The excitement of immersing oneself in a new language and culture as a study abroad student isn’t just reserved for the 20-something crowd. It’s never too late to have an eye-opening travel experience and learn something new. In fact, people over 50 often find they’re at an ideal age to take the cultural plunge, which is why several of our schools in Spain and Latin America offer Spanish immersion programs for seniors. If that sounds right up your alley, here are 5 reasons to get in on the study abroad action today.

Click here to keep on reading in Spanish!.

1. It may be the most practical time in life

Seeing the world and experiencing a different culture through a study abroad course takes the type of free time many younger adults just don’t have. Too often, people feel like they missed their chance to live in the country of their dreams once they assumed career and family responsibilities. Others, who’ve cherished lifelong memories of astudy abroad course they took in college, mistakenly believe that these types of experiences belong only to a romantic and carefree time enjoyed earlier in life, a time they’ve passed on like an Olympic torch to new generations.

However, people over 50 are more likely to have stable careers that may allow for extended periods of time off and older children that may have even moved out of the house. Adults currently enjoying retirement have even fewer excuses not to choose a travel destination that inspires them and embark on a fantastic international adventure.

2. Build your ability to adapt, stay younger longer

The ability to adapt seems to be one of the personality traits most shared by seniors who stay healthy and function mentally and physically at levels normally seen in people decades younger. Adapting to your host country while making new friends and discovering new passions is an invigorating challenge that can help boost your cognitive flexibility.

Numerous studies also confirm that learning a language exercises the brain in ways that keep it strong, elastic, and healthy. We’ve all heard the expression “use it or lose it,” and the brain is certainly no exception.

3. A rewarding experience at any age

Who said you have to be a certain age to relax on the beach between Spanish classes and learn Spanish in Costa Rica or hit the tapas bars with classmates in Spain? There’s no law, written or unwritten, that says you can’t step away from your routine and take a week or semester abroad at any age. Mature students are generally more used to being independent, have clearer goals, and show a stronger ability to focus on studies than their younger counterparts. Gaining intimate insight into the rich cultural heritage of a foreign country is always a valuable experience.

4. An important time for personal reflection

Taking a break from your everyday environment can allow you to observe your life from a different perspective. Getting to know classmates from around the globe and sharing your own culture and view of the world can teach you about who you are, an opportunity that may have special meaning for students over 50. If you’ve always considered searching for a new direction in life, or reinventing yourself in some way, taking a study abroad course will give you the chance to make exciting personal discoveries that will help you fulfill those types of goals.

5. Spanish courses for seniors and students over 50

The idea of learning and practicing Spanish with classmates in their age group appeals to many older students. At don Quijote, our Spanish for 50+ program includes interactive Spanish classes plus cultural activities outside the classroom to help you explore your destination more while enjoying the company of your peers.

On the other hand, some of our older students prefer to join a community of students of all ages in one of our intensive Spanish courses, while yet others choose to learn at their own pace with private Spanish lessons. No matter what your interests are, there’s a Spanish course out there for you. Take a look, choose a destination, and prepare yourself for an incredible journey. 

Have you ever thought about volunteering in a Spanish-speaking country? Donating your time to a good cause not only makes the world a better place, it also makes you, the volunteer, a happier, healthier, and more knowledgeable person. Sound good? Read on to learn what volunteering is all about and why it is important. As always, you can read this post in English or Spanish.

Make a positive impact on the community

At the most basic level, volunteering is usually about helping people, animals, or the planet. There are lots of organizations around the world that work to improve the quality of life of a certain group, but unfortunately they often don’t have the funds necessary to pay employees to do this important work. Volunteers choose to work for free because they believe in the vision an organization is trying to make a reality.

Volunteering is about taking matters into our own hands and doing something positive for the future. Not because somebody is paying us, but because we want to.

Build relationships and make new friends

Traveling abroad takes you out of your comfort zone. You are far away from your friends and family, you’re speaking a different language, eating different foods, learning new cultural norms… it’s an incredible learning experience unlike any other, but isn’t always easy.

