English in Buenos Aires: Info and Contact details

For anyone looking to improve their English (specific to BsAs), this information could be of use:

Institutes

ICANA http://www.icana.org.ar/

Downtown Branch

Maipú 672

5382-1500

informescentral@icana.org.ar

Belgrano Branch

3 de Febrero 821

4576-5970

informesbelgrano@icana.org.ar

• Online placement test
• Courses of 12 or 16 hours per month
• Semi-Intensive courses
• Workshops (Conversation, Global Headline News, We are in Business, A Taste of Literature)
• NEW online courses offered
• 2012 price information not yet available

UBA Laboratorio de Idiomas http://www.idiomas.filo.uba.ar/

• 16 levels
• Courses of 3 and 4 hours per week – 17 weeks total
• 9 branches

o Microcentro - 25 de mayo 221/Tel: 4343-5981/1196 - 4334-7512

o Caballito - Facultad de Filosofía y Letras – Puán 480 5° Of. 501/Tel: 4433-5091

o Barrio Norte – Facultad de Farmacio y Bioquímica – Junín 954/Tel: 4964-8239

o Barrio Norte – Viamonte 2014/Tel: 4371-5134/3339

o Ciudad Universitaria - Pabellón 3, 4th floor/Tel: 4789-6235/6

o Paternal – Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias - Chorroarín 280/Tel: 4524 8324

o Balvanera - Anexo Ayacucho - Ayacucho entre Av. Corrientes y Lavalle (info: 4343-5981/1196 - 4334-7512)

o Palermo – Armenia 1353/Tel: 4775-7900

o Belgrano - Instituto Nacional de Antropología - 3 de Febrero 1378/Tel: 4783-6554

• Prices as of 2011 (not valid for 2012):

o 3 hours per week/17 weeks: between $807 and 1,016 pesos total

o 4 hours per week/17 weeks: between $1,075 and 1,600 pesos total

• Summer learning: December Language Lab Registration: December 15–20, 2011
• 2012 registration not yet posted

Liceo Cultural Británico http://www.liceobritanico.com/

• Courses consist of 8 modules – 2 per year – 4 months each
• Courses twice a week: 3 or 4 hours per week or intensive option on Saturday mornings
• Discounted registration now open for 2012
• Free conversation courses for enrolled students
• 14 branches

o Casa Central: Callao 362/Tel: 4374-5668

o Barrio Norte: Av. Pueyrredón 1388/Tel: 4821-9003

o Flores: Granaderos 55/Tel: 4633-7414

o Belgrano: Av. Cabildo 1660/Tel: 4787-5724

o Villa Crespo: Av. Corrientes 5305/Tel: 4855-1171

o Villa Urquiza: Díaz Colodrero 2409/Tel: 4523- 5622

o Martínez: Arenales 1928/Tel: 4793-8808

o Quilmes: Alvear 765/Tel: 4253-0908

o Hurlingham: Av. Roca 1173/Tel: 4665-8005

o San Martín: 18 de Diciembre 2060/Tel: 4713-3590

o Adrogué: Mitre 980 1º piso/Tel: 4293-7387

o Moreno: Av. Victorica 1128 y Acc. Oeste (Nine Shopping)/Tel: 0237-4625488

o Lanús: Sitio de Montevideo 15 (Esq. Hipólito Irigoyen)/Tel: 4241-3254

o El Palomar: Rosetti 6237/Tel: 4758-7367

Lenguas Vivas "Juan Ramón Fernández" http://ieslvf.caba.infd.edu.ar/sitio/

Address: Carlos Pellegrini 1515
Telephone: 4322-3992 / 96 / 98 interno 103, de 9 a 20 hs.

• Exams: November/December and April/May
• Official Certificates given by the Secretaría de Educación del Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires
• Best to visit in person (I was unable to contact them by phone or email.)

