The City
By Daniel Neilson
In his poem, 'The Mythical Founding of Buenos Aires', Argentina's prodigal son, the writer Jorge Luis Borges, wrote 'Hard to believe Buenos Aires had any beginning/I feel it to be as eternal as air and water'.
In two centuries of independence, porteños, as the city's residents are called, have developed some strong characteristics. They are gregarious, occasionally melancholy yet endlessly welcoming. It is likely that an impromptu chat or drink with a talkative resident will stay in your memory long after you've relegated your photo of the Casa Rosada to the bottom drawer and forgotten your tango steps.
Buenos Aires, you see, is not a city to visit, but a city to live in. That is not to suggest that everyone should quit their jobs, sell up and move to Argentina's capital, but those who come should, whether visiting for three days or three months, take time to live like porteños. Be sure to visit the sites, take amusing perspective shots of the Obelísco, and watch a cheesy tango show, but also spend hours in coffee shops mulling over a novel, cheer along with fanatics at a football game, chat for hours after your steak dinner and stay up until dawn, partying with BA's carefree and beautiful young crowd. This is how to get under the skin of an utterly, and wonderfully, beguiling city.
Buenos Aires is unpredictable. Sometimes frustratingly so, but more often thrillingly so. You never know what's around the next corner: a spontaneous tango display, a flash mob from BA's exciting theatre scene, a free concert by one of the world's leading artists, or maybe another protest.
This is why we adore Buenos Aires, and why we know you will too.
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Group Courses
These classes are small, typically only 3 to 6 students, with similar levels of proficiency. AISL keeps classes small so that we can provide students with lots of personal attention.
AISL recommends the group classes to students who will be making longer visits, especially if they are interested in complementing their language studies with other cultural, sightseeing, and social experiences.
Home-stay
- Breakfast is included. Dinner can be provided at home (optional).
- Comfortable private or double rooms, with private or shared bathroom.
- AISL chooses your home-stay based on your preferences (smoking/non-smoking; couple with children/no children; etc) and your specific requirements (specific diet, no pets, etc.)
- Students staying with host families have total freedom to come and go as they please since they have their own house key.
- Host families homes are located in neighborhoods close to AISL and the city center. All families have been carefully selected and are monitored so that your home stay experience is to your complete satisfaction. AISL considers the level of culture, hospitality, affection, the comfort of the house, the atmosphere in the family, and the proximity to the school. Living standards are similar to Europe or North America.
- Home-stay is the perfect complement to increase your language learning and achieve complete cultural immersion. It is an opportunity to experience the culture and life-style of Argentina first-hand, and establish new friendships that will last you a lifetime.
