Study in Argentina: With a suitcase and without a clue

Article submitted by: Mundo Español offers a wide variety of Spanish language programs as well as Internship programs in local and international companies, University programs, Tango Lessons and tourism all around Argentina.
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I live in a city in Argentina where the accent is noted as the most melodic. The range carries up and dives back down and it's handled by those who live in Cordoba – a city of 2 million people. Here, people do more than sing to their favorite pop song on breakfast radio.

As an Australian girl brought up in the suburbs with summer picnics and a labrador dog, going to Argentina to study a language was my first experience of untying myself from my culture and stepping into one that sat, in all ways, on the other side of the world.

The sense and proportion of the Argentine character is one famously known for its enthusiasm and kindness and should you choose to stay with a host family while you study here, you will be welcome as part of its fiber. Falling over the language - attempting pronunciation places you as something even more special and by living with a family your learning is extended, giving hold to the new language. Ask them to teach you some street slang – it was a joy for me translating it back to English.

The web of language schools and colleges are organized, professional outfits which often want to extend your learning through weekend activities and cultural insights.

A soccer game is arguably the epitome of this culture; the homeland of Maradona, it's a religion which doesn't take a back seat on a Sunday. Go to one for an olfactory kick and to hear spectators cry `GOLLLLL!!` - an elongated sound which hangs in your ears long after the game is over.

As part of your study package, your college may also organize trekking, horseback riding, hang-gliding and mountain biking also.

One of the terrific perks of studying in Argentina is not only learning about its culture and language, but also to taste one of the best cuisines in South America , if not the world. Central to its society's sociable disposition and love of food is the barbecue – the reason for friends and family to gather at weekends and simply to enjoy excellent meat, the country's award-winning wines and the national beer called Quilmes .

An opportunity to travel within the borders is relatively cheap (considering the value of the peso) so take up the chance to get to know the wonders. To the south, the Patagonian region cannot be overrated – this area is a magnificent playground of sounds and smells and fresh water falling from The Andes into the Nahuel Huapi Lake . To the north, the provinces of Salta and Jujuy lie and it's here where Indian tribes left the legacy of their color which is noticed in the buildings and in the customs. The siesta (a catchy-up sleep taken during the day) is one way of life still continued here and in the country itself.

What else? What else is there?

Of course, the vast magical city of Buenos Aires is an obligatory place to visit, shop, eat, dance and feel wonderfully exhausted. Cruise through the streets on any weekend and you are likely to see two people twirling in the tango; living the music that winds through the streets.

In a land growing back from the lows of the peso devaluation, you will find a happiness and optimism here. As an interested traveler, I've come to regard Argentina as a second home and since I've been learning Spanish I've come to realize what an excellent decision I made to challenge myself in a land I never thought I would know.

Written by Hannah St Vincent, for Mundo Español