Need a Non-Argentine Spanish Teacher (native speaker)

[benjaminguthrie]

Hello Friends,

I am an American living in BsAs, and I am looking for a Spanish teacher from Latin America but not from Argentina. If you could help me it would be amazing. My reason for wanting this is that I want to speak plain Spanish without the Argentine accent, etc.

Thanks for anything.

~Ben

 

[Aleina Dee]

Ben,

you will always speak with an accent if you learn Latin American Spanish whether you learn from a Peruvian or a Chileno. If you want a neutral Spanish you might want to look into finding a Castilian Spanish teacher.
The difference is equivalent to the division between British English and American English, with Latin American Spanish having emancipated itself to a large extent same as US English.
This is a language school associated with the Instituto de Cervantes .
This is the one I could find
http://www.learningspanish.com.ar/en/nosotros/

Disclaimer : I am neither associated with the school nor have I used their services

 

[PhilipDT]

Don't worry, whether you learn from a local or a foreigner, your accent will still be that of a yankee.

 

[Crema Americana]

If you're just beginning, chances are you're going to have an English/American accent, not Argentine.

There's no such thing as a plain Spanish. They have what they call neutral Spanish, but each country has it's own accent and words. However I do agree that Argentine Spanish is a little more different than the rest since they use vos and have a lot of unique words. But there's nothing wrong with the Argentine accent, you'll be understood anywhere you go. Once you have the basics down, it's easy to learn alternate words for the same thing... which you'll have to do no matter where you go.

 

[PhilipDT]

If you're just beginning, chances are you're going to have an English/American accent, not Argentine.

Just beginning? I know people who are completely fluent, lived here for decades and still speak with that English/American accent. I've been here 3 in classes for 2 and I still have it too. The OP is naive if he thinks he's going to pick up an Argentine accent just like that.

 

[Empshel]

Just beginning? I know people who are completely fluent, lived here for decades and still speak with that English/American accent. I've been here 3 in classes for 2 and I still have it too. The OP is naive if he thinks he's going to pick up an Argentine accent just like that.

I agree that picking up an Argentine accent as opposed to a Yankee accent may not be a problem, but it's very easy to pick up an Argentine influence to the way one speaks Spanish.

I took my first Spanish classes here in 2009 for a few months. The next year, I took a few months of classes in Madrid. Even though I clearly had and have a Yankee accent, every one of my professors in Spain was able to tell that I studied in Argentina without being told because of the way I pronounced certain words and because of certain phrases and words that I used. The OP may not have to worry about having an Argentine "accent" so to speak, but may still want to avoid having the Argentine influence in his Yankee-accented-Spanish, though personally, I like having the Argentine influence with my Yankee accent - but that's just me.

 

[citygirl]

I'm pretty sure if the OP wants to learn non-Argentine Spanish, he would be better served not studying Spanish in Argentina

 

[JamesKTusa]

Hi Ben,
Try Martha Montoya, she is a good teacher, originally from Mexico, lives in Belgrano R, can teach you 'neutral-ish' Spanish, most recently charged 50 pesos/hour when you go to her place. [email protected]. FYI I chose NOT to study with her because I WANTED to learn the local accent and Lunfardo words/phrases, so I have no affiliation, no vested interest, other than to say she seemed to be a good teacher and came highly recommended.
Rgrds,
Jim

 

[genialf]

It's not only an accent issue. Also they conjugate really strangely: (mostly for imperative) sentate instead of siéntate, llamá instead of llama, decíle instead of dile, ponele instead of pon, podés instead of puedes, sentí instead of sientes. It's really the furthest form from standard (considering they only use these in Argentina and Uruguay (maybe parts of Paraguay and Bolivia). Also the way they use the suffix "re", when used not with an adjective (pretty common on most forms of Spanish) but with a verb: te reconviene, me regustó. That doesn't exist anywhere else and to be honest sounds really strange.

 

[MikeMike]

Voseo is also commonly used/heard in Central America, and a bit in Southern Mexico (e.g. 'sos' is used frequently in Chiapas). It's easy to switch in terms of verb conjugation. Voseo just (more or less) drops the 1st vowel and puts an accent over the 2nd syllable (tienes -> tenés), etc.