Gaia Association and Ecovillage
Learning Spanish in Community
January 4
to 16 2010.-
At Gaia Ecovillage,
Navarro, Buenos Aires,
Argentina
This Spanish immersion course offers a unique opportunity to learn and practice Spanish while experiencing life in a pioneer eco-village in South America. This course is suitable for absolute beginners as well as people with an intermediate mastery of the Spanish language. Through this immersion in the community participants will have the opportunity to practice their language skills during the whole day grounded in real world experiences and on topics of shared interest.
METHODOLOGY
The programme is taught by qualified teachers, specially trained to use the methodology ALL, Alternative Language Learning®.
This methodology uses a holistic approach: Classes take place in an atmosphere of safety play (using song, dances, and drama) that invites the learner to take risks. This optimizes the effectiveness of this multi-sensory and brain-friendly methodology which makes the most of the learners' cognitive capacities by involving their emotions and body to make the most of this fascinating learning experience. The methodology also includes memory boosters and techniques that provide tools for continued Spanish learning.
Please click here for a more detailed description of the methodology www.allmethod.com
COURSE CONTENT
Language
study sessions
*Four
hours a day either in the morning or in the
afternoon, depending on the learners' level.
Participants will be provided with a learner’s manual and a CD for
aural practice. Classes
will be offered in a comfortable
setting. If the weather is good, classes can be held
outdoors upon group agreement.
Informal practice in learning Spanish:
*Participants can do informal practice of Spanish conversation while seizing the opportunity to work for 2hs a day in the different areas of the ecovillage such as: gardening, natural building, etc.*Participants will be introduced to different aspects of the Ecovillage concept.
*Daily contribution to the communal task through kitchen clean-up, cooking, etc is expected from the participants.
*Participants will be welcomed to participate in community activities like circle dance, meditation, yoga, celebrations etc.
*Participants will have the opportunity to be part of a group engaged in the wide variety of activities and experiences of this pioneer community.
*This course provides an opportunity for the learners to learn more about themselves and their relationship with other people.
About the Spanish in Community Programme Coordinator
Professor María Marta Suárez is a language teacher, teacher trainer, curriculum designer, and school manager. Since 1991 she has been doing research on humanistic language learning which has led her to train in Argentina, Great Britain and Germany. She has participated as a speaker in various international conferences on language learning. She has run holistic language courses and teacher training courses in Argentina, Brazil, Spain, Chile, Uruguay and at the Findhorn Foundation Community in Scotland where she applied her methodology, ALL Alternative Language Learning, to teach language to learners of different nationalities. She visits Findhorn regularly where she conducts teacher training courses on brain-friendly teaching techniques.
María Marta is a passionate follower of NVC (Non Violent Communication); loves singing and dancing and is a circle dance facilitator.
THE SITE
This course will be held at Gaia Ecovillage Project, in
Navarro 110km. southwest of Buenos Aires in the Argentine pampas.
Built as a milk-processing plant 80 years ago, Gaia has been
extensively rehabilitated since 1996 as a Living and Learning Center,
with sleeping facilities, classrooms, library, community kitchen,
auditorium, greenhouse, etc. Power at Gaia is generated by wind
turbines, and good
examples of reforestation, forest garden, natural building, appropriate
technology, waste-water treatment, composting toilets, solar showers,
solar ovens and several sustainable systems in different stages of
development may be seen at the site.
All this in the context of a small pioneer community in constant
evolving process.
Duration
Spanish in Community is a thirteen-day-programme. Once finished, you
can stay on at Gaia by joining, among other options, a
conversation
programme for one or two weeks to practice your Spanish oral
communication skills. Further information on this follow-up course, or
other alternatives, will be sent upon request.
Course Fee & Registration
Those people wishing to attend need to submit the completed application form and the self-evaluation questionnaire.Due to limited spaces, a non-refundable deposit of 50% of the course fee needs to be made for confirmation by December 20th.
The $700 (American Dollars) fee includes tuition, CD and student’s manual, lodging and delicious vegetarian meals.
Simple but comfortable accommodation is provided at Gaia, with shared bedrooms for 2 or 4 occupants. Showers and dry compost toilets are also shared.
We do hope you will be able to join us. This will be an unforgettable language learning experience!
The Community at Gaia