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What our students say about their Spanish course in Argentina
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Deepa
Daniel, Australia.
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Silvina
was lovely, making such an effort with my
grammar and clarifying all my questions
so well. I felt I could ask her anything
and I was impressed with how much she was
able to teach in one week. She is organised
and kept the classes interesting for us.
The classes were
a lot of fun (tango) and the asado was tasty
traditional and an informal way to meet
other students. Alta Gracia was a lovely
town and I was able to practice
my Spanish a lot with Carlos. I think the
activities at SET are great and help to
make SET such a great school…
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Todd
Strumke, USA.
toddstrumke@yahoo.com
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I
have had many language instructors and Florencia
is without a doubt one of the best I have
ever had ! She was a great professor.
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Cathy
Duchateau, Belgium.
titivriend@hotmail.com
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I
wanted to speak Spanish and only Spanish
and it was possible because all the explanations
were in Spanish. It’s was great because
I really thought in Spanish it was not only
learning. Iloved it.
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Majorie
Lelubre, Belgium.
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What
I liked the most with my teacher (Silvina)
is that I learned a lot about culture and
the history of Argentina.
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Jim
Kapperman, USA.
JamesKappenman@creighton.edu
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The
classes exceeded my expectations.
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Ineke
Jongen, The Netherlands
inekejongen@yahoo.com
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The
school is very professional (for example,
Catherine answered all my e-mails).
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Venkat
Dandanpani, USA.
yossie23@gmail.com
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The
staff at SET was very warm and I was very
confortable with the whole crew here.
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Reinoud
de Leur, The Netherlands.
reindeleur@hotmail.com
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It
was great, I’ll be back next year.
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Jeroen
Theunissen
Bélgica
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Op elf september
2006 vertrok ik samen met mijn vriendin naar
Argentinië. Na enkele dagen Buenos Aires
kwamen wij op vrijdag 18 september aan in
Córdoba, studentenparadijs en tweede
stad van Argentinik. In het kantoor van Set-Idiomas
werden wij goed ontvangen door Catherine,
een vriendelijke dame uit Brussel, die al
verschillende jaren in Córdoba woont.
Van de school uit had men voor ons een mooi
en zeer ruim appartement geregeld, waar wij
de volgende zes weken, en nog wat langer,
konden verblijven.
Mijn vriendin, die voor onze aankomst nog
geen Spaans sprak, volgde zes weken lang een
intensieve cursus bij de leraressen Silvina
en Susana. De groep bestond uit een wisselend
aantal leerlingen, maar nooit meer dan vier.
Alle grammaticale aspecten, een flinke dosis
woordenschat van het Spaans en een aantal
Argentijnse culturele aspecten kwamen aan
bod. Het was soms hard werk, maar na zes weken
kan zij zich uitstekend in het Spaans uitdrukken.
Omdat ik al een vrij uitgebreide kennis van
het Spaans had, besloot ik zelf alleen individuele
lessen te volgen. Van Sonia kreeg ik les op
een zeer hoog niveau. Ik maakte kennis met
teksten van Jorge Luis Borges, bestudeerde
de Argentijnse geschiedenis, discussieerde
over de actualiteit. De lessen waren altijd
uitstekend voorbereid, informeel, gevarieerd
en interessant.
Daarnaast volgden wij via Set zes weken lang
intensief tango bij de professionele tangolerares
Lorena. Hoewel men vriendin op voorhand geen,
en ik weinig tango dansten, wagen wij ons
intussen met gemak tussen de Argentijnse paren.
Set organiseert elke week een voetbalavond,
regelmatig een asado, verschillende randactiviteiten
door de week, en bijna elk weekend een uitstap
naar de prachtige natuur rond Córdoba.
Zo gingen wij naar de estancia Sandañil,
in de Sierras Chicas, en gingen wij paardrijden
en kamperen in de Sierras Grandes. Wij leerden
een aantal fijne mensen kennen.
Set is een prachtig team, waar wij constant
goed opgevangen werden. Ik zou iedereen deze
ervaring aanraden.
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Marie
Montigny
Bélgica
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A. Les cours
d’espagnol et l’atmosphère
au sein de l’école.
Je ne peux transmettre qu’un rapport
positif concernant ce point tant l’accueil
fut chaleureux et l’équipe serviable.
J’ai réellement apprécié
l’attention qui était portée
à l’étudiant et à
sa satisfaction quant a ses cours d’espagnol.
