3 Non-Traditional Ways to Travel in Latin America… And Learn Spanish
by: James Cave
Although there are plenty of wonderful blogs, books and videos about learning Spanish, there really can be no substitute for going to Latin America and immersing yourself in the language.
Unfortunately, travel can be expensive and this puts many would-be fluent Spanish speakers off traveling in Latin America. Thankfully for those of us on a budget, there are a number of organizations and initiatives which help to make travel affordable, sometimes for stays of up to several months. Here are three of the best.
1. GO HOUSE SITTING
House sitting, if you haven’t heard of it before, is babysitting but for houses. You stay in someone else’s home and look after it while the owners are away. Responsibilities vary, but usually include looking after any pets, watering the plants and collecting the mail.
In return for what’s usually a small number of responsibilities, you get free accommodation. A typical house sit usually lasts for a few weeks – most house sits are for pet owners going on holidays – however there are plenty of long term house sits out there, with assignments lasting anything from several months to a year or more.
Spanish Learning Pros:
Without the cost of accommodation, house sitting enables travelers to stay in a particular country for longer, regardless of budget.
Spanish Learning Cons:
Some house sits are in isolated areas and this may make it difficult to find language practice partners.
2. GO COUCHSURFING
Couchsurfing involves ‘surfing’ or staying on other people’s couches. If you’re planning on traveling to Buenos Aires for example, you can get in touch with locals living there and request to surf their couches, floors or spare rooms.
Couchsurfing in South America can be a great way to practice your Spanish. The site is extremely popular with Spanish-speakers and users highlight in their profiles which languages they speak. Depending on whether you are a beginner or an expert, you can decide whether you want to ‘surf’ with someone who speaks English as well or not.
Although there are plenty of similar websites, Couchsurfing.org is the original and main website.
Spanish Learning Pros:
Most members of couchsurfing.org are very friendly and happy to help out in your Spanish learning journey. Profiles include a ‘teach, learn, share’ section where members indicate what skills they are willing to teach (often Spanish) and what they’d like to learn (often English).
Spanish Learning Cons:
Most people only stay for a night or two in someone else’s home.
3. GO WWOOFING
WWOOFing or “Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms” is a system where travelers can work on organic farms worldwide in return for their accommodation and usually at least one proper meal per day. Typical WWOOFing opportunities in Latin America include grape picking in Argentina, working on alpaca farms in Peru and working on fruit and vegetable farms in Costa Rica.
Spanish Learning Pros:
Most hosts are delighted that you’re learning their language and will more than happily chat to you in Spanish whilst you’re working with them.
Spanish Learning Cons:
Larger farms often have more English-speaking WWOOFers attending. While great for meeting fellow travelers, this often means you’ll be speaking more English.
Check out these other articles to help you Learn Spanish.