academic program
academic program
The first week, there is an intensive class in the practice and methodology of Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL). Thereafter, language classes take place Monday through Thursday, 2 ½ hours per day at the American Language Partners Institute (ALPI). Classes integrate grammar, vocabulary (including "Dominicanisms"), and conversation. Located in the heart of Santiago, ALPI’s professors take you out in the community- to local markets and sotres, cafes, and restaurants, and to bus and concho stops (public cars) for Spanish practice in the real-life environment. Dance is a component of the curriculum and the basics of meringue, bachata, and salsa are taught.
Students also participate in a once-a-week class on Dominican history and culture with the program director, who has a Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University and is a renowned specialist on the history and culture of the Pre-Colonial and Colonial Eras in the Spanish Caribbean as well as of contemporary Dominican popular culture. The class often takes place at the actual sites where historical events took place.
