ronsat wrote:Hi - just discovered this forum - and am really impressed with the resources that are listed in the Spanish Group. I had been active in the HTLAL forum, but hadn't checked in for a couple of years.
My own experience with Spanish is that about 8 years ago, I decided to learn some Spanish - partly as an excuse to spend time in Latin America. I used Pimsleur, Destinos, and Platiquemos, various easy-read Spanish books as well as local college courses. Being Canadian, and having lived in France, verb tenses and conjugations came easily as they are so close to French, and you can cheat a lot on vocabulary by using French words and changing the endings (doesn't always work.) However, comprehension is always a problem, particularly with Telenovellas - but even newscasts - as the Spanish seems to be so fast.
My favourite way of learning is spending time doing a one-on-one course for 2-3 weeks at a time, in Latin America. I have spent time at language schools in Quito Ecuador, Arequipa Peru, Leticia and Medellin Colombia, Granada and Leon Nicaragua, and Antigua Guatemala. What I really enjoy about the courses is that since they are conversational (I can learn grammar at home) - and you learn so much more about the country, the politics, the culture, then you would as a tourist. I have written up descriptions of some of these schools in the "Immersion programs - testimonials wanted" section of the HTLAL forum.
So - I am looking for another place to go this summer. I was looking at Bolivia, however airfare there from Toronto or Detroit is far higher than to any of the other places I have been. A little put off by the violence levels in El Salvador, Honduras and Venezuela. Any other suggestions? Is there a place in the forum where we could post our impressions of immersion language schools?
Thanks for setting up such a valuable site.
I am an expert in being cheap for language traveling. First, go to the airport website for where you want to fly out of (Detroit/Toronto) and see where they have direct flights to/from. Not all airlines will show up in online search results so you need to go directly to the airport page. My guess is that you will direct flights to Cancun, Puerto Rico and Cuba from those cities. Then, go directly to the airline website and search for the cheapest direct flights. Most sites have a way where you can see how much cheaper it is if you modify your dates by a few days. You, of course, do not need direct flights, but I have always preferred direct and it seems to always be cheaper (and much less hassle).
Or, you can use skyscanner.com which has a nice search function which allows you to simply enter in your departure airport and search open ended in terms of dates and destinations. It will show you the cheapest places and dates to travel. Simply pick the cheapest destination where Spanish is spoken.
I think your best bet for cheapness from Detroit/Toronto will be either Cancun or Puerto Rico. Cancun would be a great option. Go there and then take a bus to Merida or Tulum or take a ferry to one of the islands.