This post is intended to serve as a guide for those who want to learn Latin American Spanish, but haven’t settled on any particular region.<\/p>\n
I’ll cover a few regional particularities and then strategies for learning the local dialects. I’ll also share my top picks of resources to learn Latin American Spanish and some effective tips for learning with audio.<\/p>\n
[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
6 Practical Tips to Learn Latin American Spanish<\/h2>\n1. Use voseo<\/em> in southern South America<\/h3>\nThe t\u00fa <\/em>(informal you) that you might have learned in Spanish class is replaced with vos<\/em> in Argentina, Uruguay and in a few other countries. It’s considered perfectly correct in Argentina, and using it there is a great way to show that you value the local version of the language.<\/p>\nThe conjugations of the verbs are a bit different from t\u00fa<\/em>. They also change slightly depending on the country that you’re in.<\/p>\nA really quick and easy way to use it is by saying Bien, \u00bfy vos?<\/em><\/strong> (Good. And you?) when someone asks you \u00bfQu\u00e9 tal?<\/em><\/strong> (How’s it going?)<\/p>\n2. Use the preterite (instead of the perfect)<\/h3>\n
Did you breathe a sigh of relief when you discovered that Latin American Spanish doesn’t have\u00a0vosotros<\/em>, meaning you could forgo learning an entire set of conjugations?<\/p>\nWell, it seems that every time a language gives you some simple freebie, it also wallops you with something else that’s extremely complex.<\/p>\n
In the case of Latin American Spanish, you’re going to have to use the preterite a lot more than you would in European Spanish. Europeans tend to rely more heavily on the perfect tense<\/a>, and the relatively easy constructions likehe ido, has ido, ha ido<\/em><\/strong> (I went, you went, he\/she went \u2014 lit. I have gone, you have gone, he\/she has gone).<\/p>\nThese are formed with the conjugated form of haber<\/em> (to have) and the participle form of the verb. The participle endings are -ado<\/em> for -ar<\/em> verbs and -ido<\/em> for -er<\/em> and -ir<\/em> verbs.<\/p>\nIn Latin America, you use the preterite form<\/a> for all simple actions completed in the past, and the preterite form has lots of irregular verbs.<\/p>\nFor example, the verb ir<\/em> shown above becomes fui, fuiste, fue, fuimos, fueron<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0(I went, you went, he\/she went, we went, they went). If you went to the market<\/a> this morning and returned to your lover with a basket of goodies, you would say the following:<\/p>\n\n- In Spain: He ido<\/strong> al mercado esta ma\u00f1ana.<\/em> (lit. I’ve gone to the market this morning.)\u00a0<\/li>\n
- In Latin America: Fui<\/strong> al mercado esta ma\u00f1ana.<\/em> (I went to the market this morning.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
There’s no way around this. You really have to memorize all of those irregular ones if you want to speak even passable Latin American Spanish<\/a>.<\/p>\nFor further studying, preterite\u00a0conjugations are readily available at WordReference.com<\/a>.<\/p>\nSome of the best practices for learning this form include flashcards and writing\/telling people stories about past events in your life in order to practice what you’ve learned. It also helps to watch videos from Latin America that make use of the past tense.<\/p>\n
TV shows are useful for seeing the preterite form in action. In fact, this video from the FluentU Spanish YouTube channel<\/a> has a good number of shows that will demonstrate the differences in past tense between European and Latin American Spanish.<\/p>\n<\/lite-youtube><\/p>\n3. Pay attention to Spanish in the USA<\/h3>\n
Spanish is the second most-spoken language in the United States, thanks first to the country’s long history of conquests in Spanish-speaking lands and later to migration that continues to this day.<\/p>\n
Hispanics are one of the fastest-growing demographics in the United States, making the language economically and culturally invaluable for anyone living there.<\/p>\n
Spanish in the USA and Spanish from other parts of the Americas share many similarities in terms of pronunciation and grammar.<\/p>\n
However, one area in which USA Spanish is more unique is the incorporation of English grammar and words, i.e., Spanglish. It isn’t uncommon to meet people in the United States who speak both languages “poorly,” but another way of putting it is that they’re mixing the two to create something new.<\/p>\n
