ANDAP ACADEMIA NACIONAL DE APRENDIZAJE. Bogota

• ANDAP is a Spanish language school, which offers high quality training services. Our programs are divided in three levels: basic, intermediate and advance. We count with a methodology, which guarantees to live the language and therefore, learn it.
• Our groups are maximun 4 students per class, which lasts 50 minutes, the students carry out different activities such as: interactive material, conversation, reading, writing and grammar with native graduate teachers and specialized in modern languages, which gives you the opportunity to ask questions in a language different from Spanish. Each class is lead by a different teacher, which guarantees different accents, ways of expression, voices and likewise, you will learn idiomatic expressions. Our method consists in a total immersion, includes home stay with friendly families, which had been carefully selected to guarantee your complete satisfaction.
• Classes are from 8 am. To 1 pm. Our facilities, as well as the home stay are located in a sector known as Zona Rosa, with the purpose that you spend the afternoons in the environment of a cosmopolitan city enjoying activities such as: shopping, going to the movies, theaters, museums, gambling, parties etc.
• Our services include city tour and visits to nearest places of tourist interest such as: Guatavita, Villa de Leiva and Zipaquirá. Additionally, our services include pick up at the Airport (US30) and transport to the Airport (US25), transportation from home to school and back, books, internet acces, international calls at special charge. You may also select from different options of courses such as: group or individual
• We have courses available for all ages, we work all year round, for groups we start according to the schedule and for individuals, every Monday.
• You can enroll in our program and fax us the deposit receipt . in Europe, your bank may charge you a fee for the fax. IMPORTANT!! There are not refunds after the program had started.

To learn more about this Spanish School go to ANDAP

Multiplatinum artist Maelo Ruiz performing his hit "Regalame una noche" in Colombia

Many many people have seen this video in Colombia.



Check this one out and more on Youtube.

Books about Colombia

Below is a list of recommended books about Colombia’s armed conflict, the war on drugs and US intervention.

The Failure of Global Capitalism: From Cape Breton to Colombia and Beyond by Terry Gibbs and Garry Leech (2009)

Beyond Bogotá: Diary of a Drug War Journalist in Colombia by Garry Leech (2009)

Blood and Capital: The Paramilitarization of Colombia by Jasmin Hristov (2009)

Linked Labor Histories: New England, Colombia and the Making of a Global Working Class by Aviva Chomsky (2008)

Colombia: Between the Lines by Jason P. Howe (2008)

Driven By Drugs: U.S. Policy Toward Colombia by Russell Crandall (2008)

Counting the Dead: The Culture and Politics of Human Rights Activism in Colombia by Winifred Tate (2007)

Check out more book about Colombia and other topics on Colombia Journal.

Nueva Lengua Spanish School

Nueva Lengua is an international Spanish school for people from all over the world. We run Spanish courses for students, executives and families, as well as Spanish with purpose (business, medicine, etc.) courses. Our locations are in amazing places, with historical relevance.

We will find a suitable accommodation for you, you will enjoy and get to know the culture and life of the city that you choose and we will even take care of airport transfers, insurance etc. All of this guarantees that you will have an unforgettable experience.

Our school has a Spanish teacher training program which also means that we have the best teachers.

Prices are competitive and if you book in advance or study for more than a month you will enjoy special discounts.

If you are looking forward to getting to know Latin America and at the same time learning Spanish, we encourage you to take the course in any of our schools or, why not, in some or all of them. We offer you the best learning environment, resources and knowledge. You take the first step. We are looking forward to meeting you!

To keep reading about this school, go to Nueva Lengua.

Colombia Pics!! Check them out!!

To see more pics, go to Flickr.

Colombian Movies. A Priest's Passion for Justice

By Helda Martínez

The latest film out of Colombia is based on the true story of a priest in a rural town whose passions include a search for justice in an area that, like so many in this civil war-torn country, is hemmed in by armed groups, whether far-right paramilitaries, leftist guerrillas or state security forces.

