Question:
I'll have from six to eight weeks this summer to learn Spanish. Sure I
could enroll in the local community college, but I'd rather go to
Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, or anywhere else in the cool weather of the
Andes. I'm an old dog, 44 years old, and like most Americans, I've
only learned one language in all my life. I don't even know if I could
learn another. I've never seriously tried.
I like the idea of homestay study. I've found a lot of Spanish schools
on the Internet with prices from $800/week to $2500/week including
study and homestay. I figure part of the difference reflects the
prices in different countries and the conditions. What I don't know
is -- can I learn as much Spanish at Jorge's Spanish School and Small
Motor Repair Shop as I could at an accredited school that would give
me actual college credit hours? My guess is that my approach, my
motivation, and my own habits will contribute as much to my success
as the teacher's qualification or methods. Comments?
Then there's the question of if I want to take all my instruction at one
school, or spread it out through several schools. On one extreme, I
could take 8 weeks of intensive study at the same school in the same
city. Then go home. On the other extreme, I could take a week or two
study at one place, then travel to a different school in a different country
and take another week or two until my 8 weeks are up. Using several
schools would let me get exposure to different teaching methods,
different cultures, different idioms, etc. But it might also be a lot of
redundant overlap in studies. Any suggestions?
Answer:
There's no way that I can tell you whether you will have any easy time
learning Spanish or not, it really depends on your own aptitude and the only
way for you to figure that out is to go take a Spanish course and see what
happens...
I can tell you a thing or two about where you might want to go to learn. I
have a minor in Hispanic languages from a major university here (Canada) and
I also spent four weeks learning at a small Spanish school for foreigners in
Mexico last summer. College courses gave me minimal vocabulary and a good
grasp on Spanish grammar (though I already spoke French prior to doing the
minor). Going to the school in Mexico let me go from stuttering my way
through simple conversations to going out drinking with Mexicans and
understanding maybe 80% of what was said at the bars we went to and what
not.
I really can't say enough about going to Latin America to learn Spanish,
unlike a college course it's total immersion. If you enroll in a college
course and decide to stop along the way home for a pack of smokes and run
into someone asking for directions, you'll be speaking English. The same
situation in Bolivia or Ecuador is going to force you to practice your
Spanish. So definitely go down to South America and have a wonderful time.
Only thing I'm curious about is who'd be ripping you off at $800 - $2500 for
a week of Spanish instruction and homestay. At the place I stayed at in
Mexico, small classes (3-4 students) were $5/hour, private instruction was
$8, at four hours of class a day, that makes $100 for the classes each week
(or $160 if you go with private instruction). Homestay with a private room
and three meals a day was $20/day. That makes $140 for the week leaving you
with a total bill somewhere in the upper 200's each week. Ecuador and
Bolivia are cheaper than Mexico from what I understand, though Chile is
probably more expensive..
As for the idea of studying at multiple schools, I really can't say much
about that because I was having such an amazing time where I was that
leaving was the last thing on my mind, though I did meet an Australian
couple who spent two weeks at the same school as I, then headed off to
another one in Guatemala for two more weeks later on, I've kept in touch
with them and they seem to be quite happy with their experience.
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