Archive for the ‘Learning Spanish’ Category

I’m writing this post from 35,000 feet in the air on my way from Santa Cruz, Bolivia to Cancun, Mexico. As I squeeze into the middle-row seat on a 6-hour flight between 2 layovers and an overnight bus ride, nothing can push me off the feeling I have at this …

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One of the most frequent questions I receive in the T2T inbox is how I meet and befriend locals while traveling and living abroad. The entire concept of this site focuses on that interaction and I base the success of each adventure on the friends I’ve made and authentic moments …

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It feels good getting back into using my second tongue. I’m still far from fluent but I’m starting to grasp the vocab and dialect I need to have a decent conversation. One of my major goals for this trip in Colombia is to get my words organized and get a better …

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Before I could hold a decent conversation in Spanish, I had to come up with a few tactics to act like I knew a lot more than I really did. I dove in head first when I arrived in Buenos Aires, trying to learn the language as fast as possible, …

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First, I tried the private classes with Cecilia, which were great for getting me into the swing of things when I first arrived. However, I soon found out that I needed more structural help than conversational practice. So, I switched over to group Spanish classes at BASP. The 2-week intensive program helped …

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As mentioned in the 6-month Status Update, my formal Spanish lessons have been put on hold as of late due to tight funds. I have been working on a proposal to trade Spanish classes for marketing services but to be honest, I just haven’t finished it yet. Even without classes, …

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I haven’t done a STATUS UPDATE in awhile so I feel like I should take a minute to get myself organized and briefly fill everyone in on progress of the Tourist2townie.com mission. It seems crazy to be writing this 4 and a half months in. It honestly feels like i’ve …

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Last monday I started group Spanish classes at the Buenos Aires Spanish Center (BASP) near Congreso. BASP is a 2-week intensive Spanish program and classes are from 9:30am to 1:30pm (with a short break in between). The first 2 hours are spent on Spanish grammar and vocab while the second half of class …

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The honeymoon is over and it’s time to start bearing down. I’ve been able to penetrate some Argentine social circles and now its time to actually build relationships. I’m decent with salutations (Hellos, goodbyes, etc.) but where the conversation goes from there is anyones guess. I’m also okay with the “where …

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For the past month and a half I’ve been searching for the best places around Buenos Aires to study Spanish notes. I figured the best way for me to learn the language and experience the city (during the day) was to combine the two. Here’s a list of my top …

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Today was my first spanish lesson with Cecilia, a very energetic and caring Argentine who will be tutoring me. I posted a craigslist ad and emailed teachers who also posted their services. Cecilia wasn’t the cheapest at about $12/hour, but seemed to be just the right fit for what I’m looking for. …

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