Sonia fut un professeur excellent et je salue
sa structure d’esprit qui lui permet
d’organiser ses cours au mieux. Sa maîtrise
de la matière est telle que je n’ai
jamais connu d’explications grammaticales
aussi précises et structurées.
Son investissement est réel, ses mises
au point sont nécessaires et utiles.
Elle allie exercices de grammaires et conversations,
n’hésite pas a laisser la conversation
se poursuivre des lors qu elle est intéressante
et permet d’apprendre énormément
de choses sur la culture et l histoire argentine.
Quant à l’équipe administrative
de l’école je ne peux également
que la complimenter. Les activités
proposées sont intéressantes
et très bien organisées. J ai
particulièrement appréciée
que ce soit Carlos qui les mène a bien,
évitant le sentiment de “visite
pour touristes” organisées de
manière impersonnelle. L’aide
proposée lors de l’organisation
d’excursions à mon propre compte
fut également très appréciée.
Je remercie également Catherine pour
son aide et sa serviabilité lors de
mon incident malheureux, elle m’a réellement
facilite les choses et m a permis de ne pas
gâcher mon séjour. Un grand merci!!
B Ma famille Je redoutais a mon arrivée
la vie commune avec une dame d’un certain
âge, mais a présent je peux affirmer
sans crainte que ce fut une expérience
réellement plaisante.
L’appartement est simple mais confortable
et Liliana a réellement fait en sorte
que je ne manque de rien. C est une dame très
sympathique et serviable, intéressante
et ouverte d’esprit.
C Le projet de volontariat.
L’expérience a l orphelinat restera
certainement celle qui aura marque profondément
mon séjour. Je ne regrette en rien
ce choix et suis ravie qu’il m’ait
permis de connaître une autre face de
la vie ici ainsi que de rencontrer des personnes
(adultes et enfants) différentes de
celles que j’ai l’habitude de
côtoyer dans ma vie quotidienne ou même
au sein de l’école.
De prime abord, le contact semblait difficile
avec les filles plus grandes de l’orphelinat
et j’appréhendais leurs réactions
lors de nos venues. Cependant, avec le temps
et un peu de diplomatie (et l’aide des
caramelos) elles nous ont accordé leur
confiance et nous ont acceptées parmi
les leurs le temps de nos (trop) courtes visites.
Rien n’étant prévu lors
de nos rencontres, nous nous sommes efforcées
(Lena et moi) d’organiser quelques activités
simples et peu coûteuses. Les livres
de coloriage ont eu un succès fulgurant,
la confection de bracelets, quoique plus difficile
a organiser, fut également une activité
appréciée par les plus grandes.
Lors des jours de beau temps, nous avons apporté
des jeux d’extérieur qui ont
également connu un succès retentissant
quoique parfois détournés de
leur usage de base (base ball avec les quilles
en plastique).
Le contact avec les enfants fut réellement
étonnant et je n’oublierai jamais
cette rencontre. Il fut cependant parfois
difficile d’accepter sans rien dire
les lois en vigueur de la maison d’accueil
et d’y voir l’injustice et la
violence y régnant, mais il nous était
évidemment impossible d’intervenir
sauf discrètement.
Enfin, je tiens une dernière fois à
tous vous remercier pour ce séjour
qui passa beaucoup trop vite mais qui fut
inoubliable! Il ne donne qu une envie, approfondir
l apprentissage de l’espagnol et...
revenir en Argentine!!!
¡¡¡¡¡ Muchas
Gracias !!!!!
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Léna
Ledeux
Sánchez, Francia.
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Le mois pasé
à Córdoba s'est très
bien passé à tous niveaux: cours
d'espagnol, volontariat et logement dans la
famille. Tout s'est tellement bien déroulé
que je n'ai pas vu ce mois passer et je serais
bien restée à Córdoba
un mois de plus.La famille chez qui j'ai habité
pendant mon séjour a été
très accueillante et ouverte, très
sympathique également, du fait que
je me sentais vraiment chez moi.
Quant au volontariat, j'ai beaucoup appris
en allant à la maison d'accueil et
cette expérience de se consacrer aux
autres a été très intéressante.
Dire au revoir aux enfants le dernier jour
n'a pas été facile, après
avoir joué, parlé avec eux.
