where would you travel to learn and speak?
If you could have an all expenses paid month anywhere to learn to speak Spanish anywhere in the world - where would you choose to go and why? I'm especially interested in learning where you would go based on where you feel it would be best to learn the language (vs. for the beaches, etc) But it's your choice!
14 Answers
Creo que este es una pregunta de region y donde tu quieres vivir. Si tu estas en Europe, probablemente tu debas apprender el espanol de Espana y si estas en los Estados Unidos o Canada debas apprender el espanol de Mexico. He estudie a los dos y vivi en Panama y todavia sugiero Mexico para otros americanos como yo.
Ahora estoy estudiando en Costa Rica y no creo que es el mejor lugar apprender espanol. Primero, Costa Rica es mas caro que otras paises pero tambien no hay mucho accento espanol aqui. Las costariccenses no dicen la letra "r" como otras paises y suena como el espanol de un gringo.
Los invito a visitar Colombia. Bogotá, la capital y Medellín son dos preciosas ciudades, con gentes cultas y amables. Colombia es un país muy seguro para visitar en este momento y ofrece a sus visitantes lugares maravillosos y exóticos parajes. Bogotá ha sido llamada "la Atenas Suramericana" y Medellín, "la ciudad de la eterna primavera". Colombia por ser un país tropical no tiene estaciones.
En Colombia, dicho por gente entendida en la materia, se habla el mejor Español del continente.
¡Bienvenidos todos!
I'm going back to Oaxaca, Mexico in January for a month because of the quality of the school and teachers there. I went in 2007 for two weeks and wish I could have stayed because I learned so much.
I found the Oaxacan people to be extraordinarily friendly and helpful that I always had someone to speak to. Many people offered to take me on tours of the city just to practice Spanish and show off the beautiful churches, textiles, pottery, etc.
I'm really looking forward to the month there, especially when it will be snowing here in Massachusetts!
I have to say, Mexico.
In the US, there are a lot of Mexicans, and many who do not speak English at all. Now, if you speak both Languages, you can get a very good paying job. My best friend, who learned Spanish from some friends, was in US cellular with her boyfriend (a Mexican man), and was speaking Spanish to him. She got offered a job right there.
So, like I said. I would definitely go with Mexico, because so many of them are going to the states.
I have friends who spent a year in language school in Costa Rica. Besides learning to speak Spanish, they enjoyed the beautiful country. So that would be my first choice.
On an abstract/theoretical level there is no such thing as the best place to learn Spanish.The Spanish spoken by educated people is quite consistent throughout the Spanish-speaking world (there are minor [but usually consistent] differences in pronunciation but if you know Spanish adjusting to them is quite easy.
On the individual level (if you plan to move to or work/retire in ...), there are obvious advantages to studying the dialect/version of Spanish that you will be confronting). If you have a job lined up that would have you working in Barcelona, it would be somewhat silly to choose a Spanish program in Argentina.
My own experience is somewhat limited (I've studied in Guadalajara, Mexico and Madrid, Spain but I've visited other parts of Spain, Chile, Panama, Cuba, Santo Domingo and Puerto Rico and I've known [and spoken with] people from Argentina, Columbia and Ecuador].
Are there differences in the slang/colloquialisms of different regions? Yes, of course. Is this a big problem/deal? (not in my experience). Compared to the problems of learning a second language, the problems of learning a specific dialect of that language, are trivial.
Mexico.
As much as I'd rather go to Spain, I'm learning Spanish primarily to communicate with people from Mexico. So whatever dialect differences there are will be lessened if I learned to listen to it and speak it there.
Peru/Bolivia....The seem to speak slower and pronounce words as they are spelled...
Its also cheap and theres lots of activities to do in both counties
Costa Rica is good, the country is beautiful. You can go to the mountains and the beach in the same day. The economy is good and cheap with the dollar, you are exchanging for Euro's which is not good. The hotels and restaurants are not expensive and the cost of a flight from the US is reasonable. There are quite a few schools that do this and most are on line. You can compare rates, curriculum's, locations and excursions.
Costa Rica. But I think I might like Spain because I love the idea of tapas.
Tegucigalpa, Honduras
I agree with Marianne. I like to never go to the same place twice because I want to see more of the world, but Oaxaca was amazing for learning Spanish and I long to go back. Porque: el gente son muy simpatico y servicial, y casi nadia hablan el Ingés; la escuela "Español Interactivo" y me encantan los maestos allí; tambien hay mucho actividades y pueblos maravillosos para visitar.
voy a quedarme en Buenos Aires desde diciembre para que podré aprender el español mucho mas rápido que podría aqui en inglaterra. no conozco a nadie en Buenos Aires, será muy extraño. 
¡Me gustaría visitar México! Vivo en los Estados Unidos cual es entre México y Canadá. No he estado a México pero quiero ir a México porque tienen playas bonitas. En los Estados Unidos tenemos playas bonitas también.
