lanuage school

[glasgowdavid]

hi there

although i have visited BA on a few occasions and i intend moving down permanently in 2 years i really need to get a grip on the language and have set aside 8 weeks in september through november to attend a language school, i would be interested in recommendations and it would be my preference to live with a family both for company, social integration and the cultural immersion, the barrio i am most familiar with is palermo soho. can anyone help?
david

 

[trennod]

Have you considered UBA? (Universidad de Buenos Aires). Think this the link here.

http://www.uba.ar/ingles/foreign/spanish.php

I havent been there myself but my Spanish teacher actually said that is the best Institute from which to learn and have heard some good things from other tourists. I spent 2 months at a school and would never do it that way again (although admittedly there are decent schools out there).

Other positives I have heard about UBA are:
- teachers are usually well qualified, sometimes at the tourist schools it can be a bit hit and miss;
- generally the levels are around 1 month so you dont have people coming and going on a weekly (or sometimes daily) basis as in the schools;
- its also cheaper (albeit I think only slightly these days) than the schools.

 

[Jcyordenana]

If you go through CUI (part of UBA but cheaper, not sure why , for their one month intensives, $500 US compared to almost $700 US if you go through regular UBA). You don't have to pay in dollars, that's just the rate you pay in pesos. I think they can help you with a homestay, though I'm not totally sure about that. I'm sure it's on their website.

I think their programs are great for people who don't otherwise have an 'in' to the culture and opportunities to practice. The teachers are very knowledgeable and the environment is relaxed and friendly with small classes of 8-10 students and a good mix of people from all over the place. You'll have bigger classes at UBA.

It wasn't the best fit for me as I am already smothered in Argentine culture between friends from my son's jardin and my Argentine husband, and it's also far for me to travel, near the Facultad de Medicina subte stop (I'm in Belgrano). It's an easy trip on the D line and the B, the Callao stop, I think.

You might consider a private teacher as well if you really want to dedicate 8 weeks to it, then you can arrange a schedule that works for you and probably wind up paying about the same or less. Search the forum for Andrea Vespa, she's not one of the cheapest but she's a great teacher and you will learn!

I think you can learn more with a private teacher, as your experience in a group will depend a lot on not just the teacher but also the other people in your group. If they are about your level or higher, that will be great, but if they are slower to learn, it can be frustrating (no criticism intended, everyone learns how they learn). On the other hand, if you're looking to build more friendships and have chances to meet people, a school is better.

CUI also arranges some outside of class get togethers and excursions.

good luck

 

[glasgowjohn]

Private tuition is great but groups are much better if you are new to the city - it gives you options to do social things that you may not have otherwise.

 

[trennod]

Private tuition is great but groups are much better if you are new to the city - it gives you options to do social things that you may not have otherwise.

Good point, groups do offer the social side that private classes dont.

For pure learning, although more expensive from a pure time / output point of view privates with a good teacher are the way to go.

Or look for a local language partner / girlfriend, boyfriend etc..

 

[starlucia]

Trennod is on the mark re: language institutes. A number of them take advantage of foreigners by overcharging while offering second-rate materials, building amenities, and/or teachers (they are only earning about 30 pesos an hour, so you can't blame them for just showing up and teaching out of the textbook.) I personally used a private tutor, as I think private lessons are by far the best investment for those who are serious about making as much progress as possible (remember, with a private tutor, you do all the talking, arrange your own schedule, and can help choose your own topics/materials/field trip locations so that you stay as interested as possible.) If you do prefer a school, UBA certainly has the best reputation among expats.

I tried to send you a PM re: homestays, as I think I might be able to help, but you don't have that function enabled...

 

[mmoon]

I started with a language school, but found it to be more expensive than working with a private tutor. Plus, I was with four other students who were mostly in BA to party, and showed up late without having done any homework, reading, etc. If you really want to learn the language, and you don't want to waste four or five hours a day in a school where you're only getting 90 minutes of instruction (we had at least a 40 minute break coffee break, plus lunch!) then I would strongly encourage you to get your own tutor. I can't recommend my teacher Adriana Crom highly enough. She will meet with you in her quiet apartment in Recoleta, she speaks (and understands the grammar of) English perfectly, her rates are reasonable, and you will learn so much more than in a group class. Her email is [email protected] and her phone number is 4814-0792. Best of luck!

 

[murvee]

I recommend coming to the city and visiting 2 or 3 Spanish schools in person to see what they are like before deciding. I am a bit more positive than others on this forum, but I think there are some really great Spanish schools. There are usually more than 50 in the city, but ones that I hear good things about:
Vamos Spanish Academy in Palermo (http://www.vamospanish.com/)
Expanish in the downtown area (http://www.expanish.com/)
VOS also near downtown (http://www.vosbuenosaires.com/en/)

Also, CUI is NOT part of UBA. They have a weird agreement with the UBA Agriculture School (most likely some , which has nothing to do with language learning, where they can put the logo of UBA on their certificates. UBA has thier own Spanish school (mentioned earlier by trennod). UBA students get a discount at CUI, there is no type of academic relationship. CUI is a private language institute and UBA is a public university.

Private lessons are good and I recommend them for later on but definitely try and week or two of group lessons at a school.

 

[glasgowdavid]

thank you everyone who has replied , i am overwhelmed, seriously that strangers can take so much time and effort, it is so encouraging and i know why now that when i head down i will be able to call on some of you for a leg up as the social isolation is the motivation for considering a group and the resultant social occasions that will result from that camaraderie in the group.
reading between the lines it would seem that since i am there for 8 weeks initially that it may be beneficial to join one of the recommended groups and after a short period i consider the private tutor separately or in tandem.
now how do i get the PM element working?!

 

[starlucia]

David, go to User CP, and then in the menu on left, click Edit Options. On that page you should see a box that says "Click to receive private messages" (or something to that effect.) And ya esta!