Gabriel is an idealistic 33-year-old priest who stands up to inept local officials as well as the heads of the armed group that holds real power in the town.

Once an irregular armed group, on the left or the right, has gained control over an area, it begins to interfere with government decisions to forward its own interests – an all-too common scenario that forms the backdrop for the film "La pasión de Gabriel" (Gabriel's Passion), whose star, Andrés Parra, has already won a Best Actor award for his performance as Father Gabriel, at the 2009 Guadalajara International Film Festival in Mexico.

As believing in God as he is ingenuous about earthly matters, he believes he can bring about equality, peace and respect for decisions reached by the local community, and ignores warnings to stay out of things.

The warnings become more pointed as Gabriel insists on the need to repair a bridge linking the town with another town. But the armed group that controls the area is opposed because it knows that as soon as the bridge is built, the army will come in, and fighting will break out.

In effect, once the bridge is repaired, thanks to the efforts of the priest and the community, the army arrives, asserts its authority, asks barbed questions, issues threats and warnings, and finally leaves.

Read more comments on the movie at IPS News.

COLOMBIA: Would you take the risk? video

WATCH THE WHOLE VIDEO, it's worth it!!!
Would you take the risk to travel to Colombia? Have you been informed certainly? Watch this video till the end and know what Colombia means...

COLOMBIA IS PASSION!!!! BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE, BRIGHT CULTURE AND AMAZING LANDSCAPES.






And search for more videos of Colombia in Youtube.

Vibe won a trip to Argentina thru a Bueno Entonces contest. Check out her experience and reviews

The Day of the Bueno Entonces Mexican Margarita EXTRaVaganza

After a few big nights I’ve had to do some recuperating to get ready for the Bueno Entonces Mexican Margarita Extravaganza.. you know ... I need sleep every now and then.. When do Buenos-Aireans sleep? On Sunday all day Martin told me. But is that enough for the rest of the week?

All I could muster lately was a visit to Recoleta to see Evita’s grave. Surely a must SEE... She died just so young! Recoleta is pretty cool anyway to wander around with your sunglasses feeling melancholy. The graves are amazing and monumental and if you’ve ever dug into Argentine history or have paid attention to the streetnames you’ll find a lot of big names there. I find out Carlos Gardel is in the other cemetery, must do that one next time.

But onwards.. David (el Productor) and Cori have organised a night with the entire cast and crew of Bueno Entonces. We’re going out for Mexican and LOTS Of Margaritas in Palermo.

Jimena and the other David (this is confusing I know.. but this is the one YOU know if you’ve seen Bueno Entonces) are there and they are awesome. Also the writer and educational brain behind BE, Florencia and Hernan. Have I mentioned Carolina the beautiful Colombiana already? They’re all just amazing and what really shines through in Bueno Entonces that this is a bunch of people clearly having a lot of fun creating something together, is also pretty clear from tonight. After that more going out, and being silly.

Read full text at beadventuresinba.blogspot

WHAT IS Bueno, entonces... exactly?

Bueno, entonces... is the best selling language-learning program for the iPhone, now available on DVD and instant download! Featured by Apple as New & Noteworthy, tens of thousands are already learning Spanish with Bueno, entonces…

Taking the most effective elements from traditional audio books and software programs, Bueno, entonces... has revamped language-learning by incorporating those features into a 1-on-1 Spanish lesson format, where you sit in on private classes with fresh audio/visual teaching tools, a huge improvement over programs currently available on the market.

Bueno, entonces... takes you inside 30 private Spanish lessons with Jimena, a gorgeous Spanish instructor, and David, her jackass student from London as he learns Spanish in beautiful Buenos Aires. Like learn-Spanish reality TV, but without the guilt of getting addicted, because in just 5 weeks you'll be speaking Spanish conversationally.

To learn more about Bueno, entonces, go to General Linguistics.

