Spanish
It is extremely important to be willing to learn Spanish. In the school, most of the teaching staff speak English, but most other school employees do not. Therefore, it is necessary to know at least how to say “Coffee please,” or “Thirty copies of this ditto, please.” (Spanish is a very polite language.) Outside of Colegio Bolivar, there are very few English speakers. If you can possibly learn some Spanish before your arrival, we recommend it, as it will make your experience here more meaningful and a lot less frustrating if you do. You need to know enough to order a meal and say a few words to those whom you meet. Concentrate on conversational Spanish and learn the basics that will help you to get around, eat, and just generally enjoy the culture. There are certainly options to study Spanish here. Many people employ private tutors, which often work better than college courses. However, we strongly advise you not to get discouraged; it does take time, and getting over the lack of control and sense of inadequacy that not knowing the language brings can be frustrating. We all were there.
In addition, the school offers free Spanish lessons with one of our current teachers.
From our survey of new teachers, the following was said about the importance of Spanish:
“Language difficulties more bothersome than I thought, the people here are very patient with foreigners”
“Crucial! very important, in order to know the culture, vital!”
“You really need to know how to shop, go to the bank, etc.”
“I suggest a tutor rather than a Spanish class.”
“Essential! I was surprised how many school meetings were conducted in Spanish!”
“Incredibly important! It makes one feel a part of the culture; it alleviates problems at the school. I can’t emphasize it enough.”
“I have found myself in the backs of cabs almost in tears, so frustrated because I didn’t know how to express myself…My suggestion would be to take a crash course or get some language classes BEFORE you come down.”