History

ACUPARI in Cusco-Peru, directed by Maria Jürgens de Hermoza, was founded October 10, 1990, as a non-profit cultural association whose objective is to promote and strengthen an intercultural dialogue between the plethora cultures that gather together in the city of Cusco

Cusco

Cusco , often spelled Cuzco , is a city in southeastern Peru, near the Urubamba Valley of the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cusco Region as well as the Cuzco Province. In 2007, the city had a population of 358,935 which was triple the figure of 20 years ago...

. Cusco is the main tourist center of Peru

Peru

Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....

, and greets travelers from all around the globe. ACUPARI offers prospective clients language courses in German

German language

German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....

, Spanish

Spanish language

Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...

, and Quechua. As a complement to their language course, students can participate in Tandem Conversation practice in which the foreigner is paired with a native Peruvian Spanish speaker so that each can practice the other's language—English, German, or French (depending on the foreigner’s native language). Via the Tandem both partners are immersed in the language and culture of the other. As part of ACUPARI’s cross-cultural

Cross-cultural

cross-cultural may refer to*cross-cultural studies, a comparative tendency in various fields of cultural analysis*cross-cultural communication, a field of study that looks at how people from differing cultural backgrounds communicate...

 interchange, students participate in a variety of social and cultural activities and have the opportunity to contribute their time and efforts to several social and volunteer projects. ACUPARI also organizes cultural events with Peruvian and German artists and authors, as well as those from other cultures, in collaboration with other cultural institutions in the area.

Language Programs

ACUPARI offers language courses in:

• German
  German language
  German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
  
   as a foreign language in close cooperation with the Goethe-Institut
  Goethe-Institut
  The Goethe-Institut is a non-profit German cultural institution operational worldwide, promoting the study of the German language abroad and encouraging international cultural exchange and relations. The Goethe-Institut also fosters knowledge about Germany by providing information on German...
  
   Lima
• Spanish language
  Spanish language
  Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
  
   courses for beginners to advanced
• Quechua courses
• Tandem Conversation Program

ACUPARI’s uses an inter-cultural and interactive teaching methodology to immerse students in the language and culture they are studying. All of ACUPARI’s teachers are qualified and certified with solid pedagogical instruction. Our Spanish teachers are trained and certified by AADE, the Asociacion Argentina de Docentes de Espanol. The Goethe-Institut Lima professionally trains, supervises, and qualifies all German teaching staff.

D.E.L.E. Preparation

Instituto Cervantes

The Cervantes Institute is a worldwide non-profit organization created by the Spanish government in 1991. It is named after Miguel de Cervantes , the author of Don Quixote and perhaps the most important figure in the history of Spanish literature...

: Preparation only is offered for all three levels of the DELE (Diplomas of Spanish as a Foreign Language) exams and diploma. The DELE is recognized by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport of Spain. Additional, the DELE diploma is an official certificate with an international reputation. For more information about the DELE exams and diplomas, please see Instituto Cervantes.website at http://diplomas.cervantes.es/index.jsp

Other Spanish school in Cusco: http://www.learnspanishperu.org

Social Projects

ACUPARI is involved in social projects and community efforts, throughout Cusco and its outlying areas. It provides support and volunteers to local hospitals, rehabilitation centers, orphanages, schools, and street projects. ACUPARI hosts several literacy projects that support local authors.

“Books for 70 Schools”

Since 2006, ACUPARI has been supporting and promoting a project that contributes to the distribution of free children’s books to small rural schools in Andean communities in the Cusco region. These schools in particular fall quite short on written materials, especially illustrated. The project also includes workshops for the children to motivate their written, narrative, and artistic skills and talents. Writing and drawing materials are also donated.

“First Regional Children’s Book Writing Contest”

In 2007, ACUPARI sponsored and hosted its first Regional Children’s Book Writing Contest”. The winner was local Cusqueñan artist, Braddy Romero, with his bilingual – Spanish and Quechua -- story “Catalina y la Unkuña Mágica.” With help from financial donations, it was possible to print 2000 high quality copies that were then distributed for free to children and teachers in rural schools. This project was born due to the initiative of German illustrator Florian Mast.

Volunteering

ACUPARI students can participate in one of a range of volunteer opportunities benefiting one of several Peruvian institutions, such as children’s clinics, rehabilitation center for children with special needs

Special needs

In the USA, special needs is a term used in clinical diagnostic and functional development to describe individuals who require assistance for disabilities that may be medical, mental, or psychological. For instance, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and the International...

 and disabled youth, orphanages and children’s homes, street projects, schools, hospitals, women’s homes, and travel agencies.

Library

ACUPARI has a library of books, magazines, and dictionaries in both German and Spanish. Additionally, there are materials with information about Peru and Germany. The library is not only for ACUPARI students but is also open to the public.