One example of how this occurs is the use of calques, or overly literal translations likellamar para atr\u00e1s<\/strong><\/em> (to call back). The more Spanish way to say that would bevolver a llamar<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\nAnother calque heard in the USA is sabe c\u00f3mo hablar ingl\u00e9s<\/em><\/strong> (he knows how to speak English) instead of just the more “correct”sabe hablar ingl\u00e9s<\/em><\/strong> (he can speak English).<\/em>\u00a0Yes, the ubiquitous “like” is becoming contagious.\u00a0<\/em>There’s more interesting coverage of calques here<\/a>.<\/p>\nThen there are the words that get borrowed (and sometimes Hispanified) to enrich American Spanish vocabulary. Some of my favorites are the verbs that add an –ear<\/em> to become Spanish-ish, like these ones below.<\/p>\n\n- Telefonear<\/strong><\/em> instead of llamar <\/em>(to call)<\/li>\n
- Parquear<\/em><\/strong>instead of estacionar <\/em>(to park)<\/li>\n
- Lunchear<\/em><\/strong> instead of almorzar <\/em>(to have lunch)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
4. Listen for pronunciation<\/h3>\n
Pronunciation varies widely across the Americas, making this a dangerous subject to generalize. But one thing we can say is that the accents have a lot in common with Spanish in Southern Spain (from which many people emigrated to the Americas back in the day).<\/p>\n
Here are some of the most common features of pronunciation in Latin America:<\/p>\n
\n- Dropped Ss.<\/strong> The S at the end of words sounds like an aspirated H, although sometimes it disappears entirely. Instead of hearing “\u00bfC\u00f3mo est\u00e1s?<\/em>” you’ll hear ” \u00bfC\u00f3mo est\u00e1?<\/em>” (How are you (informal)?). Due to the missing S, it can be difficult to know whether speakers are using the formal address, which would also be “\u00bfC\u00f3mo<\/em> est\u00e1?”<\/em>. Some speakers in Latin America will add back in the missing t\u00fa<\/em> for clarity by saying “\u00bfC\u00f3mo est\u00e1<\/em> t\u00fa?<\/em>” but it would still be written as \u00bfC\u00f3mo est\u00e1s t\u00fa?.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- Latin American Spanish speakers pronounce their Zs and Cs (before I and E) like Ss.<\/strong> Spaniards tend to stick their tongues into them, in a lisp that sounds like “tttthhhhhhh.”<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n- The J sound in Central America and the Caribbean is just like our English H. <\/strong>You won’t hear the sort of hacking sound that Spaniards make that sounds like the “ch” in the Scottish “loch.”<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
5. Pick your destination to study Spanish in Latin America<\/h3>\n
Some of the more popular destinations for Spanish study in Latin America are Argentina, Chile and Costa Rica. These are relatively stable and better-off places with good universities and a history of welcoming foreign students.<\/p>\n
The disadvantage of these places is that you won’t be alone. If your goal is to “lose yourself” in Latin American culture, you can certainly do it anywhere, but it will take more effort if there are lots of other foreign students around.<\/p>\n
I went to Santiago, Chile on a study abroad program in university because my study abroad counselor had nothing much to say when I asked where she thought I should go, and handed me a brochure seemingly at random.<\/p>\n
“You should go somewhere based on what culture you’re interested in,” she said, but I had no idea what any<\/em> of the cultures were like.<\/p>\nMaking your own decision based on your personal interests and course of study is definitely great advice, but here’s what I wish someone had said to me then, a bit more simply:<\/p>\n
Go to Buenos Aires if you like big, fascinating cultural cities.<\/p>\n
Go to Costa Rica if you like fabulous, relaxed people and pretty rainforests.<\/p>\n
Go to Peru, Ecuador or especially Bolivia if you want more of an adventure, amazing local music and real immersion away from so many other foreign students.<\/p>\n
6. Pick up local dialects<\/h3>\n
In a misguided effort to be accommodating, people you meet in Latin America will sometimes simplify or even “Castilianize” their speech when speaking to a foreigner. You should encourage them to speak their own version of the language; it’ll both help them value it and help you learn.<\/p>\n
You can reinforce this by asking them about new local words and phrases, noting them down and employing them in your own speech.<\/p>\n
Eventually, you’ll get to a point where locals don’t even think of you as a foreigner and will speak naturally\u2014and that’s when your Latin American Spanish will really start to take off.<\/p>\n
Unique Resources to Learn Latin American Spanish<\/h2>\n
Now that you have all the tips for tackling all the different variants, I want to share some of my favorite tools and references that will round out your Latin American Spanish.<\/p>\n