Un mois c'est beaucoup trop court en réalité
alors pourquoi pas retenter une même
expérience mais plus longtemps. Je
remercie d'ailleurs Catherine et les professeurs
de SET de m'avoir conseillée et guidée
pendant le volontariat.
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Eine Erfahrung
die deinen Horizont erweitert
Maja Evers (majaevers@freenet.de) |
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Bis man ersteinmal
den Mut gefasst hat den Schritt ans andere
Ende der Welt zu wagen ,ist gross, doch ist
man einmal dort – kommt man in den Genuss
dieses aufregende Land , Argentinien, selbst
zu erleben. Ich selbst frage mich noch immer
an was es liegen koennte ,dass die Menschen
hier so herzlich , lebenslustig und unglaublich
gastfreundlich sind.
Ist es das Wetter? Das Essen? Die Gemeinschaft?
Das Nachtleben? Wahrscheinlich von allem ein
wenig. Ohne kaum ein Wort zu sprechen kam
ich in Córdoba an , die ersten Wochen
waren hart , doch mit Hilfe der netten Begleitung
des SET-Teams und den eingehenden Spanischstunden
kann ich nach 5 Monaten fast sprechen wie
eine Einheimische.
In diesen 5 Monaten hatte ich Zeit das gesamte
Land ein wenig zu erforschen , doch mein Herz
schlaegt doch fuer Córdoba , die Stadt
selbst ist eine Unistadt ( das man auf jeder
Internetseite lesen kann), was aber bedeutet
das die Stadt wirklich lebt. Auf kaum einem
anderen Fleck der Erde wird man so viele junge
Menschen antreffen. Was wiederrum bedeutet
– wer feiern will –kann dies von
Montags bis Montags tun.
Und obwohl ich die Sprache nun schon mehr
oder weniger beherrsche – nehme ich
die Moeglichkeit war mich von SET auf die
internationale Spanischpruefung DELE vorbereiten
zu lassen, nebenbei gaben sie mir die Chance
ein Praktikum vor Ort zu verrichten . Fuer
jeden ist etwas dabei, ausserdem haben sie
immer ein Ohr fuer dich offen und helfen dir
in jeder Lebenslage. Abgesehen von der Sprache,
den Party und der unglaublich beeindruckenden
Landschaft , lernt man Menschen fuers Leben
kennen! Es entwickeln sich Freundschaften
und schon in den ersten Wochen wird man ueberzeugt
davon sein, dass man zurueck kommen wird!
Wer einmal Córdoba mit Haut und Haaren
erlebt hat , den laesst die Stadt nicht mehr
los!
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Man glaubt
es kaum, ...
Christiane Specht (christiane-specht@web.de) |
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... aber lernen
kann Spass machen. Vor allem, wenn man eine
Sprache dort lernt, wo man sie auch gleich
anwenden kann.
In meinem Fall ist die Sprache Spanisch und
das Land Argentinien (wie unglaublich schoen)!
Ich bin nach Córdoba gekommen (die
zweitgroesste Stadt Argentiniens) und hab´
durch das Córdoba Hostel den Kontakt
zu SET Idiomas bekommen. Die Schule liegt
direkt am Zentrum der Stadt und ist von allen
Seiten ziemlich schnell zu erreichen.
Ich habe zwei Wochen Spanischunterricht genommen
und nachdem ich anfangs gerademal "Hola" -
also "Hallo" - sagen konnte, ist es mir jetzt
moeglich mich endlich mal richtig mit den
(vorallem jungen) Leuten zu unterhalten. Córdoba
ist echt die Studentenstadt schlechthin in
Argentinien.
Am Wochenende steppt der Baer - aber richtig.
Aber abgesehen vom Feiern.
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Ryan
Coppola
North Carolina, USA
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I really enjoyed
my stay in Cordoba. SeT Idiomas was a great
school, with great teachers.
Carlos was great too and I really enjoyed
Candonga and the soccer games. No improvements
needed. Thanks. |
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I definitely
recommend taking classes there.
Erica Siekkinen (siekkie@cc.wwu.edu) |
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I
came to Cordoba to study abroad at the Universidad
Católica. When I arrived, I decided
I wanted some extra practice so I signed up
for classes at SET-Idiomas. I had 2 classes
per week, for 1 1/2 hours each. In these three
hours per week, I learned more than I ever
have in any Spanish class (I've been studying
Spanish for 8 years).
Each class was extremely productive and efficient.
Every minute was used to the maximum. As one-on-one
instruction, I received very specific attention
and each class was instructed according to
my specific needs. My teacher was incredible.
SET is very organized. On top of it, besides
improving my Spanish, SET was a very helpful,
caring, supportive resource for me as a foreign
student in Argentina.
I was very impressed with SET and my experience
there. I definitely recommend taking classes
there.
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Estudar
Espanhol em Set-Idiomas foi uma experiência
muito enriquecedora.
Jader Rodrigues da Silva, Brasil (lingvistiko@hotmail.com) |
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Estudar
Espanhol em Set-Idiomas foi uma experiência
muito enriquecedora. Vários fatores
contribuíram para isso. Dentre eles,
destaco: a localização privilegiada
da Escola na área central de Córdoba;
profissionalismo e simpatia de sua equipe
administrativa; facilidade do intercâmbio
com alunos de diversos países; orientação
para participação em variados
eventos sócio-culturais e, principalmente,
a excelência no ensino, por meio de
seu quadro de professores altamente qualificados.
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L'accoglienza
ricevuta sia a SET sia en generale in Argentina
è stata favolosa!
Silvia Pirola (silviaio@hotmail.com) |
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Ciao! Sono
Silvia "Milanesa". L'accoglienza ricevuta
sia a SET sia en generale in Argentina è
stata favolosa! Un esperienza indicamenticabile
e che consiglio a tutti perche non solo è
stato divertente ma anche anche istruttivo:
Spero di tornare ! Un saluto a tutti! |
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This was
an incredible experience.
Laurence Chalude, Belgium (esthychalude@hotmail.com) |
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This was an
incredible experience. It gives an opportunity
to discover and understand a foreign country,
its culture and history. It is also the best
way to learn a language.
The school is situated in the heart of the
city and the lessons are very interesting.
I particularly enjoyed the Argentinean atmosphere
, which gives a warm feeling of belonging.
I can hardly imagine someone not finding a
way to enjoy himself. I, myself, would recommend
it to anyone.
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I would
definitely recommend the school to anyone
planning to study Spanish in Cordoba.
Amy Walters, United Kingdom |
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I studied for
an intensive two-week one-to-one course
in Spanish. Having studied Spanish before
I was looking for a course that was a little
more academic and demanding than the average
tourist course, and I was delighted with
what SET provided.
The teachers I had were well-qualified and
well-prepared, and provided me with a tailor-made
course to meet my needs. I felt stimulated
and challenged but not overwhelmed, and
the teachers I found to be accommodating
and flexible as well as encouraging and
motivating.
In addition to this my teachers had local
knowledge of the area and were able to give
me tips on what to see and where to go.
My accommodation was great. Living with
other students and speaking in Spanish really
helped. The staff are friendly, approachable
and understanding, and I really felt as
though I made significant progress whilst
I was studying at SET. I would definitely
recommend the school to anyone planning
to study Spanish in Cordoba.
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L'esperienza
del volontariato é stata meravigliosa.
Flaminia Camilli (Roma, Italia) (eowynflamy@hotmail.com) |
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Sono Flaminia,
una ragazza italiana di Roma; L'esperienza
del volontariato é stata meravigliosa,
le persone sono tutte molto gentili e molto
amichevoli. Ho conosciuto molti stranieri
ed é stato molto interessante.
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Het ging
er meer om van dag tot dag te kijken wie je
waarmee zou kunnen helpen.
Rose Janssens, België, 25, bracht 1 maand
door bij de "chicos de la calle" van La Luciérnaga |
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Ik dacht dat ik
bij aankomst te horen zou krijgen wat ik
precies allemaal zou moeten doen, maar zo
eenvoudig was het niet. Het ging er meer
om van dag tot dag te kijken wie je waarmee
zou kunnen helpen, en dat varieerde van
helpen met leren lezen en schrijven tot
filosofische discussies. Zij hebben me veel
over zichzelf verteld, over hun leven op
straat en waren nieuwsgierig naar Europa,
en dat ongelooflijk kleine landje waar men
niet eens "Belgisch" spreekt. Het ging niet
om concrete "hulp", het ging om menselijk
contact, het uitwisselen van liefde, elk
op zijn manier. Misschien komt het niet
aan op aanpassen of begrijpen, maar op overgave.
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Studying
at SET made for a great all round experience
of the city...
