If you’re learning Spanish as a second language, here is a resource you can’t miss.

The Cervantes Institute, or Instituto Cervantes in Spanish, was created by the Spanish Government in 1991. It is the largest organization in the world responsible for promoting the Spanish language and the cultures of Spanish-speaking countries.

The Cervantes Institute has over 70 centers in more than 20 countries, where it organizes the following activities:

• It teaches Spanish courses.
• It trains Spanish teachers.
• It promotes the study of the culture of Spain and Hispanic America.
• It organizes cultural events to help spread the Spanish language around the world.
• It supports the Centro Virtual Cervantes.

There are currently 6 Centers associated to the Cervantes Institute in North America:

• Albuquerque: http://albuquerque.cervantes.es
• Boston: Boston University.
• Calgary: University of Calgary.
• Chicago: http://chicago.cervantes.es
• New York: http://nuevayork.cervantes.es
• Seattle: http://seattle.cervantes.es

The websites of these centers are mostly intended for local Spanish students. If you don’t live in any of those cities, you can visit the main Instituto Cervantes website (in Spanish) for a wealth of resources, links, and information of interest to those learning Spanish as a second language.