Student stories: Ellen, Minnesota
I
took group classes at La Montaña for three months while in Bariloche
with my husband and four-year-old son on a family sabbatical. Because I
had studied French, I could understand some Spanish, but otherwise I was
starting from near zero. It didn’t take long to build up my vocabulary
and learn to recognize different verb tenses, and it was exciting to be
able to read and understand newspaper articles even without a
dictionary. But developing a passive understanding is totally different
from being able to actively use a language, and the teachers at La
Montana understand this: from my very first classes I was expected and
encouraged to speak and write in Spanish. That daily practice in a
supportive environment helped me develop the confidence I needed to
interact with shopkeepers, the staff at my son’s preschool, and with the
Argentine friends we started to make.
Being far from home while
struggling to learn the local language can be isolating and lonely, and
for me being part of the community at La Montaña was a big help. I met
interesting people from all over the world, made friends, and traded
useful information on things like excursions and laundry services and
apartment rentals.
I had a positive experience at La Montaña and feel
like I made really good progress learning Spanish in a short period of
time. As we pack our bags to fly home to the U.S. we’re already
discussing how we can come back to Bariloche!
Ellen Tveit
Minnesota, U.S.A.
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