Immersion

[zuma022]

I'm thinking about going to a Spanish speaking country for a couple of weeks in May and was wondering if I could get any input.
My first choice was Bogota or Medellin, but it looks like May is right in the middle of the rainy season. I have been to Quito, so I assume the climate in Bogota would be similar, so even in the rainy season it's not full on rain and in summer it's not actually very warm. Has anyone been or would you go in May?

Lima is another option, but I worry that it is too overrun with tourists to get much of an immersion experience. Same goes for Guatemala which is also an option, but I heard Antigua has the restaurant menus in English even. I'm sure both countries have areas that are less touristy though, but I don't really know enough about it. I think it's a fine balance between tourism and safety.
Mexico City is another one I'm thinking about, but to be honest I have no idea about the safety there. I would assume it's no worse than many US cities, but all the news out of Mexico are rather bleak.

I'm looking for a city that is safe for a single female, that has a somewhat neutral accent, is not too touristy and not too far from Western Canada. I think that I would book some private classes at a school and also do a homestay through them. I'd love to visit Buenos Aires or Montevideo, but I think it's too far for barely 2 weeks.

Does anyone have any recommendations or input?

[tk421]

I would be interested to know what level of Spanish you have?

[zuma022]

I think I'm a B2 or there abouts. I'm writing the DELE B2 in just over a month, I guess I'll know after if they agree with me. Haha

[tk421]

Originally Posted by zuma022

I think I'm a B2 or there abouts. I'm writing the DELE B2 in just over a month, I guess I'll know after if they agree with me. Haha

That is awesome, i was only interested because if you were a beginner like me i think the return on investment would be very small.

Personally i would go to Madrid and will when the time is right.

[zuma022]

Yeah I agree, I think it definitely helps, but you can't expect any huge leaps at any stage really, but you do need the basics to make the most out of it I think.

I would love to go to Madrid, in fact I'd love to travel all over Spain, but for this quick trip, Madrid is a bit too far and also too expensive compared to South/Central America.

[Villa]

Originally Posted by zuma022

I'm thinking about going to a Spanish speaking country for a couple of weeks in May and was wondering if I could get any input.
My first choice was Bogota or Medellin, but it looks like May is right in the middle of the rainy season. I have been to Quito, so I assume the climate in Bogota would be similar, so even in the rainy season it's not full on rain and in summer it's not actually very warm. Has anyone been or would you go in May?

Lima is another option, but I worry that it is too overrun with tourists to get much of an immersion experience. Same goes for Guatemala which is also an option, but I heard Antigua has the restaurant menus in English even. I'm sure both countries have areas that are less touristy though, but I don't really know enough about it. I think it's a fine balance between tourism and safety.
Mexico City is another one I'm thinking about, but to be honest I have no idea about the safety there. I would assume it's no worse than many US cities, but all the news out of Mexico are rather bleak.

I'm looking for a city that is safe for a single female, that has a somewhat neutral accent, is not too touristy and not too far from Western Canada. I think that I would book some private classes at a school and also do a homestay through them. I'd love to visit Buenos Aires or Montevideo, but I think it's too far for barely 2 weeks.

Does anyone have any recommendations or input?

This would be great for you zuma. It's what I did. I spent a month in San Miguel de Allende going to school in total immersion. Lived with a very nice Mexican family. I took advanced conversational Spanish, Mexican History, Mexican literature and Mexican dance and singing. San Miguel de Allende is a colonial town in the middle of Mexico. It is a national monument. Looks like Spain, Italy and France. If they do any rebuilding it has to been done in the colonial style. I have lived in Italy and it reminds me a lot of Italy. You feel like you are going back in time. (I also did the same thing going to school in Italy living with an Italian family.)

Friends of mine went to school in Costa Rica and like it a lot.

What's important is don't hang around English speakers. Go to a gym where the Spanish speakers go. Go to church, clubs, sport events and other places where only Spanish speakers go. Even A.A. meetings.


San Miguel de Allende - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[zuma022]

Funny you should mention San Miguel de Allende. I've just been looking at that area. It seems to have a number of language schools all over Queretaro and Guanajuato. Looks like a neat area!
Did you find there were a lot of tourists? I see there's direct flights from the US.

[Villa]

Originally Posted by zuma022

Funny you should mention San Miguel de Allende. I've just been looking at that area. It seems to have a number of language schools all over Queretaro and Guanajuato. Looks like a neat area!
Did you find there were a lot of tourists? I see there's direct flights from the US.

Hola Zuma. Lo siento que no te he vuelto a escribir más rápido. He estado muy ocupado con mi viaje a Italia y otras cosas/problemas que tenía que resolver. Mi madre murió y me dejó un poco de dinero y tuvo que hacerse cargo de eso. En realidad, ella murió hace dos años, pero la situación de dinero es solo ahora acabado de ser resuelto. Algunas personas se vuelven codiciosos, a veces, si sabes lo que quiero decir.

De cualquier manera, Querétaro es una ciudad muy especial. Tienen ese acueducto que se ve como si hubiera sido construido por los Romanos. Querétaro es conocido como la ciudad más limpia del país de México. He estado allí dos veces. Te recomiendo que vayas a la escuela allí o en San Miguel. ¿Has oído hablar de la historia o la leyenda de cómo fue construido el acueducto? Ya sabes, de la monja y el cura?

Anyway, Queretaro is a very special city. They have an aqueduct that looks like it was built by the Romans. Queretaro is known as the cleanest city in the country of Mexico. I've been there twice. I recommend you go to school there or in San Miguel. Have you heard about the story or the legend of how the aqueduct was built? You know, the nun and the priest?

Queretaro aqueduct that looks like the Romans built




Queretaro pictures


www.mexperience.com/guide/​mexico

[zuma022]

Siento por tu pérdida.

He leído que hay una leyenda sobre el viaducto, pero no sé la historia todavía. Espero aprender algo de la leyenda cuando estoy allí.
Gracias por su respuesta, suena como un lugar interesante para visitar.
Voy a pasar unos días en DF después de Querétaro y SMA, yo sé que no es suficiente tiempo, pero creo que va a ser un gran viaje.

[Villa]

Originally Posted by zuma022

Siento por tu pérdida.

He leído que hay una leyenda sobre el viaducto, pero no sé la historia todavía. Espero aprender algo de la leyenda cuando estoy allí.
Gracias por su respuesta, suena como un lugar interesante para visitar.
Voy a pasar unos días en DF después de Querétaro y SMA, yo sé que no es suficiente tiempo, pero creo que va a ser un gran viaje.

Gracias Zuma. Eso fue hace dos años. Lo de la lana/dinero fue ahorita.

Veo que entiendes mi español y puesto que vas a México y quieres aprender el español deberíamos hablar solo en español.

¿Quieres que te diga acerca de la leyenda?

Hablando de otra cosa Zuma, tengo una pregunta para ti. Cuando asistía a la escuela en San Miguel me encontré en la calle una joven de la parte de habla francesa de Canadá. Hablaba el español muy bien. Ella pertenecía a un club frances o una asociación frances que promueve la lengua española y la cultura hispánica. ¿Tu sabes que es el nombre de este club? ¿Has oido de una cosa asi a caso? Es algo así como la asociación franco-canadiense para promover la lengua española. ¿Qué raro no? Pero me gusta la idea de gente que habla frances promoviendo el idioma español.

A propósito, cuando quieres hablar conmigo por favor clic on the quote button. Gracias amiga Zuma. Veo que ya somos amigos.