hablemos espaÑol
If you have acquired enough vocabulary and an advanced grammatical knowledge to be able to talk about different topics using the PRESENT, the FUTURE, and the PAST, but still lack the confidence, fluency and colloquialism to sustain a full and relaxed conversation in Spanish, you will get great benefits joining our COVERSATION CLUB.
Either by meeting with other students in a group setting, or by meeting ONE-ON-ONE with your instructor, you will be able to develop your conversational skills, learn new vocabulary, idiomatic expressions and idioms, and more grammatical building blocks that will allow you to express fluently and with great confidence.
¡Hablemos Español!
LANGUAGE AND CULTURE GO TOGETHER
The Spanish language is diply tied to its culture, which often places high value on subtlety, interpersonal warmth, humor, expressiveness, and courtesy.
According to linguist Dr. H. Douglas Brown (2001), during the process of learning a new language, learners create a “new mode of thinking, feeling, and acting”, that eventually leads to feeling like a slightly different person.
Spanish with its reach cultural and emotional expressiveness amplifies this effect. Think about how the use of the formal “USTED” versus the informal “TU” can shift the entire tone of the conversation. Or how certain expression, like “¿Qué pasa?” or “¡Por si las moscas!” or “¡Cálmate, hombre!”, or the very Mexican, “¡No mames!”, don’t have a parallel in English or just don’t exist in the same way. When you acquire a CONVERSATIONAL level in Spanish, you not only learn more vocabulary, grammar, and good pronunciation, you learn a new way to express yourself, a new way to see the world, and, most of all, you have more fun at speaking the Spanish!
Mola
Molas are intricate, brightly coloured textile artworks handmade by the indigenous Una people of Panamá, particularly in the San Blas Islands. These panels represent cultural identity, featuring geometric patterns, animals, and daily life scenes.
let’s change the tone of the conversation
LET’S SWITCH TO SPANISH!
There is nothing that gives more joy than being able to connect with local people when traveling!
¡Salud!
Trinidad, Cuba. Photo, Juan Lopezdabdoub
Passion in all we do.
Book today.
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THE joy of connecting with residents!
One of the most fulfilling aspects of traveling is to be able to connect with local residents and engage in casual conversations. Those unexpected encounters can enrich your travel experience, providing insight into the local culture, and create unforgettable memories, and even foster new friendships.
I went to Cuba some years ago and had the opportunity to travel around the island visiting several provinces and towns in local transportation. The ability to speak Spanish allowed me the possibility to get into places that I wouldn’t have been able to enter if I didn’t speak the language. I spoke with people of all ages and ways of life; from these two beautiful kids who, curious of where I was from, stop the ball to ask my name, to Jackeline, the lady that accommodated me in her “casa particular”, a form of bed and breakfast for tourists in Cuba; to the police officer who ventured into talking to me about what it means to live in Cuba under a extreme poverty and an American blockade. Needless to say, I was flabbergasted!
¡hola! ¿que tal?
You won’t be able to have an authentic and meaningful experience with local people in all-inclusive resorts. In an all-inclusive you will meet people like you, who are on vacation, and with workers who speak English, are paid to serve you, make you feel comfortable, and who don’t have the time to seat with you to chat.
If you are looking for a genuine connection with local people during your visits to Spanish speaking countries, you will need to keep away from establishments that attract tourists by offering a seclusive environment with entertainment, food, drinks, swimming pools, and chairs at the beach.
Improve your conversational skills at iSpeakSpanish and find opportunities to connect with local residents.
