Learn Spanish Courses - Schools in Argentina and South America
Attend one of our Spanish courses in Argentina, where unforgettable landscape meet colonial architecture, a charming nightlife and exotic animals dance the tango under a star-filled sky. From the subtropical flats of the Gran Chaco in the north, through the booming metropolis of the country's capital, Buenos Aires, down to the rolling, oil-rich plateau of Patagonia and over to the rugged Andes mountain range, Argentina's vast size and many recreational activities provide opportunities for unlimited pleasures. Argentina has numerous sites that boast worldwide recognition and inspire awe from even the most skeptical travelers. Join us at our Spanish courses and schools in Argentina.
Argentina - History
 The name Argentina was first used extensively in the 1612 book Historia del descubrimiento, población, y conquista del Río de la Plata (History of the discovery, population, and conquest of the Río de la Plata) by Ruy Díaz de Guzmán, naming the territory Tierra Argentina (Land of Silver).
The first signs of human presence in Argentina are located in the Patagonia (Piedra Museo, Santa Cruz ), and date from 11,000 BC. Around 1 AD, several corn-based civilizations survived in the Andean region (Santa María, Huarpes, Diaguitas, and Sanavirones, among others). In 1480, the Inca Empire under the rule of emperor Pachacutec launched an offensive and conquered present-day northwestern Argentina, integrating it into a region called Collasuyu. In the northeastern area, the Guaraní developed a culture based on yuca and sweet potato.
Explorers from Europe arrived in 1516. Spain established a permanent colony on the site of Buenos Aires in 1580. In 1806 and 1807, the British Empire launched two invasions to Buenos Aires, but the creole population repelled both attempts. On May 25, 1810, after confirmation of the rumors about the overthrow of King Ferdinand VII by Napoleon, citizens of Buenos Aires took advantage of the situation and created the First Government Junta (May Revolution). On July 9, 1816 in Tucumán, formal independence from Spain was declared.
In 1817, General José de San Martín crossed the Andes to free Chile and Peru, thus eliminating the Spanish threat. Centralist and federalist groups (Spanish: Unitarios and Federales) were in conflict until national unity was established and the constitution promulgated in 1853.
Spanish Courses Argentina - Geography
Argentina is a country in southern South America, situated between the Andes in the west and the southern Atlantic Ocean in the east. It is bordered by Paraguay and Bolivia in the north, Brazil and Uruguay in the northeast and Chile in the west.
Argentina is the second largest country of South America after Brazil and the eighth largest country in the world. Its total area is approximately 2.7 million km². Argentina also claims a part of Antarctica (Argentine Antarctica), but has agreed to put a hold on sovereignty disputes in the region as part of the Antarctic Treaty. Argentina also lays claim to a few South Atlantic islands administered by the United Kingdom.
Spanish Schools Argentina - Economy
 Argentina benefits from rich natural resources, a highly literate population, an export-oriented agricultural sector, and a diversified industrial base. Over the past decade, however, the country has suffered problems of inflation, external debt, capital flight, and budget deficits. Growth in 2000 was a negative 0.8%, as both domestic and foreign investors remained skeptical of the government's ability to pay debts and maintain the peso's fixed exchange rate with the US dollar. The economic situation worsened in 2001 with the widening of spreads on Argentine bonds, massive withdrawals from the banks, and a further decline in consumer and investor confidence. Government struggles to obtain a "zero deficit," to steady the banking system, and to restore economic growth proved insufficient in the face of the growing economic problems. The peso's peg to the dollar was abandoned in January 2002, and the peso was floated in February.
The exchange rate plummeted and real GDP fell by 10.9% in 2002, but by mid-year the economy had stabilized, albeit at a lower level. GDP expanded by about 9% per year from 2003 to 2005. Growth is being led by a revival in domestic demand, solid exports, and favorable external conditions. The government boosted spending ahead of the October 2005 midterm congressional elections, but strong revenue performance allowed Argentina to maintain a budget surplus. Inflation has been rising steadily and reached 12.3 percent in 2005.
