Espaanglisch Language School is the only low cost language school available in Trujillo. We use native volunteer instructors and teach a variety of students young to old. Volunteers not only get to experience living in Peru but also are offered a number of services at a reduced cost.

Espaanglisch needs to exist in Trujillo for two reasons: one, the lack of high quality education and two the growing importance of a foreign language as part of ones skills. Trujillo is a city in the upswing of the development process. As the area continues to grow so does the popularity of services such as those that Espaanglisch provides.

At approximately ten dollars a month Espaanglisch students receive grammar and conversation based lessons. In addition the school offers a fun learning environment for the kids classes filled with interactive practice and games.

Language School

The volunteers work mainly as teachers inside the language school teaching English and French in either Huanchaco or Trujillo. Besides the teaching, the volunteers help with the promotion of the language school at the beginning of every semester. They reach out to the community, particularly the poorer areas and interact with the people. They do this in conjunction with manager David H. Mercedes.

The promotion is aimed at individuals with few economic resources who have an interest in learning a foreign language. The typical Espaanglisch student has a low income and wants to work in tourism related fields such as in a restaurant, a hostal or on a cruise. Their ages vary from 13 to 50 years old.

Maximum is 12 students per class. Our goal in the classroom is to equip every student with at least basic conversational skills. To teach these skills we use role playing, conversation sessions focused on daily interactions, games, grammar lessons and some homework. Volunteers are free to experiment with your own teaching methods. For example, how about speed dating to get locals talking English to the lovely gringas! We do not believe in exams and they are not given.

Finally we listen to music and attempt to understand lyrics every Friday. Espaanglisch provides ample classrooms, teaching materials and a CD player....but to mix things up we like hearing the music that the volunteers bring. Please bring your own CDs for classroom use.

Now Espaanglisch Language School is also offering English language classes for children in Trujillo, Las Lomas de Huanchaco and Miramar. The program gives kids between the ages of 8 and 13 the opportunity to learn a second language in a fun, interactive environment. It is at this time in a student's development that language-learning is most easily achieved, which is why Espaanglisch actively seeks young students with potential. Most students pay a very low fee of 5 soles which covers necessary materials and building maintenance costs. In addition, the fee helps ensure that students are invested in their education.

Espaanglisch also works with a local NGO called skip-peru to benefit children from low-income families. Skip-Peru provides transportation to the students, and Espaanglisch waives their fees so that they can benefit from second language learning. The tuition costs for this special program are provided by some of Espaanglisch's adult programs, such as Gringlish and beginner-level English classes. However, we are not just working with Skip-Peru, Espaanglisch is also promoting English lesson in a different spot in Trujillo. The school there is called Horizon and the purpose of the new school is to give back to the local community in La Esperanza, Trujillo-Peru. Horizon has established a relationship with the local community of Esperanza by offering free English language classes to underprivileged families. Not only is Horizon working with the local community but it is also working in collaboration with Espaanglisch as a means to obtain volunteers. Through the relationship with Espaanglish, Horizon has been able to provide its students with proper English instruction from native English speakers.

In the future, Espaanglisch hopes to expand and strengthen its existing programs. Any funds remaining after material and maintenance costs are saved in the hopes of purchasing more quality teaching tools someday soon. With any luck, Espaanglisch will have a full library of language learning books in the not-so-distant future.

Volunteers are expected to show up and give their all to their students. In addition they are in charge of collecting the class fee. Mercedes is conscious of what happens in every class and is always available to help guide volunteers and resolve any issues that might come up. Espaanglisch is a unique school in Trujillo, one that grows more popular by each month. Thank you for your interest and we hope to hear from you!!!

For further information to volunteer click here

David Mercedes and Espaanglisch Staff.

Click here to volunteer as an art and sports teacher for kids in a shanty town school

Experience of past volunteers

Neil Lawson, USA

My time in the Espaanglisch Volunteer Program was a very fulfilling experince. When I first got to Huanchaco -Trujillo I met the head of the program named David Mercedes. Through all my time in Huanchaco he became a great friend and teacher. The first month in Huanchacho we began to paint a language school that would make way for several English classes in the upcoming months. The first month was a great time for me personally. Many days of the week David, I, and two other girls painted the language school to make it a more comfortable environment for the students to learn. In the afternoons I taught English in at Espaanglisch Language School in Trujillo. For 3 months I continued to teach English there and in the newly refurbished language school (Huanchaco) as well. When I arrived here I had my resentments about teaching English. However, that quickly changed when I met some students in a fellow friends class one afternoon. I had this epiphany that as we volunteers have been given the chance to come here and learn Spanish, and that the least I could do in return was to excersise my patience and help others learn a second language. After I let go of all my qualms of teaching English I started to really enjoy the experience fully. I also noticed tremendous progress in some of the students as well, which is of course an incredible feeling. I actually visited a few of them at their homes, and even took a trip with one of them to a small lovely town in Ancash, Peru.
The head of the Espaanglisch program, whom I’ve already mentioned is named David Mercedes. He gave me Spanish lessons at least once a week, which were extremely helpful and beneficial in the development of my current ability to speak Spanish. He is a fantastically patient person and understands the rules, structure, and grammar of many languages. The only thing that could be viewed as a downside of these lessons is that he sometimes comes late. However, I came just as late sometimes, as well. As long as you get rid of the concept of your time as being extremely important, individual, and like a commodity you will be fine and will take much from the lessons. Besides the concept of punctuality is not practiced a lot in Peru, and whether a person likes that or not they should learn, adapt, and live with it as they are a guest in another land with its particular customs. Other than just being my teacher David also normally had dinner at his house once a week where volunteers would rotate cooking bi weekly.
The best overall part of my experience in Huanchaco might have been the conclusion. I had been having some personal problems in my life, and when I talked to David it helped me very much. This combined with the genuine sincerity and friendship of some of my students helped me very much. I finished out my classes and some of my goodbyes to my students were very difficult. Overall I rate the experience as a very good volunteer work. I actually plan on coming back within a year time to teach a couple more months.

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Espaanglisch Volunteers and Classes.

 

 

 

Annick Oerlemans and some of her students from El Porvenir Barrio in Trujillo. One of her last classes before her farewell.

 

 

 

 

We were always looking for places where to teach English to our students, even in the swimming pool, as long as it doesn’t have water, it doesn’t matter.

 

 

 

 

 

Brian Donovan, one of the first volunteers we had, besides the teaching also donated our first computer for the school. Thanks Brian.

 

 

 

 

English lessons for kids from Las Lomas de Huanchaco with Paul Ryan (Ireland) and Jackie Brady (USA).

 

 

 

 

Laura Cronin with her class for kids from SKip NGO. They attent classes from Tuesday to Friday in summer time and from Tuesday to Thursday when the kids don't have vacation. Kids from Skip NGO get free English lessons with our volunteer teachers.

Thanks LaLa.

 

 

Yielling Go!, go! righ! left!, Straigh ahead.

We do our best at creating fun activities and games for kids classes, like for example:

hanging the tail to the donky, so one of the kids, with eyes covered, gets direction from their classmates, left!, righ!, go!, go!

Thanks Amy, that was a great idea.

 

Espaanglisch School Pictures

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