Gaia Association and Ecovillage
Learning Spanish in Community
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
Spanish in Community is a thirteen-day-programme.
The course includes language study sessions and informal practice in learning Spanish:
*Language study sessions, four hours a day either in the morning or in the afternoon, depending on your level. Classes will be offered in a classroom with comfortable setting. If the weather is good and we all feel confortable, classes can be held outdoors.
*You continue the informal practice of Spanish conversation while you seize the opportunity to work 2hs a day in the different areas of the ecovillage such as: gardening, natural building, etc.
*You will receive a lecture of introduction to different aspects of the Ecovillage concept.
*Contribution to the communal task spending a little time every day helping with the kitchen clean-up, cooking, etc.
*Participation in community activities, circle dance, meditation, yoga, celebrations,
*An opportunity to be part of a group engaged in a wide variety of activities and experiences of a pioneer community.
*An opportunity to learn more about yourself and your 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, 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 stage of development may be seen at the site.
All of this in the context of a small pioneer community in constant evolving process.
Gaia hosts the regional office of the Ecovillage Network of the Americas, and the Argentinean Permaculture Institute (IAP), as a space for experimenting, implementing and teaching Permaculture systems. They offer courses in Permaculture, Sacred Dances, Aromatherapy, Community living and more. It has an updated library covering a wide range of topics based on sustainability, as well as interesting videos.
Duration - Spanish in Community is a thirteen-day-programme.
If you are happy with the experience, and want to stay further at Gaia for a follow-up, you can join the conversation programme (one or two weeks) to practice your oral communication skills. If you are interested, we can send you more information about this conversation programme.
Course Fee & Registration
Those people wishing to attend need to submit the completed application form and the self-evaluation questionnaire.
Due to limited spaces, they need to send a deposit of 50% of the fee to confirm.
The cost of us$600 (American Dollars) includes tuition, CD and book, lodging and delicious vegetarian meals.
Simple but comfortable accommodation is provided at Gaia, with shared bedrooms for 4 or 6 occupants.
Showers and dry compost toilets are also shared.
For more information about Gaia please check www.gaia.org.ar
We do hope you will be able to join us. This will be an unforgettable language learning experience!
The Community at Gaia