What Volunteering Can Do For You

Volunteering can offer vital help to people who need it and their communities. But it can also help you with reducing stress, depression and may even provide you with a sense of purpose. The things you experience while volunteering can help advance your career in the future and it's a great addition to your curriculum. Here are some of the things that volunteering could do for you.

1. It gives you a sense of happiness

The more you volunteer, the happier you could be. Research has shown that the odds of being "very happy" increase by 7% for people who have had volunteering experiences.



2. Connects you to others

When you're volunteering, you connect to the community you're helping. When you dedicate so much of your time and efforts to help out other, even with the smallest tasks, you could make a lot of friends that might even last a lifetime.



3. Improves your mental and physical health

Volunteering can help combat stress, anger, anxiety, and depression, and at the same time it improves your self-confidence and helps you stay physically healthy.



4. You could learn new skills

Volunteering can help you develop new job skills, as well as improve the ones you already had. Many of the skills you learn could help you gain points in some job interviews since experience is of great value.


5. Get inspired into what you'd like to do

If you've not decided yet which career to choose, seeking volunteering options that adjust to your likings could help you make a decision. You could introduce yourself to the work you might end up doing in the future.



6. You learn a lot about teamwork

You'll have a better understanding of how teams work, and how to work in harmony with other people for the same cause.

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Understanding Some of the Latino Lingo

The Spanish language has some of the weirdest slang, and foreigners often struggle understanding why one word can have lots of meanings depending on context or country the word's being used. Well to ease those struggles to some degree, here is some slang you'll most likely be able to use freely when speaking Spanish.



1. ¡Ojo!

Literally, it means: "Eye!", but it can be the equivalent of "Watch out!". If someone yells "¡Ojo!" at you, it's because you need to watch out for something. It can also be used to point something out discretely for the other person to see. 



2. Vaina

If you look "vaina" up on the Internet, you'll probably get pictures of edamame beans or just regular peas, but in some Latin American countries "vaina" can be any object. It's equivalent in English would be "thingy".



3. Pan comido

Literally translated as "eaten bread", but "pan comido" means that something's very easy to do. This phrase is used in most of Latin America.




4. Rollo

It means "roll", but as slang it is used to express that something is difficult or that you or someone else is in trouble. 




5. Fresa

"Fresa" is not always used to talk about the food, it can also be used to describe someone. If a person is described as "fresa" it can mean they're very spoiled and have a preppy attitude.  



6. Soplón

"Someone who blows", which can be explained with the word "whistleblower" and it means the same thing: someone who tells on someone else. 






7. Mono

"Mono" does mean "monkey", but in Latin America it's used when you want to describe something that's cute or sweet, it can be used for objects and people.




8. Candela

"Candela" means "candle", right? Well in some countries like Venezuela, "candela" also means "awesome".




9. Goma

If you hear someone say that they're "de goma", it means they partied a little bit too much the night before and now they're hungover.



10. ¡Avíspate!

We don't know much about how wasps can relate to paying attention, but if your Spanish teacher yells this to you, it's because you're distracted and need to focus on what you're doing.

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Things You Might Not Know About The Spanish Language

More and more people have been learning Spanish in the last few years, but did you know that, apart from being one of the most spoke languages in the world, it's also an incredibly beautiful language, with a lot of cultural influence around the world. Today, we will show you some of the things that make Spanish so unique. 



1. Spanish is somewhat influenced by Arabic.

When Arab armies invaded the Iberian Peninsula in 711, they brought in a lot of their culture and language to the region. Eventually, Arabic got mixed with old Spanish, becoming what it is spoken today. Spanish retained about 8,000 Arabic words, thus making the latter the second most influential language (apart from Latin) to Spanish.




2. 500 million people speak Spanish.

And it's growing, based on the actual growing trend, 600 million people might speak Spanish by 2050.




3. Spanish is the second most studied language in the world.

In 2010, more than 20 million people were studying Spanish, at that rate in three generations at least 10% of the world will be able to communicate in Spanish.





4. There are more than 40,000 words and conjugations in Spanish with all five vowels

They're called panvocálicas or pentavocálicas.




5. Many verbs can be created just by adding -ear the end.

Many English words have been converted into Spanish verbs by just adding -ear, i.e. escanear (to scan), and tuitear (to tweet). 




6. Mexico has the largest Spanish-speaking population.

114 million people in Mexico speak Spanish, by comparison, only 50 million people speak Spanish in the United States. 



