J'apprends l'espagnol !

Ça suffit les folies. Je me mets sérieusement à l’étude de l’espagnol. Depuis le temps que je reporte ce projet aux calendes grecques !

Il faut dire que je m’obstinais à vouloir d’abord maîtriser le chinois (OK, « maîtriser » est peut-être un peu ambitieux… lol). Mais même après un an et demi d’immersion et environ trois mois de leçons intensives, je n’arrive toujours pas à soutenir une conversation dans la langue de Mao (par contre, si vous voyagez un jour avec moi en Chine, je pourrai vous éviter l'humiliation de devoir mimer une poule ou un poisson au resto pour vous nourrir !).

Comme j’ai besoin d’un coup de pied au bon endroit pour entreprendre un projet personnel de cette envergure, je m’en suis auto-infligé un en m’organisant un voyage éclair (cinq grosses journées !) à Buenos Aires. Je pars samedi. J’ai trouvé ce qui me semble être la meilleure manière de me faire entrer quelques notions de base dans le crâne : Bueno, entonces…

Ces 30 leçons d’espagnol peuvent être visionnées à l’aide d’un ordinateur, d’un Blackberry, d’un iPod ou d’un iPod Touch (c’est ce dernier que j’utilise – j’ai acheté les premiers épisodes sur iTunes à 2,99$ chacun plutôt que d’acheter le cours en entier). Des DVD sont également en vente.

La publicité présente Bueno, entonces... comme « the Grand Theft Auto of Spanish Classes ». Plus proche de la série pour ados que du cours magistral, on me promet même quelques gros mots ! Le ton des extraits visionnés me rappelle vaguement celui de L'Auberge espagnole (probablement à cause du personnage masculin, un Anglais qui a une certaine parenté avec William, incarné par Kevin Bishop). Les cours se déroulent toutefois dans la capitale de l'Argentine.

Je n'aurai probablement pas beaucoup de temps pour « étudier » avant mon départ, mais tant pis : les 17 h passées dans l'avion et à l'aéroport de Toronto seront bien rentabilisées ! Pas le choix : les travaux pratiques débuteront dès mon arrivée. Je vous en reparle…

P.S. : Au cas où mon cerveau afficherait les mêmes messages que mon ordinateur en ce moment (« mémoire pleine » !), j’ai aussi téléchargé deux applications de traduction… ;-)

Read more reviews about Bueno, entonces... on En Transit.

The Bueno, entonces Formula: Engaging + Interesting + Funny = Retention

1. Make The Classes Interesting & Engaging
Engaging students is crucial to learning and remembering material. Using wit and charm, Bueno, entonces… not only engages; it keeps you thinking about the last lesson and looking forward to the next one. Like your favorite teachers, David & Jimena know learning doesn’t have to be dry and boring.

2. See The Words As You Hear Them
Some people are audio learners, others learn visually – most people need both, absorbing different concepts in different ways. With Bueno, entonces... every word is on-screen so you see the spelling while hearing it pronounced.

3. Color-Coding.
Words on-screen are color-coded in Spanish and English to help you understand word usage and sentence structure. You’ll quickly see, hear, and understand how words in Spanish correspond with English ones, and how they are used in sentences.

4. Symbols & Illustrations.
Verb tenses and grammatical concepts are represented by clear symbols so you quickly learn and understand their usage. Iconic illustrations easily associate images and words, burning vocabulary into your brain.

5. REPETITION - The Key To Languages.

Any teacher will tell you this, and here’s the problem with old audio books and language software – they’re mind-numbingly boring, making them painful to repeat. Bueno, entonces… is engaging, fast-paced, and fun. You’ll repeat all 30 classes over and over, learning more each time – as your Spanish progresses, you pick up more of the humor, making it easier to repeat.

To get more info, go to General Linguistics.

Bueno, entonces review on Facebook

I have been a student of languages for many years now, and this is far and away the best language tool of any type that I've seen. It's highly entertaining as well as educational... clearly intended for those who want to have fun while learning a language. You'll be laughing in Spanish in no time...

Waiting anxiously for the next language to be released!