Some of these might even help you narrow down the regional dialect to focus on.<\/p>\n
Radio Ambulante<\/a><\/em><\/h3>\n![\"learn](\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/2\/learn-latin-american-spanish-3.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nBest for:<\/strong> Intermediate and advanced learners<\/p>\nRadio Ambulante<\/em> has always been a great resource for learning about Latin American cultures. And each episode is narrated like a story, which keeps listeners really engaged.<\/strong><\/p>\nAll the podcasts are accessible through the NPR website<\/a>, NPR One app<\/a>, Apple Podcasts<\/a>, Google Podcasts<\/a> and Spotify<\/a>, although I do prefer listening to them on the main Radio Ambulante<\/em> portal since I can read the transcripts as I’m listening to each episode. That way, I can also get a little reading practice in and note down any new words if I come across any.<\/p>\nThe website is fantastic, and it clearly labels the country of origin for each story.<\/p>\n
I do have to point out that these podcasts are around half an hour long and presented by Peruvian author Daniel Alarc\u00f3n.<\/p>\n
Generally, Radio Ambulante<\/em> is suited for anyone ready to learn intermediate-level Latin American Spanish, but it’s especially useful for those that want to listen for the Peruvian accent and slang.<\/p>\nIf you’re interested in learning more through these Latin American stories, you can download their app, JiveWorld<\/a>.<\/p>\nFluentU<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n![\"FluentU](\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/iTunesArtwork@1x.png\")
<\/a><\/div>\nBest for: <\/strong>Beginners to advanced learners<\/p>\nFluentU lets you turn authentic media into personalized language lessons, so you can learn Spanish exactly the way native speakers use it.<\/a><\/strong>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\tWith FluentU\u2019s Chrome extension, you can use our interactive learning tools with any subtitled content on YouTube or Netflix<\/strong>. You can even import your favorite YouTube videos directly into your FluentU account for customized learning!<\/p>\r\n\t![\"learn-spanish-with-fluentu-chrome-extension\"](\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/FluentU-interactive-subtitles-on-youtube-scaled.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\nFluentU also gives you access to a huge library of real-world Spanish videos<\/strong>\u2014movie trailers, news clips, music videos, and more\u2014all organized by topic and level.\r\n<\/p>\r\n![\"learn-spanish-with-videos\"](\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/FluentU-Spanish-video-library-on-app.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\nNo more stopping to look up words or struggling to keep up with fast speech. While you watch, FluentU\u2019s interactive captions<\/strong> let you tap on any word for an instant definition, audio, image, and example sentences.\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n![\"learn-spanish-with-fluentu\"](\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/FluentU-Spanish-learn-vocab-on-youtube-1.jpg\")
<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\nWorried you\u2019ll forget all those new words from the videos? We\u2019ve got you! Our fun, adaptive quizzes<\/strong> reinforce what you\u2019ve learned and even give you extra practice with words you find difficult, making sure they stick for the long run.\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n\t![\"practice-spanish-with-adaptive-quizzes\"](\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/2\/Spanish-4.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\nReady to make every video a language lesson? Start using FluentU on your computer or tablet, or download the FluentU app from the App Store or Google Play. Click here to take advantage of our current sale!<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\nLive Lingua Podcast<\/a><\/h3>\n![\"learn](\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/2\/learn-latin-american-spanish-2.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\nBest for:<\/strong> Beginners<\/p>\nThis is a good starting point for those with little to no experience in Spanish.<\/p>\n
While this podcast covers the fundamentals that can be used in all Spanish-speaking countries, the focus is on Latin America in terms of the language, cultural notes and activities that involve visualizing yourself in places like Venezuela and Chile<\/strong>.<\/p>\nThis beginner-level podcast is divided into 10 units, each composed of at least 10 episodes that are only a couple of minutes long. It’s basically bite-sized learning.<\/p>\n
