Language Immersion Courses in Chile

For students seeking a place to live and work while being immersed in the Spanish language, there are few destinations more appealing than Chile. In addition to a vibrant culture and strong economy, it has a natural beauty that must be seen to be believed. It is also a highly secure, stable, and safe place to be. Unlike some countries in South America, which have suffered in recent years from spiking crime rates and growing violence, Chile has spent the last 20 years enjoying a calm political environment and very low levels of violence. It also has several of the best universities in South America, and many of these run Spanish-language programs for foreigners. Such programs are taught by some of the best faculty available, and are probably the highest in quality, but are usually more expensive than smaller language schools.
 
The majority of formal language classes and immersion programs will be found in Santiago, Chile’s capital and largest city. In smaller towns and villages, you can easily find an immersion experience (simply visit the local marketplace!), but formal classes will be more difficult to come by. The end result of this is that Santiago is a better option for beginners, while those with some experience in the language who are seeking to expand their vocabulary and gain fluency have more options. If you have been studying Spanish for only a brief period of time and you still need to learn rules of grammar and basic vocabulary, stick with the Spanish-as-a-Second-Language programs in Santiago; otherwise, weigh your options and decide whether you would prefer to be in an urban or a rural area, then choose your destination accordingly.
 
It’s worth noting that the Chilean dialect of Spanish differs somewhat from the standard Spanish that is typically taught in schools in Europe and the United States. While the Chilean dialect is perfectly intelligible to a native speaker of Spanish, it can take some getting used to if you are just learning the language. The pronunciation of certain words can be quite different, and there is a distinct colloquial vocabulary to Chilean Spanish. It is a bit like going to Scotland to learn English. Nonetheless, its other advantages more than outweigh this drawback in the opinion of many students and visitors.
 
If you are a fluent speaker of English, a great (and cheap) way to get an immersion experience in Chile is to do volunteer work as an English teacher. There is great demand for the English language in Chile’s growing school system, and a shortage of native English-speaking instructors. Many programs will finance your stay, providing food and comfortable lodgings, enabling you to concentrate on learning the language. In addition, many of the schools that are most in need of teachers are located in the beautiful rural areas of the country, so if your interest in living and working in Chile stems from a love of nature, mountains, beaches, and wildlife, a semester or a year teaching English is one of the best ways to go.