Mark your calendar: the World Comes to Charlotte this Fall!

The Latin American Festival returns to Charlotte Saturday, Oct. 8. Photo courtesy of: Latin American Coalition

by Liz Rothaus Bertrand

Want to experience the world? Open your door and walk outside!

Thanks, in part, to its growing reputation as an international business hub, Charlotte is home to an increasingly culturally diverse community.

That’s good news for all of us since it brings new opportunities to discover cultures and traditions from around the world to our own backyard. Charlotte hosts dozens of international festivals throughout the year. Here’s a list of some of our favorites coming this fall. Have something to add? Leave us a note in the comments section!

Festival of India

Sept. 17 – 18, 2016

Belk Theater | 130 N. Tryon St., Charlotte 

Admission: $6 online, $5 at the door (free for kids under age 10)

Experience Indian culture through authentic cuisine, arts, crafts, and performances including modern (Bollywood) and classical Indian dance.

Waldhorn Restaurant’s Oktoberfest

Friday & Saturdays, Sept. 23 – Oct. 14, 2016

Waldhorn Restaurant | 12101 Lancaster Highway, Pineville 

Admission: $4 (free for children 11 and under). Cash only.

Polka the night away under a tent with live music, German beer, brats, wienerschnitzel, and other festive fare available for purchase.

UNC Charlotte’s 41st Annual International Festival

Sept. 24, 2016

UNC- Charlotte Main Campus |9201 University City Blvd., Charlotte

Admission: free

More than 50 nations are represented at this family-friendly event through arts and entertainment, crafts, and cuisine.

Latin American Festival

Saturday, Oct. 8, 2016

Symphony Park at South Park Mall | 4400 Sharon Rd., Charlotte

Admission: $5 (free for children 8 and under)

With live music, including Grammy Award-winning performers like Nicaraguan Salsa singer Luis Enrique, festival attendees can dance their way through a huge event encompassing authentic food, arts, culture, and artisinal crafts from a variety of Latin American traditions.

Beaujolais Nouveau Festival

Nov. 17, 2016

Levine Museum of the New South | 200 E. 7th St., Charlotte

Admission:  $40 Alliance Francaise members / $55 non-members

Charlotte is one of only 16 American cities recognized by the Union Interprofessionelle des Vins du Beaujolais as hosting an official Beaujolais Celebration, toasting the first grape harvest of the season. Sample the newest Beaujolais wines, enjoy live jazz, and sample French foods at this festive event.

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Fridays & Saturdays, Dec. 2 – 17, 2016

Olde Mecklenburg Brewery | 4150 Yancey Rd., Charlotte

Seasonal brews and steaming mugs of spiced, red wine will warm you up as you browse this traditional, German-style outdoor “Christmas Market” with local vendors selling gifts and baked goods.

 

And keep your eye out for these events next fall:

Yiasou Greek Festival

Early Sept. 2017

Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 600 East Blvd., Charlotte 

One of Charlotte’s biggest festivals, this event celebrates Greek culture with food, exhibits and performances, as well as kids’ carnival-style rides.

Taste of the World

Fall 2017

This guided food tour highlighting the rich diversity of restaurants on Charlotte’s East side is already sold out for 2016 but keep it on your radar for Fall 2017.

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The Language Academy of the Carolinas offers small group and private classes in 8 different languages in 4 convenient Charlotte area locations as well as translation services. Contact us at info@carolinalanguage.com or 704.548.0048 for more information.

Good Morning, World! What’s for breakfast?

by Liz Rothaus Bertrand

What’s on your morning menu? Cereal? Some eggs? A cup of coffee? Here’s what people are waking up to around the globe, as described by a handful of the international instructors at The Language Academy of the Carolinas.

ARGENTINA

Traditional yerba mate tea is served in a gourd with a bombilla, a special straw with a filter.  (photo via herbalteagoddess.com)

For Eugenia Trenkelbach, a native of San Martin de Los Andes, Patagonia in Argentina, her days usually start with toast served with cream cheese and jelly or dulce de leche (a delectable sauce made by heating sweetened milk to a rich, caramel color.)

“Most women drink mate in the morning,” says Spanish instructor Trenkelbach, referring to the highly-caffeinated beverage traditionally served in a gourd and made from dried leaves of yerba mate.  “Men usually have coffee.” And while kids enjoy chocolate milk in the morning, many will drink mate with milk and sugar in the late afternoon instead of the customary 5 o’clock tea.