Volunteering during your time abroad puts you in close contact with a group of big-hearted people you can connect with. As you work together on a team with local volunteers, you’ll make friends with people in a different language. You will speak better Spanish and learn more about the local culture than you ever would otherwise. You may begin to see the world from a different perspective as you share time with people from other backgrounds.

Improve your physical and mental health

Studies have shown that volunteering can help you combat stress, anger, depression, and anxiety. Who wouldn’t want that?! Instead of feeling isolated and lonely in your new environment, you’ll have a network of fellow volunteers for support.

Volunteering is hard work, but it can also be a lot of fun! And the best part is that the fun isn’t fleeting: as a volunteer, you’ll experience a deep satisfaction knowing that you’re putting your energy into helping move the world in a positive direction.

On the physical side, volunteering keeps you active! It cuts into your couch time and gives you something productive to do. You will be taking full advantage of your time in a different country by challenging yourself and gaining strength in body and mind.

Live in Spanish

Volunteering and learning Spanish are a match made in heaven. Volunteering abroad is the best way to break down any barriers that stand between you and full Spanish fluency.

Using your Spanish in practical, real life situations will change the way your brain processes the language. You will become an effective communicator in Spanish as you hone your listening skills, develop the ability to express yourself clearly and communicate new ideas in real time, and pick up lots of new vocabulary. Speaking in Spanish every day will smooth out the bumps that may be disrupting your flow, allowing you to speak naturally without stopping to think about each word. You’ll know you’re on the right track when you begin to dream in Spanish!

Advance your career

Volunteering is a powerful learning experience that will propel you forward in your academic and professional career. You will be a stronger candidate for any position when you highlight the enhanced skillset you’ve gained during your volunteering program abroad. Using Spanish in a work environment, communicating across cultures, and having international experience are just some of the highly marketable skills you’ll gain as a volunteer overseas.

You never know — your volunteering experience may even ignite a new passion and lead you to consider new career paths.

Feeling inspired? Check out our volunteer programs in Latin America and make volunteering a part of your Spanish learning experience.

With don Quijote, you can play with dogs at an animal shelter by the beach, take care of colorful toucans, help underprivileged children, work with the elderly, or take part in our medical volunteering program. We have volunteer opportunities available in Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Mexico.

Last week, we explained when to use ser and when to use estar. Today, we’ll go over some words you can use with both ser and estar. Careful — this doesn’t mean that you can use ser and estar indiscriminately. Some words change their meaning depending on which verb you choose.

Read on to learn how you can change the meaning of a sentence just by changing ser to estar, or click here to read this post in Spanish.

As you can see, the meaning can change quite a bit if you mix up ser and estar. If you don’t pay attention, you might really confuse whoever you’re talking to! Sign up for one of our Spanish courses in Spain and Latin America and get all the ser and estar practice you need!

In the meantime, stay tuned for next week, when we’ll be posting the third and final part of our online guide to differences between ser and estar.

When you think about Spain, what are the first things that come to mind? Fiestas and siestas, bullfighting and flamenco, or maybe beaches and tapas? While all these things do exist in Spain, they also contribute to a stereotypical vision of the country.

So how can you scrape below the surface and get a deeper look at modern Spain? That’s a question Spain’s nation branding project has been trying to answer since 2000, when the Marca España (Spain Brand) campaign was launched to promote the country’s strengths and build its image at home and abroad. In November 2018, the project was renamed España Global or Global Spain.

This fresh take on Spain’s strong suits highlights 20 different fortes in 3 categories:

Full Democracy: Democracy, Equality, Justice, Freedom, Security

Modernity: Science, Competitiveness and Innovation, Infrastructures, Globalization, Healthcare, Sustainability, Technology

Citizenship: Culture, Health, Sport, Europeanism, Language, Solidarity, Tolerance, Tourism

That’s a lot of strengths! In today’s post, we’ll take a closer look at a few of them. Click here to read this post in Spanish.

The Healthiest Country in the World

Did you know Bloomberg’s Healthiest Country Index 2019 named Spain the healthiest country in the world? A top-notch universal healthcare system, the traditional Mediterranean diet, and the European Union’s highest life expectancy at birth were among the factors that helped Spain clinch the title.

