Best schools in Central/South America to learn Spanish

[k374]

this is an interest of mine as well and I have researched a few countries, I found Ecuador, Peru and Chile to be good choices for cost and ease of learning. The only thing about Ecuador that worries me is the instability and crime, I am not sure about these factors.

[vamos]

A great selection of Spanish schools catering to all kinds of needs can be found in Antigua, Guatemala. Of course, Guatemala has it's share of problems, but Antigua is considered very safe. It certainly provides a gorgeous backdrop.

If you want more Afro-Latino emphasis, most of Costa Rica is out. You will need to focus on Costa Rica's Caribbean side. There is a bit of crime there, but many people visit the area without ever having any problems.

[Henna]

I have done a fair bit of research on the Amerispan site. It is supposed to be a place where you can find out about all sorts of language programs all over the world, and compare their offerings, but I am not sure if the site is promoting certain schools or how it works. But I think it's worth checking out - just google it. I prefer not to put the link.

[amIayankee?]

I did a study abroad to Cuernavaca, Mexico as another poster mentioned in 2006. There won't be an Afro-latino population like you desire but a great atmosphere. I was there when the current president was elected and who began the wars against the narcotraffickers so im unware of the safety issues. However it was a great experience and i was in class with people who were primarily older!!! Coincidentally, someone in their 60's from the same county as me. I ran into them on TWO seperate occasions back home years later. It is a small world.

[johnfields]

I would definitely consider learning Spanish in Argentina. The course level is very high in general (depending on the school of course). You could go to buenos aires, but there are also other places like Bariloche for example, in the middle of beautiful areas, there is a lot of skiing and snowboarding in that area as well. I've been there last year and went to a really nice school, called La montaña ([URL="http://www.lamontana.com"]www.lamontana.com[/URL]). Definitely recommended, but of course there are many other options, for sure. Personally I also really liked Buenos Aires as a city. I have been to Peru and Bolivia as well, but wouldn't know anything about Spanish courses there. Hope this helps in some way. [FONT=&quot]

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[Chava61]

Originally Posted by k374

this is an interest of mine as well and I have researched a few countries, I found Ecuador, Peru and Chile to be good choices for cost and ease of learning. The only thing about Ecuador that worries me is the instability and crime, I am not sure about these factors.

Ecuador actually has a very stable political system. As for the crime it is similar to other places in South America.

[queensgrl]

Originally Posted by Henna

Check out Easy Espanol. They are Jackson Heights-owned but offices are in midtown. They have a study program in Quito and Peru. Easy Espanol

The nice thing is that you could take a class or possibly even a free workshop with them here in NY to get a sense of how they run things. Then make up your mind if you want to do their study abroad program.

Thanks, I am following up with them since they also have intense studies locally.

[Canaan-84]

I heard from CNN that Chile has one of the most stable governments in South America, but I don't know if that country has recovered from the Earthquake that hit a few months ago. Also, the country doesn't seem to have African Latinos. According to the CIA World fact book the black populations are as follows in Latin America (I excluded some countries):

Nicaragua: 9%
Uruguay: 4%
Colombia: 4% and Mulatto - 14%
Ecuador: 3%
Costa Rica: 3%
Honduras: 2%
Puerto Rico: 6.9%
Cuba: 10.1%
Dominican Republic: 11%