Spanish Immersion

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LEARN with an international team of extraordinary educators in a supportive environment. You will develop your Spanish by listening to and telling stories, learning about the photography and visual art of Mexico, and reading short works by Mexican authors. Even students new to the language will be able to read poetry and songs in Spanish by the end of the course. Those experienced with Spanish will read and discuss Mexican literature as well as write original stories in our advanced language courses. We teach several grammatical concepts explicitly in each immersion course. However, the focus is on actively using the concept to communicate.

EXPERIENCE Yucatecan and Mexican culture during our afternoon cultural excursions, film screenings, cooking classes, and arts workshops. We have crafted a set of experiences, all led by local educators, chefs, and artists, that will help you understand some of the unique dimensions of the arts, culture, and cuisine of Mexico. You will take a “cultural walk” around the center of Merida learning about the public art, museums, and architectural and political history of the city. Cook with a local Yucatecan chef, sample traditional dishes, and enjoy a range of Mexican wines and fresh fruit juices. Participate in a private screening of a Mexican film in a local cinema and learn about the films social context in a post-show discussion.

CREATE using the Spanish you are learning. Habla integrates the arts into the language learning experience. You certainly don’t have to be an artist to learn Spanish at Habla. Throughout the Spanish program we will take photographs, share our writing with each other, tell stories, participate in arts workshops, and prepare “mini-performances.” All of this happens in a friendly and supportive environment.

LIVE with a local Mexican family, sharing typical Yucatecan meals and the rhythm of Yucatecan life (optional).

Habla provides snacks every day for breakfast and lunch of traditional Yucatecan foods and fresh, organic fruit juices. In addition organic Mexican coffee, bottled water, and a range of artisanal teas are available throughout the day. Habla has free Wi-Fi access. We never have any class larger than the number of students that can sit around one of our round tables.

Schedule

Session 1: Day of the Dead October 25 - November 5, 2010 Click here for more information
Session 2 January 3 – 14, 2011 One or two weeks
Session 3 February 7 - 18, 2011 One or two weeks
Session 4 March 14-25, 2011 One or two weeks
Habla also offers a Summer Spanish Immersion program every July. Click Here for more information.

The Spanish Immersion program includes daily four-hour courses, from Monday to Friday, at Habla from 9:30am-1:30pm. We feel four hours of course work per day is an ideal amount of time to consciously practice your Spanish in a classroom. We offer courses for every level of Spanish (beginning, intermediate, and advanced).

On Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 4:00pm-6:00pm you will participate in a cultural experience. For each of the following programs this will include:

Week 1

Tuesday: An Afternoon of Mexican Cinema

Habla will rent a cinema near the school and host a private screening a Mexican film followed by a facilitated discussion.

Thursday: Cooking Class

Visit the home of a local Yucatecan chef and learn how many of the traditional dishes of the Yucatan are prepared. You will have the opportunity to sample all the dishes in addition to a selection of Mexican wines.

Week 2

Tuesday: A Cultural Walk

From the Merida’s colonial center we will take a “cultural walk” which will include a tour of the murals of Fernando Castro Pacheco, an overview of key architectural sites, visits to modern, Mexican galleries, traditional museums, and local artists’ working studios.

Tuesday: Arts Workshop

A guest Mexican teaching artist will lead an arts and language workshop at Habla. All levels of classes will join together for this unique experience where we will learn about an artist’s work and participate in an active workshop.

Course Costs

One Week: $ 375 US

(includes Tuesday and Thursday afternoon experiences)

Two Weeks: $ 750 US

(includes Tuesday and Thursday afternoon experiences)

Homestays

We also recommend homestays to learn more about the culture of the Yucatan and to practice using your Spanish when you are not in class. We are very careful about the quality of all of our homestays. All of the families have experience in taking care of international guests, the homes are clean, and you will have a private room. If you have any questions please email, in Spanish or English, or homestay coordinator Claudia Chapa Cortes

Homestays include the following: housing in a Mexican home, use of common areas and resources, three meals (packed lunch when needed), one furnished room including bed linens and towels, transportation to and from the Mérida airport or bus station, coordination of homestay experiences including food allergies, special requests and medical emergencies.

If you are interested in other accommodations we can recommend bed and breakfasts and hotels in Mérida from the budget-conscious to the luxurious.

Homestay Costs

Period of Time Homestay Homestay with Air Conditioning
7 nights $ 212 US $ 250 US
14 nights $ 380 US $ 455 US

In addition to your Spanish course . . .

Habla can offer other cultural experiences including classes Yoga and Latin American dance classes based on our dance and yoga instructor’s availability. Habla can also coordinate ecological excursions and visits to Mayan ruins and nearby haciendas.

Need more information . . .