Buenos Aires School of English http://www.baseonline.com.ar/

Address: Correa 4416 (Saavedra)

Telephone: 4541-0803

• Registration is normally in February and classes begin at the end of February/beginning of March.
• They organize trips to London every year
• Courses are annual (March through December) - 2/3 hours per week
• Prices not given over the phone/must set up individual meeting with the school

Certified Online Courses

ICANA (see above)

Free Online courses/material

http://www.ompersonal.com.ar/

http://www.mansioningles.com/

In the Community

Spanglish Exchange: https://www.spanglishexchange.com/

Conversation Exchange: http://www.conversationexchange.com/

"So to Speak" Conversation Groups at Club Europeo: http://www.clubeuropeo.com/index.php?PN=noticia_desarrollo&DX=995

Talk Time: http://www.talktime.com.ar/

Exams to Challenge Yourself

ETS Board: (can be taken at ICANA)

TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication): measures the ability of non-native English-speaking examinees to use English in everyday workplace activities

TOEFL iBT (Test of English as a Foreign Language internet-based): evaluates the ability of an individual to use and understand English in an academic setting – commonly used for university entrance

Cambridge Board: (can be taken at various locations): http://www.cambridgeesol.org/argentina/dondecuando/index.php

BEC (Business English Certificate) in 3 levels: B1 (Preliminary), B2 (Vantage), and C1 (Higher): This valuable suite of three qualifications provides clear proof that you have the English skills to make you an asset to your employer.

FCE (First Certificate in English) B2 level: exam for people who need to prove they can use everyday written and spoken English at an upper-intermediate level for work or study purposes

CAE (Certificate in Advanced English) C1 level: the leading English exam for professional and academic success

CPE (Certificate of Proficiency in English) C2 level: the most advanced Cambridge exam, for learners who have achieved an extremely high level of skill in the English language

I learn something; you learn something

Today I learned that in Argentina, papita para el loro* (papita 'pal' loro) is the translation for piece of cake in English.

*For native English readers (a.k.a. my parents, sometimes): papita para el loro means "small potato for the parrot"

My student said, "Next week will be papita pal loro (a piece of cake) because my boss won't be here."

I was wondering where the phrase came from in English, and I found some help on businessballs.com:

Brewer (a phrasebook first published in 1870) tells of the tradition in USA slavery states when slaves or free descendants would walk in a procession in pairs around a cake at a social gathering or party, the most entertaining couple being awarded a cake as the prize. This also gave us the expression 'cake walk,' meaning a job or contest that's very easy to achieve or win.

So, there are several more expressions which tie into this tradition:

cakewalk: Cristina's election campaign was a cakewalk. (And The Economist agreed)

easy as pie: They have developed an online tool to make it as easy as pie. (taken from)

By the way, a modern tradition of the cakewalk still exists in the States and is often found at county fairs and bake sales. People walk around in a circle with music playing. If you are standing on the winning square when the music stops, you win a cake.

Then:
Now:

"por otro lado" = "on the other hand"?

I want to talk about a translation I see all the time:

por otro lado = on the other hand

The translation is CORRECT! But what I've come to realize is that many Spanish speakers around me use the phrase wrong in their own language. "Por otro lado" should mean "en cambio," showing a contrast. I often hear it used in Spanish to mean "in addition."

For example:

"This week we completed charts 1, 2, and 3. Por otro lado, we worked on charts 4, 5, and 6."

This sentence shows no contrast. You cannot translate this to on the other hand.

Rather, it should read "This week we completed charts 1, 2, and 3. In addition, we worked on charts 4, 5, and 6."

Other choices include:
moreover
furthermore
apart from that
additionally

Correct usage of on the other hand:

In football/soccer, the ball is advanced toward the goal by kicking it or by butting it with the head. In American football, on the other hand, the ball is passed from hand to hand across the opponent's goal.

The swift rise of mobile gaming, the growing popularity of digital distribution, and streaming services like OnLive will spell certain doom for many smaller game shops. GameStop, America’s largest brick-and-mortar game retailer, on the other hand, is using its considerable resources to try to hop aboard these new ships.

Check out a great blog post on "on the other hand":

http://dilbertblog.typepad.com/the_dilbert_blog/2007/09/on-the-other-ha.html