Historic, Cultural, and Natural Heritage

Spain ranks third worldwide in number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. See how many of the 47 you can cross off your bucket list! From the Cave of Altamira and Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain and the Alhambra in Granada to the Old City of Salamanca and the Works of Antoni Gaudí in and near Barcelona, you can explore the many wonders of Spain’s millenary history all around the country.

As for UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage, Spain comes in fourth with 18, including Valencia’s Fallas festivity and the fiesta of the patios in Cordoba.

Beach lovers take note! In 2019, Spain earned 666 Blue Flag awards for beaches (566), marinas (98), and sustainable boating tourism operators (2) – that’s more than any other country in the world. Spain also has 49 natural spaces that UNESCO recognizes as biosphere reserves.

Star Athletes

Anyone who’s tuned into the world’s most popular sport knows that Spain is home to two of the most valuable soccer teams on the planet: Real Madrid and Barcelona. Soccer is far from the only sport with Spanish superstars: Rafa Nadal (tennis), Mireia Belmonte (swimming), Fernando Alonso (Formula 1), Marc Márquez (MotoGP), Carolina Marín (badminton) and Pau Gasol (basketball) are just a few Spaniards who have earned international recognition for their athletic prowess.

Commitment to Equality

Spain is a leader in building an equal society. In 2018, Spain made history with a new government boasting the highest percentage of female ministers (over 60%) in Europe and North America. Spain also has the parliament with most gender parity in the European Union, with 47% female representation in 2019.

Same-sex marriage and adoption have been legal in Spain since 2005, when Spain became the third country in the world to legalize gay marriage. Every year the country hosts many Pride festivities, with Madrid Pride in the lead as the biggest LGBTQ Pride event in Europe.

The Power of Words

According to a 2018 report by Instituto Cervantes, Spanish is the fastest growing language in the world. It’s an official language in 21 countries and has 577 million speakers. 480 million of those are native speakers, which means that 97 million people learned Spanish as a second language (or third, or fourth…)!! Currently, 7.6% of the world’s population can communicate in Spanish.

Spain also celebrates linguistic diversity. In addition to Spanish, some regions have co-official languages: Basque, Catalan/Valencian/Balearic, Galician, or Aranese.

There are so many other things Spain has to be proud of — we didn’t even mention its innovative chefs, its cutting-edge high-speed train network, or its position as the world leader in organ donation and transplantation. Learn Spanish in Spain and start peeling back the innumerable layers to find all the things that make Spain unique. 

If you’re interested in learning more about international brands, take a look at our video to see how brands change as they move across the world.

If you’re currently studying Spanish at our Spanish school in Cusco, get ready to celebrate! It’s time for Las Fiestas Patrias, Peru’s biggest national holiday.

In fact, Peru's Fiestas Patrias are two different holidays: July 28 is Independence Day and July 29 is the Day of the Armed Forces and National Police of Peru. With parades, fairs, fireworks, and festivities all over the country, it’s a good time to be in Peru!

Everybody likes a good fiesta, but what is this one all about? Read on in English or click here to switch to Spanish and find out how Peru wrenched free of Spain’s control.

There were many indigenous Peruvian uprisings in the latter half of the 18^th century. The first large-scale rebellion was led by José Gabriel Condorcanqui, also known as Túpac Amaru II. Condorcanqui was the great-grandson of Túpac Amaru, the last indigenous ruler of the Inca Empire, who had been killed by the Spanish in 1572.

From 1780 to 1781, Túpac Amaru II and his allies (including many women, notably his wife Michaela Bastidas, who many consider was more daring leader and a better strategist than her more famous husband) fought against the Spanish to improve the rights of indigenous Peruvians. The thousands of indigenous men and women who participated in the revolt were eventually defeated, and both Michaela Bastidas and Túpac Amaru II were executed. In 1781, Inca cultural traditions were outlawed.