7. Schools in Brazil are now obligated to teach Spanish.

In 2005, Brazil's National Congress approved a bill so that Spanish would be taught in both public and private secondary schools in the country.





8. The longest word in Spanish is 23 characters.

It's electroencefalografista, and it's the word for the person who reads brain waves.




9. Spanish can also be called Castellano or Castilian

There are a few differences between them, where it's spoken varies depending on region or according to political viewpoint.




10. Spanish is a phonetic language.

If you know how to spell a word in Spanish, you'll know how it's pronunced most of the time.

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What Happens When You Learn Another Language

What Happens When You Learn Another Language

If you're here reading this, you probably know who we (Amistad Institute) are, so you most likely know or are learning a foreign language. Speaking more than one language can bring you lots of benefits, and today we will show you some of them.



1. It can make your brain stronger.

Since learning a new language is a really complex process, it makes your brain work double time. Studies have even shown, that children who grow up bilingual, tend to an increased intelligence. It also improves your focus, concentration, attention and even lowers the chances of you falling for marketing hypes.



2. You get a whole new perspective about culture.

By learning another language, you unintentionally learn a lot about its culture as well, you get an inside perspective. This lets you see how other cultures see your own and you might even get more comfortable experiencing other cultures.



3. You'll get to meet new people.

Making friends with people from different countries, who have different cultures and speak different languages will let you strengthen your friendship with them. There's lots of chances of making friends that people lose because they don't speak the language of the other person.



4. You'll get to experience more when you travel to other countries.

Many amazing places you could visit when you go to other countries might only be found by asking around, and in many cases the only way to do that is by speaking the language. It could also help you a lot in blending in with the crowd.



5. It can change the way you think.

Studies have shown that people who speak more than one language tend to make more rational decisions and can hep you avoid being a victim to your emotions. By thinking in a language other than your native, you learn to think in that language, therefore you eliminate any emotional bias and you chose the most logical option.



6. Enjoy things in their original language

Things like books or movies might be more enjoyable when you experience them in their original language. Many jokes, puns or phrases can only be understood by seeing or reading them in their original language. 



7. You'll be less likely to have brain diseases in the future

Multilingual adults have experienced the onset of Alzheimer's or dementia at a later age than monolingual adults. Many studies where made to test if gender, health or even economic status had any contribution to these diseases, but none of them showed as many results as the number of languages the patients spoke.

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10 Amazing Facts About Costa Rica

10 Amazing Facts About Costa Rica

Costa Rica, even as a small country compared to its neighbors, is full of experiences and sightings you might not get anywhere else. So, before you come here, for whatever reason it may be, you should keep these facts into account.

1. Costa Rica is the home to nearly 6% of the world's biodiversity. 
The country's geographical position serves as an ecological bridge for thousands of species of animals.

2. Costa Rica's marine area is bigger than its land area.

At 580,000 km2, Costa Rica's waters are almost 10 times bigger than the country's land area, measured at 52,100 km2.

3. There are over 121 identifiable volcanic formations in Costa Rica.

As part of the Pacific Ring Fire Circle, Costa Rica has six officially active volcanoes and at least 61 formations with signs of volcanic activity.

4. 52 species of hummingbirds call Costa Rica their home

You can visit several gardens just a couple of hours from the capital, in these, you could see up to 26 of the 52 species of hummingbirds that inhabit Costa Rica.

5. More than 25% of Costa Rica's territory is protected national parks and refuges.

Manuel Antonio, Corcovado, Tortuguero, and Monteverde are just some of this country's many national parks. You can visit all of them and many offer amazing activities such as canopy and rafting.

6. Costa Rica is slightly smaller than Lake Michigan.

Costa Rica's territory measures 51,100 km2, Lake Michigan has an area of 58,000 km2.

7. 300 stone spheres found in Costa Rica are one of Central America's biggest mystery. 

Found in Diquis Delta and on Isla del Caño, these mysterious stones have fascinated visitors and puzzled Costa Ricans regarding their origins.

8. Costa Rica hasn´t had a national army since 1948.

Contributing to its high ratings in population's happiness, Costa Ricans take a lot of pride in being one of few countries without a standing army.

9. Costa Rica's literacy rates are one of the highest globaly.

Almost everyone living in Costa Rica has access to free basic education, which ensures a literacy rate of 97.8%.

10. "Pura Vida" has become a trademark for the country.

It can mean anything from, "Hi", "Thanks", "How are you?"; but it's mostly just a happy expression that Costa Ricans use.

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