GERMANY

German breakfast! (photo via justtalkingabout.files.wordpress.com)

German instructor Bettina Poenisch wakes up to a big cup of coffee with lots of water and milk. “[It’s] more like drinking hot milk with a bit of coffee flavor in it,” she admits.

She says Germans typically start their day with filtered coffee (a German invention!) accompanied by Brötchen (fresh rolls), especially on Sunday mornings. “German rolls are different from American rolls,” says Poenisch, who was born and raised in Dresden, Germany. “They have a nice crust and are not sweetened. I have not yet found anything like it here in Charlotte, it’s always the first thing I go out and buy when I visit Germany.”

During the week, people often eat toast or dark bread with butter and jam or Nutella. They might also choose a savory breakfast with cold cuts or cheese. Cereal and fruit juice are also popular items.

BRAZIL

Brazil is the world’s largest coffee producer. (Photo via cafeoccidente.com)

Fresh fruit juice like orange, mango, and guava abound in Brazil but coffee is king. (Brazil is the world’s largest producer of it.) Portuguese instructor Lee Cobbs drinks her cup black but says most of her countrymen and -women drink it sweet and add hot milk to it. People often eat bread and butter, fruit, or yogurt for breakfast in her hometown of Belo Horizonte, third largest city in Brazil. But up North, she says, people eat tapioca couscous, and tapioca pancakes with sun dried meats.

“Whenever [it] is a tad bit cold we like hot chocolate, quentão (a beverage made from warm cognac, cinnamon sticks, and cloves) or gemada (our version of eggnog),” says Cobbs.

TAIWAN

Salty soybean milk is a popular Chinese breakfast item.  (photo via http://www.theapricity.com)

Move over coffee, choices are a bit more diverse in Chinese-speaking countries, according to Taiwanese-born  Yingying Lin. In the mornings, people often drink sweet or salty soybean milk, plain hot black or green tea, or soybean (tofu) jelly.

“Sugar is normally added to make sweet soybean milk,” says Lin, who teaches Chinese and whose parents hail from the southeastern coastal province of Chejiang in China. “Soy sauce, vinegar, minced pickled mustard tuber, chopped deep-fried dough sticks, dried baby shrimps, chopped green onions, [or] sesame oil are normally added to hot salty soy bean milk.”

As for favorite breakfast dishes, she says it depends on the region but small steamed buns, deep-fried dough sticks, baked crispy bread (shao-bing), fried leek dumplings, and beef pies are among the most popular items. Dim Sum, the tradition of eating small plates of many different brunch items, originated in the Southern province of Canton;today, it can be found throughout Asia and beyond.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

Beignets are a favorite breakfast food in the Democratic Republic of Congo. (photo via pinterest.com/cookingwitholivia

French instructor Blaise Kazadi comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo, located in central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa and likely one of the world’s richest in natural resources. Unfortunately, Kazadi says the region has been war-torn and exploited by many throughout its history and problems continue there today.

The country straddles the equator and has a tropical climate. It also only has two seasons that alternate throughout the year: wet and dry. “The wet season is typically very hot with high temperatures,” says Kazadi. “It makes people thirsty. So, people drink a lot of water, juice, beer, plus traditional drinks such as palm wine (le vin de palme) and lotoko, which is a home-distilled alcohol.

For breakfast, Congolese usually drink coffee alongside pain (bread) or beignets (doughnuts).

MEXICO

A typical atole and tamale vendor. (photo via i.usatoday.net)

Rodrigo Rion, vice president at the Language Academy, grew up in Mexico where there are many popular breakfast beverages and traditional foods. Common drinks include chocolate milk, fruit juice,  and coffee as well as Cafe de Olla (prepared in an earthen clay pot from a mixture of ground coffee, cinnamon, and piloncillo –unrefined cane sugar) and atole, which is made from masa (corn hominy flour), piloncillo, cinnamon, vanilla, and sometimes chocolate or fruit. Depending on its preparation, atole ranges from a porridge-like consistency to a thin liquid.

Atole is often served with tamales, says Rion, and you can find vendors selling them together from metal buckets attached to large tricycles: “People will walk to work and stop [at] one of these mobile vendors on the street to get a quick breakfast.”

Cafe de Olla is popular breakfast fare in rural areas alongside savory egg dishes like huevos rancheros, heuvos a la Mexicana, or machaca con huevos. 

Special thanks to The Language Academy of the Carolinas’ instructors who contributed to this story.

 

Hungry for more? The Language Academy of the Carolinas offers courses in English, French, German, Italian, Mandarin, Portuguese, and Spanish at four convenient locations in Charlotte, NC and Rock Hill, SC. Visit our website for more details on all of our services including Business Programs, online conversation courses, translation services, and kids programs.

Three is the Magic Number: learning multiple languages simultaneously

by Liz Rothaus Bertrand

For many people, mastering one foreign language already sounds daunting. Imagine learning three different languages at the same time. That’s exactly what some local families manage in their tri-lingual households. Cultivating a multilingual home comes with its own challenges and rewards. Here is why and how two local families do it.

Why three?

“It’s one of those things that you can’t escape in the US anymore,” says Rodrigo Rion, vice president at The Language Academy of the Carolinas. “English is not the only language… We are surrounded by other cultures [and] all sorts of mixed families.”

Take his family, for instance. Rion grew up in Mexico and his wife, Lenka, comes from the Czech Republic. While their two year old son’s primary language is English—the language he speaks at daycare—they want to expose him to Spanish and Czech at home.

“It’s a constant mental work out for me,” says Rion, who manages to stick to Spanish with his son about 80% of the time. He believes it’s well-worth the effort. For the couple, there are multiple incentives. They want their son to know his own multinational heritage and to be able to communicate with family members. They also hope it will give him professional advantage someday.

The Rion family on vacation.

“I want to give him… more opportunities as he grows up,” says Rion, who first came to the US on an exchange program as a 14 year old and then relocated here permanently with his family at age 20. “It has been an opportunity for me… [and] has come a lot from my family. My parents were very big on promoting languages when I was a kid.”

Rion also says languages are a necessary skill for Americans to keep up in a global economy. “Everywhere in the world speaks at least 2 languages now,” he says. “Even in third world countries. In that regard, the US is falling way behind.”

How do you make it happen?

The Hildebrands, German-born Volker and his Peruvian-born wife Ana Maria, have developed specific guidelines to create a tri-lingual home with their two daughters.

1. Set the groundrules

“The kids only hear German when I address them,” says Volker Hildebrand “and only Spanish when she addresses them and we expect them to respond in [kind].” Although Volker and Ana each know some of their partner’s native language, they prefer to communicate with each other in English.

2. Make multilingual the new normal

“At the table, we speak three languages at the same time,” says Ana Hildebrand, a civil engineer, who met her husband in Charlotte after relocating here for work. If someone doesn’t know the right word in one of the languages, they try to help each other. To an outsider, communicating in so many langauges may sound complicated but they both say for their family, it works well.

“I think if you start early and are disciplined in the beginning it’s very natural for the parents and kids,” says Volker Hildebrand, a mechanical engineer who frequently switches languages in his workplace, Continental Tire the Americas in Ft. Mill, SC. German and English are used widely at the company, a subsidiary of Continental AG/Germany–one of the largest automotive suppliers worldwide. He has also studied Spanish there thanks to special onsite courses sponsored by the company and taught by teachers from The Language Academy.

3. Integrate the target languages into your life

Developing a tri-lingual household often requires other adjustments to make the languages stick. For the Hildebrand girls that meant only watching TV and movies in Spanish or German as young kids. “Barney spoke Spanish,” says Volker Hildebrand.

4. Continue studying

Now that they are in school, the girls tend to speak English to each other, incorporating slang they’ve heard from friends. However, they are also continuing their German studies at Waddell Language Academy, a language immersion program offered by Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools.

5. Technology and Travel

For the Rion family, it has been more challenging to balance the three languages equally since Czech speakers and educational resources are much less available than their Spanish counterparts in Charlotte. There is one constant, however: weekly Skype phone calls to Lenka’s mom abroad that take place in Czech.

The Hildebrands say that their daughters also enjoy using Skype and Facetime to communicate with cousins and other family members abroad. Travel provides another opportunity for the girls to practice and hone their language skills.

“We do travel to Germany and Peru on occasion,” says Volker Hildebrand. “Even though the girls mix the languages quite a bit when they’re here… after a week [in either country], they adjust.” They stop using English and communicate easily with family and friends.

The Benefits

“Children are like sponges,” says Rion. “They just absorb… as adults we become rational, we want to learn the reason behind something. We want to understand the logic behind it. Children don’t question it, you say ‘this is the way we do it’ and they just do it.”

