Learning Spanish in Argentina

By undertaking an intensive Spanish course in Argentina at the beginning of your travels you'll put yourself in a better position to communicate with typical Argentinians and set yourself up for much improved travels throughout South America. Besides learning the basics of the language in a very short timeframe you'll also get the opportunity to meet other travelers and kickstart your social life. There are a large number of language schools throughout Argentina and there will be no problems finding a suitable course no matter what time of year it is - though you may need to shop around a bit in the off-season if you want to join up to group lessons.

The Spanish courses you'll be interested in are called Spanish for foreigners, or Español para extranjeros. Prices vary alot between the different schools but the quality is generally very good since most of the teachers will have completed 4-5 year teaching or language degrees, especially in the capital.

If you've already covered the basics of Spanish and are planing on spending a decent amount of time in Buenos Aires then a good economical option for advancing your language skills is to study a Spanish for foreigners course at the Facultad de Filosofía y Letras of the University of Buenos Aires (UBA). They have intensive courses for tourists and regular courses (4-6 hours/week) for longer term residents and you can work towards international Spanish proficiency exams (CEB, CEI & CEA).

Private lessons are also an excellent option if you've got money to burn. Though more expensive, private tutors will enable you to progress at a much quicker pace and lessons can often be held at interesting places like cafés, parks and museums.

Of course once you've mastered basic Spanish grammer then one of the best ways to improve your skills is to just go and talk to the locals. Argentinians are generally very social and will happily talk to you if you approach them in cafés, bars or shopping centres, and by talking and listening you'll pick up valuable conversational skills that are difficult to learn in a school environment.

Whatever you choose to do, your trip will be much more comfortable and enjoyable if you learn at least the basics of Spanish.

Information on learning Spanish in New Zealand