Only a mere 6 years since the devaluation of the peso and the economy suffering great despair, Argentina has continued to progress and is again on its way to the top, most recently being placed back alongside cities like Paris, New York, and Madrid for cultural tourism.
The country’s diversity and peso value have kept foreigners returning to travel year after year, but there is now an even stronger sector of foreigners infiltrating the streets of Argentina; those who have come to study and work.
What are students mostly studying? 'Spanish,’ states Argentina, the official online site for Argentina. In 2007, an increase from 17,000-25,000 students studying Spanish was witnessed, which totalled more than 26 million dollars being spent in the idiomatic tourism sector.
'Starting in October, all the way through till May, we have so many students wanting to attend our school that we simply have to turn some away,’ says Florencia Bozzano, Director of Íbero Spanish School in Buenos Aires. Íbero, located downtown in the 'language district’, has been operating for 8 years and continues every year to see its student numbers grow.
Language schools are common in Buenos Aires, however, Íbero has figured out the key to keeping ahead of the competition;
Íbero’s TEFL course runs for 4 intensive weeks with plenty of in-class lectures and teaching practice. They advertise their courses as fun, dynamic and challenging, and offer job placement assistance as soon as the students have finished.
Today it’s a reality for students to be able to move abroad in order to study or teach English for a year or more and still return financially secure; this incredible opportunity and experience is what Íbero wants to continue to be part of.’
