noonejen
1/15/2017 07:30 EST
Hello, I'm thinking of moving to Uruguay for about 3-4 months to study Spanish full-time.
Could you please recommend a city that has good Spanish schools and preferably gyms around so I can exercise every so often? I have a cheap to moderate budget.
Any advice is appreciated.
Thank you,
Jen
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login2
1/15/2017 13:11 EST
DON'T make the same mistake SOooo many Expats made already --- relocating to a Country they know little to nothing bout --- BAD mistake --- just review the cry-babies on the various Expat sites regarding this issue, ESPECIALLY about Uruguay ... !
IMO, IF you are not looking for a self-sufficient RURAL Living in UY, then you likely are in progress of making one of the bigger boondoggles in your life ...
GO and visit Bogota, Colombia FIRST for a couple of months --- then UY --- and you will surely NOT select UY .... !
PS: I am living here for over 4 years now and had nearly a dozen or so visits the previous 20 years prior to relocating ...
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EdNewYorkCity
1/15/2017 13:45 EST
Montevideo is the best place for you.
La Herradura seems to be a good school to do that
http://www.spanish-herradura.com/welcome-to-uruguay
Most expats would go directly to Pocitos, Punta Carretas or Buceo as the preferred neighborhoods to live but if you're looking for something a bit cheaper try Cordon, Centro or Palermo as good alternatives.
Hope that helps
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Morell
1/15/2017 15:47 EST
You want to learn the type of Spanish spoken here? It is different to most - nothing wrong with that but somewhere like Peru, Colombia or Ecuador has a more middle of the road Spanish than here if you plan to use it anywhere else. I had a Cuban friend who said she could not understand anyone here for about three months.
Cost of living would be cheaper as well.
Not trying to put you off Uruguay though.
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Vortice
1/15/2017 16:12 EST
It sounds as if you have not decided prematurely that you are moving here forever if you are coming for a three to four month stay. In that time you will get a good taste of Uruguay and presumably you are traveling light, so if you find that you do not care for Uruguay, it will not be a big deal for you to move on after a few months. Hopefully you know that Uruguay is the most expensive country in Latin America in which to live. Rentals are expensive, usually are for long term, and you tend to be on the hook for dealing with repairs, so do more research on that. The Spanish accent here is specific to this part of Latin America, aside from that and some particular vocabulary, you will learn the Spanish that is spoken everywhere. The people are friendly and appreciate foreigners who want to learn their language. If you speak enough Spanish to get by, it will be a good place to practice, and learn while experiencing another culture first hand. Montevideo, being by far the largest city in Uy, has the most options and is a good place to start for a few months. You can explore the rest of the country from there. Enjoy your exploration!
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noonejen
1/16/2017 03:11 EST
Thank you so much for feedback. I actually lived in Bogota for a few years and really enjoyed it. I'll keep in my your advice when making a decision. For now, I'm going back and forth with Uruguay, Panama and Nicaragua. I'm still in the researching phase and I appreciate your comments. Jen
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Morell
1/16/2017 08:17 EST
There is a show on Youtube called Los Roldan made in Buenos Aires that will give you an idea of the Spanish spoken in this area.
It is a few years old but quite entertaining.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbNt3YWiRXA
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dawsonpointers
1/16/2017 13:16 EST
I found watching Uruguayan TV helpful, particularly the news and the 'morning' shows
http://www.canal10.com.uy/
http://www.montecarlotv.com.uy/
http://www.tnu.com.uy/
http://www.teledoce.com/envivo/
if I am correct, the dialect is referred to as rioplatenese
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Longing2LeaveUS
3/17/2017 14:44 EST
I'm going to start learning Spanish right away. I can choose from these different types: Mexican, Iberian, or Peru. Which will be closest to the dialect spoken in Uruguay?
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sylk
3/17/2017 17:31 EST
none of the above.
i am pretty sure Riplatenese Espanol is only spoken in Argentina and Uruguay. Maybe you can find an Argentinian or Uruguayan transplant to teach you?
but any Spanish is better than none - then you'll just learn the shhuuushy /Portuguese-y dialect when you get here!
good luck!
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Fermatt
3/17/2017 17:33 EST
Hi Jen,
I am a teacher of Spanish as a second language and would like to let you know more, please reply and will send you contact information,
Dan Fernando
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Fermatt
3/17/2017 18:52 EST
I agree that any Spanish is better than none; however, what we speak in Uruguay is Spanish with certain colloquialisms and local expressions that vary from social strata and region of origin among others. The phonetic of the "ll" and "y", the shshsh sound has brought disagreement among linguistics. It is not known for sure it's origin.
Dan Fernando
Teacher of Spanish as a second language
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sylk
3/17/2017 20:40 EST
Dan - where are you located?
are you part of a school, or do you teach privately, or ??
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EdNewYorkCity
3/18/2017 06:54 EST
I find the difference between Spanish from Argentina and Uruguay with the rest of the Spanish speaking countries a bit overrated.
I mean I grew up in Uruguay and can communicate with no problem at all with anyone who speaks Spanish no matter where they're from.
There might be a few extra questions here and there but that's it.
It is the same difference when an American communicates in English with someone from Ireland, Scotland or Australia.
Here is a little video explaining the two main differences between "Rio Platense" Spanish and the rest.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPWqlg4JDPU
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Freddikins
3/18/2017 09:50 EST
Interesting answer. I speak mostly with Mexican Hispanics, and when I go to Argentina, many times I can't understand them, and they me, because our accents are different and/or strong (dare I mention the most handsome man I have ever met, I couldn't communicate with, because our accents were so different - very sad). And for Mexicans, my accent is fairly good. I have found that in Uruguay, we communicate better, their accent is not as strong as Argentines, but depending on the group I am speaking with in Uruguay, there is on occasion a struggle. There are always word differences, which is more amusing than anything else, and the use of Vos is also different, but that difference doesn't harm communication between us.
But overall, the Uruguayans are an amazing, caring, supportive group of people. And the differences in my word choices and accent usually doesn't affect communication or relationships. For them my communication seems more like a personal quirk of mine, and is tolerated well.
I don't think I answered the question, but am giving another perspective from Ed of New York City. I'm from California. We probably couldn't understand each other either :-)
- Allison
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Morell
3/18/2017 10:03 EST
There are few resources to learn the unique Spanish here. Here are a couple
http://www.learnargentinianspanish.com
italki - has professional and community teachers online , you can search and find a few from Argentina. Also you can look for folk who want to chat in English/Spanish.
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Fermatt
3/18/2017 12:13 EST
I do not give much importance to regional variations of Castilian or as it is better known, Spanish. There is one ad such and irregardless of diversity, we all can communicate with each other speaking it.
Let's enjoy communication and look for things that unite instead that set us apart.
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dawsonpointers
3/18/2017 12:39 EST
The links provided in this discussion are excellent. Thank you to all who provided them.
Perro, todavía soy un gringo estupido y gordo ;-}
(my words, no one else's)
Y
Mi aerodeslizador esta llena de anguilas (Monty Python, Hungarian Phrasebook skit)
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Longing2LeaveUS
3/21/2017 19:32 EST
Thank you so much for all the great information and links here. I'm still a beginner but I'm practicing every day so when I actually get to Uruguay, I'll at least be able to get to where I need to go!
This is very helpful information and I feel better about learning Spanish now and then learning the nuances as I go!
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