One of the first questions we ask when contemplating studying Spanish abroad is: Where am I going to take my Spanish courses? There are so many options: Buenos Aires, Madrid, Mexico City, Lima, Bogotá, Quito, Montevideo… but the truth is that today, one of the best destinations for language holidays is the city of Santiago de Chile.
And it’s not hard to imagine why. Santiago is one of the most modern cities in Latin America and offers all the comforts a visitor may look for: an extensive and efficient metro network, accommodations that fit almost every pocketbook, a wide range of bars and restaurants, excellent Wi-Fi connections in almost every tourist establishment, and of course, Spanish courses.
Chileans have a special way of communicating. It is a Spanish variation combining the standard Latin American format with “Chileanisms”, which usually are words of indigenous or rural origin. Another strong characteristic of the Spanish spoken here is the wide use of neologisms and foreign words. In other words: Spanish is spoken here as in all countries, but with an interesting local nuance, and contributions from several other foreign languages, especially English. The tourist who comes to Santiago notices that in spite of the city’s growing modernization, Santiago residents still preserve much of their history and customs. The city has a large number of museums, many free, that tell the history of Chile. Restaurants abound with traditional Chilean food, as well as typical and diverse bars, clubs and cultural spaces valuing the local culture. In addition, Chilean people are receptive and festive and tourists feel welcome. If a visitor is travelling with children, there is fun for the whole family: interactive museums, parks and squares with games, swimming pools, various 3D cinema rooms, observatories, and ecological walks near the Andes Mountains, among others. All this makes Santiago de Chile a unique city that pleases a variety of different audiences. It pleases the student, the adventure tourist, the vacationing family, young people and all those interested in learning Spanish in an excellent cultural environment.