Each unit contains audio lessons, visualization exercises and reviews to reinforce what had been covered in the unit, so even though you’re listening to recordings, the instructor still asks you questions to help you think and respond in Spanish.<\/p>\n
I recommend listening to these podcast lessons through the website so you can read along with the transcripts, but you can also find these episodes on Apple Podcasts<\/a>, Spotify<\/a> and Stitcher<\/a> if you prefer to learn on the go.<\/p>\nLengalia Podcast on Latin America<\/a><\/h3>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/2\/lengalia-logo-150x150.jpg\")
<\/a>Best for:<\/strong> Intermediate learners<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
If you want to know the similarities and differences between each Latin American Spanish, this podcast is what you should listen to.<\/p>\n
From Argentina to Venezuela, there’s a podcast for every nation in Latin America that speaks Spanish<\/strong>.<\/p>\nEvery episode is a conversation between European Spanish speaker Diana and a native speaker from each featured nation, which is helpful for distinguishing differences between accents.<\/p>\n
These 22-minute-long podcast conversations are actually part of a course that provides vocabulary lists, language exercises, translations and transcripts for the dialogues. But you can access all the podcasts for free through the website.<\/p>\n
I can’t speak on the rest of the course content since the audios alone already provide a ton of information, from climate, food, history, landscape and other interesting cultural tidbits that would attract Spanish-learning travelers.<\/p>\n
If you’re an intermediate learner, I suggest you listen to these dialogues, pausing them any time you want to take any notes.<\/p>\n
Academia Latinoamericana de Espa\u00f1ol<\/a><\/h3>\n![\"learn](\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/2\/learn-latin-american-spanish-1.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nBest for:<\/strong> Beginners<\/p>\nAcademia Latinoamericana de Espa\u00f1ol offers Spanish programs and volunteering opportunities in Cusco (Peru), Quito (Ecuador) and Sucre (Bolivia).<\/p>\n
Additionally, the website has a good selection of free resources that’s really helpful for complete beginners<\/strong>.<\/p>\nThese resources are divided into four sections.<\/p>\n
The first is the Spanish lessons<\/a> section which consists of nine lessons that will teach you the language basics.<\/p>\nNext up is Spanish Pills<\/a>, a section dedicated to distinguishing between similar-sounding words and pronunciations between Latin American and European Spanish.<\/p>\nThe last two sections are\u00a0Spanish Vocabulary<\/a> and Survival Guides<\/a>, both of which cater to Latin America.<\/p>\nIf you like the idea of studying online but require some guidance, you always have the option to sign up for the online course, where you’ll be paired with a teacher that can work with you for up to 16 weeks.<\/p>\n
Complete Latin American Spanish Course on Udemy<\/a><\/h3>\n![\"learn](\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/2\/learn-latin-american-spanish.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nBest for:<\/strong> Beginners<\/p>\nNeed something more comprehensive as a novice? Then this course on Udemy might be what you’re looking for. You’ll even get a certificate of completion if you’re motivated by that kind of thing or want a skill to add to your resum\u00e9.<\/p>\n
What I like about this course is that the lectures start you off in an environment you’re already familiar with\u2014your own home.<\/p>\n
From rooms and household items to daily routines and chores, the grammar and vocabulary lessons are all centered on what you do and see every day<\/strong>.<\/p>\nThe Complete Latin American Spanish Course has 26 lectures that are just about six hours in total length. This includes 15 video lessons and four extra, and if you want to emulate that classroom experience, you can also project these lessons onto your smart TV.<\/p>\n
In addition, there are 44 downloadable resources so you take those with you everywhere you go.<\/p>\n
University of Texas Spanish Proficiency Exercises<\/a><\/h3>\nBest for:<\/strong> Intermediate and advanced learners<\/p>\nThe previous two resources are targeted at complete novices, but the problem with those is that there isn’t any progression into more advanced levels. If you want to take it a step further, these online exercises courtesy of the University of Texas at Austin will give you what you need.<\/p>\n
