BootsnAll Travel Community

Hey guys, any thoughts on this?
I have about 3-4 months to travel the Americas (before i head to Asia) and i'd really love to spend time in South America. But i've got it in my head that i'd like to learn spanish for around about a month in one of the countries there before really going exploring. Sadly I don't feel that 3-4 months is enough time to really do that in addition to the actual travelling around aspect. Is it worth putting off that part of my trip (and directing the time elsewhere) for another time in the future where i can commit more time? I seem to have a problem where i don't like the idea of half starting a region and then having to move on!
cheers!

Any trip is immeasurably richer if you can speak the local language, but that's hardly essential to having a good time. If you can't speak Spanish, you'll have your fun with mostly other foreigners; if you learn to communicate in Spanish, it'll be with locals, Latin American travelers, and other gringos.

How's that for a non-answer?

You can also do week long programs spread out over 4 different countries so that you are seeing different places while learning the language.

No I see your point Felix. And Viaggero I don't suppose you happen to have a website link for one of these courses?
Thanks guys

And when do you plan to have more time than you have at the moment?

You have plenty of time. Pick a cool town and settle in to learn the language. It doesn't even have to be a school as long as you bring some good course books & make an effort yourself. In fact, I'd say it might be better not to do a course! Go to a cafe, do your lessons in the morning. Explore during the day. Do your lessons again at night.

You'll be doing far more than learning a language. You'll be slowing down and learning the culture as well. When you do hit the road, and are traveling to a new place every three to five days, you'll arrive in a far different mental zone than the regular travelers. You'll be just a bit more local, just a bit more in tune with the rhythms of the life.

Papi, if you have three to four months to explore South America then you'd be doing yourself a crime if you didn't start off in one place, take it slow, and learn to speak! The only question you should have is: Where?

If you prep ahead of time, and really commit, you should be able to achieve a decent level of communication in three weeks. You won't be fluent, but you'll be able to get by.

You could always pick up a course before you go - I have the linkword and Pimsleur - they are both very good.

They would give you a start and then you can build on what you have when you get there.

On the longest trip I've been on (about 5 months), I spent 1 month in Novosibirsk learning Russian. I haven't regretted it for one second. Sure, I could've spent that 1 month to add an extra country to my trip, but I got to know Russia from a different perspective by living there, I had a much easier time travelling in Russia afterwards because I could speak a bit of the language, and I got to learn a new language in the best of circumstances - in the country where it is spoken, needing to use it every day, being thaught by native speakers. In addition, living in one place for a month is a lot cheaper than travelling around for a month! (provided the course itself isn't über-expensive) Of course you're going to a completely different part of the world and learning a completely different language, but I think this is pretty much valid for anywhere you go.

If you learn even passable tourist Spanish in that 3 weeks to a month, then the rest of your trip will be:

1. Richer. YOu can ask simple questions of teh locals, and learn more about their customs and life.

2. Easier. If you run into any kind of trouble, a little Spanish goes a very long way, especially among locals that have no English.

3. More rewarding. You'll have prepared yourself for an even more interesting trip to more remote locations in any spanish speaking country next time, and if you actually practice what you learn, and I DO recommend a school if you have the cash, you'll surprise yourself with what you can do, once given a good start.

4, Travel with less stress. Theres a HUGE difference between being lost with a guidebook in your hand and not a word of spanish, and being lost with a guidebook in your hand, with sufficient Spanish. It can really make every everyday transaction 10 times easier, and that makes for a more relaxing, more educational trip. The trip becomes about learning about the people, customs, and life, and not about running from tourist sight to tourist site.

And once you TRY to really speak the language, friends from the country might even appear, and then the fun really begins.

I'm by no means fluent in Spanish, but I do know enough to get by pretty easily and I can get any point across (grammatically atrociously, but relatively successfully). When I was in Ecuador and Peru, I found this to be an ENORMOUS help. I came across tons of people who didn't speak English, and even those who did definitely appreciated being addressed in their own language. I also struck up a friendship with a guy who worked at the hotel we were staying at in Cuenca, and his friends ended up inviting me to go watch the World Cup match between Ecuador and England at their apartment, which was an amazing experience and one I definitely would never have had if I didn't speak Spanish.

The extra dimension added by knowing (some of) the language ended up being a big factor in determining where to go when planning my next trip- Argentina and Bolivia. I'm leaving in five days!

I would highly, highly recommend learning some Spanish if you're going to be in South America for a long period of time. It's pretty easy to pick up and very much worth the effort.

It's good to learn at least some useful phrases and numbers. In most areas of South Am English completely foreign, and you need to be lucky to find a person who speaks it.
One month of classes, or even less, would be sufficient for a start. There are numerous language schools in all South Am countries. Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia are popular places. The price, one on one, is about 5-6 usd/hour.

I don't speak Spanish, but I managed to learn some during my travels. Even a little knowlegde helps a lot.

Heya.

I'm from Australia but am in Santiago de Chile learning Spanish in a language school which is part of a worldwide chain.

Obviously it is worth learning the language to enrich your travel experience, but I think your question is if you should learn in your home country before you leave or learn when you arrive.

Well there may be a big difference in your lessons at home versus your lessons in SA. In Australia I probably would not have had a native Spanish speaker teaching me, the majority of the class would have been carried out in English (to explain grammar, meanings of words, etc).

The standard here (my cousin teaches English here and says the same thing applies to his classes) is that the teacher will only speak the target language during the entire class, unless if the student is really, really not understanding. e.g. Student asks meaning of "nube" (preferably in spanish, but not necessarily), teacher responds in spanish and using his hands "the white thing in the sky" >> cloud :-)

This is for the first day probably the most frustrating and confusing educational experience you have ever had, but then you start to pick out words. Being able to listen and understand the language is the first step to fluency. After only 4 days of spanish classes (and only from 9am-1pm, mind you) with no real recallable vocab, I am able to reasonably understand my teacher explain grammatical concepts, the social / political situation in Chile, what musics and books he likes and why etc.

So I think that it is beneficial to be close to native speakers of the language when you are learning (whether it be self directed learning or in a class). Also bear in mind there are all sorts of formal classes. Mine is a basic class, 2 weeks minimum for only 20 hours a week - 9-1pm so plenty of time to explore closer parts of the city in the afternoon and evening, but I can arrange one-on-one lessons with only 24 hours notice either via my school or privately with other Chileans.

My school also arranges language exchanges between Chileans and English speakers - so you can go out for coffee or lunch or something with your language partner to learn the others' language. Its pretty cool, and a lot of Chileans want to learn or practice their English so the program is very popular.

Anyway, I hope this helps :-)

HI! If you are interested in learning Spanish from true Porteños who are honest and will make you feel at home, you're in luck. Alem School is a laid-back and straightforward school where you can set your own schedule, join in for free charlas, parties, soccer games and days at the racetrack.

Of course there are many schools in Buenos Aires to choose from, but as an ex-pat who searched desperately to find the right place...I can say that at Alem School I feel at home and in good company. If you are interested please contact me and I can hook it up...also, if you just want to come to the office to check it out that would be wonderful too. It is located downtown but in a beautiful quiet corner near Puerto Madero and there is a great big view (one of the best in BA). So, come down to the school and hangout on the big comfy couches and see if Alem might suit your style.

And then there's Brazil, where hardly anyone speaks English or Spanish (but a few may understand a bit of Spanish)......but where the most wonderful national treasure isn't a statue or a beach, but the beautiful, generous, open and friendly people, who you can most easily get to know by speaking a bit of their language.

Thanks for the responses guys. Looks like it's about time I proved to myself i can pick up another language.