Transitions Abroad Magazine May/June 2001 Vol XXIV, NO. 6

Feature

Latin America
Making Plans to Visit a Neighbor
North Americans travel to Latin America for both a trip abroad and a visit to a neighbor, writes our Latin America editor, Ron Mader. He provides an insider’s view on how to get the most from your visit, and where to get the best info — from lodging and dining to culture and sports.

Language Vacations
Language Programs Directory
Learn the language where it’s spoken! A directory of Language Programs around the world offering immersion Language Learning.

Participant Stories/Information Sources
Want to brush up on — or get a start on — a language before you go on your trip? Dr. Clay A. Hubbs has selected the best language learning resources on the Web — for any traveler and especially for teachers and students.
Want to learn a language where it’s spoken but you’re not sure where to begin and what to expect? Our authors tell you:
Ron Mader answers the most frequently asked questions about Spanish schools in Latin America
Kent St. John describes his favorite language schools in Oaxaca, Mexico
Jane Brockman explains family homestay etiquette in Costa Rica
Carol Beth Schimke highlights the best locally owned inns in Central America.

Departments

Information Exchange
Transitions Abroad Q&A
Kari Bodnarchuk answers readers’ travel questions and lists worldwide festivals for May and June.

The Independent Traveler
Dr. Clay A. Hubbs talks with Ron Mader and Deborah McLaren about group versus independent travel.

Best Bargains
Karen Burns Homemade Meals in Paris
Amanda Breen What to Do in Istanbul
Pierre Epstein Renting a Gîte in France

Itineraries
Carol Mickelsen Europe’s Summer Festivals
Steve Wilson Climbing Volcan Pacaya
Harold Harbaugh Summer Opera in Finland
Tracey Roizman Unvisited Zimbabwe

Special Interest Travel
The Educated Traveler: Ann Waigand Music and Art in Vienna, Ecolodges in Central America, Walks in Kyoto, Iceland’s Elf School

Alternative Travel
Janet Williams Camping in Africa
Nancy J. Longwell Freighter Travel
Lauryn Axelrod Renewal in the Yucatan
Ben Pretorius Hiking in Namibia

The Learning Traveler
Diane Slawych Spanish Study in Guatemala
Anne Marie E. Lewis Panama’s Past and Present

Back Door Travel
Rick Steves Capturing Memories with Good Photos

The Working Traveler
Rebecca Falkoff High-Tech Jobs in Europe
Donna-Lane Nelson Jobs in Switzerland
Susan Griffith Teaching English in Latin America
Larry Fitzmaurice Work in Thailand
Susanne Eineigel Teaching English in Spain
Nicole Rosenleaf Ritter and Mark Preskett Jobs in the Czech Republic

The Volunteer Traveler
Erin McCloskey Volunteering in Europe
Theodosia T. Greene Volunteer Art Teaching

Living Abroad
Joanna Hubbs Magic in Florence
Patrick McCaffrey Living in Nicaragua

Education Abroad

• Point:Counterpoint
  Jeannie M. Bonner Student Behavior Abroad.
• Study Abroad Adviser
  Tiffany Hendrix Study in Ecuador
• Student to Student
  Amy Ruhter McMillan Third Culture Kids
  Volker Poelzl German in Salzburg

Program News and Notes

Endpage
Padma Jayaraj reveals India's Eternal Mysteries with her essay on Kerala and the coming of the monsoon.

From The Publisher

I have a hard time with languages. But I’m not discouraged. Every time we visit another country I take another language course.

That doesn’t mean I spend every vacation conjugating verbs! Language schools abroad offer much more than language lessons. Nearly all organize inexpensive weekend excursions to the major sites in the area, often with your teacher as guide. Most offer a variety of cultural programs, which, along with homestays, provide complete immersion — the key to language learning.

The best way to learn a language is to settle in and live it. So, whether you’re a graduating senior or a senior citizen, consider finding a paid job like computer consulting or teaching English, or volunteering on a whale-watching boat in the Mediterranean or teaching art to kids in the Cook Islands.

Thanks to all the many contributors, we begin our 25th year of publication with another great issue for active and curious travelers who are looking for something more than picture postcards. But if just getting glimpse of a new place is all you have time for now, be sure to read Rick Steves’ column and at least bring home some good pictures! And if Latin America is your destination be sure to check out Ron Mader’s references.

This issue’s cover comes from nationally known and locally based photographer, Lionel Delevingne, whose work consistently demonstrates how well he understands our editorial purpose — to get to know the people and not just the places of the world.

Questions about this kind of travel? Got your own contribution to make? Write us or email us!