Learn Spanish in Honduras: Schools - Courses in Latin America
Enrol on our Spanish courses in Honduras and you will learn Spanish in a vibrant country, brimming with clear turquoise waters, pristine beaches, lush jungles, breathtaking mountains, challenging rivers, and fascinating ancient ruins. Vast expanses of Mother Nature are to be found everywhere. There is so much to be experienced in this beautiful country, so many wonders to explore, through stimulating activities such as ecotours, inexpensive scuba diving, river rafting, and mountain treks. Honduras is enjoying a boom in popularity, as the rich and famous have found a place where they can still travel unknown. First time visitors to Honduras are amazed by the warmth of Honduran hospitality and they will never forget it. Attend one of our Spanish schools & courses in Honduras, Latin America and access gorgeous national parks; cloud forests; national reserves; and botanical gardens - all remarkable scenery indeed.
Honduras - History
Honduras was inhabited by indigenous tribes of a great linguistic and cultural diversity. The most powerful and advanced of these were the Mayans, who also populated Yucatán, Belize, and the northeast of Guatemala and built their sacred city and ceremonial metropolis in Copán, in the western part of Honduras.
After the collapse of Mayan culture, different groups slowly settled in various parts of the Honduran territory. Their languages reveal a relationship with the Toltecs and Aztecs of Mexico, the Chibchas of Colombia, and even tribes from the southwestern United States. The western-central part of Honduras was inhabited by the Lencas, who spoke a language of unknown origin. These autonomous groups had their conflicts but maintained their commercial relationships with each other and with other populations as distant as Panama and Mexico.
Descendants of these peoples and of the Mayas were the aborigines, who would later oppose the Spanish conquest and produce the legendary figures of Tecún Uman, Lempira, Atlacatl, Diriagúan, Nicarao and Urraca, leaders for autonomy among the native populations of Central America.
The beginning of the Spanish conquest of Honduras took place in the 1520s. In spite of fierce resistance, Spain controlled the country by 1539.
In 1821, Honduras managed to gain independence from Spain, but was then annexed by Mexico. Just two years later, Honduras left Mexico to join Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua in the United Provinces of Central America. Honduras then broke away from the United Provinces and declared independence in 1840.
In the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century, fruit companies from the USA bought land in Honduras and established banana plantations. Investment was also made in the country's infrastructure (railways and port facilities). As a result, US companies played an important role in Honduras during the twentieth century.
Until the middle of the 1980s most of Honduras political history was dominated by the military. A dictatorship lasted between the years 1932 and 1949, and separate coups took place in 1963 and 1978.
Spanish Courses Honduras - Geography
 Honduras borders the Caribbean Sea on the north coast and the Pacific Ocean on the south through the Gulf of Fonseca. The climate varies from tropical in the lowlands to temperate in the mountains. The central and southern regions are relatively hotter and less humid than the northern coast.
The Honduran territory consists mainly of mountains (~81%), but there are narrow plains along the coasts, a large undeveloped lowland jungle La Mosquitia region in the northeast, and the heavily populated lowland San Pedro Sula valley in the northwest. In La Mosquitia lies the UNESCO-world heritage site Río Plátano Biosphere Reserve, with the Coco River dividing the country from Nicaragua.
Spanish Schools Honduras - Economy
Honduras, one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere with an extraordinarily unequal distribution of income and massive unemployment, is banking on expanded trade under the US-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) and on debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative. The country has met most of its macroeconomic targets, and began a three-year IMF Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PGRF) program in February 2004. Growth remains dependent on the economy of the US, its largest trading partner, on continued exports of non-traditional agricultural products (such as melons, chiles, tilapia, and shrimp), and on reduction of the high crime rate.
Learn Spanish in Honduras - Food
Tortillas are an every day staple, just as bread is in North America. Second. Beans come in all colours but in Honduras, the food usually included red or black ("turtle" for those familiar with Caribbean cooking). Rice. Many specials will have rice on them. A salad is often served with your food in Honduras. Most likely, it will be a shredded cabbage, a few slices of carrots, and moistened with a light oil/vinegar dressing. Meat (inland), fish ( North Coast or Bay Islands ), or salty white cheese. The average Honduran cannot afford these types of food luxuries. Salsas grace every good table and to spice up the food.
Honduran cuisine also makes extensive use of coconut, in both sweet and savory foods, and even in soups.