Guy Bromley (UK) |
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Thank you to all
at SET for a fantastic three weeks of Spanish
learning. Not only were the individual lessons
thorough,
interesting, and tailored to my own needs
and interests- but studying at SET made
for a great all round experience of the
city.
I had a great
accommodation solution which SET sorted
instantly for me, which meant I stayed with
a very kind a sociable host, Nora. I really
welcomed to opportunity to be able to spend
time with her family and to integrate myself
into the Córdoba lifestyle. I also
liked the fact that I could cook for myself,
which I had not been able to do for two
months, since arriving in South America.
SET Idiomas also
arranges social activities, outside of normal
lesson hours. An Argentine institution,
the asado (or bbq) was arranged whilst I
was there, allowing me to meet all my fellow
students aswell as eating fantastically
well. Carlos also arranged a trip into a
beautiful German village, La Cumbrecite,
which was a great place to spend a Sunday.
I recommend SET
if you want an individual learning experience,
combined with a great working atmosphere
and really good accommodation solutions
for your time in fantastic Córdoba.
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MIT SET
ZUM DELE!
Andrea Jolitz, Germany |
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Zehn
Monate habe ich im Jahr 2004 in Argentinien,
genauer gesagt in Córdoba verbracht.
Als Abwechselung zu meinem Studium in Münster
wollte ich zwei Semester im Ausland verbringen,
eine andere Kultur kennen lernen, einmal ein
anderes Uni-Leben erfahren (an der Universidád
Católica de Córdoba), neue Menschen
und Freunde treffen und nicht zuletzt: Spanisch
lernen! Und um nicht nur das gesprochene Alltagsspanisch
zu lernen, sondern ebenfalls Grammatik, Satzbau,
Rechtschreibung und das formelle Schriftspanisch
zu beherrschen, beschloss ich schnell, in
der Sprachschule SET, im Zentrum von Córdoba,
ein paar zusätzliche Unterrichtsstunden
zu nehmen. Hier habe ich dann zwei mal pro
Woche jeweils 1 ½ Stunden professionellen
Einzelunterricht erhalten – ganz auf
mich und meine Wünsche und Vorstellungen
abgestimmt. Bei SET unterrichtet ein junges
Team sympathischer Lehrerinnen, ich habe mich
von Anfang an sehr wohl gefühlt.
Und als ich dann erfuhr, dass es bei SET die
Möglichkeit gibt, das Sprachzertifikat
DELE vorzubereiten (Diploma de Espanol como
Lengua Extranjera), stand für mich und
meine Lehrerinnen schnell fest, dass wir ein
Ziel hatten, auf das wir hin arbeiten wollten.
Das DELE ist das einzig international anerkannte
Spanisch-Zertifikat, die Prüfungsrichtlinien
und –aufgaben kommen vom Instituto Cervantes
in Madrid. Es existiert in drei Niveau-Stufen:
Nivel Inicial, Avanzado und Superior. Ich
habe die mittlere Stufe angestrebt. Die Bestandteile
sind Hörverständnis, Leseverständnis,
mündliche Ausdrucks- und Kommunikationsfähigkeit
sowie Textproduktion und Grammatik. Anhand
des DELE-Begleitbuchs, in dem eine Vielzahl
von Lektionen mit Übungen speziell für
die Prüfung enthalten ist, haben wir
in meinem Unterricht die Prüfung intensiv
vorbereitet, Rollenspiele gespielt, Diskussionen
geführt, Texte von Rezepten bis Bewerbungsbriefen
verfasst, Zeitungsartikel gelesen und dabei
ein umfangreiches Vokabular aufgebaut.
Am Ende meines Jahres war dann die Prüfung.
Ich musste nach Buenos Aires fliegen, weil
es in Córdoba bisher keine Institution
gibt, die das DELE abnehmen darf. Die Prüfungsatmosphäre
war sehr angenehm, es wurden alle Niveaustufen
am gleichen Tag geprüft und so war es
insgesamt eine recht große Anzahl an
Prüflingen. Nach ca. 4 Stunden war alles
geschafft und nach ein paar Wochen Geduld
hatte ich dann auch das Ergebnis: Ich konnte
mich über 96 von 100 Punkten freuen –
ein tolles Ergebnis! Und so sage ich Danke
an das ganze Team von SET, denn mit deren
Hilfe habe ich nicht nur die DELE-Prüfung
bestanden, sondern ein unvergessliches Jahr
in Argentinien erlebt!
