Glovico.org (www.glovico.org) is a non-profit web-based platform which allows people from Latin America and Africa to offer language courses in Spanish and French via Skype. In that way language students can conveniently study languages from their couch or their hotel room starting from as little as 7 Euros per lesson while still helping people in developing countries to earn a decent income. The quality of the teachers is assured through a web 2.0 rating mechanism. Glovico finances itself through a provision (2 Euros) charged to the teachers per lesson, so that the most affordable teachers would still earn 5 Euros per lesson.

The services offered on Glovico.org are 55 minute private classes in Spanish and French via Skype. These classes are live and with a native speaker either directly in the language to be studied or in English. For the Spanish lessons Glovico is cooperating with language schools in Latin America so that experienced teachers can be drawn upon. The French teachers in most cases do not have an educational background as Africa is lagging behind with respect to language schools for tourists but are offered teacher trainings by Glovico.org. The service requires the student and the teacher to have broadband internet access.

General Linguistics, through its Bueno, entonces…Learn Spanish Facebook Fan page, is giving away a trip to learn Spanish in Buenos Aires, Argentina for the second year in a row if they reach 10,000 fans by 12th March 2010. One hundred fans will qualify to win the trip for two by participating in a series of contests and promotions on the Facebook page between 11th January and 12th March 2010. The lucky winner and a friend will hang out with the cast and crew of the hot new language learning series, see the local sights, and of course, learn some Spanish.

From now until 5th February 2010, Facebook fans can upload a photo of themselves to the Bueno Fan Page Wall (www.facebook.com/buenoentonces) holding a hand-made sign that says “I want to win a trip to Argentina!” They’ll tag themselves in the photo and have their friends ‘like’ the photo. The 10 fans with the most ‘likes’ will qualify to be in the final draw to win a trip to Argentina. Participants will receive prizes like free copies of the Bueno, entonces…Learn Spanish program, iTunes Gift Certificates, and iPods throughout the contest period. The Grand Prize Winner will be chosen from the pool of 100 finalists and announced in a live video draw on the 12th March 2010.

The Spanish School “Spanish in Bariloche” is offering all accredited participants of Volunteer Latin America a 15% discount on Spanish classes, all year round.

Spanish in Bariloche is a locally run Spanish School, offering tailor-made lessons that meet the needs and personal interests of students. The school offers individual or small-group classes, and organizes short and long term, intensive, language immersion programmes. These programmes include homestays and cultural activities such as Tango, Argentinean cooking and eco-activities.

You need to contact Veronica stating you are an accredited participant (promotional code given in our volunteer guides) of Volunteer Latin America to apply/qualify for this discount.

Many people choose to learn Spanish in Latin America because of the wide range of incredible locations in which to learn the language. Students can choose a beach location like Montanita in Ecuador, or a very historic town like Cusco, high up in the Andean Mountains of Peru. Whether you want to explore archaeological sites, experience indigenous culture, observe wildlife, or simply laze on unspoilt beaches, Latin America provides all the ingredients for the perfect learning experience.

If you want to see the jungle or have always wanted to go to Machu Picchu, then take a Spanish course that facilitates these aspirations. For example, El Paraiso Spanish Language School (Costa Rica) enables students to stay in Manuel Antonio National Park, with its beautiful beaches and extraordinary biodiversity. ACUPARI Language School (Peru) is based in Cusco, the amazing capital of the ancient Inca Empire. Some students divide their time between two locations so they can explore the natural and cultural diversity of Latin America.

Another reason people choose to learn Spanish in Latin America is the immense choice of courses available. They range from private one-to-one tuition to a myriad of specialized programmes. For example, Interhispanica (Argentina) offer Spanish and Latin American economy classes. OLÉ (Mexico) offer specially designed programmes for children, teenagers and seniors. Educacion Para Todos (Guatemala) offer customised programmes for social science and medical professionals. Most language schools offer special modules to meet the needs and personal interests of students.

A popular option is to combine a Spanish course with some volunteer work, either once you have finished your language course or during the time when you are not attending lessons. Typical areas of work include helping out in orphanages or nursery schools, working in local community projects, assisting with wildlife or conservation projects. Volunteer Latin America provides information on over one hundred Spanish language schools that offer volunteer work and internships. One such school is Tandem Santiago – Escuela de Idiomas Violeta Parra (Chile), which arranges internships for high school graduates and college students throughout Chile.

Many language schools enable students to combine a Spanish course with adventure and sporting activities. For example, Andean Global Studies (Ecuador) offer Spanish classes combined with diving, surfing or kiteboarding. The Mariposa Spanish School and Eco Hotel (Nicaragua) organizes horse riding trips to the Masaya Volcano. A wide range of outdoor pursuits and activities are offered at other language schools including trekking, paragliding, rock climbing, river rafting, skiing and snowboarding.