Although his rebellion was unsuccessful, Túpac Amaru II inspired many indigenous and mestizo people across Latin America and beyond, both at the time and in the centuries that followed. One famous example is American rapper Tupac Amaru Sakur (1971-1996), who was named after Túpac Amaru II.

The criollos, Europeans born in Latin America, saw their chance to challenge Spanish rule in 1808, with the French invasion of Spain. With Spain’s government in crisis, and the ideas of enlightenment and the American and French revolutions in the air, El Primer Grito de la Independencia (“the first cry of independence”) was heard in Ecuador in 1809, marking the beginning of criollo revolutionary movements throughout Latin America.

When the War of Independence broke out in Argentina in 1810, the Spanish viceroy of the Viceroyalty of Peru reincorporated several provinces in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Ecuador back into the Viceroyalty of Peru. Peru became a center of Spanish military power and royalist attitudes.

Peru’s War of Independence began in 1811 with the Battle of Huaqui, in which the royalist troops of the Viceroyalty of Peru triumphed over the revolutionary troops of La Primera Junta (founded in Buenos Aires, Argentina). In the years that followed, many battles were lost and won around the viceroyalty.

General José de San Martín of Argentina was a decisive figure. He liberated Argentina and then Chile, which he used as a base to attack Peru by sea. San Martín occupied the Peruvian port of Pisco in 1820 and entered Lima in 1821. He declared Peruvian independence on July 28, 1821. Peru’s War of Independence continued until 1826, when the last royalists surrendered.

Now, almost 200 years later, the people of Peru celebrate their independence on the same date every year. When you are enjoying music, food, the joyful spirit that fills the country, remember the history that made this celebration possible.

One of the classic questions we’re often asked by our Spanish students is when to use ser and when to use estar. In today’s post, we’ll try to answer the main questions about ser vs. estar by looking at each verb separately to see how it’s used. In a future post, we will go over cases in which we can choose to use either ser or estar and see how the meaning of the sentence changes. Click here to read this post in Spanish. Let’s get into it!

We use ser in the following situations:

To identify:

• Our identity: “Soy Mandi” (I am Mandi)
• Our nationality: “Soy china/soy de China” (I am Chinese/I’m from China)
• Our profession or hobby: “Soy estudiante/Soy abogado/Soy deportista” (I am a student/I am a lawyer/I am an athlete)
• Our beliefs: “Soy musulmán/judío/católico/budista/…” (I am Muslim/Jewish/Catholic/Buddhist/etc.)

To describe:

• Our physical characteristics: “Soy alto/bajo/delgado/grueso/fuerte…” (I am tall/short/thin/heavy/strong/etc.)
• Our abilities: “Soy inteligente/listo/tonto/...” (I am intelligent/smart/dumb/etc.)
• Our personality: “Soy alegre/abierto/extrovertido/tímido/…” (I am cheerful/receptive/extroverted/shy/etc.)
• Our relationships: “Sophie es mi hermana/Soy primo de Tomoyo/Soy novia de Giovanni” (Sophie is my sister/I am Tomoyo’s cousin/I am Giovanni’s girlfriend)
• The material something is made of: “La mesa es de madera/metal/plástico…” (The table is made of wood/metal/plastic/etc.)

To locate events:

• In a place: “El concierto es en el estadio de fútbol” (The concert is in the soccer stadium)
• On a specific date: “La clase sobre ser y estar es el martes/en abril/la semana próxima…” (The class about ser and estar is on Tuesday/in April/next week/etc.)
• In a period of time: “Las rebajas son en primavera/verano/otoño/invierno” (The sales are in spring/summer/fall/winter)
• At a specific time: “La conferencia es a la una de la tarde” (The conference is at 1 p.m.)