Spanish Courses Honduras - Climate
 The northern Caribbean area and the southern coastal plain have a wet, tropical climate, but the interior is drier and cooler. Temperature varies with altitude. The coastal lowlands average 31°C (88°F); from 300 to 760 m (1,000 to 2,500 ft) above sea level the average is 29°C (84°F); and above 760 m (2,500 ft) the average temperature is 23°C (73°F). There are two seasons: the rainy period, from May through October, and the dry season, from November through April. The northwest coast is susceptible to hurricanes.
Honduras - Interesting facts
Tegucigalpa is one of the few capitals in the world without a railway.
The World Heritage site, the ancient city of Copan, is one of the most important sites of the Mayan civilization.
Christopher Columbus sailed to Honduras in 1502.
The currency is the Lempira
Honduras ' nickname is the Banana Republic because it grows and exports a lot of bananas.
Learn Spanish in Honduras - Advice
At our Spanish schools and courses in Honduras and throughout Latin America our advice can really be summed up with one simple word - practice! What kind of study materials you use is not quite as important as how or how often you use them. Your hard work and determination will be one of the biggest factors in successful language learning.
The Spanish school and course you choose in Latin America is going to be the core of your Spanish study, so make sure you choose a Spanish language course that gives you structured lessons and lots of opportunity to practice your new language skills. Our Spanish courses at our Spanish schools in Honduras and throughout South America, will give you the perfect opportunity to study, learn, and practice Spanish in a supportive, well planned and friendly environments.
You must work at your new Spanish language skills every day. Ideally, you should study Spanish an extra hour or more every day. If you can get at least an extra half-hour of study time, that's pretty good too. Try to at least get a little review and study, learn and practice Spanish every single day.
If you attend one of our Spanish courses in Honduras and you learn Spanish everyday, you will have a good basic knowledge of the Spanish language in a reasonable amount of time. Your knowledge and ability will increase and improve depending upon what other tools you use and what kind of experiences you have using the Spanish language.
Grammar book. A good old-fashioned grammar book may be boring but they are a great way to really get to grips with the details of the language.
Phrase Book
These are extremely helpful books that you can carry with you. They can be useful for practicing pronunciation, or for quickly finding a lot of more commonly used phrases, words and idioms. Phrase books are always a nice supplement to learn Spanish and they are convenient and cheap.
Dictionary. Absolutely necessary in the long run. You must have a dictionary if you wish to expand your vocabulary, and you will need one in order to take full advantage of many of the Spanish language learning tips set out here. Make sure you get one that translates both ways e.g. English to Spanish AND Spanish to English. It is also helpful to find a dictionary that contains idioms - the phrases particular to the language which you are studying - as well as phrases that are commonly used in the Spanish language, but may be difficult to translate. As an example in English - 'to give the cold shoulder' or 'it's a piece of cake!'
Flashcards
A simple Spanish language learning tip, but a very effective way to review, refresh your memory and expand your vocabulary. There are pre-made flashcards that can be purchased, or for extra help, you can create your own. Keep them with you at all times, in your pocket or in your car, and look at them for a quick review or language lesson at every opportunity. They are very convenient.
Talk to yourself
 It may be obvious, but the best way to learn Spanish in Latin America is to speak Spanish in Latin America! This convenient method can be use at all times, as you can even talk to yourself. Even if you are in public and don't feel comfortable talking to yourself out loud, you can make it your habit to practice Spanish by thinking Spanish. Throughout the day, think of the Spanish words for everything you pass - objects in your house, things you pass when you are traveling, things you use at work or school, etc. Learn basic Spanish phrases like - ‘it is cold today' or ‘it is sunny today' and use whichever is appropriate when you first look out the window. By putting this tip into use on a regular basis, the vocabulary and phrases will become more routine and automatic.
Practice with friends
Taking it even further than talking to yourself, you can practice with your friends. Even if they don't speak Spanish, talk to the people you know by using your new language. Warn them in advance that you are practicing your new knowledge and they'll know what's coming. Even a simple 'good morning' or 'see you later' in Spanish will make those phrases more natural to you. Your friends may even begin to learn a few words and join in the fun too!
Listen to music
Listen to Spanish music. You'll hear the Spanish language used in a real context and this will help you pick out the rhythm and pronunciation even better. This method will also give you a further understanding of, and appreciation for, the culture and customs of the people. Music in Spanish might be easier to find than others, but Amazon or eBay and many other global websites will enable you to find music in Spanish and many different languages.
|
