not limited to Spanish class and human services trips. We also provide a full calendar of events to make sure you experience Peruvian culture.

• “Learn” (or watch) how to cook Peruvian food, widely considered the finest on the continent.
• Make sure to take advantage of the salsa dance classes to impress your friends when you get home.
• Lima, with many archaeological sites within and outside the city, is sometimes called a “living museum” and we’ll take you to the most important spots. 
• On the weekends visit colonial villages, explore the coast, venture to the tempting and seductive Amazonian jungle, or just stay in town and enjoy Limeño life.

“What is a typical day like?”

You’ll be spending four hours a day in class.

Again, it sounds like a lot…but the classes are fun and go by fast. In addition, there are many cultural and social activities – from cooking lessons to “Cinema Latino” – at the school. It will be your home.

• 7:00 AM: Breakfast. Join your host family and fuel up for the day.
• 7:30 AM: Spanish warm-up. (recommended) Review yesterday’s lessons and look ahead to today’s.
• 8:30 AM: Walk to school. Meet up with another student or two to go to school together.
• 9:00 AM: Grammar class. (max 8 students) Review and drill the language fundamentals.
• 10:40 AM: Break. Catch up with your new friends over free coffee and tea.
• 11:00 AM: Conversation class. (max 4 students) Heavy-duty practice, with instant feedback, in a welcoming setting.
• 12:40 PM: Lunch. Go to one of the many local, inexpensive restaurants with some classmates. Invite your teacher once in a while.
• 2:00 PM: Human Services component. Varies between volunteer work, field trips, guest lectures, and specialized Spanish lessons.
• 5:00 PM: Cultural activity. (optional) Learn more about the Peruvian culture: cooking classes, dance lessons, museum tours, etc.
• 7:00 PM: Dinner. Home cooked Peruvian meal with your host family.
• 8:00 PM: Homework. Today’s assignments.
• 9:00 PM: Out. Meet up with friends to take in a live music show or just to people-watch.

“Where Will I Live?”

There are two housing options – you can’t go wrong with either. Our students choose them about equally:

Shared apartment with students:

• Live in a shared “flat” with other program participants and other young students staying in Lima.
• Prepare your own meals (or go out). Share a living room and kitchen with your flatmates while enjoying your private bedroom.
• Use your apartment as “the meetup” before heading out to Lima’s seemingly endless amount of night spots.

True immersion with a host family:

• Gain extra Spanish practice as you bond with your nueva familia over breakfast and dinner.
• You’ll have even more cultural opportunities – don’t be surprised if you’re invited along to birthday parties, weddings, and other fiestas tradicionales.
• You are still free for lunch to eat with your school friends at any of the many Peruvian (and other international flavors) restaurants near the school. You’ll love how inexpensive, yet delicious, restaurant food is in Peru.
• Suggestion: Bring a small gift from your home region for your host. (Your local airport is a great source.) It will “break the ice” on the first day and give them something to always remember you.

Lima, Peru – a “mini United Nations?”

For many international travelers, Lima is a mere stopover on the way to the glamour cities of Buenos Aires or Rio de Janeiro.  In that case, you wouldn’t give it a second glance and probably would stay in the airport.

Yet, arriving visitors are continually overwhelmed by the international flavor.

Why?

Apart from the constant flood of archaeological tourists from around the globe, Lima also has many international “expats.”

You see, with its pleasant oceanside climate, super low prices, and welcoming population (both the locals and the other foreigners), many travelers decide to stay, opening restaurants and shops typical of their homeland.

• Go for a “pub crawl” or to a “de moda” club and you’ll see a mix of Australians, Swedes, French, Brazilians, Argentines, and of course Americans, among the several dozen resident nationalities.
• Enjoy international food selections normally reserved for only much more “sophisticated” cities. Whatever your favorite ethnic food, chances are you’ll find it in Lima.
• Make friends with foreigners that have been there for months, or even years, and they will show you spots far better than anything recommended by tour books.

South America’s Best Food

Peru has a well deserved reputation for having the best food on the continent. You must try: (source: National Geographic)

• Ceviche If Peru had an official national dish, it would probably be this preparation of raw fish marinated in citrus juice. The dish is usually spiced with red onion and aji pepper, and served with sweet potato or choclo, an Andean corn.
• Rocoto Relleno What appears to be a plain-old red bell pepper is actually a fiery Capsicum pubescens, stuffed with sautéed ground beef and hard-boiled egg. This is topped with melted white cheese, baked, and served whole.
• Alpaca In the Andean highlands, this camelid (a smaller cousin of the llama) has also been a source of meat for centuries. The taste is similar to buffalo or other grass-fed meats: somewhat gamier than beef and very lean.
• Lucuma A tree fruit that looks like a mango, but it has a custardy taste akin to maple syrup. It’s usually used as a flavoring in desserts, and is justifiably popular as a variety of ice cream.

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What Do Travel Experts Think of Lima?

Lima, Peru is an incredible place that you’ll love. But don’t take our word for it. Here are excerpts from some respected guidebooks:

Fodor’s: “When people discuss great South American cities, Lima is often overlooked. But Peru's capital can hold its own against its neighbors. It has an oceanfront setting, colonial-era splendor, sophisticated dining, and nonstop nightlife. 

"During the past decade the country has enjoyed peace and steady economic growth, which have been accompanied by many improvements and refurbishment in the city. Residents who used to steer clear of the historic center now stroll along its streets.

"And many travelers who once would have avoided the city altogether now plan to spend a day here and end up staying two or three.”

Lonely Planet: “When fog bundles its colonial facades and high rises, Lima's enchantments come across as all too subtle. To enjoy it, climb on the wave of chaos that spans from high-rise condos built alongside pre-Columbian temples, and fast Pacific breakers rolling toward noisy traffic snarls. Think one part southern Cali doused with a heavy dose of America Latina.

But Lima is also sophisticated, with civilization that dates back millennia. Stately museums display sublime pottery; galleries debut edgy art; solemn religious processions recall the 18th century and crowded nightclubs dispense tropical beats. No visitor can miss the capital’s culinary genius, part of a gastronomic revolution more than 400 years in the making.

"This is Lima. Shrouded in history, gloriously messy and full of aesthetic delights. Don’t even think of missing it."

Frommer’s: “Once South America's richest city, Lima was hailed the City of Kings by Spanish conquistadors. If you look beyond the urban sprawl, you'll be rewarded with the National Museum's pre-Columbian treasures and Plaza Mayor's colonial splendor.

"But ask Limeños what makes their city tick and they'll most probably wax lyrical about ceviche (lime-marinated seafood) with pisco sours by the Pacific and Barranco's pulsating Afro-Peruvian peñas (folk nights). A mix of colonial heritage and Latin passion, grime and glamour -- Lima is a tantalizing appetizer of what Peru has to offer.

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