The Hildebrands say their daughters speak without a discernible accent in German or Spanish. They sound like native speakers even if their vocabulary in German and Spanish understandably lags behind those of kids who grow up in Germany or Peru.

As far as English and their other academic subjects go, both girls are managing well. Their oldest daughter has even added French to her plate now that she’s started middle school. Volker says he thinks her multilingual background makes it easier for her to pick up a new language faster.

Learning multiple languages can also serve as a gateway to discovering other cultures. “Our kids love to eat,” says Volker Hildebrand. “When they’re in Peru, they enjoy the food their grandmother prepares and all the sweets. And when it comes to Germany, they find their favorite foods there.”

Lessons we can take from the tri-lingual experience

Food also provides an entryway for families that don’t have the advantage of a native speaker (or two!) at home. Take advantage of Charlotte’s diverse restaurants serving food from around the world and check out the many local cultural organizations –such as International House, Latin American Coaltion, Alemannia German Society, and the Alliance Française — that promote global understanding. These experiences can spark an interest in other cultures that will better equip our next generation for a multilingual future.

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The Language Academy of the Carolinas offers courses in English, French, German, Italian, Mandarin, Portuguese, and Spanish at three convenient locations in Charlotte, NC. Visit our website for more details on all of our services including Business Programs, translation, and language camps for kids.

5 Ways to Get a T-A-S-T-E of a New Language this Fall

by Liz Rothaus Bertrand

Summer is winding down but who says it has to be the end of your adventures? Fall is the perfect time to shake up routines and make good on that resolution to learn a new language or revisit one you studied long ago.

When adults embark on language studies, they tend to over-focus on mastering grammar and memorizing vocabulary words. While these aspects are important, they are only part of the recipe for success.

Here are 5 tips to inspire your journey and give you a well-rounded T-A-S-T-E of what learning a new language and culture can be at its best.

T

TALK

It’s often one of the hardest things for language students to do but also the most necessary. As you start to learn your new language, look for opportunities to practice. You may be surprised at what you can find locally or online from conversation hours and cultural organizations to meetup.com groups and grocery stores. Look for the setting that makes you most comfortable or try a few options. The more you speak, the easier it will become and the more confidence you will build over time. Don’t be discouraged if you make mistakes or don’t know how to say everything you want to yet; each time you try can be a great opportunity to learn and improve.

A

ASK QUESTIONS

It’s OK not to know everything. Go ahead and ask! A native speaker or a language teacher can be great resources. Websites like wordreference.com and about.com are also helpful places to look when something is unclear. Chances are you’re not the first person stumped by what you’ve heard, read or seen. Jot down new phrases or cultural questions when they pop up and investigate them at a convenient time. Your own curiosity is an essential tool for discovering key aspects of a new language and culture.

S

STUDY

Yes, you do need to put in some time learning the nuts and bolts of grammar, building your vocabulary or refreshing your memory. Find the methods that work best for you. Do you learn best in a group setting? Are you more of a one-on-one learner? Maybe you prefer doing things on your own — watching foreign movies in their original language, listening to new music from abroad, or reading the daily news in the foreign press. (Click here for 7 Awesome Websites & Apps for Foreign Language Learners.)  Variety can be the key to sustaining your interest and helping you progress in all aspects of communication, namely speaking, listening, reading and writing.

T

TRAVEL

If you have the opportunity, by all means do it! Travel can be one of the best sources of inspiration. It’s where you get to put your language skills and new knowledge into practice. It focuses your efforts while you’re in the preparatory stages and can be life-changing when you actually do it. You gain knowledge and insight in an all-encompassing way — opening your eyes to a different language and culture in the most immediate and personal ways. Without fail, travel also changes the way you see your own culture, language and traditions. So go ahead plan that vacation, go study abroad, or look for work in a foreign country. It’s worth it.

E

EAT

Even if you can’t afford to travel, you can still voyage around the globe. So much of a culture is transmitted through its cuisine and mealtime customs. Check out a local restaurant with a menu inspired by the country or culture you are discovering. Or try a new recipe at home. Cookbooks are often rich with details on traditional ingredients, daily habits and meaningful celebrations.

Here’s hoping these tips will leave your mouth watering for more! Now, go out there and dive in.

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The Language Academy of the Carolinas offers courses in English, French, German, Italian, Mandarin, Portuguese, and Spanish at three convenient locations in Charlotte, NC. Visit our website for more details on all of our services including Business Programs, online conversation courses, translation services, and kids programs.

