You only have to travel around the best Spanish-Speaking countries to learn Spanish to realise what a privilege this is. The quality of life, the friendliness of the people and the joy that covers the streets will give you an idea of what it is like to live in a Spanish-speaking heaven.
It doesn’t matter if you are looking for the best way to improve your Spanish, if you want to learn while travelling or if you just feel like a change of scenery and want to find out which country is the best to learn Spanish. Read this iScribo article and start making plans to find out in which land you want to perfect the language of Cervantes.
Learning Spanish for Foreigners
If you wonder how to improve your Spanish speaking, it has always been said that the best way is by travelling. However, we always advise that having a good grounding in the language is essential to be able to start speaking and writing properly.
To improve your Spanish as a foreigner, consider your level to rule out or decide on certain countries, we tell you why:
Basic Level
If you are starting practically from scratch, the best countries to learn Spanish might be in Latin American, as the tone of the Spanish they use is slower and the vocalisation may seem easier at first.
– Mexico: you will see how the phoneme /θ/ as in cielo (sky) is pronounced as an /s/. This is a common feature in Latin America, but in Mexico it gives the vocabulary an extraordinary delirium of sweetness.
In Mexico, every letter of every word is pronounced, but watch out! You will also see how the influence of English sometimes plays a trick on the grammar:
Encontrándose cansado se tumbó (incorrecto).
Estaba cansado y se tumbó (correcto).
(Finding himself tired he lay down).
– Peru: If you are looking for a culturally rich and affordable country, this might be your best option. Little English is spoken in Peru, so you will learn much more quickly when communicating in Spanish. The Spanish of this area is unique due to Spanish, Andean, Chinese and African influences.
In Peru they make the distinction between ll and y, so you’ll notice the difference in accent between a llama (flame) and a yunque (anvil). They also tend to reverse the order of sentences and express the verb at the end.
Intermediate Level
Neither too much nor too little, these countries speak a type of Spanish that is accessible to all levels:
– Colombia: A welcoming and generous country per se. Colombia’s gastronomy and Spanish, indigenous and African influences make it one of the most interesting countries to visit. It might be the Latin American country that best respects the grammar of academics, with a rhythmic and slow accent so that you learn quickly and easily. Be careful! The danger of Colombia is that if you go for a couple of weeks, you’ll never want to leave, not just because of the affordable prices, but because of its charm.
– Spain: Perhaps what strikes foreigners most is the speed at which Spaniards speak, as if they are running out of time and can’t say everything they think! In reality, European society is one of the most revolutionary per excellence, which is why there is always so much to tell.
Joking aside, the great diversity of accents in the country will make you learn a cultured spoken Spanish, as in Salamanca, or a more plain and friendly Spanish typical of the south.
Proficiency Level
I hope you like the challenges because there are areas where learning Spanish can be a real one because of the accent, we tell you why:
– Chile: Chile’s location means that the Spanish language evolves at its own pace and with its people. It is difficult to classify this type of Spanish, but it can be easily recognised by its melody, its idioms and its disruption. Did you know that the proposal to end adjectives and nouns in -e for the inclusion of the Spanish language was born in Chile? They can greet you with a cachai or invite you to a carrete (party).
– Argentina and Uruguay: Speaking of accents, the accent of these two countries may be the most peculiar, and I say peculiar because it is very mellow. It is completely impossible not to distinguish a speaker from these areas. One of the characteristics is that they turn proparoxytone words into graves and graves into acutes, a fact fully accepted by the RAE:
¿Qué miras? (Normal Spanish variant everywhere).
¿Qué mirás? (Normal variant of Spanish in Argentina and Uruguay).
(What are you looking at?)
Believe it or not, Argentinean and Uruguayan Spanish has a lot of influence from Italian and French due to historical immigration.
It is also curious how they pronounce the ll and the y as if it were /sh/: plasha instead of playa (beach).
Live It Yourself!
Have you already identified the best Spanish-speaking country to live in? We can only advise you on our favourites ones, but the decision is ultimately yours. Weigh up the pros and cons and decide which one suits you best. iScribo is our spelling and grammar checker that corrects as you type. It also distinguishes different varieties of Spanish and is a great alternative to improve your language. Have you tried it yet? Tell us in the comments.
