Spanish Schools in Venezuela: Spanish Courses in Venezuela

Study and learn Spanish on one of our Spanish courses in Venezuela and you will be immersed in country which offers a myriad of landscapes and experiences - tropical beaches, immense plains, enormous rivers, forests, jungle, waterfalls and great mountains. Join us at one of our Spanish Schools in Venezuela and be exposed to the culture of South America at its finest. The clear, warm waters of Venezuela's Caribbean coastline, an area ideal for snorkeling and diving, while numerous islands off the coast invite visitors to explore. The tropical lowlands hide a huge array of wildlife, lush vegetation and dramatic waterfalls, yet within the same country lie high Andean peaks, cosmopolitan cities where hospitality and nightlife never ends.

Despite packing nearly every natural environment on the continent into a relatively small the country has historically been one of the least-visited in South America.

The country is home to the world's highest waterfall, Angel Falls (about 16 times higher than Niagara Falls), and the world's longest and highest cable car, whisking tourists from the university town of Mérida to the 4765m- (15,629ft-) high Pico Espejo. Caracas, Venezuela 's capital, Caracas, consists of fine historical monuments, an amazing collection of museums and art galleries, and distinct examples of old and new architecture.

From the snow-capped Andean peaks to white-sand Caribbean beaches, from the Orinoco river basin to the skyscrapers of Caracas, and from the mysterious mesas of the Gran Sabana to the flooded plains of Los Llanos, Venezuela has an amazing variety of must-see sites, attractions, and natural wonders. It has some of the richest oil reserves in the western and thanks to this, it is one of the most modern and industrialized countries in South America.

Visitors to this country have the choice of a relaxing resort experience, a cultural city break or a wealth of adventurous activities. Whether they wish to experience one, or all of the above, Venezuela has more than enough to offer on all counts.

Venezuela - History

Originally inhabited by Carib and Arawak Indians, Venezuela was claimed as a Spanish territory by Christopher Columbus in 1498 and Spanish colonization of " Venezuela " began in the 1520s. It was not until almost 300 years later that they finally declared their Independence. Spanish rule was administered from a distance, leaving the various regions to develop separately from the capital, Caracas, which was founded by Diego de Losada in 1567. In the 18th century, an attempt to inject a measure of unification by the Spanish was met with widespread resistance and uprisings led by Simón Bolívar (after whom the currency is named). Venezuela joined the Republic of Gran Colombia ( Colombia, Ecuador, Panama and Venezuela ) which disbanded in 1830. Venezuela then became a sovereign state, led by José Paéz.

Early in the twentieth century, Venezuela was the chief oil exporter in the world. Venezuela 's oil industry continued to thrive but the fall of oil prices in the 1980s caused unrest.

In 1998 Hugo Chavez was elected president. Chavez introduced a number of laws including economic reform and land redistribution.

Spanish Courses Venezuela - Economy

Venezuela continues to be highly dependent on the petroleum sector, accounting for roughly one-third of GDP, around 80% of export earnings, and over half of government operating revenues. Government revenue also has been bolstered by increased tax collection, which has surpassed its 2005 collection goal by almost 50%. Tax revenue is the primary source of non-oil revenue, which accounts for 53% of the 2006 budget. A disastrous two-month national oil strike, from December 2002 to February 2003, temporarily halted economic activity. The economy remained in depression in 2003, declining by 9.2% after an 8.9% fall in 2002. Output recovered strongly in 2004-2005, aided by high oil prices and strong consumption growth. Venezuela continues to be an important source of crude oil for the US market. Both inflation and unemployment remain fundamental problems.

Spanish Schools Venezuela - Geography

Located at the northernmost end of South America, Venezuela has a total area of 912,050 square kilometers and a land area of 882,050 square kilometers, about twice the size of California. Shaped roughly like an inverted triangle, the country has a 2,800-kilometer coastline and is bounded on the north by the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, on the east by Guyana, on the south by Brazil, and on the west by Colombia.

Venezuela - Food

Cumin and saffron are used in many dishes but the distinctive and delicate flavor of most of the popular dishes comes from the use of local roots and vegetables. Some local delicacies include tequenos, a popular hors d'oeuvres that consist of thin dough wrapped around white cheese and deep fried; arepas, the native bread, comes from primitive ground corn, water and salt; and tostadas, which are used for sandwiches (the mealy centre is removed and the crisp shell is filled with anything from ham and cheese to spiced meat, chicken salad or cream cheese). Guasacaca is a sweet and hot relish mostly used with grilled meats. Pabellón criollo is a chop made out of shredded meat and served with fried plantains and black beans on rice. Hallaca, a local dish, is eaten at Christmas and New Year; cornmeal is combined with beef, pork, ham and green peppers, wrapped in individual pieces of banana leaves and cooked in boiling water. Parrilla criolla, beef marinated and cooked over a charcoal grill, is also a local favourite. Empanadas (meat turnovers), roast lapa (a rare, large rodent) and chipi chipi soup (made from tiny clams) are excellent.

Locally made wine is hard to find, but foreign wines are bottled locally. There are several good local beers, mineral waters, gin and excellent rum. Pousse-café is an excellent after-dinner liqueur. In Venezuela, a glass of drought beer is known as a lisa, and a bottle of beer is a tercio. Most bars remain open very late, as there are no licensing laws.

Learn Spanish in Venezuela - Climate

Although the country lies wholly within the tropics, its climate varies from tropical humid to alpine, depending on the elevation, topography, and the direction and intensity of prevailing winds. Variations in the seasons are marked more by the amount of rainfall then by a change in temperature. Most parts of the country experience a distinct rainy season. The rainy period (May through November) is commonly referred to as winter and the remainder of the year as summer.

The country falls into four horizontal temperature zones based primarily on elevation. In the tropical zone--below 800 meters--temperatures are hot, with yearly averages ranging between 26° C and 28° C. The temperate zone ranges between 800 and 2,000 meters with averages from 12° C to 25° C; many of Venezuela 's cities, including the capital, lie in this region. Colder conditions with temperatures from 9° C to 11° C are found in the cool zone between 2,000 and 3,000 meters. Pastureland and permanent snowfield with yearly averages below 8° C cover land above 3,000 in the high mountain areas known as the páramos.

The average rainfall in the lowlands and plains ranges from a semiarid 430 millimeters in the western section of the Caribbean coastal areas to about 1,000 millimeters in the Orinoco Delta. The mountainous areas experience considerable variety in rainfall; sheltered valleys receive little rain, but slopes exposed to the northeast trade winds experience heavy rainfall. Caracas averages 750 millimetres of precipitation annually, more than half of it falling from June through August.

Spanish Courses in Venezuela - Advice

At our Spanish schools and courses in Venezuela and throughout South America our advice can really be summed up with one simple word - practice! The 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 South 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 Venezuela 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 Venezuela 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 South America is to speak Spanish in South 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.