Bruce Hinkle, Wetaskiwin, Alberta, Canada

I would recommend to my family and friends to consider Academia Buenos Aires because the fees are reasonable, there is an opportunity for one-on-one tutoring, the instructors are excellent, the classes are small, the out of class activities are great (I liked the additional free phonetics, grammar and comprehension classes, the movie night was informative and insightful, Maribel is an enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide with passion for B.A. and  things Argentinian. If others were considering studying Spanish at ABA I would say one week and two weeks are fine but if you can stay longer the benefits will be greater (just as I felt I was really starting to make headway….I left for home; I think I could have made even more language acquisition gains in the upcoming weeks).  With more time you can see and appreciate more in the city – I hardly scratched the surface for things I still wanted to see and do.  More time would allow for excursions into the countryside – I saw nothing of the pampas or patagonia and I would really like to. I was also starting to get comfortable talking to more strangers and having a perfect chance to practice what I was learning in class.  Thus: if possible give yourself more time, BA is so dynamic but if you only have a week or two the ABA is a great choice! My concerns before arriving in Buenos Aires: was I too old to be traveling alone and being in classes where the other students were so much younger….and so much more advanced in their understanding and use of Spanish?  Also, would the quality of instruction and the facility be acceptable?   How easy would it be to get around the city?  Would there be enough time to explore?  Will two weeks be enough time to learn Spanish considering the cost of flight, lodging and food? My surprises: that the international students were so friendly; that the staff went out of their way to make my experience enjoyable, worry free and educational to such high professional level.  I was surprised at how small my home stay place was (please note it was not bad or as a criticism but compared to the space I normally live in, it was so tiny). I was pleased with: my whole experience (except one taxi driver who charged me double for a ride) was fantastic, it was better than expected and it is a shame more Canadians do not know about Argentina (Buenos Aires) and visit here.  I loved the after class excursions, eating at the restaurants, visiting the San Telmo Feria, and my evening walks to various sights and events.