El Salvador Spanish Schools WWW.SALVASPAN.COM

noreply@blogger.com (www.salvaspan.com) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 11:48:00 +0000

Article on a youth media group in Maryland that made a short film on El Salvador:

Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2009
Trip to El Salvador helps locals connect to roots
Gandhi Brigade makes documentary to spread understanding of country
by Jason Tomassini | Staff Writer
http://www.gazette.net/stories/08192009/burtnew210038_32533.shtml

Douglas Ceron-Reyes knew his trip to El Salvador with the Gandhi Brigade youth group would help him learn more about his family's Salvadoran roots.

But when Ceron-Reyes interviewed Salvadoran female soldiers for a short film about their fighting in the country's long, bloody civil war, he didn't realize how close to home their experiences would be.

"My mother was going to fight in the civil war," Ceron-Reyes, a Montgomery College student, said Saturday, just a few days after several members of the Gandhi Brigade returned from a 10-day trip to El Salvador. "Instead, she left for the U.S. to live with my grandfather and her brother."

"I didn't know any of this until I got back from El Salvador."

Like many other Salvadorans, Ceron-Reyes' mother fled El Salvador during the war, which began in 1980 and ended in 1992. The war killed an estimated 75,000 people. Through videos they shot with the help of Salvadoran youth groups, the Gandhi Brigade members quickly saw the stranglehold the war still has on the country.

"It's a huge scar on the country that they are still coming to terms with," said Gandhi Brigade Executive Director Richard Jaeggi, adding that he hopes to bring Salvadoran groups to the United States next year.

Eight youth members of the Gandhi Brigade made the trip, from Aug. 1 to Aug. 11, along with several of the Silver Spring-based organization's employees. The trip was funded by the California-based Chino Cienega Foundation and almost $10,000 raised through fundraising events and private donations over the past four months.

The Gandhi Brigade is a Silver Spring-based nonprofit that provides media training to middle school, high school and college students who then promote peace and nonviolence in the community. The El Salvador trip was dubbed a "media exchange" where the Gandhi Brigade youth taught two similar Salvadoran youth groups how to use media to promote their message.

The Gandhi Brigade met with the groups, determined a variety of film topics and shot the collaborative documentaries in the capital city of San Salvador and Suchitoto.

On Saturday, the Gandhi Brigade screened first cuts of the films, mostly in Spanish, to about 30 people. Translations and final cuts will follow with another screening event to better educate the Silver Spring community on the homeland of many of its members.

"Hopefully this can give us a better understanding and lead to some solutions," said Silver Spring resident Tony Hausner, who organized the Silver Spring Safe Summit in May and attended Saturday's screenings. "… The more you know a culture, the better you can deal with it."

The youth said they want to pass on the lessons they learned to those who may disparage the local immigrant community.

"You think, ‘Why do they come here from El Salvador, it's such a beautiful country?'" said Hawa Toure, a Montgomery College student and member of the Gandhi Brigade, whose parents emigrated from the Republic of Guinea. "But if you saw how the people were treated, you would know why."

Within the Gandhi Brigade contingent was a diverse mix of races and languages, but only Ceron-Reyes had direct roots to El Salvador. The language barrier posed initial communication problems, but everyone on the trip said the videos turned out better than expected.

Toure's film focused on the difference between the Salvadoran military and the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN) guerrilla troops that fought each other in the civil war.

The left-wing FMLN staged a coup against the military-led Salvadoran government in 1980, protesting allegedly fraudulent recent elections and a skewed class system. The war raged for 12 years, killing 75,000 in the process, until a truce was established in 1992. The FMLN army then spawned a political party, which won the 2009 presidential election behind Mauricio Funes.

Toure's film features interviews with ex-soldiers, but Toure said it was difficult to find people willing to show support for anyone besides the FMLN.

Another film featured interviews with Salvadorans that have family members seeking financial opportunities in the United States.