Check out more reviews on facebook.com/buenoentonces

Day 1 in Buenos Aires

I’m here! Finally... by myself in Buenos Aires. My classes start straight away and I walk in the pouring rain from San Telmo across the Plaza de Mayo to my school at 9 in the morning. It’s just me and one other student in the class, a Bulgarian who is based in London. Basically we get to chat in Spanish all morning to our teacher Martin, who is muy fachero, and who answers all our questions.

I still am jet lagged from traveling from New Zealand and am fresh as a daisy at 6 am. I realize this will need to change if I am to get in sync with Buenos Aires because everything happens kind of late here. After class David (that’s right famous DAVID from BUENO ENTONCES) comes to get me and we have lunch. I’m starving after all the grammar, (that’s my own fault.. asked for it) We eat some Amazing Meat from the parilla in a tiny grubby restaurant downtown. David shows me what a fake 10 peso bill looks like. (Easy spot if you ask me, it comes out of an inkjet printer!) and walks me through the essentials of life in Buenos Aires.

Get to know more Vibe's experience on beadventuresinba.blogspot

Music to help you Learn Spanish - Me Voy (Julieta Venegas)

This is the General Linguistics method to teach foreign languages in action! You'll see the lyrics of the song Me voy by Julieta Venegas in the "Pizarra Mágica" or Magic Whiteboard and will be able to sing along.



Check out more videos to learn Spanish on Youtube.

2nd Semester of Spanish, Spanish Love Song starring Erik Estrada

This is hilarious!! Check it out one more time on Youtube.

Review: Learn Spanish with Bueno, entonces…

Prior to moving to Argentina, I spent several years working at an investment firm in Los Angeles. After the financial market collapse, I decided that it was time for me to try something different and accepted a consulting job in Buenos Aires. I set off for this new experience knowing only basic Spanish.

The first few weeks were very frustrating. This was the first time that I was living and working in a city where I did not speak the native language. I was not prepared for how difficult it was going to be to learn Spanish! My biggest hindrance in learning the language was finding the time. With a full work week and the time required to adjust to a new city, I just didn’t have the time to take classes.

I found out about “Bueno, entonces” through a friend who heard they were organizing a focus group to test the product. I joined so that I could try the program in exchange for writing a review.

I was very pleasantly surprised with how great the program was and how quickly my Spanish improved. While some of the beginning classes were below my skill level, I still found it helpful to have them reinforce basic grammar and conversational vocabulary. As the classes continued, I found myself getting pulled into the story line of David and his teacher Jimena, and also learning more and more Spanish.

Read more on buenoentonces.com/blog

EMPLOYMENT IN ARGENTINA

Employment prospects

The recent economic crisis meant many Argentineans lost their jobs. The economy is slowly recovering, but job openings for foreigners remain very limited.

Foreigners who speak Spanish and are willing to work for Argentinean wages or do an unpaid internship are more likely to find a job. Unemployment has been decreasing since the peak of the 2001 crisis. However, it remains high today at an estimated 12%+.

Argentina has since long attracted migrants from other countries in the region. Among others, Paraguayans, Bolivians and Peruvians are often found working in agriculture and domestic services. Argentineans often see migrants from the region as a threat to employment in Argentina.

Legally employers are obliged to register employees for taxation and social security purposes. In order to keep costs low, many employers employ people without legally registering them. The Argentinean government has started a campaign in 2005 to reduce the amount of unregistered workers. Fines are being given to both companies and individuals working illegally.

Voluntary Work & Language Teaching

Finding many types of employment in Argentina as a foreigner is not easy. If you want to get work experience in Argentina, your best bet might be voluntary work or language teaching.

Voluntary work is offered in a wide variety of fields, from medical internships to direct assistance for building schools and houses. If you want to do voluntary work there are two main ways to find a position: through an aid-organisation or a specialised agency. Lists of aid-organisations and NGO’s (Non Governmental Agencies) can often be obtained from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of your home country. The specialised agencies often offer several services such as language courses, and frequently it is even the other way around, language school organisations offer voluntary work. However, finding voluntary work through agencies often means you will have to pay for it.

Read full text on Allo' Expat.

