Spanish Learning Abroad
One thing that I have always wanted to do, is to study Spanish in another country! The thought of visiting Madrid, Mexico City or really any educational-hub is one that I dwell on a lot! Concerns for money, and the practicality of that adventure, scares me though. Has anybody ever studied abroad? And if so, could anybody offer some advice? Thank you to everybody who posts! Muchas Gracias!
6 Answers
I studied in Spain twice.
Definitely save money, because you will need it. I didn´t go out very much, so I was fine. However, a lot of people enjoy going out to dinner, tapas, drinks, etc. and that can get expensive. Be aware of how much you are spending, and mark down every dime you spend. Just like dieting when people record their meals on paper, marking down the money you spend allows you to get an overall perspective and save it where you need it most.
Also, if you plan on travelling around to neighboring countries, South America I have heard can be quite frustrating with buses and organization. In Spain, it is very organized, but more expensive than if you were to go to Latin America.
Really, I guarantee any city you pick (and research first!) will be fun. Just make sure it is fairly safe, and you have major things figured out like money, travel plans, accomodations, etc. before you go, to reduce stress and ensure safety.
Here in La Paz there are three language schools that teach Spanish. The average cost is about $200 a week for a 5 days/5 hours a day. You can to a Mexican family homestay for another $200 or so a week. Se it is not really that expensive, not counting airfare.
Thank you for this thread , I am tossing up between Middle America and Spain ,
from Melbourne it is easier and a little cheaper to travel to Spain , therefore that
has my money so far , but I would appreciate some more input guys. 
Yes Actually i Have. What do you want to know? I can get you the info real quick, just tell me. THANK YOU!!!!
It's in a smaller town (Grecia) then the big city of San Jose but is close to everything. They can either provide you a Costa Rican host family (highly recommend) or you can stay at their nice casitas. They have excursions (extra cost) each week but that's where you'll have tons of fun and see this beautiful country.
I agree with the others and you should research, research, research and save, save, save. Costa Rica is very safe (as long as you take normal traveling precautions and don't leave your common sense in your home country) and the people here in Grecia are super nice. As they say in Costa Rica - PURA VIDA!
My main advice would be to research a lot before you leave, and save as much money as you can before you leave.
A little over a year ago I decided to leave the US and moved to Costa Rica to learn spanish. I haven't regretted it at all. It was the best thing I ever did. I don't know what your situation is like exactly, and I don't have experience with Mexico or Spain, but if you have any questions about Costa Rica I can try to help.
Even if you would only get to spend a little time in a foreign country, I'd still highly recommend it, its great fun and will open your eyes up to more than just a new language, but the culture itself and more. There's just some things you can't learn from studying books.
If you do go, research the area you choose as much as possible, read everything you can find out about it, even simple things like local online newspapers of the destination city / country. Save up as much as you can too, it never hurts to have rainy day funds.
Good luck!