Although the provided tasks range from Beginning to Superior Level, the video examples and podcast lessons are completely in Spanish<\/strong>, presented by native speakers from all over Latin America that speak at a normal speed.<\/p>\nThese clips are just around a minute or so, but this kind of immersion might be a little intimidating for learners who are just starting out.<\/p>\n
Take note that these exercises were made way back in 2006. The video quality is less than stellar, but the content is timeless.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I admit that this course is a little dry and the website design could be more engaging, but I do enjoy their short and sweet grammar explanations that usually have comparisons to English structures.<\/p>\n
There’s a lot of ground to cover when it comes to Spanish grammar, so I appreciate the conciseness of the grammar and vocab sections.<\/p>\n
Gritty Spanish<\/a><\/h3>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/2\/Gritty-Spanish-150x150.jpg\")
<\/a>Best for:<\/strong> Beginners and intermediate learners<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
This language learning resource is far from anything you’ve encountered before. Or that’s what it was like at least for me.<\/p>\n
The one thing you’ll quickly learn about Latin Americans is that they’re very passionate. Thus, there’s an intensity when they express their emotions. If you want to learn how to argue, swear and deal with daily struggles like a true Latin American<\/strong>, then Gritty Spanish has got you covered.<\/p>\nWhat’s fantastic about this program is how truly realistic the situations are, from the conversational flow to the background noises that really immerse you into each scenario.<\/p>\n
The content really helps you speak and relate to Latin American communities on an entirely new and spunky level, which you definitely need if you want to communicate with locals as authentically as possible.<\/p>\n
There are four audio packs and an additional pack which is just a censored version of the original. You also get a free e-Book<\/a> when you sign up. Read our full review of Gritty Spanish here.<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n“Colloquial Spanish of Latin America”<\/a><\/h3>\n![\"Colloquial](\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/615Uu1Xae5L._SL500_.jpg\" "\\"Colloquial")
<\/a><\/p>\nBest for:<\/strong> Beginners<\/p>\nAs much as I enjoy having access to online resources, I still like having some sort of textbook on hand to work on my reading and writing skills.<\/p>\n
I also like mixing up my learning materials so I can listen to and see complex grammar structures in different forms.<\/p>\n
It’s true that spoken Spanish can vary greatly from written Spanish, but “Colloquial Spanish of Latin America” features real conversations, clear explanations, supportive exercises, culture points and a focus on Latin American pronunciation to get you to learn the language the way it’s actually spoken daily.<\/p>\n
This book has been used both in classrooms and for independent study<\/strong>, so that says a lot about the quality of the content.<\/p>\n“Colloquial Spanish of Latin America” is also accompanied by audio files<\/a> from native speakers. The files are available for download to help you refine that Latin American accent and pronunciation.<\/p>\n“Spanish Short Stories for Beginners”<\/a><\/h3>\n![\"Spanish](\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/51fPH40cgnL._SL500_.jpg\" "\\"Spanish")
<\/a><\/p>\nBest for:<\/strong> Beginners<\/p>\nIf courses and textbooks seem a little too boring for you, consider learning Spanish through short stories that are distinctly Latin American in terms of cultural subtleties, idiomatic expressions and colloquial language.<\/p>\n
The majority of the text is in the present tense<\/strong>, so there’s nothing too crazy, grammar-wise. The stories are a light read, each divided into three chapters that contain vocabulary lists, comprehension questions and answer keys.<\/p>\nBecause these stories are inherently short and are accompanied by an English translation, this book is an excellent escape from that generic language textbook that beginners are so often recommended.<\/p>\n
For parallel texts like this, I like to read them before bedtime and then read them again the next day before completing the exercises.<\/p>\n
If this book works out for you, you can also order the second volume of stories<\/a>.<\/p>\nRadioLingua<\/a><\/h3>\nBest for:\u00a0<\/strong>Intermediate and advanced learners<\/p>\n![\"Radio](\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/2\/Radio_Lingua_Logo.png\")
<\/p>\n
