I studied with ECELA for two weeks. I can’t believe everything I’ve learned and seen in such a short time, with classes in the morning and cultural activities in the afternoon. Now I can cook empanadas, speak a bit of lunfardo and dance tango. I visited the mountains and went rafting, trekking, and canopy. Before […]
Archives for February 2012
Cultural Tidbit: Styles of Tango
Tango originated in the working class neighborhoods of Buenos Aires in the 1800s. A variety of influences came together to shape and inspire the dance: ancient African rhythms, European music, the Cuban habenera, and the Argentine milong. Along the way several distinctive styles of tango came into being. Although at first the styles of tango […]
Modismo del Día: Amor no respeta ley
Spanish Idiom: Amor no respeta ley, ni obedece a rey. Literal Translation: Love doesn’t respect the law or obey the king English Equivalent: Love conquers all! ¡Feliz Día de los Enamorados!
Cultural Tidbit: A Poem by Pablo Neruda
Love Sonnet XI I crave your mouth, your voice, your hair. Silent and starving, I prowl through the streets. Bread does not nourish me, dawn disrupts me, all day I hunt for the liquid measure of your steps. I hunger for your sleek laugh, your hands the color of a savage harvest, hunger for the […]
Vista de Viernes:Peruvian Amazon
Floating houses outside Iquitos, Peru, the largest city in the Peruvian Amazon.
Testimonial: Jeff & Agatha
Attending Ecela’s Spanish school in Viña del Mar has been a highlight of our trip to South America. My wife and I initially enrolled for 5 weeks and signed on for 4 more after that. All of the teachers and staff were so incredibly nice, patient, flexible, and extremely helpful, not to mention exceedingly knowledgeable. […]
Testimonial: Jeff & Agatha
Attending Ecela’s Spanish school in Viña del Mar has been a highlight of our trip to South America. My wife and I initially enrolled for 5 weeks and signed on for 4 more after that. All of the teachers and staff were so incredibly nice, patient, flexible, and extremely helpful, not to mention exceedingly knowledgeable. […]
Cultural Tidbit: Wildlife of Peru
Many people who choose to learn Spanish in Peru do so because they are excited about the region’s biodiversity. The country has amazing resources including the Andes mountains, the Amazon Rainforest and, of course, the Pacific Ocean. Luckily, the government protects many of the country’s unique ecosystems. There are eight national parks and eight national […]
Modismo del Día: No hay moros en la costa
Spanish Idiom: no hay moros en la costa Literal Translation: there are no moors (arabs) on the coast English Equivalent: the coast is clear During the Middle Ages, Spain’s Mediterranean coasts were often raided by North African Arabs, who eventually ruled parts of southern Spain for 800 years. When Arab ships were sighted, the Spanish […]
Cultural Tidbit: Word Origins
Part of the joy of learning a new language is seeing everything with fresh eyes. In your native tongue, you take words for granted. You probably never think twice about where certain words came from or how they came into popular usage. It may sound dorky, but word origins are actually pretty fascinating. They can […]