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Aruba Language Institute · Since 2012

Papiamento, the mother tongue of Aruba, taught the way a living language deserves.

Structured courses for every level, in person or online, for individuals and organizations.

Why Papiamento

Small Island. Many Cultures. One Language.

More than how the island speaks, Papiamento is how Aruba remembers, feels, and lives. Shaped over centuries from Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, African and Caquetio roots, it holds the island's whole story in a single voice, and learning it is how you begin to belong.

Since 2012

The island's dedicated Papiamento institute.

By the standard-setters

Founded by an authority on Papiamento orthography and a translator of the Bible into Papiamento.

Proven at scale

120+ adults trained in a recent public language-integration program.

Across Aruba

Two locations, Oranjestad and Santa Cruz, plus online.

Programs

Our Courses, Your Progress

Every program is structured with clear goals and guided by the CEFR framework, from Beginner (A1) to Advanced (C1). Step by step, we help you grow in confidence and fluency.

Available as private lessons, group classes, or intensive courses, online or in person.

Beginner

Greetings, introduce yourself, order food, ask directions. Everyday language for real life.

Elementary

Simple conversations, daily routines, short messages, and growing your core vocabulary.

Intermediate

Talk about work, news, and culture; improve accuracy, listening, and real-world writing.

Upper-Int.

Confident discussions, presentations, complex grammar, and richer, natural expression.

Advanced

Nuance, style, and precision for study or work; near-native comprehension and output.

Specialized Programs

Beyond the Levels

Focused courses for specific goals, from everyday conversation to mastery.

Speaking

Conversation Courses

Built around speaking and listening, real, everyday Papiamento to grow confidence and fluency in conversation.

Workplace

Papiamento for Professionals

For locals working in government departments, organizations, and public service, refining written and spoken Papiamento for professional use.

Literary

Papiamento for Experts

For those reaching the highest level, the Papiamento of poetry, literature, and refined written expression.

Advanced

Papiamento Avansa

For locals who already speak Papiamento and want to go deeper, strengthening fluency, grammar, and command of their own language.

Our Founder

Swinda A. Maduro-Schwengle

For Swinda A. Maduro-Schwengle, Papiamento was never simply a subject to teach. It was a language to protect, to dignify, and to pass on with the care it deserves.

Across a career spanning every level of education, she has worked to give Papiamento the structure and standing of a true discipline, not folklore to be remembered, but a living language to be mastered. That conviction shaped a generation of teaching materials now used across the island.

It also led her to one of the most demanding undertakings a translator can attempt: she was one of the translators who brought the Bible into Papiamento, a work of patience, precision, and deep respect for the language's nuance.

In 2012 she founded Cas di Papiamento to bring that standard under one roof. Today she leads a team of qualified Papiamento teachers who carry the same method, and the same care, into every classroom.

"A language survives when it is taught with discipline and loved without compromise."

The Oldest Root

Papiamento carries the voice of the Caquetío, Aruba's first people.

The Caquetío were the island's first inhabitants. Their hand endures in the carvings at Fontein and Ayo, and in the words still spoken today. The motifs across this page are drawn from theirs.

Discover Aruba →

For Organizations & Professionals

Professional & Translation Services

Language work for those who cannot afford to be misunderstood. Trusted by businesses, institutions, and professionals across Aruba.

Translation

Papiamento Translation

Business, professional, and personal documents translated to and from Papiamento with precision and accountability.

Institutions

Papiamento for Organizations

Tailored Papiamento programs for hospitals, public institutions, hotels, and any team that serves the community in its own language.

Publishing

Editing & Proofreading

Professional Papiamento editing and proofreading for publications, materials, and institutional communication.

Advisory

Language Consultancy

Method development, terminology, and orthography advisory, drawing on decades of work preserving and standardizing Papiamento.

For Government & Institutions

Papiamento is official. Serving in it is both a duty and an advantage.

Aruba's public bodies, hospitals, and businesses serve a Papiamento-speaking community. We help institutions do it well, with staff training, accountable translation, and guidance on the written standard itself.

Staff Training

Structured Papiamento for teams in government, healthcare, hospitality, and public service, so your people can serve the community in its own language.

Official Translation

Accurate translation of public documents, forms, and communication, to and from Papiamento, with accountability.

Standard & Terminology

Orthography, terminology, and method advisory, from the people who help set the standard for written Papiamento.

We have delivered language programs at scale, including a recent integration program for more than 120 adult learners across multiple groups.

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Getting Started

Your Path With Us

A clear, guided route from first contact to confident fluency.

Step One

Assessment

We place you at the right CEFR level through a short consultation, so you start exactly where you should.

Step Two

Registration

Choose private, group, intensive, or organizational. We build the schedule around your goals and your calendar.

Step Three

Progress

Structured lessons, real practice, and measured milestones until you reach the level you came for.

Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I learn Papiamento?

Papiamento is one of the two official languages of Aruba and the key to connecting with locals and the island’s culture.

Do you offer online or in-person classes?

Yes. You can study online, take private lessons, or join group classes in Aruba.

How long will it take to become fluent?

Conversational skills can be reached in a few months. Full fluency usually takes longer, depending on your practice.

How do I register?

Click Register, fill in the form, and we’ll get back to you with the next steps.

Do you offer payment plans?

Yes, special payment plans can be arranged upon request. We review each case individually.

Student Voices

What Our Students Say

100% recommend on Facebook.

★★★★★

Mi a sigui un curso di Papiamento pa Profesional na Cas di Papiamento y mi ta hopi contento cu e experensia. E curso tabata bon structura, practico y adapta na situashonnan real cu por topa cune na trabou.

Valeria S.

★★★★★

Un curso hopi interesante y util. E lesnan tabata practico y facil pa sigui. Mi ta satisfecho cu tur loke mi a siña.

Patsy K.

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Cas di Papiamento

The house of Papiamento is open to you.

OCC Academy

Want to learn another language?

You can also learn Dutch, English, Spanish, French, Portuguese and German through our sister institute, OCC Academy — same family, same care.

Visit OCC Academy →

Begin

Two Ways to Start

For Individuals

Learn Papiamento with us through guided, structured lessons toward real, lasting fluency.

For Organizations

Translation, organizational training, and language consultancy for institutions and businesses.