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SET-IDIOMAS
HEEFT MEER DAN IK HAD DURVEN HOPEN
Marja Diemel, Nederlands
(diemel@iname.com) |
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Set-Idiomas
heeft meer dan ik had durven hopen. Op het
vliegveld werd ik door een taxi opgehaald
en naar mijn appartement (geregeld door Set-Idiomas)
in een studentenwijk gebracht. Een mooie ruimte
met balkon, keuken, slaapkamer, woonkamer
en alles wat ik nodig had.
De school zelf ligt in het centrum van de
stad, vlakbij het marktplein. De eerste dag
werd ik vriendelijk ontvangen, wat me het
gevoel gaf welkom te zijn. De leraressen waren
professioneel, hadden alle geduld van de wereld
en gaven les op ieders eigen niveau. Ik kon
merken dat mijn Spaans met de dag vooruit
ging.
Naast de grammatica werd er ook aandacht besteed
aan de culturele aspecten van Argentinië
(bv. aan de hand van muziek). Iets waar ik
veel profeit van heb gehad, omdat dat het
contact maken met Argentijnen vergemakkelijkte.
Naast de Spaanse lessen werden er ook veel
uitstapjes georganiseerd. Zo heb ik meegedaan
aan voetbalwedstrijden, tangolessen, een uitstapje
naar een concert en naar de bergen.
Achteraf kan ik terugkijken op een leerzame,
gezellige en waardevolle tijd.
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PROFESSIONALISM
AND FRIENDLINESS
Paul Jewell, England (pauljewell@yahoo.com) |
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Set
Idiomas has a perfect mix of professionalism
and friendliness. The classes were well organised
and flexible enough to meet my needs.
I took a week of one on one intensive classes
with two excellent teachers. The completion
of the course material was well managed between
them, and all aspects of my Spanish improved
considerably in such a short space of time.
I would definately recommed Set Idiomas to
anyone wanting to learn Spanish as a foreign
language.
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A GREAT
CHOICE
Piotr Wisniewski, Gliwice, Poland |
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SET-IDIOMAS
was a great choice. They not only helped me
improve my Spanish significantly but also
thanks to their fabulous and very friendly
staff made me feel right at home. I would
never expect to be able to communicate in
Spanish so well after just a couple of months.
The location of SET-IDIOMAS in downtown Cordoba
could not be better. On top of that, SET got
the best rates in town for individual classes.
I also appreciate their flexibility in designing
the schedule for me. It worked out just perfectly
for me.”
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A WONDERFUL
EXPERIENCE
Julia Slocum, Iowa, USA (February 2004) (j_slocum@hotmail.com) |
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I
had a wonderful experience at SET-IDIOMAS.
The atmosphere was very informal and I felt
comfortable from the first day. The teachers
were very patient and understood the difficulties
of learning a second language.
They also made the effort to expose me to
other aspects of the culture beyond the language.
It was a great way to meet other students
studying here, as well as some natives.
I felt that I learned much more by taking
classes at SET than I would have by simply
living in the city on my own. It really was
a great experience.
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3 WEEKS
IN CORDOBA
Matt Turner/Eckerd College, Florida, USA |
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Before this past January, I had never been
to Argentina, not even to South America. When
I arrived with the group of fellow Eckerd
College students, I couldn’t wait for
the experiences that were to unfold.
It took time, as it always does, to get accustomed
to my surroundings. As I expected, the teachers
and the people I met on the street were animated
and very interested to get to know me. Breaking
the language barrier allowed for much more
relaxed conversations and gave me the opportunity
to better understand the attitude of Argentina’s
people.
When it was time for weekend excursions again
my nerves were on edge, ready for something
new. I find that when I travel, the saying
“what happens there stays there”
never does my experiences justice and less
so in Argentina.
I’ll never forget every endearing smile
or weekend, not even the conversations I’ve
held. I’ll never forget Argentina, and
hope it doesn’t forget me.
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ARGENTINA:
THE GREAT FRONTIER
David Stevens/Eckerd College, Florida, USA
(1/30/2005) |
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A land of Gauchos
(cowboys), asados (Bar-B-Q), and vast countryside
filled with mountain, dessert, and tropical
paradises. A locura of midnight dining and
fiestas that end well after sunrise. Maniac
taxi drivers form two lanes on one lane streets,
blazing through intersections that do not
have traffic lights or stop signs. The closest
thing that I can compare it to is what I imagine
to be the old Wild West. However, with all
this madness in mind it is amazing to think
of the tranquility that exists, the peacefulness
that is within the land, and the kindness
and gentleness of almost every person from
there that we met.
