You've decided that you really need to get to a Spanish-speaking country now in order to keep improving your Spanish. But which one?
There are countless factors to be taken into account, but if you have no clear favorite, you might be tempted to consider Costa Rica, for many reasons.
First, it's not too far from North America or Europe - compared with Argentina or Chile, for example. Second, it's one of the very fe countries in Latin America where you can be sure there'll be no political upheaval during your stay there - it's a stable democracy and has no army. And third, it's a very beautiful country, with lots of wonderful scenery and unforgettable wildlife and vegetation.
To read even more arguments in favor of Costa Rica, just read the following article:
Learn Spanish in Costa Rica
June 30, 2012
April 11, 2012
Spain: The Right Choice for My Spanish Course Abroad?
If you've decided to take a Spanish course abroad, you need to take a few decisions, and the first is, probably, where you're going to take your course. Many students choose Spain, for many different reasons. And they choose Spain because it has a claim to being the country where Spanish originated and where it is still spoken in its purest form. So, if only for these reasons, Spain just seems the "right" place.
But there are many more reasons for choosing Spain for your Spanish course abroad. You'll find dependable weather in most parts of the country; Spain is safe and it's highly developed; its tourist industry, especially, offers numerous opportunities to visit great monuments, see wonderful sights and visit spectacular countryside; it's beaches are difficult to match; you'll find a friendly, fun-loving and helpful population; you'll find first-class Spanish courses taught by highly professional teachers; and the sports facilities are first-rate, up to the standard you'd expect in a country that tops the world in many different sports...
We could go on, but you probably get the idea. Learning Spanish in Spain, like we said above, just seems the natural thing. Taking into account everything we've said so far, your doubt should be not why to follow a course in Spain, but why NOT to.
But we can foresee a few situations (though not many) where Spain would not necessarily be the best choice for you. Perhaps the Spanish you hear and need to learn is not the Spanish spoken in Spain, but that of one of the nations in Latin America. Spaniards and Latin Americans can understand each other, in the same way as Americans and Brits understand each other, but, just like American and British English, there are different accents and different words. That means that if you need to understand and communicate with people of a specific nationality, you'll be better off choosing their country to follow your course.
And what if you've always fancied a beach holiday in Mexico, or a trip to Argentina to see Iguazu or the Perito Moreno glacier, or a visit to Ecuador to go the Galapagos Islands... If that's what you really want, Spain can wait!
However, all in all, if this is not your case, you should seriously consider Spain, even if it means traveling a little further. Click here to see the best language schools to learn Spanish in Spain.
But there are many more reasons for choosing Spain for your Spanish course abroad. You'll find dependable weather in most parts of the country; Spain is safe and it's highly developed; its tourist industry, especially, offers numerous opportunities to visit great monuments, see wonderful sights and visit spectacular countryside; it's beaches are difficult to match; you'll find a friendly, fun-loving and helpful population; you'll find first-class Spanish courses taught by highly professional teachers; and the sports facilities are first-rate, up to the standard you'd expect in a country that tops the world in many different sports...
We could go on, but you probably get the idea. Learning Spanish in Spain, like we said above, just seems the natural thing. Taking into account everything we've said so far, your doubt should be not why to follow a course in Spain, but why NOT to.
But we can foresee a few situations (though not many) where Spain would not necessarily be the best choice for you. Perhaps the Spanish you hear and need to learn is not the Spanish spoken in Spain, but that of one of the nations in Latin America. Spaniards and Latin Americans can understand each other, in the same way as Americans and Brits understand each other, but, just like American and British English, there are different accents and different words. That means that if you need to understand and communicate with people of a specific nationality, you'll be better off choosing their country to follow your course.
And what if you've always fancied a beach holiday in Mexico, or a trip to Argentina to see Iguazu or the Perito Moreno glacier, or a visit to Ecuador to go the Galapagos Islands... If that's what you really want, Spain can wait!
However, all in all, if this is not your case, you should seriously consider Spain, even if it means traveling a little further. Click here to see the best language schools to learn Spanish in Spain.
April 6, 2012
Should I Go Abroad To Study Spanish?
Who hasn't heard the idea that if you really want to master the Spanish language, then you've just got to go to a Spanish-speaking country and take a course there? In fact, this opinion has become so common that it's almost heresy to believe that you're going to be able to speak Spanish if you never leave your own country.
Although it may be true for most people, in most circumstances, there are some cases when, in fact, spending a period in a Spanish-speaking country will not necessarily help a student to make more rapid progress.
This is particularly true of those just beginning to learn Spanish. If you’ve just started studying Spanish - or if you haven’t studied Spanish at all - going to study Spanish in a Spanish-speaking country will not usually help you to progress any faster. And it’s much more expensive than staying in your home town and studying Spanish there!
Why do we say this? Well, when you go to a Spanish-speaking country, the main benefit you'll find is being able to hear Spanish all the time, not just in your classes. But, if you’re not in a position to understand any of it, as is the case with students with a very low, or non-existent, level of Spanish, then, unfortunately, you’re not going to “soak up” much of it, if any at all!
Indeed, a stay in a Spanish-speaking country for students at this level may disillusion them so much that they feel they are simply not cut out to speak Spanish and that they’ll never learn it.
But we're definitely not saying that you should not consider a trip abroad to a Spanish-speaking country to study the language - we recommend it wholeheartedly! For students who have reached a minimum intermediate level, any kind of visit to a Spanish-speaking country can be extremely beneficial. What we are saying is, if your level is not good enough for you to understand the gist (not the whole) of a general conversation in Spanish, your progress may be more disappointing than you hoped for.
So, if you have at least an intermediate level, you should definitely consider taking a Spanish course abroad. And you can check out the best courses on our website Learn Spanish Abroad.
Although it may be true for most people, in most circumstances, there are some cases when, in fact, spending a period in a Spanish-speaking country will not necessarily help a student to make more rapid progress.
This is particularly true of those just beginning to learn Spanish. If you’ve just started studying Spanish - or if you haven’t studied Spanish at all - going to study Spanish in a Spanish-speaking country will not usually help you to progress any faster. And it’s much more expensive than staying in your home town and studying Spanish there!
Why do we say this? Well, when you go to a Spanish-speaking country, the main benefit you'll find is being able to hear Spanish all the time, not just in your classes. But, if you’re not in a position to understand any of it, as is the case with students with a very low, or non-existent, level of Spanish, then, unfortunately, you’re not going to “soak up” much of it, if any at all!
Indeed, a stay in a Spanish-speaking country for students at this level may disillusion them so much that they feel they are simply not cut out to speak Spanish and that they’ll never learn it.
But we're definitely not saying that you should not consider a trip abroad to a Spanish-speaking country to study the language - we recommend it wholeheartedly! For students who have reached a minimum intermediate level, any kind of visit to a Spanish-speaking country can be extremely beneficial. What we are saying is, if your level is not good enough for you to understand the gist (not the whole) of a general conversation in Spanish, your progress may be more disappointing than you hoped for.
So, if you have at least an intermediate level, you should definitely consider taking a Spanish course abroad. And you can check out the best courses on our website Learn Spanish Abroad.
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