Argentina
the eighth largest country in the world, is among the most exotic volunteer travel destinations in South America . It is an intriguing mix of astounding natural, scenic and cultural resources with frequent economic crisis and a low level of social development. Many volunteers choose Argentina to volunteer or improve their Spanish due to its people's hospitality and cordiality, its immense tourism opportunities and its incredibly low cost of living. Also, they choose the city of Córdoba for being the perfect university town everyone is sure to fall in love with, for its colonial heritage, its youthful outdoorsy vibrancy, its mild climate and amazing landscape.FREE Spanish in Argentina
Market Value up to US$1080*
Join our volunteer program in Argentina and receive FREE Spanish lessons - 2 hours a day (10 hours per week) for up to 12 weeks!
The School
Global Crossroad's Spanish School in Argentina is located in Córdoba, "the heartland" of Argentina "- just 10 minutes from the city center and less than 1 hour from the breath-taking Sierras for easy access on the weekends. Our Spanish classes are taught by professional Spanish teachers and tailored to meet your current Spanish level and specific needs.
How does it work?
On your first day, you will participate in a brief orientation followed by a diagnostic, language placement test determining the optimal placement at an appropriate level. Throughout your language training, the teacher will continuously assess your ability in the 4 language skills - Speaking, Listening, Reading , and Writing - and the 4 language systems - Grammar, Vocabulary, Phonology, and Function.
In the Free Spanish program, we offer 2 hours of group Spanish lessons each day at all levels of Spanish. Students study Spanish while simultaneously working in their respective volunteer project for the entire duration of the program (maximum 12 weeks). Note: Spanish classes are not required and participants may choose to discontinue their Spanish classes whenever they choose to.
The free Spanish classes and your volunteer project will be managed simultaneously. For example, you will either take Spanish classes in the morning and then do your volunteer work in the afternoon, or you will study Spanish in the afternoon and work at your volunteer project in the morning. The Global Crossroad in-country coordinator will organize your Spanish classes and volunteer work in collaboration with our Spanish teacher and your project site.
*General group Spanish lesson costs $9 per hour. Volunteers joining 3 months of program can get 120 hours of free Spanish lesson, a service of market value of $1080.
Spanish Levels
Basic
Basic classes are for volunteers with no previous experience in Spanish. Volunteers will be taught basic grammatical structures, vocabulary, and will immediately begin speaking in Spanish, thereby gaining a concrete foundation in the language.
High Basic
For volunteers with an elementary knowledge of the Spanish language, theses classes focus on reinforcing grammar, teaching new vocabulary, and increasing speaking capacity, enabling you to express yourself clearly in daily situations.
Pre-Intermediate I and II
These classes build on volunteers' previous experience with Spanish, reinforcing all areas of the language, with an increasing importance placed on speaking, reading, and vocabulary-building.
Intermediate I and II
At this point, volunteers likely speak Spanish, but are still struggling with the more difficult grammar points. These classes focus primarily on conversation, reading, and vocabulary-building; as well as on increasing your grammatical accuracy by reinforcing areas such as the use of the 'subjunctive' and 'indefinite past'. Focus is on the ability to express yourself spontaneously and to interact across a variety of social situations with increasing accuracy.
High Intermediate I and II
These classes build on volunteers' conversational base in Spanish, and begin to more finely tune communicative competence by building vocabulary and introducing students to idioms, slang, and points of 'common usage' in Spanish. High Intermediate classes also include emphasis on written expression.
Advanced I and II
Advanced classes at the first and second level continue to fine tune volunteers' Spanish skills. Emphasis is placed on advanced communicative competence - the ability to communicate completely in the Spanish language, across all kinds of situations. Classes emphasize oral skills, sophisticated vocabulary, and increasing students' understanding and ability to use idiomatic Spanish.