On January 8, 2005, a group of twenty students
embarked on a journey to Cordoba, Argentina,
led by Professor Ernesto DiFilipo, an extra-ordinary
person whose roots are from Buenos Aires.
From there we were immersed in the vivid culture
of the country, living with host families
and studying castellano, which is Argentina’s
version of Spanish with a strong Italian twist.
The first week was intense, with temperatures
exceeding 100 degrees everyday, sleep deprivation,
and culture shock slamming everyone. In spite
of the extreme differences between cultures
and seasons, we remained strong, piloting
our way through a whole new world.
The weeks following were rich in culture,
filled with beautiful Jesuit Estancias and
Churches that were erected hundreds of years
ago, and spectacular festivals consisting
of folklore music and rodeos. There the nightlife
was abundant; we dined on fine cuts of beef,
empanadas, Italian foods and Argentine wines
in restaurants that do not get packed until
11 at night, followed by bars and clubs, leading
to sleepless nights and tiresome days filled
with countless conversations of spanglish
as we celebrated the experience of complete
culture immersion.
The weekends gave us time to relax, as we
traveled to the close by hills of San Clemente
and various other locations. Here we lost
ourselves in the lush green country side,
mile high peaks, rolling hills and valleys
filled with rivers and waterfalls, where wild
horses roam amongst exotic lizards. In the
immaculate mountains of north central region
of Argentina, by day we hiked to secluded
waterfalls, bathed in rivers and private lagoons,
and rode away into the winds mounted on horses.
Later, we spent the nights sipping local whiskeys
and wines, gazing at intense lightning storms
and the brilliant and unrecognizable stars
of the southern hemisphere.
The most impressive part about Argentina to
me was the people. Despite the many hardships
they have faced, such as the many economic
crisis’s and the dirty war of military
Dictator Jorge Videla (during which an estimated
30,000 people disappeared), they continue
live with pride of their country, shining
with enthusiasm that encourages thoughts of
jealousy from their neighbors in Chile.
The majority of the population is super outgoing,
and love talking with strangers about happenings
within their country. In fact, a great way
to start a conversation and make friends is
by inquiring about futbol (soccer), such as
asking which team is their favorite in Argentina,
Boca or River, or in Cordoba, Talleres or
Belgrano. Or ask how Maradona is doing, who
is arguably the best player ever (Do not tell
them it was Pele!!!). Overall, they are very
outgoing, friendly, helpful, and beautiful
as a whole.
Here I would like to pay a special homage
to all the members of the institution in which
we were studying. All of the staff (Eduardo,
Carlos, Catherine, and Matías) and
the professors (Silvina and Florencia) were
super helpful and friendly, and we all learned
a great deal of Spanish due to their great
encouragement. Professor DiFilipo is one of
the greatest acquaintances I have made at
Eckerd College, and I thrilled that he was
our leader there.
And a special thanks to my host family, Sulema
and Nino, for taking us in and making us feel
not just at home, not just comfortable, but
made us feel like actual members of their
family. Because of all things mentioned previously,
the 2005 winter term in Cordoba, Argentina
is an experience I will remember and talk
about for years to come.
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Laurien
Kunst, Holland
kunst@hotmail.com
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My
Spanish course in Argentina was totally excellent,
very friendly and flexible teachers and
staff in general.
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Ben
van Rompaey, Belgium
bbbinzuidamerika@hotmail.com
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I had studied
some Spanish in Belgium before my trip to
South America.
I took a
one-week Spanish
course in Argentina
and managed to learn the past tense. I can
now express myself much better
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Judith
Paezold, Germany.
bbbinzuidamerika@hotmail.com
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Before starting
my Spanish
course in Argentina, I was asked
about what I wanted to learn. What I wanted
the most was communication, culture and
history. The course completeley fulfilled
my expectations.
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Lysandra
Golhath, Brazil.
licjf@yahoo.com.br
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My Spanish
course in Argentina was marvellous.
Set offered us a personalized course as
we had expected. Teachers were excellent
and made the learning process much easier.
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