RadioLingua is a fairly new website that exposes world-language learners to the basics in pronunciation, common phrases and conversation through short 3:37-minute audio bits<\/strong>. Lucky for you, they have recently added RadioLingua One Minute Spanish for Latin America, with a premium course and membership in the works that will cost only $12 USD.<\/p>\nCurrently the free version provides listeners with 10 lessons that offers a nice, friendly and approachable method to LAS audio. These 10 lessons are ideal for beginners, as phrases are repeated several times, with English translations incorporated into the audio bits.<\/p>\n
To get an idea how the One Minute LAS system works, listen to the 1-minute\u00a0introductory video<\/a>\u00a0and then head over to\u00a0Lesson 1<\/a>. For your convenience, all lessons can be downloaded to your iTunes or as an mp3 file on your computer.<\/p>\nDialectos<\/a><\/h3>\nBest for:\u00a0<\/strong>Beginners to advanced learners<\/p>\nDialectos\u00a0<\/em>(dialects) is the holy grail of LAS sounds and phonetics. The precision of its search engine offers a language gold mine where you can explore all angles of LAS pronunciation and accents. The search engine provides you with four different search fields: country, linguistic feature, conversational topic and indigenous language<\/strong>\u2014how cool is that!<\/p>\nLet\u2019s say that you\u2019re amused by\u00a0the use of\u00a0voseo<\/em>\u00a0in LAS<\/a>, or maybe you just want to listen to some\u00a0LAS from Puerto Rico<\/a>.\u00a0No worries, because\u00a0Dialectos<\/em>\u00a0has you covered\u2014even going as far as offering you\u00a0audio in the Quechua language<\/a>, an indigenous Andean language, and also the second official language in Peru.<\/p>\nAlthough the indigenous language section is limited, it\u2019s nonetheless an important linguistic aspect of LA to explore as an engaged learner. Quechua in Peru, Aymara in Bolivia\u00a0and Guarani in Paraguay are\u00a0definitely worth exploring because of the re-emergence of indigenous communities in popular society and the formation\u00a0of these languages alongside Spanish in state affairs.<\/p>\n
Veinte Mundos<\/a><\/em><\/h3>\nBest for:\u00a0<\/strong>Beginners to intermediate learners<\/p>\n![\"Veinte](\"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/site\/\/2\/Screenshot-2023-10-03-11.52.41-AM.png\")
<\/p>\n
This is a very practical site which offers LAS audio neatly organized in four sections: Art\/Culture, Travel\/Geography, Society\/Economy and Short Stories.<\/p>\n
The audio recordings\u00a0range from 6-10 minutes, and all of them come with a colorful written transcript. The topics are complex enough to offer a comfortable level for advanced speakers, but are just accessible enough\u00a0to create a real challenge for both beginners and intermediates<\/strong>\u2014thanks\u00a0to the length and written transcripts.<\/p>\n
The t\u00fa <\/em>(informal you) that you might have learned in Spanish class is replaced with vos<\/em> in Argentina, Uruguay and in a few other countries. It’s considered perfectly correct in Argentina, and using it there is a great way to show that you value the local version of the language.<\/p>\n The conjugations of the verbs are a bit different from t\u00fa<\/em>. They also change slightly depending on the country that you’re in.<\/p>\n A really quick and easy way to use it is by saying Bien, \u00bfy vos?<\/em><\/strong> (Good. And you?) when someone asks you \u00bfQu\u00e9 tal?<\/em><\/strong> (How’s it going?)<\/p>\n Did you breathe a sigh of relief when you discovered that Latin American Spanish doesn’t have\u00a0vosotros<\/em>, meaning you could forgo learning an entire set of conjugations?<\/p>\n Well, it seems that every time a language gives you some simple freebie, it also wallops you with something else that’s extremely complex.<\/p>\n In the case of Latin American Spanish, you’re going to have to use the preterite a lot more than you would in European Spanish. Europeans tend to rely more heavily on the perfect tense<\/a>, and the relatively easy constructions likehe ido, has ido, ha ido<\/em><\/strong> (I went, you went, he\/she went \u2014 lit. I have gone, you have gone, he\/she has gone).<\/p>\n These are formed with the conjugated form of haber<\/em> (to have) and the participle form of the verb. The participle endings are -ado<\/em> for -ar<\/em> verbs and -ido<\/em> for -er<\/em> and -ir<\/em> verbs.<\/p>\n In Latin America, you use the preterite form<\/a> for all simple actions completed in the past, and the preterite form has lots of irregular verbs.