Job Discussion Forums

[Malyson1]

Hello everyone!

I'm new to the board and to travel in Latin America so I'm hoping that I can get some advice here on my destination. I've narrowed it down to 2 cities: Buenos Aires and Cuenca. I planning my trip for October till March. My goal is primarily to study Spanish for my first few months and then to pick up teaching work.

The allure of BA is that I have friends from Argentina currently living in my home town of Toronto who have offered me their families' help. One friend has offered to set me up to live with her cousin who is around my age for $100 a month! I thought that I would take the first few months to build up a base teaching privates since from what I read here on the forum that sounds promising. Although, I'm worried that my lack of ESL training will be an issue. The main problem with BA is that I hear the Argenintian accent is very difficult and since I'm a beginner at Spanish (currently taking classes here in TO) I'm worried this will be a huge problem.

In Cuenca, I don't know anyone who can help me out but a friend of mine who taught there last year and may be able to set me up with a job, although it isn't for certain. The main plus is that the accent in Ecuador is supposedly the clearest in Latin America. Also a plus is that Spanish lesson seem to be less expensive there than Argentina.

So there is my dilemma, any suggestions would be very much appreciated. Cheers!

Mandy

[Ben Round de Bloc]

[Luder]

Mandy,

There are certainly legitimate reasons not to go to BA, but wariness of the Argentine accent shouldn't be one of them. It's no more difficult than any other country's accent and if, as you say, you're a beginning Spanish student, you shouldn't be too set in your ways to pick up the local idiosyncracies. And there are, to be sure, plenty of them. My only problem with Argentine Spanish was that I picked it up so well I caused momentary consternation when I used it in other Spanish-speaking countries! Think how annoying it is to hear an ESL student speaking God-save-the-Queen English.

All in all, Cuenca and BA are worlds apart. In BA, there's a large, if struggling, middle class that lives or aspires to live in much the same way as people in large North American cities. There won't be much of that in Cuenca.

While BA doesn't have the smog of Santiago or Mexico City, street-level pollution of all kinds (noise, dog turds, exhaust, construction debris) is horrible throughout the city. Drivers are inconsiderate and the pedestrian is the lowest man on the totem pole. I imagine the drivers are just as inconsiderate in Cuenca, but there are a lot fewer of them.

BA weather isn't bad, but in Cuenca it's even better. BA is so big that you're kind of stuck in the city. It's much easier to get out into the country or the mountains from Cuenca.

From what I've written it seems as if I'm advocating Cuenca, but in fact I would never go there to teach. Not sure why, but maybe because--and here I'm generalizing--Argentines are warm and friendly whereas Ecuadorians from the sierra struck me as reserved and somewhat gloomy.

[moonraven]

BA is a big city. With the advantages and disadvantages of one.

Cuenca is a small city. It's pretty, but unless your boredom threshold is pretty darn high I would give it a pass.

[matttheboy]

The Ecuadorian accent is without doubt the clearest i've come across in Latin America (Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina-countries i've been to and i've chatted with people from Uruguay, Colombia and Mexico). Cuenca is also really well known in Ecuador to have the nicest accent, a kind of sing-song way of talking. Unfortunately my Spanish was, ahem, rubbish when i went there so i didn't really appreciate it.

So as a 'base' Spanish, I found learning in Ecuador to be really useful. If you're looking for a style of Spanish that will be understood absolutely wherever you go you can't go wrong with Ecuadorian.

Speaking Argentine Spanish with a foreign accent to other Latin Americans tends to result in you getting laughed at, trust me (not necessarily in an insulting way though)...when i go to Chile to visit my girlfriend i have to swap my argentine pronunciation for chilean or every conversation ends up with the other person laughing/giggling and everyone doing their impression of an argentine accent and speech. It gets tiresome quite quickly.

But...Cuenca is really, really dull after a couple of days. It's a really pretty small city but after dark...forget it, nothing to do. Ecuadorian food is pretty low quality and nightlife in general (including quito) nothing to write home about. Plus Ecuador (though not really Cuenca) is pretty unsafe.

Buenos Aires is one of the greatest cities in the world. So much to do, so much to see, loads of cultural stuff, very high quality food, drink, really safe, easy to get out of the main city centre into the Palermo parks, 45 minutes to Tigre in the Parana delta, great bus system that'll get you away from the entire city very easily. I agree with luder about the driving- outstandingly awful. Dog shti abounds too but with these 2 things, just watch your step...! If you're used to living in a big city, you won't find anything here to offend your sensibilities.

Also, Argentina is cheaper than Ecuador (except for rent which is a bit more expensive here) and the standard of living far, far higher in Argentina. However, i'm glad i went to Ecuador and lived there first as had i come to Argentina first i doubt i'd have left to see any more of the continent. And i had an amazing time travelling around. Ecuador is also a really good introduction to Latin America because it's such a small country but has everything Lat Am has to offer: mountains, rainforest, jungle, coast, indigenous culture, high crime, very high levels of corruption...everything really.

So..i don't think i've really helped that much...but why not try Bolivia? Cochabamba is supposed to be really nice (a mate lived there for 3 months) and the Bolivian accent is pretty clear, similar to Ecuadorian. Plus, Bolivia is really cheap, the country incredibly beautiful and the people amongst the friendliest i've met in South America.

Late edit: When i was in Quito i paid $5 an hour for spanish classes 1-1. There was cheaper around but i wasn't impressed- for under $5 it was mainly middle-aged housewives wanting something else to do during the day. In BsAs you can get a private tutor for $5-8 an hour. Plenty of teachers people advertising at that price.

[Malyson1]

Thanks for your advice everyone! You've helped me to make up my mind to go to Buenos Aires, which was the direction I was leaning in anyway.

I'm going to move on over to the Argentina forum now. I have so much planning to do but I'm very excited!

[MELEE]

[Davicho]

Malyson1 wrote: