Job Discussion Forums

[K-D]

Hi!
So my plan was to move to Cuzco to teach English. I really want to learn Spanish while I'm there too. I came across an internet site that says that most people don't speak English is Cuzco (which is a good thing, so it will be easier for me to learn Spanish). However, the site also said that Cuzco is not good place to learn Spanish because there are so many different dialects spoken there. Is this true? If so,where would be a good place in Peru for me to teach English and learn Spanish?! Thanks!

[naturegirl321]

Cusco does have difficult Spanish, the accent is hard. But although there are dialects, most everyone speaks proper Spanish.

Head for the big cities, Lima *ugh), Trujillo, Piura, Arequipa, and Chiclayo

[iskndarbey]

There are no 'different dialects' in Cusco. The accent is different from that on the coast, and generally harder for foreigners to understand. Cusco is packed to the gills with language schools, many of which are very good and professional, and there are thousands of people learning Spanish there, so you should have no trouble settling in. Lima and Arequipa also have a bunch of language schools. Trujillo and Huancayo have one or two. Don't come to Chiclayo to study Spanish, nobody teaches it here.

[naturegirl321]

[formality.register]

Some thoughts on learning Spanish in Cusco:

1. You won't hear Quechua in Cusco unless you actively seek it out. Most of the Cusquenian locals speak very little Quechua, and although some Quechua words have made it into Cusquenian slang (Waikee (brother), Atatao (disgusting), Alalao (it's cold), etc.) You do not need to worry too much about confronting it on a day to day basis unless you spend a lot of time on the outskirts of town in poorer rural communities.

2. There is an abundance of Spanish teachers in Cusco, and you can find all sorts of classes, from big, cheap classes, to more expensive private classes. I didn't bother taking any classes while I was there, because I had a solid enough foundation to develop through day to day interaction and conversation.

3. As far as the Cusquenian accent goes, don't worry. After spending a good deal of time speaking Spanish with Cusquenians, I went to Chile on a VISA run and could barely understand what anyone was saying! By comparison to Chilean, Argentinian, Uruguayan, Mexican, Cuban, or Spanish (Spain) accents, Cusco's pronunciation is FAR more natural and pure. No dropping s's, no lisps, it's definitely on the easier side of the spectrum of Spanish.

4. Remember that the amount of Spanish you learn in Cusco is up to you. Take what you read about "not many english speakers" with a grain of salt. This is the tourist capital of Peru we are talking about! Of course most people know some English ... as it is the gateway to solid employment! What I'm saying is that you can't expect to learn a lot of Spanish if you just hang out in the touristy downtown and spend all of your time with expats and the extent of your Spanish usage is "buenos dias", "cuanto cuesta", and "quiero la big mac por favor". If you really want to practice and progress, you'll need to make some local friends. If you go out on the town with a few locals, they aren't going to be speaking much English, and it is in these situations when you force yourself to understand as much as possible that you learn the most (more than in any class I'd wager). Instead of taking the easy way out and secluding yourself to the ex-pat community, you'll need to branch out and make some local friends. Otherwise you might as well learn Spanish back home, as it wont be much different.

Anyway, good luck and have fun!

[K-D]

I will definitely work on making friendships with locals with the minimal Spanish I know, and Spanish dictionary in hand. See you Cusco in 3 weeks!!

[naturegirl321]