- Argentina - Portal público de noticias de la República Argentina.
Today Argentina attracts thousands of students from all parts of the world who want to learn Spanish, apart from enjoying its different cities and what its nature has to offer.
The reduced cost of the courses made possible by a favourable exchange rate, their quality, and the varied scenic and cultural possibilities on offer for a visitor make up an ideal combo that turns Argentina into a privileged place for the learning of the Spanish language.
The interest in learning our language has increased during the last few years: in 2006 a total of 16.487 students enrolled in some course, compared to only 10.469 in 2004. The students come mostly from Europe and North America, although an important number of Brazilians are also interested in learning Spanish.
Many students enroll in programs that include a comprehensive knowledge of Argentine habits, and specifically, those of the city where they are living. In Buenos Aires, the Spanish courses include the enjoyment of tango shows with the option of taking dancing classes taught by professionals, and also visits to the most characteristic neighborhoods of the city (Look up itineraries for tourists). In provinces that focus on attracting tourists, like Córdoba, Mendoza, or Río Negro, new Spanish learning centers have been set up. There, Spanish courses can be combined with classes in skiing, tennis, soccer, mountaineering, horseback riding, golf and polo, all of which are traditional sports in Argentina.
The enthusiasm for learning the language in which writers of the importance of Jorge Luis Borges or Julio Cortázar have expressed themselves has led to the inauguration of new specialized programs, like those that target entrepreneurs, tourists, children, students on exchange programs and political refugees, in which specialization results in, for example, Spanish courses alternating with tango lessons, Argentine literature, visual arts, cinema and Argentine wines, according to a report issued by the “Dirección de Asuntos Culturales de la Cancillería Argentina” (the center of cultural issues of the Argentine foreign affairs ministry) and the “Asociación Argentina de Docentes de Español (AADE)” (the Argentine association of Spanish teachers).
The Learning Centers
State centers, state and private universities, associations and academies are the main centers where courses teaching the Spanish language are given. In 2001 the ministries of education and foreign affairs set up the guidelines for the evaluation of the Spanish language, and in 2004 a consortium, made up of the state universities of Buenos Aires, Córdoba and the coastal provinces was created in order to implement the first Argentine examination testing the proficiency in Spanish as a foreign language which allows the successful candidates to obtain the Certificado de Español: Lengua y Uso (CELU) (Certificate in Spanish: the language and its use).
The Fundación Ortega y Gasset Argentina is the test center for the DELE (Diploma de Español Lengua Extranjera) (diploma of Spanish as a foreign language) examination in Argentina. These are the official diplomas of the Ministerio de Educación y Cultura de España (Spain’s ministry of education and culture), the only ones recognized by the European Council.
The Centro Universitario de Idiomas (CUI), of the Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA) has a roll of about 1,200 students that study Spanish (38% are Europeans; 36% are Chinese; 21% come from Canada and the USA and another 5% from the rest of the world). The activities include visits to tango shows, theaters, museums, city tours and meetings with non-governmental organizations. It offers two specialized Spanish courses for Chinese and Brazilian students.
The Laboratorio de Idiomas de la Facultad de Filosofía y Letras de la Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA) (the language laboratory of the school of philosophy and literature of the university of Buenos Aires) teaches regular and intensive courses and special programs for refugees and immigrants.
La Fundación Internacional Jorge Luís Borges adds cultural activities and tours visiting the country’s most interesting places to its Spanish courses. It centers the study of Spanish on the work and everyday life of Borges.
The state and private universities also teach Spanish courses: among them are the Universidad de Buenos Aires (already mentioned above) , the Universidad del Salvador, the Belgrano and the Palermo universities (all the above mentioned universities are located in Buenos Aires city) and the Universidad de Córdoba, the Universidad Nacional de General San Martín, the Universidad del Litoral and the Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata (all these are located in the rest of the country).
