VV: This section is our quick answer section.
What about Santiago or ECELA…
· …surprised you?
CC: I did not expect Santiago to have extreme weather conditions. June-July 2011 Santiago experienced an unusual cold winter and I was not fully prepared for it. Also, heating in Chile is an issue. Energy is very expensive in Chile and is often imported into the country which makes heating very expensive.
· …made you excited to learn the language?
CC: I think I have a gift for learning foreign languages. Spanish is my sixth foreign language and it will not be the last language I learn. Once I master Spanish to an advance level I think I will pursuit Italian next.
· …did you find the most delicious?
CC: I thoroughly enjoyed the meals prepared by my host family. Having full course meals for breakfast and dinner were some of the highlights of my trip. With the food came great conversations with my host family.
· …was the most fun?
CC: I enjoyed the after school activities, but the best for me was some of the friendships (outside of the program) I encountered on my own. I had the opportunity to meet and become acquainted with some native Chileans who helped to fulfill my experience in Chile.
· …made you the least excited to return home?
CC: One month of learning Spanish is not enough time to reach an upper intermediate level of Spanish (conversational). If I were younger and did not have a full time career I would have liked to stay a full year in Santiago and really embracing the language, culture, and politics of the country.
· …made you the most excited to return home?
CC: Due to the cold weather conditions I experienced in Santiago, Chile I was quite thrilled to return home to extreme hot temperatures, humidity, more sun light, and no smog.
VV: Thank you very much for your time and for telling our readers about our Spanish program. Do you have any parting words for our readers?
CC: If you would like to improve your Spanish language skills, interact with South Americans, and eat and drink quality cuisines, then sign up for 2 months or more for ECELA’s Latin American Spanish immersion program. You won’t regret it.