The Andean Center for Latin American Studies (ACLAS) facilitates high-quality language and cultural immersion programs for universities, individuals, diplomats, and other groups in exciting and beautiful Ecuador. ACLAS opened its doors to the public in 1991 as a response to the request from several U.S. universities and European organizations that Ecuador have a first class center dedicated to the study and research of Latin American culture, language and civilization. Subsequently, ACLAS extended its services to other related areas; environmental studies, nursing, social work, education in general and more specifically to language teaching, particularly Spanish as a second language and English as a foreign language.