Spanish Courses Argentina - Food
Argentine food is influenced by cuisine from Spain, Italy, Germany, France and other European countries, and many foods from those countries such as pasta, sausages, and desserts are common in the nation's diet. Argentina has a wide variety of staple foods, which include empanadas, a stuffed pastry; locro, a mix of corn, meat, beans, onion, and gourd; and chorizo, a pork-based spicy sausage. The Argentine barbecue, asado, is one of the most famous in the world and includes various types of meats, among them chorizo, sweetbread, chitterlings, and blood sausage. Thin sandwiches, or sandwiches de miga, are another popular item. Being an important wine producer, the yearly consumption is among the highest worldwide (Malbec has become a representative variety from Argentina). Also, a common custom among Argentines is drinking mate. Dulce de Leche is a famous sweet caramel spread.
Learn Spanish Argentina - Climate
 Because of longitudinal and elevation amplitudes, Argentina is subject to a variety of climates. As a rule, the climate is predominantly temperate with extremes ranging from subtropical in the north to sub polar in the far south. The north of the country is characterized by very hot, humid summers with mild drier winters, and is subject to periodic droughts. Central Argentina has hot summers with thunderstorms (in western Argentina producing some of the world's largest hail), and cool winters. The southern regions have warm summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall, especially in mountainous zones.
The hottest and coldest temperature extremes recorded in South America have occurred in Argentina. A record-breaking temperature of 49.1°C (120.4 °F) was recorded at Villa de María, Córdoba on January 2, 1920. The lowest temperature recorded was -39.0 °C (-38.2 °F) at Valle de los Patos Superior, San Juan, July 17, 1972.
Major winds in Argentina include the cool Pampero blowing on the flat plains of Patagonia and the Pampas after a cold front; the Viento Norte, a warm wind that can blow from the north in mid and late winter creating mild conditions; and the Zonda, a hot and dry wind (see also Föhn wind), affecting west-central Argentina. Squeezed of all moisture during the 6,000 meter descent from the Andes, Zonda winds can blow for hours with gusts up to 120 km/h, fueling wildfires and causing damage. When the Zonda blows (June-November), snowstorms and blizzard (viento blanco) conditions usually affect the higher elevations.
The Sudestada (literally "southeaster") could be considered similar to the Noreaster, though snowfall is rarely involved (but is not unprecedented). Both are a deep winter low pressure system. The sudestada usually moderates cold temperatures but brings very heavy rains, rough seas, and coastal flooding. It is most common in late autumn and winter along the coasts of central Argentina and in the Río de la Plata estuary.
The southern regions, particularly the far south, experience long periods of daylight from November to February (up to nineteen hours), and extended nights from May to August. All of Argentina is under the UTC-3 time zone. The country does not observe daylight savings.
Argentina - Interesting Facts
 Argentina was the first independent nation state in the Southern Hemisphere and its Legislature and ruling political party have passed resolutions calling for the national independence of Puerto Rico, which would make it the last independent nation state in Latin America.
Five separate different Argentines have won the Nobel Prize (for Chemistry, Medicine and Peace).
La Plata was the first city in South America to have electric street illumination.
The Buenos Aires Subway was the first to be built in the Southern Hemisphere.
The city of Mendoza is one of only eight wine capitals of the world.
Argentina has the worlds' highest consumption of red meat.
Argentina was one of the first nations in radio broadcasting. On August 27, 1920 at 9 o'clock pm, Sociedad Radio Argentina broke the airways by announcing: "We now bring to your homes a live performance of Richard Wagner's Parsifal opera from the Coliseo Theater in downtown Buenos Aires "; as few as twenty homes throughout the city had a receiver to tune in. This radio station, the first in the world, remained the sole station in the country until 1922, when Radio Cultura went on the air. By 1925, there were twelve stations in Buenos Aires and ten in other cities. The 1930s became the "golden age" of radio in Argentina, broadcasting live variety, news, soap opera, and sport shows.
Argentines have been responsible for major breakthroughs in world medicine. René Favaloro developed the techniques and performed the world's first coronary bypass surgery, and Francisco de Pedro invented a more reliable artificial cardiac pacemaker. Bernardo Houssay, medicine's Nobel laureate, discovered the role of pituitary hormones in regulating glucose in animals; César Milstein, another of medicine's Nobel laureates, did extensive research in antibodies; and Chemistry's Nobel laureate Luis Leloir discovered both how organisms store energy by converting glucose into glycogen, and the compounds, which are fundamental in metabolizing carbohydrates. Enrique Finochietto designed operating table tools such as the surgical scissors that bear his name ("Finochietto scissors"), and a rib-spreader. Roberto Zaldívar is one of the pioneers in laser-eye procedures and research. Argentine research has led to advancement in wound-healing therapies, heart disease, and in several forms of cancer.
