Blog | Ecela Spanish

Cultural Tidbit: Nazca Lines

Long before the Incas began to build their empire, another culture was undertaking a tremendous building project in the desert of southern Peru. They were the Nazcas, and their project consisted of a vast and mysterious collection of geoglyphs, or drawings, laid out across a section of desert 190 square miles in area. These geoglyphs […]

Modismo del Día: A mal tiempo, buena cara

Spanish Idiom: A mal tiempo, buena cara. Literal Translation: To bad times, good face. English Equivalent: Keep your chin up; stay positive in the face of bad times.

Cultural Tidbit: Los Huasos Quincheros

If you learn Spanish in Chile, you will quickly find that that music and dance are very important to the country’s people. The sound of the country’s folk music differs from one geographical zone to the next, and tends to change depending on if you are in north, central, or south Chile, or among the […]

Vista de Viernes: Cuevas de Marmol

Caves along the shore of Chile’s Lake General Carrera

Testimonial: Alex Croz

ECELA Lima is another way to say the perfect place to learn Spanish. I spent three months and I do not regret my choice for one second. On the one hand, Lima is a very interesting city. There is always something to do, to visit, and more beaches for surfing. On the other hand, the […]

Cultural Tidbit: Musica Negra Peruana

Check out this video of Alex Acuña rocking out on Peru’s national instrument, the cajón! The cajón started out as a makeshift instrument invented by African slaves, but it has evolved into a mainstay of all kinds of Peruvian and world music.

Modismo del Día: A lo hecho, pecho

Spanish Idiom: A lo hecho, pecho. Literal Translation: To the done, chest. English Equivalent: What’s done is done; Face what’s done.

Cultural Tidbit: Afro-Peruvian Culture

What you may not know before arriving to study Spanish in Peru is that there is a large Afro-Peruvian population in the country. Many people do not realize that imported Africans and their descendants had such a strong impact on the evolution of the country’s culture. Today, people of African descent make up approximately 10-15 […]

Vista de Viernes: Busy Port of Viña del Mar

Testimonial: Wayne Tompkins

I’ve been an ECELA student twice (2006-07 and 2011-12) and I can say that the quality of their teachers and classes is excellent. I never imagined that I could communicate so well in another language. Now, I have the ability to speak to people in so many countries in their own language. The school activities […]

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