To talk about the price of something when the cost is stable: ¿Cuánto es el café? Es 1,20€ (How much is the coffee? It is €1.20)

We use estar in the following contexts:

To describe:

• Our mood: Hoy estoy contento porque he aprobado el DELE (Today I am happy because I passed the DELE exam)
• Our physical characteristics that can change: “Zoe ha ido a la playa y ahora está muy morena”/Katie ha hecho dieta y ahora está más delgada” (Zoe went to the beach and now she is very tan/Katie has been dieting and now she is thinner)
• Our marital status: “Tatiana está casada/soltera/divorciada” (Tatiana is married/single/divorced)
• The way in which something has been made/built: “El anillo está hecho en plata/con oro/a mano” (The ring is made in silver/with gold/by hand)

To locate physical spaces: “Nuestra escuela de español en Sevilla está en el centro de la ciudad, muy cerca del mercado” (Our Spanish school in Seville is downtown, very close to the market)

When using the preposition a or en to indicate:

• A date: “Estamos a 24 de julio del 2019” (Today is July 24, 2019)
• A season: “Estamos en primavera/verano/otoño/invierno” (We are in spring/summer/fall/winter)

To talk about the price of something when the value is not stable: “La gasolina está a casi cinco euros el litro”/Los tomates están a unos cuatro euros el kilo” (Gas is at almost five euros a liter/Tomatoes are at about four euros a kilo)

Esperamos que estéis contentos con la explicación, aunque como sois muy listos con un poco de práctica no vais a tener ningún problema para entenderla. (We hope you are happy with the explanation, although since you are very smart, with a bit of practice you will have no problem understanding it.)

A special thanks to Lucas, our Director of Studies in Seville, for this detailed explanation of when to use ser vs. estar.

If you ever walk through downtown Madrid, you’ll see two neon signs that have come to form part of the city: the Tío Pepe sign and the Schweppes sign. Located in Puerta del Sol and Plaza de Callao, respectively, these two advertisements have become symbols of Madrid, like the screens of Times Square in New York or Piccadilly Circus in London.

The fact is that these advertising platforms have gone far beyond their original commercial motivation. They are now an integral part of the city’s skyline and appear in all the postcards and tourist photos of the city center. Want to discover how these two brands became icons of Madrid? Keep reading in English or click here to switch to Spanish.

Tío Pepe: Just Another Madrileño

In Puerta del Sol, next to the statue of the Bear and the Strawberry Tree and the Casa de Correos, there’s a monument that’s much less conventional. But that doesn’t mean it inspires any less interest in tourists! The Tío Pepe sign features a bottle of fino wine dressed in a short jacket and matching hat and carrying a Spanish guitar. Its slogan? Sol de Andalucía embotellado (bottled Andalusian sunshine).

The González Byass winery erected the first Tío Pepe sign above the rooftop terrace of Hotel París in 1935 to commemorate the centennial of the winery. At first, the advertisement showed a glass of sherry above the winery sign; it wasn’t until years later that the sign took on its current form.

Speaking of sherry, this English word is actually an anglicization of jerez, which in Spanish is both the name of the wine and the name of the place where it is made. Jerez is one of many Spanish wines with a Protected Designation of Origin.   

The Tío Pepe sign is one of the sights in the capital city that tourists most like to photograph, but it’s also beloved by Madrileños. So much so that in 2011, when the sign disappeared from Puerta de Sol for three years to be restored, lots of people missed it. When the sign returned in 2014, it was pushed out of its original position by the new Apple Store and relocated to the top of a different building in the same plaza.  

Schweppes: Presiding over Callao for 47 Years

This famous brand of tonic water is the star of another one of Madrid’s most emblematic neon signs. Crowning the Carrión building, the Schweppes logo appears in yellow letters over a blinking background of multicolored stripes and has been dominating the panoramic view of Gran Vía since 1972.

Like the Tío Pepe sign, the Schweppes sign marked a turning point in the history of Spanish advertising. As time has passed, it has gone from being just a creative ad to forming part of the city’s collective imagination, an added bonus for the brand.

The Osborne Bulls

Outside the hustle and bustle of the city, beside many a Spanish highway, one of Spain’s iconic advertisements come into view: the Osborne bulls. These black silhouettes of Spanish Fighting Bulls measure more than 45 feet high. Once again, a winery is behind this iconic advertisement; in this case, the Osborne company.

