Learning Spanish in Argentina - Expanish Spanish School

Argentina is a great place to learn Spanish. Visitors to Argentina not only have access to some of the world’s most stunning and varied landscapes and some of the finest steak and wine in the world, but friendly and cultured locals who will make practicing your Spanish enjoyable and enriching.

At Expanish we feel so passionate about the wonderful country that is Argentina, we’ve created our guide to what makes Argentina a great place to study Spanish

Buenos Aires

Great Cities

Argentina has something for every city lover

1. Buenos Aires

Argentina’s capital, a city of beauty, culture and energy. Travellers from all over the world arrive in Buenos Aires to enjoy its fascinating history, European elegance and great night life.

2. Cordoba

A refined and pleasant university town. Nestled in a valley in the west of the country, Cordoba offers colonial architecture and lots of green spaces

3. Salta

Situated in the north east of Argentina, Salta is a popular tourist destination for those looking for tranquility and natural beauty. Surrounded by some of the most varied landscapes you’ll find anywhere, Salta offers wild west vistas, mountains and moon landscapes.

4. Mendoza

World famous for its wine, the city of Mendoza is characterized by wide tree lined streets and low buildings and is surrounded by vineyards and some of the highest mountains in the Andes range. Mendoza is also a great place from which to access Chile and it’s capital Santiago.

Landscapes

1. Salt Flats

The Salinas Grandes are the biggest salt flats in Argentina, covering approximately 60km end to end, offer spectacular views that that will make you feel like you’re on another planet

2. Mountain ranges

For hikers, skiers, climbers or people who just like stunning views, Argentina is home to some of the highest sections of the Andes. Visit Bariloche in the heart of Argentina’s lake district, to go skiing or hiking in beautiful surroundings. Visit Mendoza for some of the highest ranges of mountains, or go further south to Patagonia to hike amongst beautiful snow capped mountains and azul lakes

3. Glaciers

Argentina offers up some of the most spectacular glaciers you’ll see anywhere. The Perito Moreno glacier being the most famous, it is situated in the Santa Cruz province of Patagonia, and is one of the only glaciers in the world that is still growing. You can ice hike on its surface or watch it from a distance as spectacularly huge chunks fall off it, crashing into the water

4. Deserts

Amongst Argentina’s deserts is the Monte Desert, located just south of the Atacama Desert in Chile. Impressive expanses of orange and red landscapes, mountain blocks, volcanic sediment and thorn scrub.

Glaciers
5. Waterfalls

Voted one of the seven wonders of the world, Iguazu Falls cross from Brazil into Argentina. Stunningly beautiful and dramatic, there are more than 270 falls in the area including the deepest drop (80 meters), the falls and multitude of rainbows can be viewed from viewing platforms that weave in and out of the rainforest.

6. Wetlands

Situated roughly halfway between Buenos Aires and Iguazu Falls, Esteros del Iberá has been a nature reserve since 1983, and offers up a rich array of wildlife from alligator like Camans, Anacondas to deers and carpincho (the largest rodents in the world)

Iguazú waterfalls

Food

1. Steak

There is a reason Argentina is famous for it’s steak. Not only is the quality of the steak first class, due to the rearing of the cattle on the pampas, but Argentine’s cooking method, on huge carbon parillas (barbeques), makes the end result irresistible

2. Pasta

As a result of a large levels of Italian immigration in the late 19th century to the early 20th century, Argentina is the second best place to eat Italian food (Italy being first of course)

Steak Argentina
3. Empanadas

Delicious packages of pastry filled with a variety of fillings, Empanadas make a great and very cheap snack. Go to Salta to try some of the country’s best

4. Dulce de Leche

No one leaves Argentina without trying their favorite sweet and sticky ingredient. Made from caramelized milk, the Argentines spread Dulce de Leche on anything and everything

5. Facturas

A close relation the croissant / pastry family, the national breakfast dish in Argentina, Facturas are sweet and sticky little pastries that are the perfect accompaniment to a Café con Leche (Café Latte)

6. Ice Cream

Another influence resulting from Italian immigration, some say Argentina’s ice cream is the best in the world. Ice cream parlors scattered all over the city, some of the best known being Persicco, Un Altra Volta, and Freddo, don’t forget to try the Dulce de Leche flavor

People

Friendly, passionate, cultured and very Latin, these are some of the ways visitors to Argentina often describe the country’s inhabitants. Unlike much of the rest of Latin America, a large proportion have European heritage. Visitors to the country will generally find Argentines to be warm and friendly as well as tactile (greeting each other with a kiss whenever they meet).

The general openness and hospitality of the Argentines makes learning Spanish in Argentina much more accessible and enjoyable.

Language

The language spoken in Argentina is Spanish (or Castellano as you’ll hear many people refer to in Argentina). However Argentine’s have their own distinct accents, varying dependent on what part of Argentina you’re in. There are a number of things you will notice when you begin learning / speaking Spanish in Argentina:

  • Accent

    The accent varies from other Latin American countries in that it has a slightly more Italian twang to it. Argentines are thought to talk faster, but this is something Spanish learners will become accustomed to

People Argentina
  • Grammar

    One of the first things people notice in Argentina is the use the informal second person singular pronoun vos instead of tú. Vos is more or less the equivalent to ‘thee’ in English, which can give you a nice Shakespearean twang, should you use it in Spain. The conjugation of vos is actually simpler than tú, as there are no irregular verbs to deal with other than ser, which changes to sos instead of eres.

  • Pronunciation

    Argentines pronounce their Ls and Js with a “shh” sound as opposed to the ‘Y’ sound most commonly hear in Spain and the rest of Latin America. For example, ‘¿como se llama?’ would be pronounced ‘¿como se shama?’ instead of Como se yama.

For those interested in finding out more here are some relevant blog posts:

Insider Tips

  • Be prepared for some late nights - Argentines are nocturnal in their approach to social gatherings and nights out. Expect to eat at around 10.00pm and be out dancing until dawn
  • Enjoy the long distance journeys – Argentina is a huge country and air travel can be expensive, it’s therefore a blessing that coach travel is extremely comfortable, with meals served, films to watch and comfortable seats
  • Keep hold of your coins – For whatever the reason, coins are in short supply in Argentina. We recommend that our students get a SUBE card for making their way around Buenos Aires
  • Acquire the local taste for Mate – A national pastime, drinking Mate is one of Argentina’s favorite weekend activities, Mate, a bitter tasting tea is definitely an acquired taste
  • There’s more to Tango culture than meets the eye – Tango isn’t just a mysterious and beautiful dance, it’s an entire culture that involves a lot of dancing etiquette, hand signals and lots of interesting tales