Job Discussion Forums

[jimwwall]

I am 26 years old and am interested in traveling to a Spanish-speaking country between the months of March and August 2008. I want to learn to speak Spanish fluently. I studied Spanish in high school and for two years in college, however never use it for speaking. I would be interested in taking Spanish courses while abroad as well as teaching English or possibly doing volunteer work. I am also open to other suggestions. The main thing is I want to learn Spanish and I want to be in a program with plenty of other people, preferably in my age group, to hang out with and travel with. I would be willing to live in an apartment with other people or in a dormitory type setting. Not really interested in living with a family. I am open to going to Spain or somewhere in South America. Thanks.

[Guy Courchesne]

Mexico City, as well as other parts of Mexico, offers a number of choices for what you'd like to do. Lots of Spanish study programs, and it would relatively easy to find paid work or an internship for a short period, or part time while you're studying Spanish.

CEPE-UNAM in Mexico City offers a good Spanish course at a decent price. Very easy to socialize here as well.

[jimwwall]

Thank you for the info on Mexico, although I'm honestly not that interested in traveling to Mexico primarily because I have been there and want to try something different. Any suggestions for South America or Spain? Thanks!

[naturegirl321]

Peru could work for you. PM me if you want info. Don't mean to be negative, but it might be hard to reach true flunecy, I've been speaking Spanish for 13 years and still don't consider myself fluent.

If leaning Spanish is your main goal, look at goabroad.com they have language schools listings there. Teaching English makes it hard to get immersed in the language.

Living with a family can help as it forces you to speak Spanish.

[jimwwall]

Thanks for the info. I guess fluency is a stretch. I just want to be more comfortable with speaking Spanish. Any reason why you recommended Peru? Are you suggesting that I should take Spanish classes while there? What should I do for work? Thanks.

[naturegirl321]

I live here, so that's why I recommend Peru, if you stay away from Cusco you can avoid tourists.

[MELEE]

I recommend Chile.
I believe the in baptism by fire language learning method! If you learn to understand Chileans, you can speak to just about anyone. You should ask for specific schools/study programs on the Chile forum.

[workingnomad]

To suggest Chile is terrible advice, they barely speak Spanish there!

[MELEE]

The night I left Chile I watched the evening news on TV like I had most nights. I understood about 75% of it, are relied heavily on the visuals.
The next day, back in the US, I turned on the news on Univision. I understood 100% of it. I was like why are they speaking so slow. I actually thought the news anchors were being condesending, baby talking me like that (It had been a 15 hour journey. ) Over the next couple of weeks while I decompressed I realized that was how Mexicans and most Latinos in the US spoke Spanish. (I was in Texas and could over hear Spanish at the mall. Maybe in Miami they speak faster with the Cuban infulence--I've never been to Florida.) Then I realized the linguistic beauty of studying in Chile. It was 1993 when I was there. In addition to linguistic beauty, I found geographic beauty in the landscape and a lot of human beauty in the people who were coming back to life after years of repression.

[wildchild]

workingnomad,

you forgot to put a smiley face after your comment.


WARNING
Citation #178943
Reason: assimilation enforcement
Issuing Officer: Wildchild