How do I live and learn Spanish abroad?

[fox11sevens]

I am craving every day to live and study Spanish abroad but I just don't know how to make it happen. I just finished college and am in debt. I'm working to pay off my school debts right now but I'm already 26 and am thinking that maybe my time for living abroad is over because I need to start thinking about beginning my life, saving for a house, car, etc...
I see so many other people saying that they've lived abroad for a year or 2 or even 3 years! How is this possible if your not swimming in money?
What are my options? How do I live my dream?

My goal in life is to become quad-lingual. I want to know 4 different languages fluently and I've been trying to learn Spanish on my own for a year now and I feel like I've made very little progress.

I have a strong passion for this and if anyone can help me, please let me know what I can do...

[poli]

Rather than spending lots of money on courses in other countries, do some research to find out if there are any Spanish courses available to you locally. Junior colleges offer courses, and if you live in a big city there is a good chance that they have a branch of the Cervantes Institute which offers classes in language as well as cultural activities. Dedicate yourself to communicating in Spanish, and over time you will communicate. The USA, at least the part I know, is bilingual. At work there is almost always a Spanish speaker, and you can speak with them in Spanish. Most foreign language speakers see an effort to communicate with them in their language as a friendly gesture, and you learn better that way. Once you gain some confidence, you can travel to places like Mexico or Puerto Rico and communicate with waiters and taxi cab drivers with ease. If you are still motivated to learn more, and find that you have little opportunity to speak Spanish in your community, then, perhaps, courses abroad make sense, but they are not essential for learning.

[fox11sevens]

Learning locally is a slow and tedious process. What I really want is to surround myself with culture and language and start living out of the norm. I want new experiences and to meet the locals of the countries and find out how they live, what they do, how things work.
I want more than just to learn a new language. I want to live it.

My questions are:
What are my avenues to make that possible?
What are most people doing while living aboard?
What kinds of jobs can people in the western world get while living in Europe or South America?
What can I do, step by step, to start making things possible?

I'm looking for enlightenment and for education!

[ROBINDESBOIS]

Come to Madrid and work for the community of Madrid as an English teacher, they need native speakers, they don, t pay a lot but enough to live on. That way you, ll learn in situ and have fun at the same time.

[Glen]

Hello fox11sevens, I applaud your motivation and your awareness that the language encompasses more than mere words. Your questions are too broad for me to answer but I urge you not to discount poli's suggestion about making the most of opportunities here and now. The US really is a bilingual country, and becoming more so every year. Travel will be available in its own good time. Good Luck to you!

[Villa]

Hola Fox. I lived in Italy and then went back to school there on a scholarshipe from the Los
Angeles, California Italian consolate. I got a scholarship grant and went to school in Mexico
taking advanced Spanish conversation, Mexican history and Mexican literature.
I lived with a Mexican family that only spoke Spanish. I've been to to France 4
times. Also went to two French churches here in California where the preachers
gave the sermon all in French. So I learned Italian, Spanish and French. Portuguese
I learned from my Brazilian students when I taught ESL classes to adults.
Once you know one Latin based language the others are easy to learn so learn
Spanish well and you'll have a basic idea of Italian, Portuguese and French.
Italian is like a bridge between Spanish and French. Portuguese is a bit of a mix
of Spanish, Italian and French.

[Hanita]

Have you thought about doing a scientific summer?
In the world there are many countries does it.

google traductor helped me to write this...

English:

There are many countries that do, that includes America. I know because I go by some a Texas summer.

You can do this summer in Spain / Germany / Mexico / USA / Canada / Basque Country / I'm not sure if chile .

They do not usually leave by your side, circumvent around $ 1,100 scholarships . The stay is 15 days in the country you choose. This applies to undergraduate studies .

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In Mexico college are not expensive, are annual tuition , depending on the race , there are usually 90 to 300 dollars in public universities ( getting an average of 9.0 or 9.5 I have the right not to pay the free ) . and you have access to computer center with internet . Scholarships for Foreigners is not much ... but this gives Santander scholarships for study abroad in countries associated with it such as Mexico , Spain , Usa, Canada. This is the page of Santander Mexico : http://www.santanderbecas.com.mx/?m=convocatorias

Apparently the Fulbright scholarships are :
http://www.comexus.org.mx/ #

and many more scholarships here :
http://www.dgri.sep.gob.mx/6_bec_opb.htm

Also for USA .

You will offer cards for discounts on bus ( charge, 3.50 pesos bus ticket in serious dollars ... U.S. $ 0.271656 as google , except Saturday and Sunday 6.50 pesos , almost half a dollar is paid) .

The income of a household depend on the location in my city have incomes .... 3500 pesos monthly U.S. and around the university ( where Spanish courses , and here the trick no longer pay truck ) about $ 271.65600 .

Speaking of income , I have some friends who rent a house near the university (about 5 minutes walk , because our faculty is the last , crossed almost the entire campus), your rent is 1000 pesos (U.S. $ 77.61 ) per room , five rent whole house at 5000 pesos a month, they include water, light and maintain . And the house is great, but I guess the price is because it is close to the university , and supermarkets and all that.

These Spanish courses are in addition to the college degree , the price is :

U.S. $ 146.90 per year. Includes material and course . These courses are one hour , five days a week. Not only are Spanish , there are Mandarin / French / Chinese English / German and Italian (all are equal ) . Schedules are flexible , virtually no 6 am to 9 pm between those hours can see people resting on benches or near the masseter waiting to enter its halls , you can chat with them (and they will ask you then to chat in English, I have last !) .

Within these courses they ask practices consisting in talking to people that their native language is Spanish ( difficult to find in Mexico , right? - Sarcasm - ) .
The hard part comes when you have to find English speakers , that happened to me .

