I am thinking about going to Mexico
I would call myself close to intermediate when comes to spanish. I was wondering if I went to Mexico for four months would I come back almost fluent.
8 Answers
Stay away from any English speakers while there. The temptation to cheat may be too much, and you won't be "forced" to learn.
¡Buena suerte! I will be curious to hear back after your trip to find out if you have reached the level of fluency.
Make sure that you go to an area that is heavily Spanish speaking. Many areas in Mexico are highly indigenous and Spanish is their 2nd language.
I have read stories of people who have gone for three months and returned quite comfortable with their progress. Their comprehension and ability to carry a conversation exceeding time spent in classes. Buena suerte. (I'm jealous ,four months? I can't get away for four days.)
If you find some very patient people who can explain things to you as slowly as you need that will be a real asset. Try to understand everything in Spanish not English. Take a dictionary in Spanish to learn meanings rather than English. If you are truly immersed in Spanish for 4 months, I'd say your chances are very good that you will be very advanced. Being fluent is more difficult to define in a non native speaker.
Just realize that there are different levels of fluency for native speakers. A 6 year old child is fluent for his age but lacks the vocabulary and context of an adult. One important bench mark for fluency is not so much how many words you know but are you speaking and listening without translating in your head.
I went to Cuarnavaca for 6 weeks and while I am nowhere near fluent I learned A LOT of Spanish. I can only imagine what four months would have done! However, don't just "go to Mexico". Pick a school with a program that you think will benefit you the most and attend there for a while. You don't have to do it the whole trip, but it will make a huge difference.
I have a friend that lives in S. America, he just moved down there one day and started a new life. He's not so good at reading and his grammar kind of sucks, but he can speak Spanish very well. However, when you compare our hours of exposure to Spanish, the rate that I have been learning at is astronomical compared to his. The ONLY reason for this is that I went to a school in Mexico and learned what the different components of a sentence are, which ultimately has helped me a lot.
Nothing against his way of learning Spanish, it's just a little rough around the edges (and lets just say that whenever he finally runs out of money and needs a job down there, he wont be hired for his beautiful grammar).
Yes that can be a good option! But the problem is the words used in Mexican Spanish in everyday life are mostly slang and not proper Spanish words! (I know this because I chat with native Mexicans on facebook)
By the Way if you choose to go, have a happy and safe journey 
The biggest thing is to avoid speaking English. With any luck you'll be in an area where there aren't many English speakers. Make sure you speak Spanish all the time, no matter how good or bad it is. T'hat's the only way you'll learn and improve.
The other challenge will be dealing with people who want to practice their English with you. Not that it's a bad thing, just don't let it take away from your Spanish.
4 months, I'm jealous. I learn a ton in just 4 days, if I could be there 4 months....man!
As for level of fluency when you come back, it all depends on where you're starting from. No matter what, you should make huge strides. As a beginner, I would expect you'd return with a level I'd call conversational. In other words, you can get around with relative ease as well as chit-chat with people.
If you're already conversational, then you'll come back with a larger vocabulary, sound more native, e.g. constructing sentences like a native speaker, greater knowledge of local expressions, etc.
I hope this helps and good luck!!
