Best Safe South American Country to learn Spanish (Home Depot, movies)

[jtur88]

The easiest place to understand Spanish is in the Andean highlands, where many people speak Spanish as a second languate (after their preferred vernacular Indian language), so their Spanish is spoken slower, more phonetically, and less idiomatically.

I once pointed out to a woman in Sanmtiago, Chile that I was having a hard time picking up Spanish, so she asked me where I lived. She then explained that in that village, they don't speak Spanish, the speak Pescador ("fisherman") and nobody undertands them.

[Geography Freak]

Originally Posted by jtur88

The easiest place to understand Spanish is in the Andean highlands, where many people speak Spanish as a second languate (after their preferred vernacular Indian language), so their Spanish is spoken slower, more phonetically, and less idiomatically.

I strongly disagree. Like you say Spanish is not the first language so they speak pidgin Spanish. Very iffy both gramatically and phonetically. It would be like going to Kenya to improve your English.

My personal favorite is the Spanish spoken in Colombia, one of the purest, but there's not such a thing as a single standard Spanish.

[blew_udec]

Originally Posted by jtur88

The easiest place to understand Spanish is in the Andean highlands, where many people speak Spanish as a second languate (after their preferred vernacular Indian language), so their Spanish is spoken slower, more phonetically, and less idiomatically.

I once pointed out to a woman in Sanmtiago, Chile that I was having a hard time picking up Spanish, so she asked me where I lived. She then explained that in that village, they don't speak Spanish, the speak Pescador ("fisherman") and nobody undertands them.

hahhaa, i'm from Chile and i've never heard that "pescador" terminology before. Maybe she means that in some parts outside the cities, the spanish language is different, 'cause people uses slang that you can understand only if u are a native-spanish speaker

[tropical87]

I would like to know WHO declared Colombian Spanish the 'best/purest/whatever'. I live with two colombians and their spanish is full of slang. A room is called a "pieza" (piece). A girl is a "china" (chinese) and also other wierd things. I have a Mexican friend and she speaks the easiest, in my opinion, the easiest-to-understand Spanish. BTW, I am in Spain and a fluent Spanish speaker.

I would say Costa Rica or Mexico.

[mel2nc]

Costa Rica

[mooguy]

In SA. Depends on what you are looking for in your experience.
The three most socially and economically advanced are, byfar, Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay.
Uruguay has a high standard of living, educational levels, and health/social spending. It has the smallest gap between the rich and poor in LA. Has always been SA most progressive country. Just as BA has always been referred to as the Paris of LA, Uruguay has always been the Switzerland of LA.
You don't the macho attitude of much of LA and Uruguay just put into its Bill of Rights a no discriminastion on the basis of sexual orientation clause. That says a lot.

[bamba_boy]

I work with many Argentineans, Columbians, Venezuelans, and Mexicans and have a low-moderate Spanish ability (4 years in school and the work environment in Houston, a heavily hispanic town). To my ear and according to most hispanics who aren't too nationalistic, Columbian Spanish with Venezuelan a close second offer the best "standard Spanish". There is nothing wrong with Argentinean language but it is heavily influenced by a large Italian immigration (Cieow! is the standard adios!). Northern Mexican spanish has a whole raft of English words or English words modified with a "o" or "a" ending that does not exist in other Spanish. Another consideration is who you anticipate interacting with in Spanish for the rest of your life. If you're going to live in the southwestern US learning Spanish in S. America will get you a lot of empty stares and "huhs" when speaking to a spanish-speaking person in San Diego or Brownsville (or Tijuana or Matamoros, Mex).

[burgler09]

hahaha I love how people think Brasilians speak spanish..

anyways, I love colombia, and if you have the chance to spend time in Cartagena or Medellin (the accent in medellin sounds nicer though) you won't be in any grave danger. While you are at it, learn portuguese and go to Brasil!

[Seattle_Girl]

Chile and Argentina are the safest.

[Scrubbybear]

Does anyone know anything about the standard of living in Panama? I was discussing retiring there with my sister. We're looking for a safe, beautiful place with brown people and a decent quality of life for little $$ What say you? BTW, what kind of Spanish do they speak there?