In addition to the Spanish courses, most language schools offer extra-curricular activities to suit the tastes of all students. This includes attending sporting events, jungle hikes, guitar lessons, cooking classes, movie evenings, trips to the theatre, parties, and excursions to local places of interest (archaeological sites, indigenous communities, national parks, etc).

From the evidence cited above, it is easy to understand why many people choose to learn Spanish in Central or South America. There isn’t anywhere better to combine a language course with learning new skills and having fun. For example, a Spanish course combined with Salsa, Merengue or Tango dance lessons is a great way of meeting other like-minded travellers and having fun. Many students forge lifelong friendships through such an experience.

So what are you waiting for? Immerse yourself in the Spanish language and culture of Latin America for the most rewarding educational experience of your life.

Forget about Spain, where the accent isn’t as attractive and prices far higher than in Latin America.

The benefits of speaking Spanish are numerous and here are a few of the most important considerations.

Spanish is spoken as the first language by at least 350 million people around the world and is currently the forth most commonly spoken language worldwide. Knowing Spanish opens the door for you to communicate with a third of a billion speakers worldwide.

Spanish will enhance your travel experiences when visiting Spanish-speaking countries. Away from the major cities and tourist hot-spots in Latin America and Spain, far fewer people speak English, so if you learn Spanish it is a great help when travelling. Knowing the language will give you insights into the people and culture that a non-Spanish speaker would never have access to.

Spanish will improve your employment potential. With the world becoming ever more global, contact with people of other countries has increased tremendously in recent decades. Just having a basic knowledge of the language may be all it takes to separate yourself from the crowd of other applicants. Language skills are desirable additions to any CV/Resume.

Spanish skills facilitate an appreciation of Spanish-speaking cultures. Learning the Spanish language and culture go hand-in-hand. Although it’s possible to learn Spanish never having experienced the culture first hand, direct exposure to the culture will give students insights into the language that would otherwise not be possible.

Spanish skills enable you to meet local people and make friends with other travellers. Learning a foreign language opens many doors to meeting new and exciting people that wouldn’t otherwise be possible. Getting to know somebody by communicating with them in their own language is a great way to really get to know that person on a much deeper level than only through communicating with gestures or body language. You’ll enjoy your subsequent travel experiences much more if you’re able to communicate with the local people.

Spanish skills open up a world of art, music, literature and film. Spanish would greatly enhance your enjoyment of films such as Y Tu Mamá También without being distracted by the need to read the film’s subtitles. In addition to deriving more enjoyment from films, Spanish skills enable you to fully appreciate some of the world’s greatest literature, music and art.

Spanish skills increase the number of projects you could join as an international volunteer. It is important to keep this in mind if planning on doing some volunteer work in Spain, Central or South America. Some organizations offer volunteers Spanish lessons whilst they are volunteering.

Spanish skills will enable you to study abroad. Many of us want to study abroad and explore various career opportunities. Without taking that first step of signing up for a language class, you may just miss out on one of life’s most exciting adventures possible.

Whatever your motivation for learning Spanish, it is certainly a worthwhile pursuit.

Instituto de Español Costa Rica (IECR) has just launched a discount campaign for all accredited participants (promotional code given in our volunteer guides) of Volunteer Latin America. They are offering a 25% discount on all their Spanish programmes for the months of October and November.

IECR organizes short and long term, intensive, language immersion programmes for people interested in studying Spanish. They offer individual or group classes combined with cultural activities such as Latin dance and Costa Rican cooking. They also offer specialised programmes designed for professionals and students with particular needs (business people, sales representatives, medical students, doctors, missionaries, foreign language teachers, lawyers, attorneys, etc).

Andean Global Studies is offering scholarship support for our volunteers. They are offering a 40% discount on Spanish immersion classes in 2009 and a 30% discount in 2010. The offer only applies to their school in Quito for a duration of 2 to 5 weeks. You need to send them an email stating you are an accredited participant (promotional code given in our volunteer guides) of Volunteer Latin America and are interested in attaining a scholarship. Andean Global Studies is also offering volunteers a 10% discount for their programmes in Cuenca, Manta and Montañita.

Andean Global Studies is an official institution recognized by the Ecuadorian Ministry of Education, with a highly professional team of Spanish instructors with many years of teaching experience. Andean Global Studies (AGS) is widely recognized throughout the internet and within international guidebooks. They are recommended by organizations such as South American Explorers Club and the Empresa Metropolitana de Turismo de Quito (Governmental and Official Tourism Developer Institution), and are member and founder of the Ecuadorian Association of Spanish Language Centres (AECEE).