A week well spent!

I just spent a week studying Spanish at Casco Antiguo Spanish School in Panama City, Panama. My professor, Samuel, was patient, very knowledgeable, and made every lesson interesting. The 4 hour class every morning seemed to fly by. One of my favorite aspects of his class was its informality. I felt like my two classmates and I were Samuel's friends, visiting for a chat. We spoke about Panamanian history, culture, food, and even politics. Disguising lessons as an informative conversation, Samuel worked in grammar and vocabulary instruction which seemed so natural and contextual that it hardly felt like a classroom. One of the things I loved most about Samuel's class was his flexibility. We'd oftentimes start off on one subject but if something else interesting came along he wasn't afraid to alter course and pursue our new avenue of interest. One day we were talking about local cuisine and Samuel suggested that we walk over to the local produce market. Along the way we chatted in Spanish (of course) and when we arrived he gave us an assignment to speak with at least 5 vendors, inquire the prices of 5 products, and find several foods we were unfamiliar with to learn about. It was a fascinating and very useful outing.

I could go on about the charming location of the school, the welcoming, friendly locals, the abundance of fantastic food and drink available in the neighborhood, and the lovely weather but they were all added bonuses to the wonderful week I spent enjoying the opportunity to learn from Samuel and his colleagues at Casco Antiguo Spanish School.