I Am Always At Home After Five In Spanish

Whilst Spanish is the official language, there are not less than sixty-five indigenous languages. The forty-three million people fit comfortably into a little over a million square miles. The principal religion is Roman Catholic with the remainder of the Episcopal and Jewish faith. In a continent where baseball and US television is enormously popular, there is considerable enthusiasm for learning English. However, it is ‘American’ English that has most currency and is most sought after, not ‘English’ English. The distinction is noted by locals, bringing considerable advantage to Canadian and North American candidates. Nevertheless, there are many opportunities and, as ever, persistence pays dividends. Those actively looking for work will find it, and be rewarded by the experience...  [Read more]

Don’t be put off by the fact that bolivia is one of the poorest Latin American nations. The Andean and Amazonian landscapes offer a breath-taking experience in themselves. In addition to which, there is an interesting class system at play composed of the upper classes - those of Spanish decent; the middle classes - those of mixed race; and the native Bolivians. The interplay between culture and topography make for a fascinating travel and work experience. Spanish is the lingua franca; however, Aymara - a composite of Spanish and native dialects is also, intriguingly, an official language. The population is a shade under nine millions, and ninety-five percent of those profession religious faith are Roman Catholic, with a smattering of Evangelical Methodism. In a continent where baseball...  [Read more]

In a continent where baseball and US television is enormously popular, there is considerable enthusiasm for learning English. However, it is American English that has most currency and is most sought after, not British English. The distinction is noted by locals, bringing considerable advantage to Canadian and American candidates. Nevertheless, there are many opportunities and, as ever, persistence pays dividends. Those actively looking for work will find it, and be rewarded by the experience of teaching some of the most enthusiastic, fun-loving students on the planet. In addition to this, America is seen as corporate Big Brother. Its influence and presence is pervasive. Quite unlike Europe, for those wishing to teach in a state or private school, a TESOL qualification is more than...  [Read more]

Foreign Language Experience I come from a country, which is with high cultural values and great diversity. There are different languages spoken and different customs and traditions followed all over India. When I was in school, which was English medium school, we had Marathi and Hindi as our second language, Hindi was introduced from grade 3 and Marathi from grade 4, both these languages have almost similar script but there is a difference in the way we speak the language thus the difference in these two languages. It was easy for me to learn to read and write Hindi. It was very difficult for me to learn Marathi, my struggle worsened as my mother too was not able to help me as being from south of India she had never heard or spoke Marathi .It was compulsory in school to score same amount...  [Read more]

Problems for learners in a Country of your choice: Italy In this paper I will address the issues I face as a teacher from the context of living and working in Italy, as well as the common problems my students encounter while learning and speaking English. I also want to draw attention to the input culture and society has on language, and look at how these factors influence dynamics within the classroom. Of course, it is nearly impossible to view ones self outside your own given cultural perspective, so as a result of this I will also be discussing my own assumptions on how I "imagined" people might act, compared to the reality of the situation. Often I neglect to take into account these differences, simply because I was raised in America, where I am used to a different set of cultural...  [Read more]

Mighty big place, Partner. As Ferdinand Braudel, the great French historian observed, ‘the land dictates the people’, and it is a good idea never to stray too far from this theme. If you want to know what ‘cold’ is then head up to Minneapolis, north of Toronto, in the mid winter. If you want to know what ‘hot and humid is’ then try Orlando in the height of the summer. If you transcribe a line from Los Angles to Miami and turn this into a road trip then the number of different peoples and environments you will encounter is immense. By all means there is a thin veneer of Americanism, and everywhere you will find both McDonalds, and the presence of the Federal Government; however, you shouldn’t let this take your eye off the ball of the fact that the people and environment of...  [Read more]

The world's fifth largest country has a great deal to ignite the imagination of the traveller. Tropical rainforests, the Amazon basin, pristine beaches are just what comes with the territory. Once one adds in the people, who are often extremely friendly, and the buzz of the big cities, you can guarantee that you are entertaining the experience of a lifetime. The official language is Portuguese, and the population of one-hundred and seventy millions has plenty of space in the three-point three millions square miles of landmass. Seventy percent of the population is Roman Catholic. Of the remainder there is a significant proportion of evangelical Christians, but also, interestingly, of native animists - those that believe earthquakes, trees, mountains, etc. all have spirits associated with...  [Read more]