Useful info you need to know before you visit Colombia

Costs

Colombia is a reasonably cheap country to travel in, provided you are traveling overland. Backpackers should be prepared to shell out US$15 to US$25 per day on average. If you want a more comfy trip, with midrange hotels, some better restaurants and a flight from time to time, you'll average somewhere between US$25 and US$45 daily. Some resort areas, especially along the Caribbean coast, have all-inclusive resort packages that cost US$100 to US$150 for two people, a good value anywhere. You can save money by going to free days at museums (often the last Sunday of the month), or using a student card when buying plane and museum tickets. Also remember that bus ticket fares are always negotiable. A little haggling can usually knock off around 20% to 30% of the cost, though you may need to shop around at the various bus company windows.

Money

Credit and debit cards are the safest and easiest way to access money in Colombia. Traveler's checks (Amex are by far the easiest to change) are safer than cash, though some US dollar bills may be useful.

Large amounts of counterfeit US dollars 'made in Cali' circulate on the market. According to rough estimates, about a quarter of all fake US dollars, virtually indistinguishable from the genuine article, circulating worldwide are printed in Colombia.

Generally, Bancolombia and the Banco Unión Colombiano are the banks to visit if you need to change money or do any over-the-counter transactions. However, you will find half-a-dozen other banks in most medium-sized towns that have ATMs.

Read more practical info about Colombia at Lonely Planet.

One semester of Spanish

This is so much fun. Check it out!

Wind Journey. Movie

Wind Journey, one of the movies of the season in Colombia, has been presented in the 7th Film Festival Medellín City. It was awarded with “City of Rome” in Cannes 2009 . The film of young Colombian director Ciro Guerra shows an original story set in the northern plains of the Caribbean region. It explores unusual views and corners of the country around the coastline people from the Sucre State to La Guajira Peninsula.

In an Andean nation usually presented as a mountainous region, Wind Journey explores the Colombia of the Vallenatos, Wayuus, Tierra Adentro and the splendid desserts of the northern Peninsula.

The traditional mistral (juglar), the same that originated the Colombian musician emblem (Vallenato), is represented by Ignacio Carillo, going from town to town and region to region with his accordion.

He decided to take a last trip throughout the northern region of Colombia, to give back the accordion to his elderly master. He was committed to stop playing after that.

Read complete article at Colombia Passport

Fun and Dynamic Spanish classes. take a look at Bueno Entonces

Check out this video with fun Spanish Classes!



More of this videos, go to Youtube

Introducing Bogotá

Bogotá is on the move. Once considered a place to avoid, the capital has cleaned up its act and is fast becoming one of Latin America's urban highlights. Improved security, infrastructure projects and a clean-up campaign have helped bring a new face to the metropolis.

Home to more than seven million people, Colombians still flock to Bogotá in search of opportunities. Many find that the streets are not exactly paved with gold and end up eking out an existence in one of the vast shantytowns that line the southern portion of the city.

Graceful churches, excellent museums, cultural events and a thriving nightlife can keep you busy for several days. Bogotá is also the political, financial and service center for the country, and its geographic heart, making it a useful base from which to explore the country. Despite its massive sprawl, Bogotá is a dotted with parks and leisure spots. Cool air and almost daily rain sweep away residual pollution, and there are several high peaks to the east of town that help you to keep your perspective on the ground.

Most travelers spend their time in or around historic La Candelaria, a pleasant quarter of cafés, churches and museums. Northern Bogotá stands in great contrast to the south, turning up its nose to history and moving forward as a modern district of brash capitalist values.

To read more go to Lonely Planet

Colombian airlines gain new international frequencies

Colombian Aviation authorities granted 20 new international route permissions to Colombian airlines in an attempt to bring the ticket price down and boost international trips, newspaper La Republica reported on Wednesday.

The permission, which will make the airlines less dependent on domestic flights, was granted to Avianca, Aires and Aero República.

