There is nothing more annoying than people who think that all of South America just speaks Spanish, right? Many individuals group all of Central and South America into the category of hispanic, but those who take their language learning to South America know this is far from the truth.
South America is linguistically one of the most diverse areas of the world, with 37 different language families; the most popular of all language spoken in South America, though by a small margin, is Portuguese. Regardless of the percentage of the population who speaks it, the following are the most popular languages to study in South America and the best places to study them:
For Portuguese language learners, the go-to country is Brazil. More specifically, the most popular locations for Portuguese language study in Brazil include Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paolo, and Salvador.
For Spanish language programs in South America, take your pick of locations! Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Chile, and Argentina all have Spanish as their official language, and are home to a number of Spanish language schools.
Argentina and Brazil have surprisingly large populations of Italian and German-speakers as well, so many cities in these countries have both languages as co-official languages along with Spanish or Portuguese.
Other popular languages of study in South America include indigenous languages, and in almost every country, an indigenous language is the co-official language with an Indo European one. If you are looking for a more challenging language experience, Quechua (Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador), Guaraní (Paraguay, Bolivia), and Aymara (Bolivia, Peru, Chile) are the most popular indigenous languages.
Since there are so many options for language study in South America, don’t rush into picking one without really thinking about not just which language you want to learn, but also which dialect of your preferred language is best for you. The Spanish spoken in Peru is very different than the Spanish spoken in Argentina, so take the time to research your preferred dialect and the subsequent language programs available.
For this reason, many students wanting to learn a language in South America study at a large university in a metropolitan area, so they can be exposed to as much as possible. Universities such as Universidad de Chile, Universidade de Sao Paulo, and Universidad de Buenos Aires are internationally-ranked schools with impressive language course options. Depending on the type of language program you choose and the amount of language skill syou wish to gain, you can either matriculate directly into language classes with locals or study alongside other international students.
Enrolling in a university to learn a language is not the only option though, and many students choose language programs in South America offered by private language schools, for their specialty in intensive classes, cultural excursions, and more flexible schedules. There are many different private language schools in South America, and each one has very unique course options and styles of instruction, including tango classes, mountain climbing excursions, and cooking classes. There are even family language programs in South America, so don’t hesitate to get your child or spouse in on the fun too!
