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Spanish, the world’s second most
influential language, is spoken by 320 million people.
Spanish is the official language in 21 countries. In the
United States of America there are 30 million Spanish
speakers and Hispanics make up 12 percent of the population,
making them the largest minority group in the country. The
United States has the third larges number of Spanish
speakers in the world. Predictions are that this number will
increase significantly during the first half of the
Twenty-First Century.
Learning Spanish can increase career opportunities in
foreign service, law enforcement, education, travel/tourism,
social services, foreign trade, medicine and business, just
to name a few. Spanish is easy to practice through Spanish
TV and radio stations and native speakers. It is also easy
to learn due to phonetic spelling and numerous cognates
(words which are the same or almost the same as English).
All four levels of Spanish center on the highly acclaimed
new Corporation for Public Broadcasting production
Destinos: An Introduction to Spanish. Adapting the
format of the highly popular Hispanic telenovela
(soap opera), this innovative approach to language
acquisition is comprehension-based. In 52 half-hour
episodes, the students follow a fictional lawyer’s quest to
unravel a mystery that leads her from Los Angeles to Mexico,
then to Spain, on the Argentina, north to Puerto Rico and
finally back to Mexico. Students learn through context and
action, building on the listening and speaking skills that
are easiest for students to learn in the early stages. As
the series progresses, so does the students’ understanding
of the conversational Spanish spoken by the characters, who
are portrayed by professional actors from each country
represented.
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Summer 2005
June 13 - June 28
México D.F. - Oaxaca - Acapulco
$1,697.95 / person
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Monday, June 13 |
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5:30pm-depart Chicago O'Hare on American 1597 to
Mexico City. 9:33pm-arrive Mexico City. Go through
Mexican immigration and customs. Greeting at the
Mexico City airport by an American Study Travel
Abroad representative. Transfer to the Hotel Fontán.
Hotel rooming assignment. Overnight Mexico City. |
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Tuesday, June 14 |
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Breakfast at the hotel. Departure to Plaza Mexico.
Continue to the floating gardens of Xochimilco,
located just outside of Mexico City, and the
Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, the
nation's largest university famous for its
architecture and also the site of some 1968 Olympic
events. Stop for lunch at McDonald's (lunch not
included). Return through El Pedregal, an exclusive
residential area. Time for shopping at the markets
near the hotel. Dinner at the Hotel Fontán. Walk
down Paseo de la Reforma to the Angel Monument.
Overnight Mexico City. |
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Wednesday, June 15 |
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Breakfast at the hotel. Excursion to the Plaza of
Three Cultures, the Shrine of the Virgin of
Guadalupe, and the Pyramids of Teotihuacan. Box
lunch included. Time for shopping at the markets
hear the hotel. Dinner at Hotel Fontán. Attend an
evening performance of the Ballet Folklórico de
Mexico in the Palacio de Bellas Artes. Overnight
Mexico City. |
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Thursday, June 16 |
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Breakfast at the hotel. Excursion of Old Mexico City
and the Zócalo (Sanborn's House of Tiles, Church of
San Francisco, Iturbide's Palace, National Palace,
Metropolitan Cathedral and Sagrario, Templo Mayor,
Church of Jesus Nazarene-tomb of Hernán Cortéz).
Stop to have lunch on the rooftop of the Hotel
Majestic overlooking the Zócalo (not included). Tour
the lobby of the Gran Hotel Ciudad de Mexico (site
of some Destinos episodes). Time for shopping at the
markets near the hotel. Dinner at Hotel Fontán.
Movie (not included) Sr. y Sra. Smith - Brad Pitt
and Angelina Jolie. Overnight Mexico City. |
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Friday, June 17 |
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Breakfast at the hotel. Full day excursion to the
colonial silver town of Taxco. Afternoon to shop for
silver and other unique arts and crafts. Late
afternoon return to Mexico City. Dinner at Hotel
Fontán. Overnight Mexico City. |
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Saturday, June 18 |
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Breakfast at the hotel. Go to Chapultepec Park to see the Chapultepec Zoo (not included). Shop in the
Zona Rosa where you will find many famous exclusive shops and a nice market.
Optional excursion to the Bazaar Sábado. Dinner at Hotel Fontán. Walk
to Plaza Garibaldi to listen to the mariachis and then continue to the
Latin American Tower to see a view of Mexico City at night; try churros
and chocolate at El Morro (not included). Overnight Mexico City. |
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Sunday, June 19 |
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Breakfast at the hotel. Excursion of Chapultepec
Park: Chapultepec Castle, Monument a los Niños
Heroes, los voladores, National Museum of
Antrhopology. Dinner at Hotel Fontán. Pack for
tomorrow's departure to Oaxaca. Overnight Mexico
City. |
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Monday, June 20 |
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Breakfast at the hotel. Morning departure for Oaxaca
via air-conditioned motorcoach. Stop for lunch in
Puebla. Arrive Oaxaca. Meet your Mexican host
families. Overnight Oaxaca. |
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Tuesday, June 21 |
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Spend
the day with your Mexican host families. Overnight
Oaxaca. |
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Wednesday, June 22 |
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Excursion to Monte Alban, the ancient capital of the
Zapotecas and the most important archaeological site
in Oaxaca with its temples, palaces, the ball court
and tombs - founded around 500 B.C. Return to family
stay. Overnight Oaxaca. |
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Thursday, June 23 |
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Spend
the day with your Mexican host families. Overnight
Oaxaca. |
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Friday, June 24 |
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Return from famiily stay. Transfer to the Oaxaca
airport. 9:00am-depart Oaxaca on Aviacsa 280 to
Acapulco. 9:50am-arrive Acapulco. Greeting at the
Acapulco airport by an American Study Travel Abroad
representative. Transfer from Acapulco airport via
air-conditioned motorcoach to the on the beach Hotel
Malibu. Hotel rooming assignment, general meeting.
Enjoy the beautiful beaches of Acapulco. Dinner on
your own. Overnight Acapulco. |
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Saturday, June 25 |
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Breakfast at the hotel. Discover the beautiful
beaches of Acapulco. Includes entrance to CiCi
waterpark with waterslides and wave pool. Optional -
swim with the dolphins (etra cost) [didn't do].
Lunch and dinner on your own. Overnight Acapulco. |
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Sunday, June 26 |
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Breakfast at the hotel. Enjoy swimming at the beach
or your hotel pool. Lunch and dinner on your own.
Evening excursion to see the Acapulco Cliff Divers,
"La Quebrada." Overnight in Acapulco. |
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Monday, June 27 |
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Breakfast at the hotel. Last chance for shopping,
suntanning, and watersports. Pack for tomorrow's
departure. Overnight Acapulco. |
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Tuesday, June 28 |
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Breakfast at the hotel. 7:30am-depart via motorcoach
to the Mexico City airport. 3:15pm-depart Mexico
City on American 1064 to Dallas. 5:59pm-arrive
Dallas. U.S. Customs in Dallas. 7:00pm-depart Dallas
on American 2372 to Chicago O'Hare. 9:21pm-arrive
Chicago O'Hare. 9:30pm-depart O'Hare via motorcoach
to Kingsford, Michigan. |
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Wednesday, June 29 |
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4:00am-arrive Kingsford High School. |
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