Argentina's nuclear program is also highly advanced. Argentina developed its nuclear program without being overly dependent on foreign technology. Nuclear facilities with Argentine technology have been built in Peru, Algeria, Australia, and Egypt. In 1983, the country admitted having the capability of producing weapon-grade uranium, a major step to assemble nuclear weapons. Since then Argentina has pledged to use nuclear power only for peaceful purposes.
In other areas, Juan Vucetich is the father of modern dactiloscopy (see fingerprint), Raúl Pateras de Pescara demonstrated the world's first flight of a helicopter, Hungarian-Argentine László Bíró mass-produced the first modern ball point pens, and Eduardo Taurozzi developed the more efficient pendular combustion engine. Most recently, an Argentine satellite, the PEHUENSAT-1, was successfully launched on January 10, 2007 using the PSLV.
Spanish Courses in Argentina - Advice
 At our Spanish schools and courses in Argentina and throughout South America our advice can really be summed up with one simple word - practice! The kind of study materials you use is not quite as important as how or how often you use them. Your hard work and determination will be one of the biggest factors in successful language learning.
The Spanish school and course you choose in South America is going to be the core of your Spanish study, so make sure you choose a Spanish language course that gives you structured lessons and lots of opportunity to practice your new language skills. Our Spanish courses at our Spanish schools in Argentina and throughout South America, will give you the perfect opportunity to study, learn, and practice Spanish in a supportive, well planned and friendly environments.
You must work at your new Spanish language skills every day. Ideally, you should study Spanish an extra hour or more every day. If you can get at least an extra half-hour of study time, that's pretty good too. Try to at least get a little review and study, learn and practice Spanish every single day.
If you attend one of our Spanish courses in Argentina and you learn Spanish everyday, you will have a good basic knowledge of the Spanish language in a reasonable amount of time. Your knowledge and ability will increase and improve depending upon what other tools you use and what kind of experiences you have using the Spanish language.
Grammar book. A good old-fashioned grammar book may be boring but they are a great way to really get to grips with the details of the language.
Phrase Book
These are extremely helpful books that you can carry with you. They can be useful for practicing pronunciation, or for quickly finding a lot of more commonly used phrases, words and idioms. Phrase books are always a nice supplement to learn Spanish and they are convenient and cheap.
Dictionary. Absolutely necessary in the long run. You must have a dictionary if you wish to expand your vocabulary, and you will need one in order to take full advantage of many of the Spanish language learning tips set out here. Make sure you get one that translates both ways e.g. English to Spanish AND Spanish to English. It is also helpful to find a dictionary that contains idioms - the phrases particular to the language which you are studying - as well as phrases that are commonly used in the Spanish language, but may be difficult to translate. As an example in English - 'to give the cold shoulder' or 'it's a piece of cake!'
Flashcards
A simple Spanish language learning tip, but a very effective way to review, refresh your memory and expand your vocabulary. There are pre-made flashcards that can be purchased, or for extra help, you can create your own. Keep them with you at all times, in your pocket or in your car, and look at them for a quick review or language lesson at every opportunity. They are very convenient.
Talk to yourself
It may be obvious, but the best way to learn Spanish in South America is to speak Spanish in South America ! This convenient method can be use at all times, as you can even talk to yourself. Even if you are in public and don't feel comfortable talking to yourself out loud, you can make it your habit to practice Spanish by thinking Spanish. Throughout the day, think of the Spanish words for everything you pass - objects in your house, things you pass when you are traveling, things you use at work or school, etc. Learn basic Spanish phrases like - ‘it is cold today' or ‘it is sunny today' and use whichever is appropriate when you first look out the window. By putting this tip into use on a regular basis, the vocabulary and phrases will become more routine and automatic.
Practice with friends
Taking it even further than talking to yourself, you can practice with your friends. Even if they don't speak Spanish, talk to the people you know by using your new language. Warn them in advance that you are practicing your new knowledge and they'll know what's coming. Even a simple 'good morning' or' see you later' in Spanish will make those phrases more natural to you. Your friends may even begin to learn a few words and join in the fun too!
Listen to music
Listen to Spanish music. You'll hear the Spanish language used in a real context and this will help you pick out the rhythm and pronunciation even better. This method will also give you a further understanding of, and appreciation for, the culture and customs of the people. Music in Spanish might be easier to find than others, but Amazon or eBay and many other global websites will enable you to find music in Spanish and many different languages.
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