Aires will add weekly flights from Bogota to New York and back, and daily frequencies from Barranquilla, Cali, and Cartagena to Fort Lauderdale in Florida. It will also fly the Bogota-Sao Paulo, and Rionegro-Mexico City frequencies, with Boeing 373-700 aircrafts.

Aviaca will fly Bogota-Orlando-Bogota everyday, and Bogota-San Jose (Costa RIca)-Bogota. It will also add frequencies from Bogota to Sao Paulo, Fort Laudrdale, Los Angeles, New York, Washington, Aruba, and Curaçao.

Aero Republica will add frequencies from Bogota to Santo Domingo, Aruba, San Jose (Costa Rica), Panama, Sao Paulo, and Miami.

The report says that Colombia aviation authorities are brokering a bilateral agreement with Dubai for new direct flights between the two countries.

Read more info on Colombia at Colombia Reports

About Colombia

Colombia officially the Republic of Colombia (Spanish: República de Colombia), is a constitutional republic in northwestern South America. Colombia is bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the northwest by Panama; and to the west by the Pacific Ocean. Colombia also shares maritime borders with Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. Colombia is the 26th largest nation in the world and the fourth largest in South America. It has the 29th largest population in the world and the second largest in South America, after Brazil. Colombia has the third largest Spanish-speaking population in the world after Mexico and the United States.

The territory of what is now Colombia was originally inhabited by indigenous nations including the Muisca, Quimbaya, and Tairona. The Spanish arrived in 1499 and initiated a period of conquest and colonisation which ultimately led to the creation of the Viceroyalty of New Granada (comprising modern-day Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador and Panama) with its capital at Bogotá.^[12] Independence from Spain was won in 1819, but by 1830 "Gran Colombia" had collapsed with the secession of Venezuela and Ecuador. What is now Colombia and Panama emerged as the Republic of New Granada. The new nation experimented with federalism as the Granadine Confederation (1858), and then the United States of Colombia (1863), before the Republic of Colombia was finally declared in 1886.^[2] Panama seceded in 1903.

Colombia has a long tradition of constitutional government. The Liberal and Conservative parties, founded in 1848 and 1849 respectively, are two of the oldest surviving political parties in the Americas. However, tensions between the two have frequently erupted into violence, most notably in the Thousand Days War (1899-1902) and La Violencia, beginning in 1948. Since the 1960s, government forces, left-wing insurgents and right-wing paramilitaries have been engaged in the continent's longest-running armed conflict. Fuelled by the cocaine trade, this escalated dramatically in the 1990s. However, the insurgents lack the military or popular support necessary to overthrow the government, and in recent years the violence has been decreasing.

Finish reading about Colombia at Wikipedia.

Map of Colombia

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The General Linguistics Method for Teaching Foreign Languages

Created by linguists, teachers and students from a half-dozen countries, General Linguistics developed Bueno, entonces… to incorporate all the best elements of the software and audiobook language learning methods like Pimsleur and Rosetta Stone that have been around for decades.

We mixed the comprehensive learning material of the audiobook courses with the addictive, fun and universally beloved format of a television show to create the Bueno, entonces… series. Each of the 30classes is 30-40 minutes long, proven as the perfect length for a language course - long enough to cover vocabulary and grammar topics but short enough to keep you interested the whole time. The challenging fast pace and edgy, entertaining style of Bueno, entonces… will keep you coming back for more.

Learning Spanish doesn’t have to be boring and monotonous. Bueno, entonces… infuses a witty, engaging storyline into the learning process - and by following along you absorb more Spanish, morequickly than you ever thought possible. By the end of the 5-week, 30-class series, you
will be speaking and understanding native conversational Spanish!

Bueno, entonces… incorporates the following 5 principles to make learning Spanish fun, painless and effective:

1. Make The Classes Interesting & Engaging With Wit and Charm.

If you are not engaged, you are not going to learn or remember anything. Learning doesn’t have to be boring — remember your favorite teachers? Well, wait until you meet David & Jimena…

Read more about the Method at buenoentonces.com/blog.