Student Spotlight: Mike Birkle’s hunger for new languages

Shanghai’s downtown area photographed from across the Yangtze River. Photo by Mike Birkle, who has been traveling to China for business and currently studies Mandarin and Spanish at The Language Academy of the Carolinas.

by Liz Rothaus Bertrand

For Mike Birkle, president of Pfaff Molds LP, learning Chinese was a matter of necessity. While traveling in Wuhu, China last spring, he discovered that no one in any of the nearby restaurants spoke English.

“I ended up taking my chances by simply pointing at three dishes on the all Mandarin menu,” says Birkle. “I figured some of it I would like. The food was great and so I took some pictures so I could show them what I wanted the next day.”

While he didn’t go hungry, the experience was enough to convince him he needed to take up Mandarin when he returned to Charlotte, home to Birkle and the North American subsidiary of German-owned Pfaff Molds.

Birkle is spending a lot of time in China these days because Pfaff Molds is opening a new facility in Kunshan, near Shanghai. He’s a 10-year veteran with the company, which manufactures injection molds for the automotive industry used to produce seals for car doors, car windows and convertibles.

Mastering new languages is something that Birkle’s gotten used to doing. Mandarin, which he started studying a month ago, is his fourth one.

A man with many interests, Birkle (on left) is also an avid kart racer.

A native German speaker, Birkle’s first foreign language was English, a required subject in German high schools. More than academics, it was his experience as a teenager babysitting for the kids of American soldiers that really sparked his interest in learning it.

“I liked watching movies in their original language and that really made me study,” says Birkle.

His third language was Spanish, which Birkle and others at Pfaff Molds started studying six years ago, in order to better communicate with their Mexican clients. Courses are held onsite and taught by instructors from The Language Academy of the Carolinas. Birkle notes that one of the best features of the program is its personalized approach to learning: “[The Language Academy’s] attention to detail and willingness to customize content and schedule for our Spanish classes is exceptional.

Birkle estimates that about 40% of Pfaff Molds’ employees speak two or more languages. German and English are the most widely-spoken in the company. Besides Spanish, other languages spoken at Pfaff Molds include Hungarian, Croatian and Farsi.

“[The Language Academy’s] attention to detail and willingness to customize content and schedule for our Spanish classes is exceptional.”

As for his fourth language, learning Mandarin has been a demanding but rewarding experience, according to Birkle. “The main challenge so far is the fact that pronunciation is very critical and hitting it is difficult for a non-native speaker,” he says. “I am glad to have a very patient teacher in Yingying Li.”

But he’s pleased with the progress he’s making and has already started enjoying the fruits of his labor: “During my trip last week I could already put my new skills to good use and enjoyed ordering food and my favorite beverage, beer, in Mandarin,” says Birkle.

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The Language Academy of the Carolinas offers courses in English, French, German, Italian, Mandarin, Portuguese, and Spanish at three convenient locations in Charlotte, NC. Visit our website for more details on all of our services including Business Programs, online conversation courses, translation services, and kids programs.

7 Awesome Websites & Apps for Foreign Language Learners

by Liz Rothaus Bertrand

Hey, our generation of foreign language learners has got it pretty darn easy… Even though most of us can’t hop on a plane to a far away country at a moment’s notice, we can travel around the world at the touch of a screen or tap of a keyboard.  So, do it! Grab a coffee and practically any tech device to access your own virtual global cafe.

There are thousands of online resources available — some of which are great and some which are, well, not-so-great. Here’s a guide to seven of our favorite online resources. Most of these can be accessed anywhere, anytime for no or very low cost. They are a fantastic way to enrich your language skills, outside of the classroom.

Do you have more suggestions? We’d love to know what great websites or apps you’ve discovered. (By the way, if you’re a fan of super convenient ways to practice your speaking, be sure to check back with us in Spring 2015 for details on our own plans to bring foreign language conversations online to your home or office via LA Chats.)

 

1.) YouTube: FREE

It’s not just for cute animal tricks and kids’ birthday party videos. Search for commercials, cartoons, news programs, clips from popular TV shows… just about everything can be found here in the language of your choice.

 

2.) TuneIn: FREE

Wouldn’t it be great if you could listen to soccer matches live in German or check out the latest news in Shanghai? You can and it’s absolutely free and in real time through this website and app featuring radio stations from around the globe. Check it out!

