Howard
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Mood: I'd rather regret the things I've done than regret the things I haven't done.
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Spanish Immersion?
Has anyone had personal experience with doing a Spanish Immersion study at someone's home for say 1-3 weeks?
I really would like to improve my Spanish language skills but I am afraid my book learning and school learning days are far behind me for remembering
and retaining information.
I have seen some homes with hands on classes listed in Mexico as well as Spain that are a little pricey but if it was truly successful in drastically
improving my language skills it would be worth it.
Any experiences or personal recommendations?
We don't stop playing because we grow old;
we grow old because we stop playing
George Bernard Shaw
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BajaBlanca
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I, as a language teacher of English for foreign students, have seen first hand that students who are immersed, in fact, learn a lot! That being said,
those that are fearless about mistakes and just blab away, learn the fastest. It does not matter that the grammar is not perfect from the onset. If
you speak speak speak, you progress so much faster. The brain handles the grammar and it comes together in your brain, almost miraculously.
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pacificobob
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I have done immersion study in Guatemala in the late 70s.
It was inexpensive and effective.
It has been said that the best way to learn a language is in bed, or in prison.
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azucena
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I too, was an English teacher here, and can say my students were disadvantaged by a lack of immersion.
I have attended Spanish immersion schools in Costa Rica , Ecuador, Mexico and Guatemala.
The best was in Antigua Guatemala in 2012 or so, and was affordable with excellent, experienced teachers.
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pauldavidmena
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"Spanish and Go" is one of many YouTube channels featuring videos and podcasts targeting an English-speaking audience desiring to learn Spanish. It is
a married couple - a gringo from Minnesota and a Mexicana - who run the site, which now features Immersion Retreats to places like Guanajuato and Oaxaca. I can't speak to how effective they are, but as they've increased the number they're
offering , they are at least lucrative!
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Howard
Super Nomad
Posts: 2353
Registered: 11-13-2007
Location: Loreto/Manhattan Beach/Kona
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Mood: I'd rather regret the things I've done than regret the things I haven't done.
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Great feedback!
What I meant to say in regards to staying in a home, it was actually a learning environment with teachers .
Here is the place I ran across on Goggle.
anderslanguages.com
We don't stop playing because we grow old;
we grow old because we stop playing
George Bernard Shaw
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pacificobob
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Early December of 1979 I was studying Spanish in huehuetenango Guatemala.
I lived with a family and did 7 hours a day at a school one on one with an instructor. There was a revolution in progress. One could hear the
shooting at night, and in the morning I could see the bodies of the rebels being towed behind truck through the town to intimidate potential
combatants.
Finally the school closed after the original 60 students dwindled to 6 of us.
We packed up and went to a beach on the Pacific side ....far more tranquil.
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pacificobob
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Not at all. The only source of information was word of mouth, and what we witnessed. A portion of the shooting took place in smaller towns. Lots of
people fleeing on foot. I remember indigenous women crying while selling their earrings to finance their exit.. i haven't thought about these events
in years.
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pacificobob
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I did about 6 weeks. I gained the required momentum to begin stringing grammatically correct sentences together. 7 hours a day 1 on 1 is a lot of
work..
I think any language student can benefit from a curriculum like that.
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pacificobob
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Yes. ..most instructors were university students. And yes 7 hours is a real grind.
Perhaps past the point of diminishing results. My head hurts just remembering.
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