Compared to the Spanish spoken throughout Latin American, Bolivian Spanish is one of the most clearly spoken and slowest sounding of all. Much like in Colombia, the
Spanish Bolivia is still relatively pure to its original form. It lacks the special accents that you would hear if speaking with a native Argentinean or Chilean. And although the unique indigenous music, art, and cultures are deeply rooted in Bolivian daily life, the languages of the native peoples, Aymara and Quechua, have not been intertwined with Spanish meaning when you leave Bolivia, youll be understood by Spanish speakers from around the world.
It is INEXPENSIVE. Bolivia is still the cheapest country in South America to live and to study. Hostels can be found for around 3-5 US dollars per day, 4 course lunches are as little as 2 dollars, and taxis anywhere within the city cost only 1 dollar. What does this all mean? You can eat, live, travel, and study for a fraction of the costs youd pay in other South American countries. With the lower cost of living you will find that your tuition rates, home stays, and out of city excursions are much cheaper than in neighboring countries which will allow you to stay longer and do/see more!
La Pazs location in the very heart of the Andean Mountains and its relative lack of tourists has made it a wonderful place to learn and practice your
Spanish Bolivia. Once you leave your hostel and begin to explore the city, youll encounter very few people in the bustling markets and many museums with the English skills and/or confidence to speak with you in a language other than Spanish, thus greatly accelerating your language acquisition. The only true way to learn another language is to use it. Here in La Paz, youll have countless opportunity to practice your classroom material outside of class. Bolivians are known for their patience and warm-hearts, making even the most simple and short conversations easy, inviting, and unintimidating.
Most importantly, due to the addition of a Linguistics and Spanish Education major in the citys main university, your Spanish professor o professora will likely hold a degree one of these two disciplines. By taking classes from a language professional, your classes will not only be better tailored towards your individual language needs, but also the classes will be more structured and easier to follow. The sooner you can understand the basic structure of the
Spanish Bolivia, the sooner you will be able to express yourself to your new Bolivian amigos.
We hope you join us here soon at the Ayni Spanish Institute!
