Information for term Spanish Language & Argentinian Culture
Application deadline, and cost information.
Overview
Click to OpenSoak up the one-of-a-kind culture in the “Paris of South America.”
Get the best of both continents in one of the world’s most beloved cities. What better place to perfect the Spanish language?
Vibrant. Creative. Intellectual. Intense. These are some of the words used to describe Buenos Aires. There’s no shortage of cultural riches to discover. Go to the theater. Dance the tango. Watch a heated football match. Feast on provoleta (fried cheese) and some of the best steak on the planet. Discover graffiti art off the beaten track.
Morning language classes are followed by afternoon field trips, meetups with native-speaking peers, or hanging in the city’s bustling cafés. Urban culture is a big component of this program, and you’ll visit with working artists and a diverse cross section of local citizens. On teacher-led outings you’ll get a rare insider’s feel for the multicultural identity of Buenos Aires through its food, street art and the stories of its people.
Along the way you’ll produce a blog with images and texts to create a lasting narrative of your unique experience – later to be shared virtually and in different settings.
Living with a homestay, you’ll quickly get acclimated to the rhythms of Argentinean life. Late afternoon/early evening is time for merienda, a social break with coffee and cakes. Dinnertime, ranging from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m., is for the “strong meal” of meats, pastas, cheese, vegetables and fruits. As part of the family, you’ll help prepare meals and enjoy them over conversation about your day.
Follow our Travels:
Takeaways
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LANGUAGE & CULTURAL PROFICIENCY
Call Buenos Aires home for 4 weeks and come back with increased language proficiency and a greater understanding of the Argentinian way of life. Bring home life stories to remember your cultural experiences. Demonstrate your language growth through a test before and after your program. On average across our programs, students learn in four weeks what U.S. high school students learn in one year.
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COLLEGE CREDITS
Earn 4 college credits to either apply toward your future college degree, or to use to demonstrate your ability to do college-level work, or test out of a language level in college!
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LIFELONG SKILLS AND FRIENDSHIPS
After just 4 weeks away, you'll build self-confidence, gain a broader world view, improve your interpersonal communication skills and make lifelong friends from all across the U.S.
Location & Culture
Click to Open
The Destination
Writers, artists and international students are drawn to this fascinating melting pot.
Known as the “Paris of South America,” this cosmopolitan city is bursting with bookstores and libraries, music venues and theaters, cinemas and cafés. It’s a lively Latin American center with a fascinating mix of European heritage, old-world charm and radical contemporary art.
With a population of 13 million, Buenos Aires is a diverse melting pot that attracts writers, artists and plenty of international students. While there’s food to suit every taste, it’s mainly European (French, Italian, Spanish) and meat-centric. Grass-fed beef is legendary, and served up in restaurants on every corner. Vegetarians can find many dishes made of cheese or eggs on menus.
Buenos Aires is huge, but easy to navigate. On a bike tour you’ll get a good sense of the different districts and cultural influences. Starting in San Telmo, the oldest neighborhood of the city, you’ll trace the city’s heritage from 1536 until the arrival of the Italian immigrants, then head to the working-class La Boca, cradle of passions such us tango and football, the colorful houses that give identity to the neighborhood. Along the south coast, you’ll find plenty of green space with a big and beautiful nature reserve surrounded by the vast La Plata River.
CIEE wants all our students to feel welcomed, supported, and empowered to succeed while studying abroad. Local CIEE staff have provided details about conditions and cultural attitudes that students with specific identities might encounter in Buenos Aires.
Daily Life
Click to OpenDaily Life
Every day brings new discoveries and fun, but you can always count on a perfect balance between interactive instruction, excursions and free time! Here's what to expect on a typical day:
- 7:00 am: Get up and have breakfast at your homestay
- 8:00 am: Commute to CIEE for your language class, using public transportation
- 9:00 am - 12:00 pm: Interactive language class in small groups, with a local teacher
- 12:00 pm - 12:45 pm: Practice in the streets what you just learned in class, through short activities and challenges led by your program leader in small groups
- 12:45 pm - 1:30pm: Find a fun spot to grab lunch with your friends (your program tuition includes a stipend for lunches).
- 1:30 pm - 2:00 pm: Gather back at CIEE to go on today's cultural activity or excursion.
- 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm: Each activity or excursion is designed to echo what you learned in class that morning.
- 5:00 pm - 7:00pm: Free time! Hang out with your friends and shop. Commute home.
- 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm: Recount your day at dinner and try to use your new vocabulary!
- 8:00 pm - 9:00 pm: Wrap up your day with jotting down some notes in your reflection journal and get your homework done before the next day. Usually just readings and personal research for your weekly project.
- 10:00 pm: Lights out!
Learn more about daily life on a high school study abroad program by reading our blog posts below.
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Carefully Screened Homestay
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24/7 Support from your CIEE program leader and in-country CIEE staff members
Program Blogs
Click to OpenProgram Blogs
Activities
Click to OpenActivities & Excursions
Sample Activites
- Trace the city’s fiery political origins through its vibrant graffiti and street art. On guided tours you’ll learn how Buenos Aires became one of the world’s most exciting hubs for this form of creative expression.
- Learn the tango and the more relaxed moves of the milonga in fun classes for all levels.
- Watch the pros dance with full orchestras in the heart of San Telmo.
- Visit the Centro Cultural Recoleta where your senses will be inundated with visual and performing arts, and enjoy a taste of local cuisine at the Club de Milanesa.
Sample Excursions
Day at an Estancia – Head to the countryside for a slice of traditional daily life, regional food and customs, and beautiful landscapes. You’ll find gauchos on horseback, folk dancers doing the “chacarera”, and classic fair food like grilled meat asados, empanadas, and humitas (corn and cheese wrapped in husks). Depending on the season, visitors can sometimes experience horseback rides, carriages, polo games, or dressage.
Tigre and the Delta – Just an hour north of Buenos Aires, there is a unique natural environment completely opposite from the city’s urban landscape. The Delta of the Paraná River opens up to the Rio de la Plata through thousands of islands and meandering creeks. Enjoy a ride in a scenic boat; visit the municipality of Tigre, home to an Art Museum, rowing clubs, and a lively walkway next to the river. When possible, tours add a visit to the San Isidro Cathedral and the former home of writer Victoria Ocampo.
Dates & Fees
Click to OpenDates & Fees
ELIGIBILITY
- Program open to all current high school students: Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors.
- For scholarship eligibility requirements, please check our Scholarship page.
- At least one year of High School Spanish.
APPLICATION FEE
$25
Program scholarships and tuition include iNext Travel Insurance, but do not cover the cost of flights. More details about tuition inclusions can be found here.
Optional College Credit Fee
$150 Learn more
Program |
Application Due |
Start Date |
End Date |
Costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer Session I 2023 4 weeks | Mar 1, 2023 | Jun 11, 2023 | Jul 8, 2023 |
$5,550 |
| Summer Session II 2023 4 weeks | Mar 1, 2023 | Jul 9, 2023 | Aug 5, 2023 |
$5,550 |
Looking for funding?
Our Staff
Click to OpenOur Staff
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Lucía Agüero
Academic Coordinator
Originally from Buenos Aires, Lucia is an experienced bilingual education consultant, language instructor, and professor with a vast background in developing and delivering international education programs.
Ready to change your life?
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