With regard to food , that will depend on how much your budget settings , I have met people who are 500 pesos (U.S. $ 38.80 ) weekly live very well, too well . And other friends than 250 pesos (U.S. $ 19.40 ) Weekly eat well .

I think the post is long extension cord.


Spanish:

hay muchos países que lo hacen, eso incluye a norteamerica. lo se porque estuve por poco de irme a texas a un verano.

Puedes hacer estos veranos en España/Alemania/México/USA/Canada/Pais vasco/ no estoy segura si en chile.

No suelen dejarte por tu lado, sortean becas alrededor de 1100 dolares. la estancia es de 15 dias en el pais que escojas. Esto aplica a estudios de licenciatura.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

En México los estudios universitarios no son caros, las colegiaturas son anuales, dependiendo de la carrera, generalmente hay de 90 dolares hasta 300 en universidades publicas (obteniendo un promedio de 9.0 o 9.5 tienes derecho a no pagar esa cuota). y tienes acseso a centro de computo con internet. Becas para extranjeros no se mucho... pero esta santander que da becas para estudios en el estranjero con Paises asociados a el como México, España, Usa, Canada. Esta es la pagina de Santander méxico: http://www.santanderbecas.com.mx/?m=convocatorias

Al parecer estan las becas fullbright:
http://www.comexus.org.mx/#

y aqui muchas más becas:
http://www.dgri.sep.gob.mx/6_bec_opb.htm

tambien hay para usa.

Se te brindan tarjetas para descuentos en autobus, (pagas, 3.50 pesos de boleto en autobus, en dolares seria...0.271656 dólares estadounidenses segun google, excepto sabados y domingo que se paga 6.50 pesos, casi la mitad de un dolar).

Las rentas de una casa dependeran de la ubicacion, en mi ciudad hayas rentas de 3500 pesos.... unos 271.65600 dólares estadounidenses mensuales y cerca de la universidad (donde hay cursos de español, e aqui el truco ya no pagas camion).

Hablando de rentas, tengo unos amigos que rentan una casa cerca de la universidad (a unos 5 minutos caminando, porque nuestra facultad es la ultima, cruzamos casi todo el campus), su renta es de 1000 pesos (77.61 dólares estadounidenses) por habitación, entre cinco rentan toda la casa a 5000 pesos mensuales, les incluyen agua, luz y manteniento. y la casa es grande, pero supongo que el precio sera porque esta cerca de la universidad, y supermercados y todo eso.

Estos cursos de español son aparte de la carrera universitaria, su precio es:

146.90 dólares estadounidenses por año. incluye el material, y el curso. son cursos de una hora, cinco dias a la semana. No solo hay español, tambien hay chino mandarin /Frances / Ingles / Aleman e italiano (Todos valen lo mismo). los horarios son flexibles, practicamente hay de 6 am hasta 9 pm entre esas horas puedes ver personas descanando en las bancas o cerca de las maseteras esperando entrar a sus salones, puedes charlar con ellos (y te pediran que despues charlen en ingles, me ha pasado!).

Dentro de estos cursos te piden practicas, que consisten en hablar con personas que su lengua nativa sea español (¿que dificil hallar en méxico, no? -sarcasmo-).
Lo dificil vienen cuando tienes que encontrar personas de habla inglesa, eso me paso a mi.

En lo referente a la alimentación, eso dependera de que tanto te ajustes a tu presupuesto, e conocido personas que son 500 pesos (38.80 dólares estadounidenses) semanales viven muy bien, demaciado bien. y otros amigos que con 250 pesos (19.40 dólares estadounidenses) semanales comen bien.

creo que el post se alargo mucho.

pero hay que tener en cuenta que los seres humanos gastamos dinero fácilmente or naturaleza(?)



Saludos/ regards!

[CrOtALiTo]

I am craving every day to live and study Spanish abroad but I just don't know how to make it happen. I just finished college and am in debt. I'm working to pay off my school debts right now but I'm already 26 and am thinking that maybe my time for living abroad is over because I need to start thinking about beginning my life, saving for a house, car, etc...
I see so many other people saying that they've lived abroad for a year or 2 or even 3 years! How is this possible if your not swimming in money?
What are my options? How do I live my dream?

My goal in life is to become quad-lingual. I want to know 4 different languages fluently and I've been trying to learn Spanish on my own for a year now and I feel like I've made very little progress.

I have a strong passion for this and if anyone can help me, please let me know what I can do...


You don't need to dream the you want to do in the life if you want to move other place, you can do it without planning a lot, I got move into my same country for example, I change my house for other in the Yucatan State, I'm living here since four years, in the beginning it was hard for me, because you need to make great change in your radical live when you are conform with a life that always you have had it.

But you must to think the great changes are for a great new life, I have family three children, I'm a Computer Engineer, I had to move me of residence, because in the city I was the life is so hard with the violence all the days in the insecurity too.

But well when I arrives to city where I'm nowadays I need to start everything again and always, I was wondering myself and which ones will be the next step in my life, I would to do now, what will be my new form to earn me the life, where I should to work or get a job.

All the was resulted thinking in new ideas, I made a investigations between the people around me what kind to things or services they need, and I when I found the need of the people, I set me to work making possible a new business for me, I became a ISP Provider in my city, I sell my beach's house for invert in my new company, yes you say, you had money for do that possible, well simply you need to think in new methods for make money, because if you don't make the possible for change your style life always you will be in the same until the day you die rueful to never you did nothing for yourself.

Always you think yourself, I mercy more than now and all I have just now, I can increase itself with my work my handy work.


I hope you can get everything to you want it:thumbsup: