In this conversation, Lester Rietveld from Project Paraguay sits down with his Spanish teacher Thomas Davis, founder of the language institute Pangea in Asunción. Thomas shares his own experience as an expat in Europe and explains how he started Pangea two years ago. Today it has grown into an institute with over 30 teachers.

The conversation centers on one key question: how important is it to learn Spanish if you truly want to live and integrate in Paraguay? The facts speak for themselves. Only around 5% of the Paraguayan population speaks a foreign language, and English makes up just a small share of that. If you want to build something here, learning Spanish is not optional.

In Paraguayan culture, everything revolves around relationships. Business is done through networking, trust, and personal connection. Without the language, you remain an outsider no matter how strong your plans are.

What sets Pangea apart is that they teach Spanish to expats as well as English to local Paraguayans. They also organize regular language and culture events where both groups meet each other. You don't just learn the language, you get to know the people and the culture.

Exclusively for Project Paraguay clients, Pangea offers a free 30 minute private lesson.