Here at AMAUTA Spanish School we pride ourselves on our top quality Spanish courses and volunteer programs. For us, quality has always been very important and that is why we are so pleased to present our new and improved website! AMAUTA means teacher in the native Quechua language of the Peruvian people and it is our aim to teach anyone who wants to learn the Spanish language and about Latin American culture.

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Vayamos a Museo de Chocolate!

Only about 7 weeks left at AMAUTA! Time sure is flying while studying Spanish in Cusco! I think I finally became acclimatized, as walking up the hill from Plaza de Armas no longer makes me feel like I’m going to die from lack of oxygen. Of course, this may be helped by the fact that I found a gym in Cusco (wahoo!) and I have been working out three times a week. I’ve been told if I can work out here, I’ll be able to run for miles and miles when I return to Canada!

This past week I visited “el Museo de Chocolate” here in Cusco with my Spanish class. The museum is only about a ten minute walk from the AMAUTA school. (By the way, did you know AMAUTA means teacher in Quechua? Cool, huh?)  The museum is completely free to visit, and it’s full of really fun and interesting facts about Peruvian chocolate. Come on, who doesn’t like chocolate?! They offer you free chocolate tea upon entry as well as the option to try a piece of chocolate (you get to choose from over 15 different typesJ).

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Week 3: No money? No problem! Free drinks for all!

Yesterday, my Spanish class went on a field trip with my Spanish class to the Center for Traditional Textiles in Cusco. We had the opportunity to learn how textiles are traditionally woven as well as the complexity of skill it takes to create these masterpieces. I loved that we got out of the classroom to learn about Peruvian textiles, which is a staple of Peruvian culture.

Speaking of Peruvian culture, on our way to the textile museum, we also caught a glimpse of another interesting tidbit of Peruvian culture – the Caminos del Inca car race!
We saw a crowd of people gathered in front of the Plaza de Armas, and after inquiring our teacher told us that they were waiting for the cars to come through the Plaza in 2 hours!

I am really enjoying my time here at AMAUTA. Not only do we visit museums during Spanish class, but I also have the opportunity to get to know the people that work at the school. For instance, I asked the chef here at the school, Oscar, if I could watch him cook (because I love cooking) and he said “Yes, of course you can help me!” Lunch is served at 1:30PM daily, so I spent an hour and a half helping Oscar in the kitchen, talking about life, work, and food- in Spanish! (What a great opportunity to utilize my conversation skills that I have been learning in class!) We made a vegetable soup, pasta and rice pudding for dessert. ¡Que bueno!
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That is right; I am a Canuck. That’s what people typically call people from Canada. I will be here in Cusco, Peru for three months studying Spanish with AMAUTA Spanish School and I will also be writing about my experiences as an AMAUTA student so you can get a sense of what to expect when you choose to study with AMAUTA. I would love to hear from readers, so please feel free to leave questions or comments on any of my blog posts! Without further ado, the first two weeks…

Week 1: Adjustments and welcome

After almost 24 hours of travelling, I arrived in Cusco from Toronto, Canada, and after not sleeping during the night (this may be a right of passage for Peru-bound tourists) all I wanted to do when I arrived was just that – sleep. Thankfully, I did, and I awoke refreshed. However, after a short jaunt to the main square, the altitude managed to tire me quite quickly. The school is located on a hill (as are most places in Cusco) and not remembering the lack of oxygen at 3400 meters above sea level, I walked at my usual fast pace. NOT a great idea! Some people initially feel sick or dizzy due to the altitude, but luckily I only experienced shortness of breath. I was told coca tea eases the effects of the altitude so I have been drinking it, and it is quite delicious, as well! One of the many medicinal wonders of the Incas!
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Where the rich – dead and alive – reside

Buenos Aires is famous for its eclectic neighborhoods, and one such famous barrio is the Recoleta neighborhood. Here, the city’s aristocrats live in expensive apartments characterized by impressive French architecture. See the neighborhood through this student’s eyes and read about her experience in Recoleta!