It’s a funny story. In 1987, the Spanish government banned the use of billboards on the highway to increase road safety. As a strategy to keep its signs up, Osborne decided to paint its already famous bull-shaped billboards completely black, leaving no trace of any reference to the brand. In the end, the bull billboards wound up being protected by the Spanish Supreme Court thanks to their “aesthetic and cultural interest.” In 2017, the Osborne bulls turned 60 years old.

We hope you found this post interesting. Now that you know the ins and outs of Spain’s most famous advertising spaces, we encourage you to watch the following video. In it, you’ll learn more about the world of brands in Spanish. Enjoy!

Let’s get the fiesta started!

Each summer, Spain turns into one big party. Cities and towns across the country take advantage of the summer months to hold popular celebrations that fill the streets with music, food, and tradition. From San Fermin in Pamplona, featured in Ernest Hemingway’s novel The Sun Also Rises, to the religious pilgrimage of the Virgen del Rocío, the Malaga Fair, and the open-air dance of the Paloma in Madrid, these fiestas are a true reflection of the joyful and festive spirit of the Spanish people.

There are lots of different types of fiestas in Spain. Do you know the difference between a verbena and a romería? Can you distinguish a saint’s feast day from other popular celebrations? With all the festivities, we know it can be easy to feel a bit lost. Stick with English or click here to switch to the Spanish version of this post and read on to become a connoisseur of Spanish fiestas.

A tradition known by many names

Nowadays, there’s barely a distinction between verbenas and romerías. Both words are used to describe fiestas populares, outdoor celebrations where people enjoy music, food, and drinks in a festive atmosphere.   

However, in earlier times these two types of events had clear differences with respect to the time of day and activities included in the celebrations. Let’s learn more about them.

Romerías

Romerías are popular fiestas celebrated close to a shrine or chapel on the day of the saint or virgin to whom the temple is consecrated. On the day of the romería, participants embark on a pilgrimage to the sanctuary, which is usually located in the countryside.

This type of celebration happens during the day. After honoring the saint or virgin, people enjoy a bite to eat in the great outdoors, often with music and popular songs to set the tone.

Within Spain, romerías are especially popular in Andalusia, and the romería of the Virgen del Rocío is the most famous one of all. Each year, around a million people travel on foot, horseback, or in a horse-drawn carriage to the small town of El Rocío to take part in the celebration. Romerías are also celebrated outside of Spain, in countries like Costa Rica, Argentina, Mexico, and Chile.

Verbenas

Verbenas are popular fiestas with open-air dancing. Although the origins of verbenas also tend to be devotional and are dedicated to a saint or virgin, the main thing that differentiates a verbena from a romería is that the former is celebrated at night and has a more relaxed and festive atmosphere.

The name verbena comes from a plant with same name, which has pink flowers. Back in the day, it was customary for people to go to this type of dance with a boutonniere of verbenas on the lapel of their shirt. From there, people started calling the celebration by the name of the flower.

One of Spain’s most popular verbenas is La Paloma, which takes place in Madrid in mid-August. The celebration takes place in the La Latina neighborhood, which comes alive as its balconies and courtyards are decorated with string flags, garlands, lights, and Manila shawls. When night falls, the verbena fills every corner of the neighborhood with music in a lively fiesta that feels like pure summer.

Outside of Spain, verbenas enjoy some popularity in Colombia and Venezuela, although each country has its own style of celebrating.

Fiestas patronales

Here’s another type of fiesta! Fiestas patronales (also known as fiestas mayores) are official celebrations held each year in a specific to a city or town to celebrate the local patron saint. The celebration usually lasts multiple days and includes religious events, outdoor activities, dances, concerts, bullfighting or other bull-related events, and fairs with carnival rides.

In many cases, the same city has two patron saints, a male and a female. For example, Madrid has fiestas dedicated to San Isidro and La Almudena. Both are public holidays in the capital city.

We hope this article has helped you understand what popular fiestas are all about. But when it comes to these traditional events, words don’t say enough. We encourage you to come to Spain in the summertime to learn Spanish and get a real taste of Spanish fiestas. We’ll be waiting for you!