"Now I understand why my parents came here," said Carlos Eyzaguirre, a Montgomery Blair High School graduate whose parents are from Bolivia.

In the film about female soldiers, one woman speaks about losing her husband and brother in the war and feeling obligated to fight for her own safety. The video featured photographs of the interview subjects in aprons and sundresses with rifles around their necks.

On Saturday, Ceron-Reyes wore a polo shirt with the logo of the FMLN. The women in Ceron-Reyes' film fought for the FMLN, and his mother would have as well had she not left the country.

"It's a crazy coincidence," he said. "I wasn't expecting to learn so much about my own history."

-The Gandhi Brigade's sister group, Mixed Unity, will hold the first "Stop the Violence Peace Walk" from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday. The walk will begin with a vigil at Eastern Carryout, at the corner of Piney Branch Road and Arliss St., near the site of a shooting last Nov. 1 that left Montgomery Blair High School freshman Tai Lam dead. The walk will last two miles and end at the Pyramid Atlantic Community Arts Center at 8230 Georgia Ave., where there will be speakers on nonviolence.

-To donate money to the event, contact Tip Fallon at tip@igotheartonline.org or at 301-523-0809. For more information on Mixed Unity, e-mail MXDunity@live.com.

noreply@blogger.com (www.salvaspan.com) — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 15:39:00 +0000

Washington Post Q&A on El Salvador travel:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/31/AR2009073101823.html?referrer=facebook

noreply@blogger.com (www.salvaspan.com) — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 15:06:00 +0000

Fiestas Julias de Santa Ana - July Festivals in Santa Ana

El Salvador Tourist Office
Edificio Carbonel #1, Colonia Roma Alameda Dr.
Manuel Enrique Araujo y Pasaje Carbonel
San Salvador, El Salvador
info@corsatur.gob.sv
Phone: +503 2243 7835
Fax: +503 2223 6120

noreply@blogger.com (www.salvaspan.com) — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 02:44:00 +0000

El Salvador Spanish School - students and profesores climbing Volcan de Izalco in El Salvador.

noreply@blogger.com (www.salvaspan.com) — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 02:42:00 +0000

noreply@blogger.com (www.salvaspan.com) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:49:00 +0000

BBC On Surfing in El Salvador: Surfers lead Salvador tourist revival

noreply@blogger.com (www.salvaspan.com) — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 13:58:00 +0000

New El Salvador travel website: http://elsalvador.travelreality.com/home.asp

noreply@blogger.com (www.salvaspan.com) — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 16:40:00 +0000

Medical student Chris Pray working with locals in El Salvador. Chris, a student at SUNY Upstate Medical University in NY, studied with the El Salvador Spanish Schools to prepare him for working with Spanish speakers. We offer a complete curriculum for medical students and medical professionals who would like to learn or improve their Spanish and are looking for a specialized course of instruction that features a focus on medicine and Spanish for doctors. Available at all levels, beginner to advanced. Students also have the option of staying with a Salvadoran family or receiving courses at their hotel. We offer classes in Santa Ana, San Salvador, La Libertad and El Sunzal, and can provide instruction at most locations in El Salvador. www.salvaspan.com

noreply@blogger.com (www.salvaspan.com) — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 14:39:00 +0000

Volunteer opportunities in El Salvador:

El Salvador Spanish Schools has helped many foreign volunteers, medical professionals and missionary workers learn Spanish before and during their volunteer experiences. Some opportunities for volunteering are available at the following websites:
http://www.truetravellers.org/
http://www.theotherelsalvador.com/
wiki.couchsurfing.com/en/Volunteer_in_Central_America

noreply@blogger.com (www.salvaspan.com) — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 22:17:00 +0000

El Salvador to be Promoted on E! ENTERTAINMENT TV

The visit is the result of the country's promotional plan being carried out
at the international level

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador, Oct. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- A film crew from SONY
PICTURES visited El Salvador to film various tourist attractions with the
aim of showing them to the audience of E! ENTERTAINMENT TELEVISION, a show
known all over the world.
Mexican model Heidi Balvanera and three company staff members arrived
in El Salvador on Sunday, September 23, and remained in the country through
Saturday, September 29.
Monday, September 24, they visited the beaches in the eastern part of
El Salvador in a helicopter provided by the Air Force, accompanied by
Tourism Minister Ruben Rochi. They took a ride on Lake Ilopango, and then
flew over the coastal region, touching down at a semi-virgin beach in the
vicinity of Jiquilisco Bay, in the state of Usulutan.
Once there, the crew got ready to shoot the opening images of the
program, which will be broadcast in Spanish throughout Latin America in
November. After that, it may be broadcast in English for the global
audience. The program will be presented under the name E! SPECIAL EL
SALVADOR IMPRESIONANTE (E! SPECIAL - IMPRESSIVE EL SALVADOR)
Dressed in khaki pants, a white shirt and barefoot, Minister Rochi,
Heidi Balvanera (who has already appeared in the program WILD ON MEXICO)
and the film crew started the interview as the water was lapping at their
toes. "El Salvador is a very beautiful country, and has things many of us
don't know about -- lots of greenery, virgin beaches, good roads. I'll say
more when we finish the tour," said the blonde model. The tour continued in
Puerto Barillas, where they set out to explore Jiquilisco Bay, all in the
eastern part of the country.
The crew was there thanks to the Salvadoran Ministry of Tourism's
promotional activities undertaken at the international level, with $75,000
invested in this visit. By the end of their stay, they visited Puerto de La
Libertad, Suchitoto, Ruta de las Flores, Lake Coatepeque, Joya de Ceren and
other places. On Friday, September 28, they sampled San Salvador's
nightlife, including various shopping centers, restaurants, bars and clubs.

SOURCE MITUR; CORSATUR

noreply@blogger.com (www.salvaspan.com) — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 15:23:00 +0000

CENTRAL AMERICA
El Pital: a Latin revelation nestled in El Salvador

Once a rebel lair in El Salvador's hidden highlands, El Pital is now an unexpected haven of natural beauty and outdoors pursuits.

By Reed Johnson, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
October 5, 2007

El Pital, El Salvador

In the dark days of the early 1980s, anyone brave or foolhardy enough to ascend the majestic peak of El Pital would have been accompanied by a hellish soundtrack of mortar fire and army helicopters.

But as I strolled recently through regal stands of Encino and cypress trees, all was peaceful in this airy mountain lair, which reminds me of a miniature Mesoamerican Yosemite.

"There are only three sounds here," said Edwin Rodríguez, who helps his father, Will, manage El Pital Highland, the area's best-known lodge. "The water, the wind, the birds."

noreply@blogger.com (www.salvaspan.com) — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 15:16:00 +0000

Photos from a recent student trips to Volcan de Izalco, Santa Ana, and Lago Suchitlán in the department of Chalatenango:

noreply@blogger.com (www.salvaspan.com) — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 01:30:00 +0000

El Salvador Spanish Schools launches three new websites:
Spanish for Medical Professionals
Spanish for Teachers
Spanish for Volunteer and Religious Workers

Due to great demand from students for specific, specialized curricula including medical vocabularies and doctor-patient conversation skills, Spanish for the classroom, and conversational Spanish skills for volunteers with non-governmental organizations and religious workers and missionaries, El Salvador Spanish Schools now offers specialized instruction in the areas of medicine, education, and volunteer/missionary work. We've worked with students from several medical schools including University of Virginia and UC Davis; and teachers and education professionals have sought our unique program in El Salvador. 1:1 classes, specialized curricula, professional language professors, and wonderful homestay and beach opportunities.

noreply@blogger.com (www.salvaspan.com) — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 13:36:00 +0000

Recent photos of some of our students:

noreply@blogger.com (www.salvaspan.com) — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 15:34:00 +0000

Tourism Winners: El Salvador and Panama
New hotels like the Royal Decameron Salinitas (top) are luring tourists to El Salvador, while the Panama Canal (above) continues to bring new tourists to Panama. (Photos: Decameron and IPAT)

http://www.latinbusinesschronicle.com/app/article.aspx?id=1445

El Salvador and Panama are the big winners in Latin American tourism. Bolivia and Brazil are the top losers.

BY CHRONICLE STAFF

Mexico and Brazil continue to top the lists of top tourism destinations and moneymakers, but the big winners last year were El Salvador and Panama. El Salvador's tourism receipts grew by 46.5 percent last year, more than any other country in Latin America. Meanwhile, Panama posted the strongest growth in arrivals - 20.1 percent, according to a Latin Business Chronicle analysis of data from the World Tourism Organisation (WTO). The two countries are also seeing strong growth this year.

Other leading receipt winners include Colombia, Panama, Argentina and Guatemala. Measured by arrival growth, the other big winners are El Salvador, Guatemala, Paraguay and Colombia.

RECORD YEAR

All in all, Latin America and the Caribbean registered a record 66.7 million tourists last year, an increase of 2.2 percent from 2005. Tourism receipts reached $53.2 billion revenues, which was 7.9 percent higher than in 2005, the Latin Business Chronicle analysis shows.

noreply@blogger.com (www.salvaspan.com) — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 02:33:00 +0000

L.A. Times story on trips to Perquin, Morazan.

El Salvador Spanish Schools also offers guided trips to Perquin, Ruinas de Copan in Honduras, and other destinations:

Guided guerrilla tours explore a unique side of El Salvador
http://travel.latimes.com/articles/la-trw-et-wartours8may08

noreply@blogger.com (www.salvaspan.com) — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 18:14:00 +0000

New York Times article: El Salvador Adds Style to Great Waves Maybe it's time to head to El Salvador. There, just a five-hour nonstop flight from New York, you can catch rides all day on perfectly hollow 5- to 10-foot waves in 82-degree water, while sea turtles paddle past you, pelicans fly in formation above your head and so many fish leap from the water, you have to regularly brush them off your surfboard.

"What makes the surf so special in El Salvador is the topography," says Henry Morales, managing director at Wavehunters Surf Travel in California. "It's the only country in Central America where there are 15 right point breaks," which create an ideal kind of wave for long rides.

noreply@blogger.com (www.salvaspan.com) — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 04:37:00 +0000

Great photos of El Salvador, Volcan de Izalco, and more from former students Jamie Richardson and Marc Shackman

noreply@blogger.com (www.salvaspan.com) — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 00:16:00 +0000

Patio where students receive classes.

noreply@blogger.com (www.salvaspan.com) — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 01:27:00 +0000

Photos of Santa Ana

From Santa Ana, El...

Photos of La Libertad

Photos of the Ruinas de Tazumal in Chalchuapa, Cerro Chingo y Volcan de Izalco y Cerro Verde.

Izalco, Ruinas de Tazumal y Cerro Chingo

More photos taken by a former student, Jamie Richardson

.

noreply@blogger.com (www.salvaspan.com) — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 00:06:00 +0000

Taca Airlines begins direct flights from Milan, Italy to El Salvador.

TACA y Livingston firman acuerdo en el marco de la feria de turismo (BIT) en Milán, Italia.

noreply@blogger.com (www.salvaspan.com) — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 15:43:00 +0000

Some photos of students and architecture in Santa Ana:

noreply@blogger.com (www.salvaspan.com) — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 15:19:00 +0000

Tenemos una nueva oficina en Santa Ana:
El Salvador Spanish Schools

5° Calle Poniente entre 4 y 6 Avenida Sur #15

Santa Ana, El Salvador C.A.
Tel. 011(503) 7850-9293

noreply@blogger.com (www.salvaspan.com) — Tue, 03 Feb 2004 20:51:00 +0000

El Salvador Spanish Schools...Bienvenidos!