Teaching English in Buenos Aires

Despite the Poor Economy in Argentina, English Classes Are Popular

By Cara Pulick

If you think Argentina's recent economic woes make it difficult to find a job teaching English in Buenos Aires, think again. The worldwide truth is that English is becoming more of a necessity and less of a luxury to be chopped when budgets get tight. Thus, despite an economy that is struggling to right itself, EFL jobs are out there in Buenos Aires. And you needn't look far to find them.

Native English speakers are a prized commodity in this stretch of the world and, with just a little legwork, can find placement in classrooms around the city in a matter of weeks or even days. Assignments cover an astounding, and entertaining, array of classroom environments, curricular programs and student demographics. Recent placements for new TEFL teachers in Buenos Aires have included a class of employees of a local brewery, at-home conversation practice for teenage brothers moving to the U.S., and private lessons on fishing terminology for a man preparing for an upcoming vacation.

Work in Buenos Aires can be found in a number of ways. A highly effective one is simply to contact the dozens of English institutes located throughout the city. Usually a resume and an interview are all you need to get started, though experience and/or a TEFL certificate certainly won't hurt.

While institutes often offer new teachers several classes at once, don't be afraid to accept a random class here or there, or even to substitute for another instructor; these short-term or one-time deals often turn into more substantial assignments, especially if you prove to be a reliable teacher. Do check into the hourly pay, as well as whether transportation time is included. Wages tend to vary significantly by institute and by class (sometimes group classes actually pay more), generally ranging from 7 to 16 pesos ($3-$5) per hour.

To read more go to Transitions Abroad.

VISA TO ARGENTINA

Passports

Passport valid for 6 months required by all except nationals of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay who, for journeys that do not go beyond Argentina and these five countries, may use their national ID cards.

Visa

Required by all except the following:

(a) nationals of EU countries, Australia, Canada, Japan and US for stays of up to 90 days;

(b) nationals of Andorra, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Croatia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Israel, Liechtenstein, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, Switzerland, Turkey, Uruguay, Vatican City, Venezuela and Serbia for stays of up to 90 days;

(c) nationals of Hong Kong (British Nationals Overseas), Jamaica and Malaysia for stays of up to 30 days;

(d) transit passengers holding confirmed onward or return tickets for travel provided continuing their journey within 6 hours and not leaving the airport.

Note: Visa exemptions mentioned above are for tourist and business purposes only. However, business travellers are advised to contact the Argentinian Consulate before departure.

Required documents for visa

Tourist visa:
(a) Passport.
(b) Application form.
(c) 1 passport photo.
(d) Fee; payable by cheque or postal order.
(e) Return ticket.
(f) Letter from employer.

To finish reading the text, go to Allo' Expat.

WHAT IS Bueno, entonces... exactly?

Bueno, entonces... is the best selling language-learning program for the iPhone, now available on DVD and instant download! Featured by Apple as New & Noteworthy, tens of thousands are already learning Spanish with Bueno, entonces…

Taking the most effective elements from traditional audio books and software programs, Bueno, entonces... has revamped language-learning by incorporating those features into a 1-on-1 Spanish lesson format, where you sit in on private classes with fresh audio/visual teaching tools, a huge improvement over programs currently available on the market.

Bueno, entonces... takes you inside 30 private Spanish lessons with Jimena, a gorgeous Spanish instructor, and David, her jackass student from London as he learns Spanish in beautiful Buenos Aires. Like learn-Spanish reality TV, but without the guilt of getting addicted, because in just 5 weeks you'll be speaking Spanish conversationally.

Developed by world-class linguists and seasoned comedy writers, Bueno, entonces... is the most entertaining, effective language program available. Instead of your Spanish lessons being torture, you’ll look forward to every class and want to watch them over and over again!

Bueno, entonces… is the only learn-Spanish program offering true Spanish language immersion. We relocated personnel from 6 countries to produce on-location in Latin America so students get a taste of authentic language and cultural immersion.

To learn more about Bueno, entonces, go to General Linguistics.

US dollar ends at ARG$ 3.83

Local exchange market

The American currency traded for ARG$ 3.83/ARG$ 3.79, remained unchanged compared to yesterday's close in the main banks and foreign exchange houses in Buenos Aires downtown.

The US dollar increases 10.4 percent since January.

Read more on Ambito.

Argentina's map

To find more maps of Argentina and other countries, visit Visiting Argentina.