Visiting Spanish Teachers

For the next 2 and a half weeks Volunteer Bolivia will be hosting a group of 23 Spanish language teachers from Ohio State University's Summer Program SSAST. The teachers will be participating in linguistics courses in the morning and visiting different educational projects and schools in the afternoons. They will also travel for three days to Lake Titicaca and La Paz to learn about Bolivia and spend a relaxing weekend on the lake.

While in Cochabamba the group will be living with Bolivian families and enjoying this beautiful sun drenched valley. This is the first time Volunteer Bolivia and Bolivia Cultura have hosted the SSAST program and we look forward to their time here.

BENEFIT FROM CUSTOMIZED LANGUAGE CLASSES, VOLUNTEER WORK, AND A HOMESTAY

by Sara O'Neill Kohl During May through July of 2003 I participated in a program located in Cochabamba, Bolivia run by Lee Cridland and Javier Molina. Voluntarios Bolivia is a personalized combination of Spanish language classes, volunteer work, and homestay with a local family. Working with Voluntarios Bolivia gave me the opportunity to learn far more about the culture and people of the country than I could have otherwise. The language classes at Voluntarios Bolivia are customized to your level and are either small groups (less than four students) or one-on-one. The teachers team-teach; one focuses more on con­versation and the other on grammar and structural concepts. The goal of the language program is not just to teach you Spanish to commu­nicate but also to help you understand the cultural context. Often lessons con­sisted of discussions of current political issues or trips to the market. While in Cochabamba I stayed with a wonderful Bolivian family that treated me as one of their own children. "We had meals together, went to el campo on the weekends, and I quickly became a mem­ber of the family. My Spanish improved rapidly thanks to the total immersion experience. My family was always patient but gently pushed me to get beyond feel­ings of shyness in order to learn as much Spanish as I could. They also had a strong connection to the rural village where the mother was from and taught me about the struggles and political success of the campesinos and the movement for Indigenous rights in general. The volunteer work I did while in Bolivia helped to solidify my connection to the community and gave me another chance to use my Spanish. I worked at a daycare center located in the main market, Canaritos Pampenos. The center was founded by three women who saw the need in the community for this type of program. Many of the children who attended the center had parents who

worked at stalls in the market and had no safe place to do their schoolwork or relax and play. The opportunity to learn from people I never otherwise would have known was a central component of my experience in Bolivia. The directors of Voluntarios Bolivia have connections to many social service organizations and NGOs operat­ing throughout Cochabamba and will work with you to create a customized volunteer experience. I would highly recommend Voluntarios Bolivia as a program for people who want to learn Spanish while getting involved in the community. The integrated and participatory approach to teaching about language and culture is an opportunity to

get to know Bolivia, and that is an experi­ence you will never forget.

CONTACT INFORMATION: Lee Cridland, Co-Director Volunteer Bolivia Casilla 2411, Calle Ecuador 342 Cochabamba, Bolivia Tel. 011-39 591-452-6028 Fax. 011-39 591-452-9459 info@volunteerbolivia.org http://www.volunteerbolivia.org

Sara O'Neill Kohl is currently working in adult literacy in Chicago and would love to return to Bolivia soon. Contact her at sokohl@gmail.com.