noreply@blogger.com (www.salvaspan.com) — Sun, 22 Jun 2003 14:59:00 +0000

El Salvador Spanish Schools offers courses in Santa Ana, San Salvador, and in Puerto La Libertad and El Sunzal, coastal surfing destinations. We offer Spanish language instruction at all levels, and our basic lesson plan consists of twenty hours of study a week, four hours a day. You will be given a placement exam upon your arrival to determine your level of instruction. Our class size is limited to 8 students. We also offer 1:1 classes, flexible scheduling, and homestays with Salvadoran families in Santa Ana and San Salvador.

http://www.salvaspan.com

Quotes from some of our students:

“I forgot to mention how fabulous my homestay family is. Karina and Santiago and Sarita and baby Samantha are warm, bright, friendly, and easy going. I`ve been in 6 homestays in other countries, and this was the best by far.
Thanks, Tara Williams"

“ I travelled to El Salvador in May of 2001. This trip was one of the most exciting I have ever been on. Unfortunately I was only in the country for 5 days. I was very pleased with my homestay families they were wonderful! I had 2 days of class instruction that were very informative. I visited the Pipil/Mayan ruins in Santa Ana and also took a bus trip from Santa Ana to San Salvador to Usulutan. The country has so much to offer students of any disciple especially thoses interested in Public Health, Conservation, and of course speaking spanish. The best thing about this program is the price! I highly recommend this program as a language immersion. I have been to Costa Rica and Mexico, and El Salvador offers the same if not more. I am currently a senior at SUNY Brockport,Health Science major with a minor in Sociology, the trip was invaluable to me. Try it you will not regret it!
Michelle Juive.”

We are a unique program in that we offer students the option of studying in La Libertad, in the coffee country of Santa Ana, or with the Escuela Cuzcatlan in the capitol, San Salvador. You can study at one, two, or all three locations, which allows you to really get to know the country.

Our program is designed around a full-immersion pedagogy, which includes intensive Spanish instruction and the chance to put what you learn into practice through a homestay with a Salvadoran family. Students also have the option of a hotel or rental apartment.

We also offer three excursions per week to Mayan ruins, waterfalls, highland coffee villages, volcanoes, and museums. Flexible scheduling options, private tutoring, and one-on-one classes are available, and discounts are available for groups.

Our instructors are experienced language teachers with degrees from the national universities, and Director Nelson Pacheco is bilingual and has nine years of teaching experience. He is available to facilitate your visit, helping with tasks which are difficult for foreigners, such as renting a house or car, making travel arrangements, or just getting your food the way you like it.

We offer two semester programs, corresponding to the fall and spring semesters in the USA (September-December, February-May) and winter and summer sessions in January, July, and August. About college credit: to receive college credit for your coursework with our program and most other language schools, you need to document your coursework and then have the credits assessed by your home institution. We will issue transcripts and written evaluations of your progress, and you will need to keep your homework and tests to document your work. Other US institutions will grant credit in a similar manner but are generally more expensive.

We have an online application available on our website, as well
as links to dozens of resources on El Salvador, maps, photos, and
Spanish language and literature links.

Also feel free to call or email us if you have any questions.

In El Salvador...
Prof. Nelson Pacheco Martinez, Director
Escuela Sihuatehuacan
Email: Info at SalvaSpan.com
Urbanizacion El Milagro
Calle E Poligono N #2
Santa Ana, El Salvador C.A.
011(503) 7850-9293
http://www.geocities.com/salvaspan

USA: Brian Oelberg (413) 374-0159
95 West Glen St. Holyoke, MA 01040

Cuzcatlan Language School
Calle 19 Ave. 19
Barrio San Miguelito
San Salvador
011(503)7850-9293
msnhomepages.talkcity.com/StudentUnion/cuzcatlanls/

Teaching Spanish in El Salvador since 1999