Feb 2 / Kyle

Which Country For Spanish Language Training?

I am planning on spending a week doing Spanish language training in a Spanish-speaking country. The goals are threefold: to improve my Spanish dramatically in as short a period of time as possible, to really immerse myself in the culture, and to just get away from it all (i.e. a vacation). I’ve done a bit of preliminary research and have narrowed it down to three cities: Guanjuanto, Mexico (Enforex, a school I’ve used before in Barcelona, has facilities there), Antigua, Guatemala, and Quito, Ecuador. There are pros and cons to each choice.

Guanjuanto, Mexico

While searching online for Spanish schools in Latin America, I found Enforex has several facilities in Mexico. I am familiar with Enforex’s methods and I definitely learned a lot when I took classes with them in Barcelona, so at least I know what I’d be getting. They have facilities in Playa del Carmen (too touristy for my purposes), Oaxaca (just didn’t like the vibe I’m getting from reading about it online), Puerto Vallarta (again, too touristy and the beach would be a distraction), and Guanjuanto. Guanjuanto, by far, looks the most interesting of the bunch. It’s a colonial city with a rich cultural heritage. I think I could find plenty of productive activities here when not in class. The downside of Mexico, of course, is the Mexican slang. The differences between the Spanish dialects are more style than substance, of course, but I feel picking up too much of a distinctly Mexican dialect might hamper my Spanish learning efforts down the road. Or maybe I’m just being too sensitive.

Antigua, Guatemala

First off, let me just say that everybody I’ve talked to who’s been to Antigua has raved about it. The city and environs are supposed to be absolutely beautiful. What’s more, Antigua is close to volcanoes, the beach, and tropical rain forests, giving me a plethora of outdoor activities to occupy my time outside of class. Let’s not forget this is a vacation, after all. The major downside is the Caribbean dialect, or at least I assume that’s the case. I’ve never been to Guatemala and don’t think I’ve ever spoken to a native, so I’m not entirely sure what characterizes their speech. If it’s anything like other Caribbean dialects, however, they probably speak quickly and swallow their middle s’s. While I think this dialect sounds awesome (it’s like you’re drunk and slurring your speech all the time!), I’m not sure how well served I would be incorporating this into my own speech, especially in light of my next option. Besides, I already have tons of practice slurring my Spanish from previous travels…

Quito, Ecuador

Quito is a massive city, with all the amenities you would expect from one. It has easy access to the rain forest, perfect weather year-round, and gorgeous vistas. I have a friend who recently spent a semester there and she can’t stop talking about the place. What’s more, Ecuadorean Spanish tends to be slow, deliberate, and easy to understand. It’s more the kind of “standardized” dialect most students of Spanish would do well to emulate. Still, Quito is significantly more expensive then Guanjuanto and especially Antigua. Do the pros outweigh the cons?

I’ve still got a while to make up my mind, but it’s something to think about. If you had to choose between the three places above to spend a week, which would it be? Or do you have a better destination in mind?