What Language Do Colombians Use

  Colombia's capital Bogotá is an extremely unique city. Situated in the Andes Mountains at a height of 2,640 meters, not only is it one of the highest capitals in the world, it is also home to people from all over Colombia. Bogotá is the energetic centre of a number of different Colombian and other South American cultures. Visitors to Bogotá are spoilt for choice when it comes to finding interesting things to do in the city. From soaking up the local culture in the cobbled streets of the old downtown area to heading off to the city’s outskirts and beyond to experience the country’s beautiful landscapes and wildlife, you will never be bored here. Bogotá has a large number of quality restaurants, clubs, cafes and bars as wells as old houses, churches and convents dating back...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences With a flash of exasperation my Colombian friend, José, inquired, “Why do you always say it like that?” I paused unsure to what he was referring. José continued, “We're the same age and you’ve lived here for months but you still greet me like I’m a long-lost grandfather.” As I prepare to teach English abroad, this interaction forced me to confront the question of slang and idioms (SI) in the classroom. Is it appropriate to teach slang and idioms to learners of English as a foreign language (LEFL)? This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Conor J. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The widespread prevalence of English SI...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences As a native English speaker, my first major foreign language experience began in 8th grade, where I had the option of studying either Spanish or French. I chose Spanish, as I’d always been drawn to the language and Latin American culture, and hoped to one day live in a Spanish speaking country. I studied the language throughout high school, but in the years afterward, it wasn’t much of a priority and wasn’t something I used on a regular basis. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Lauren M. In high school, our language classes were mainly structured around learning grammar and following the textbook. From time to time, we would listen to and translate songs in Spanish, or watch a movie in...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences The introverted Nathaniel struggled immensely through primary, high school, college, and music school. His first battle was learning how to read. At this point, no one knew he possessed a learning difficulty. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Nathaniel F. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Although he had an impressive spoken vocabulary for a boy, when he looked at words on a page he could not match them to their sounds, therefore pronunciation was not possible. This struggle with phonetic decoding was overcome over a few years by reading books borrowed from the library, tracing the words with a finger while listening to the...  [Read more]