During my 11 month backpack, I went to language schools in 3 different countries while I learnt Spanish.
The idea was to travel better, to get a deeper understanding of the local cultures & traditions and to make my interactions fun and stress-free.
I made some valuable mistakes and wish I had known better.
Below, is a list of important factors to consider before enrolling to a school.
Things to consider
During travelling, one tends to make a lot of last-minute decisions. Even though most of my learning experiences were top-notch – I did feel undone on a couple of occasions.
1. Type of learner
Your goal will determine the kind of learner you are. It is important to know this, as it will set up a base for your learning.
Fun – If you are only looking to learn some of the basics so that it will help you navigate better while you are backpacking across the region.
School Credits – If you are learning for a few credits for your school/college during vacation or to further improve your command over the language.
Work – If you are making a transition in your career and your business needs it.
2. Cost
Do your research beforehand as the cost structure varies significantly across different countries.
For example: I found countries like Guatemala and Nicaragua offering 1-1 private lessons that were way cheaper than group classes in countries like Colombia, Mexico, etc.
3. Length of study
Your length of study will determine the cost that you will incur. The longer you study the cheaper it gets and more bargaining power you have.
Schools want students hooked for as long as they can & typically have schemes for long-duration courses.
Pro Tip: ALWAYS enrol for a week – assess the quality of the teacher, the infrastructure and the learning environment. If after a week you do not like it, you have multiple other choices, else you might lose a bunch of money.
4. Class size
While some prefer 1-1 class as it is less distracting, others prefer group classes so as to have a more interactive learning experience.
I did both and found 1-1 learning better suited for my needs. It forced me to converse and think in Spanish, thus enhancing my learning quickly.
5.Quality
Although you might be able to read reviews and do upfront research, it is still difficult to gauge the quality of teaching that is provided because every teacher is different.
While you might love some, there might be a few who you do not like. So a week-long enrolment is always the best way forward.
6. Speed & Accent
During my travels, I found the speed and the accent in use to be starkly different in neighbouring countries.
For example: People in Guatemala & Colombia were the easiest to follow as they spoke with an easier accent and a slower speed.
Whereas, it was hard to understand folks in Nicaragua as they would end up not pronouncing some of the last letters of different words.
While trying to learn a new language, these matter a lot.
7. Outside class environment
Studying in a smaller town, with fewer tourists would mean that you need to immerse yourself in the local language as fewer people speak English.
Whereas, big cities and tourist locations have a lot of English speakers. This will never force you to practice what you have learnt in school.
In Guatemala, I was living with a local Mayan family that didn’t speak any English. My program included 3 meals with them and so I was forced to interact with them in Spanish while I was at the dinner table.
Bonus
Plan changes – While travelling, it often happens that you meet someone whose company you really enjoy. If you are doing this for fun, you should keep enrolments to a maximum of 2 weeks and not more.
Post-travel learning – Figuring out whether schools can provide online training after your travels can come in handy to maintain continuity and improve your language skills further.
Favourite schools – My favourite schools were in Guatemala & Colombia.
Your Turn
Having clarity over these things will aid in the speed and clarity with which you will learn Spanish.
Your turn – have you learnt Spanish in Latin America and would you agree with me? Share your thoughts in the comment section below 👇🏾