 

3.) Mindsnacks: $4.95

If you’ve got an iPhone, iPad or other apple device, you really need to download this app. You’ll have so much fun playing the games that you won’t even realize you’re picking up key vocabulary, grammar and common expressions. Watch out, it can become pretty addictive once you start. Available in French, German, Italian, Mandarin, Portuguese, and Spanish.

 

4.) Netflix: $7.99

Hello streaming videos! You can find all sorts of foreign flicks and TV shows on Netflix. Watch them from your TV, tablet,  smartphone, or even a Wii console! The first month is free… what are you waiting for?

 

5.) Daily Newspapers & other publications: FREE*

Many major dailies around the world can be accessed for free online. Get the local view about the places and stories that interest you most by browsing online. Click here for a comprehensive list of international publications to get you started. *Some publications require subscriptions for unlimited access to their articles.

 

 6.) Coffee Break series from RadioLingua: FREE*

These fifteen to twenty minute podcasts, each focusing on a specific grammar concept or real life situation, can be quickly downloaded from the iTunes Store. Currently available in French, German and Spanish — Italian’s coming soon! *Additional materials available, including written lesson notes, if you purchase a subscription.

 

7.) Wordreference.com: FREE

This is a great online dictionary with translations between multiple languages. The best feature is an online forum where native speakers answer questions and provide context regarding use of specific phrases in their particular language.

 

Find out more great online resources for your favorite language by asking your instructor! Classes now enrolling at the The Language Academy of the Carolinas in English, French, German, Italian, Mandarin Chinese, Portuguese and Spanish. Call 704.548.0048 or email us at info@carolinalanguage.com for more details.

Last Minute Holiday Gifts for Foreign Language Fans!

Oh, no. Did you wait until the last minute to buy holiday gifts?

Never fear! Here are some favorite books and movies for foreign language fans, as recommended by our instructors. Happy holidays! (See something you like? We’ve included links to Amazon.com for every item listed here to make your shopping a little easier…) What would you add to the list? Leave us a comment with your favorite selections!

Last minute holiday gifts for foreign language fans!

Chinese:

Movies: Not One Less (a touching & funny film about kids in a rural Chinese school); Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (action packed with beautiful cinematography)

French:

Books: A Year in Provence (in English, a delightful book by Peter Mayle);  7 Jours pour une Eternite (A modern-day battle between a demon and an angel from one of France’s most popular writers, Marc Levy; La Vie en Mieux by Anna Gavalda (another popular French writer’s newest novel, set in Paris); the novels of Tahar Ben Jelloun (see side bar)

Movies: Intouchables (Surprisingly funny), Romantics Anonymous (a sweet romance), Paris, Je t’aime (a love-letter to Paris in shorts), La Gloire de Mon Pere and Le Chateau de Ma Mere (based on the stories by Marcel Pagnol, set in Provence at the turn of the 20th century). Jean de Florette (a stunning drama, also by Pagnol), Les Misérables (a terrific version starring Liam Neeson; it’s an American-made production but you can listen to it in French)

German:

Movies: Goodbye Lenin (a funny film about the end of communism in East Germany); Run Lola Run (a race against time with alternate endings); The Lives of Others (an Oscar-winning thriller)

Italian:

Movies: Cinema Paradiso (like a love-letter to cinema as an artform); La Vita e Bella (Life is Beautiful, Oscar-winning masterpiece from Director Roberto Benigni)

Portuguese:

Movies: Senna (documentary on the famous Brazilian Formula One driver, in English); City of God (powerful, acclaimed film set in Rio de Janeiro)

Spanish:

Books: Love in the Time of Cholera (the classic by Colombian writer Gabriel García Márquez); Cien Años de Soledad (Another by García Márquez, in English); Don Quijote (the 400 year old classic novel by Miguel Cervantes)

Movies: Rudo Y Cursi (Two siblings rival each other inside the world of professional soccer), Amores Perros (a dazzling film with three stories that intersect after a violent accident); Maria Llena Eres de Gracia (“Maria Full of Grace,” a dramatic thriller about the ruthless world of international drug trafficking), La Ley de Herodes (political satire from Mexico); Biutiful (Oscar-nominated Javier Bardem stars in this drama set in Barcelona); Paraiso Travel (a Colombian illegal immigrant tries to find his fortune in NYC)

 

Recommendations from instructors John Altamirano, Liz Bertrand, Edwin Davila, Rodrigo Rion, Erin Tyler,  and Craig Snyder. 

Language classes also make great gifts! Contact The Language Academy of the Carolinas at (704) 548-0048 for a gift that always fits just right.