Today we got a Recoleta tour from the people in AMAUTA Spanish School! The girls from AMAUTA showed us places like the Bellas Artes Museum, the Facultad de Derecho, Palais de Glace and, of course, the Recoleta Cemetery! The tour greatly surpassed my expectations, and it added to my experience of studying Spanish in Buenos Aires since I got to know another one of this city’s diverse neighborhoods.

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On the 23rd of September each year, Perú celebrates Día del Estudiante (Student Day)! It is a day to recognize the hard work of students, to congratulate and support them on their endeavors to be better people and professionals, and to enjoy the art of learning. Since AMAUTA is a Spanish school, and AMAUTA is full of students, and AMAUTA loves its students, AMAUTA organized a day of celebration!

The day started off as usual with a lovely breakfast of eggs, bread, and fresh juice followed by some Spanish language practice. Then, promptly at 10:00 AM, the bus left the school and made its way along the winding road from Cusco to Pisac, which is a picturesque Andean city located in the Sacred Valley of the Incas. The jaw dropping views of the fertile lands and historic Incan terraces made this 30-minute bus ride a treat in itself. However, the fun really began once we arrived in Pisac.
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AMAUTA Spanish School in Buenos Aires offers the exceptional opportunity to study Spanish while immersed in Argentine culture, in stunning and exciting Buenos Aires.

Other activities, such as Tango classes, workshops on Latin American Culture and extra daily Student Activities, make our Spanish school a distinctive educational destination in this incredible, filled with excitement and culture. Buenos Aires is said to be the "Paris of South America" with a European influence and charm combined with a Latino flare!

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The project Amauta placed me in, involves working with teenage girls between the ages of 13-17. Generally there are anywhere between twelve and eighteen girls. The girls are Extremely enthusiastic to have volunteers around. men. Only a handful of them attend school and have the privilege to leave their home, so all visitors are happily embraced. You do need an intermediate level of Spanish for this project or else you will end up feeling fairly lost. Most of the girls are fairly patient and love helping you look up words in your dictionary if you are struggling with your Spanish. There is little structure to your volunteer actual time in the project, so you need to be comfortable with a more low key environment and building relationships. Otherwise it is great to come up with your own project to do with the girls. Half-way through this project I decided to start an art studio for the girls with money donated from friends and family. They have a large room for making paper which is now a perfect spot to create an art studio. The girls are very excited about this studio project and it was the first time I was able to actively engage all of them at one time for a two-hour stretch period and see them both animated and happy. It would be great to find someone to continue this project after I am gone. While these girls were prostitutes in the past, overall they are normal, hyper, and sometimes moody teenage girls. They love to hug, chat about your love life, giggle, and play volleyball. I you have some time available, I’d recommend you stay at least 6 weeks, as it takes a while for the girls to trust and embrace you. Thanks for organizing this, Amauta, this is an experience I will never forget!

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Communicative and Interactive Teaching Method

AMAUTA SPANISH SCHOOL is known for its interactive, communicative and personal teaching methods. Standard group or individual programs include four hours of instruction per day from Monday to Friday. The complementary cultural courses (freely included in all programs) are an excellent complement of the course since they are a great way of improving your Spanish in activities all directed towards learning in a dynamic environment where you will learn about Latin American and Peruvian culture.

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It is an inevitable fact that while studying a new language – what about Spanish in Buenos Aires –  you will have days when it feels as though your head is going explode from all of the new vocabulary, verb conjugations, and expressions.  Fortunately, there is a great new way to blow off a bit of steam during your time at AMAUTA SPANISH SCHOOL in Buenos Aires, that will also give you some great insight into why many people consider Buenos Aires one of the world’s top nightlife destinations.  The Buenos Aires Pub Crawl, or BA Pub Crawl, is taking the city’s nightlife scene by storm.  Operated by a fun and truly international staff, the BA Pub Crawl is a great option for those with little experience in this large city to meet other travelers as well as locals, in a night that will lead them to four or five different city hot spots.  What´s more, the BA Pub Crawl operates its nightlife tour in three different and distinct city locations, each offering an entirely unique experience.

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