<\/p>\n For example, the verb ir<\/em> shown above becomes fui, fuiste, fue, fuimos, fueron<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0(I went, you went, he\/she went, we went, they went). If you went to the market<\/a> this morning and returned to your lover with a basket of goodies, you would say the following:<\/p>\n There’s no way around this. You really have to memorize all of those irregular ones if you want to speak even passable Latin American Spanish<\/a>.<\/p>\n For further studying, preterite\u00a0conjugations are readily available at WordReference.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n Some of the best practices for learning this form include flashcards and writing\/telling people stories about past events in your life in order to practice what you’ve learned. It also helps to watch videos from Latin America that make use of the past tense.<\/p>\n TV shows are useful for seeing the preterite form in action. In fact, this video from the FluentU Spanish YouTube channel<\/a> has a good number of shows that will demonstrate the differences in past tense between European and Latin American Spanish.<\/p>\n Spanish is the second most-spoken language in the United States, thanks first to the country’s long history of conquests in Spanish-speaking lands and later to migration that continues to this day.<\/p>\n Hispanics are one of the fastest-growing demographics in the United States, making the language economically and culturally invaluable for anyone living there.<\/p>\n Spanish in the USA and Spanish from other parts of the Americas share many similarities in terms of pronunciation and grammar.<\/p>\n However, one area in which USA Spanish is more unique is the incorporation of English grammar and words, i.e., Spanglish. It isn’t uncommon to meet people in the United States who speak both languages “poorly,” but another way of putting it is that they’re mixing the two to create something new.<\/p>\n One example of how this occurs is the use of calques, or overly literal translations likellamar para atr\u00e1s<\/strong><\/em> (to call back). The more Spanish way to say that would bevolver a llamar<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n Another calque heard in the USA is sabe c\u00f3mo hablar ingl\u00e9s<\/em><\/strong> (he knows how to speak English) instead of just the more “correct”sabe hablar ingl\u00e9s<\/em><\/strong> (he can speak English).<\/em>\u00a0Yes, the ubiquitous “like” is becoming contagious.\u00a0<\/em>There’s more interesting coverage of calques here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Then there are the words that get borrowed (and sometimes Hispanified) to enrich American Spanish vocabulary. Some of my favorites are the verbs that add an –ear<\/em> to become Spanish-ish, like these ones below.<\/p>\n Pronunciation varies widely across the Americas, making this a dangerous subject to generalize. But one thing we can say is that the accents have a lot in common with Spanish in Southern Spain (from which many people emigrated to the Americas back in the day).<\/p>\n Here are some of the most common features of pronunciation in Latin America:<\/p>\n Some of the more popular destinations for Spanish study in Latin America are Argentina, Chile and Costa Rica. These are relatively stable and better-off places with good universities and a history of welcoming foreign students.<\/p>\n The disadvantage of these places is that you won’t be alone. If your goal is to “lose yourself” in Latin American culture, you can certainly do it anywhere, but it will take more effort if there are lots of other foreign students around.<\/p>\n I went to Santiago, Chile on a study abroad program in university because my study abroad counselor had nothing much to say when I asked where she thought I should go, and handed me a brochure seemingly at random.<\/p>\n “You should go somewhere based on what culture you’re interested in,” she said, but I had no idea what any<\/em> of the cultures were like.<\/p>\n Making your own decision based on your personal interests and course of study is definitely great advice, but here’s what I wish someone had said to me then, a bit more simply:<\/p>\n Go to Buenos Aires if you like big, fascinating cultural cities.<\/p>\n Go to Costa Rica if you like fabulous, relaxed people and pretty rainforests.<\/p>\n Go to Peru, Ecuador or especially Bolivia if you want more of an adventure, amazing local music and real immersion away from so many other foreign students.<\/p>\n In a misguided effort to be accommodating, people you meet in Latin America will sometimes simplify or even “Castilianize” their speech when speaking to a foreigner. You should encourage them to speak their own version of the language; it’ll both help them value it and help you learn.<\/p>\n You can reinforce this by asking them about new local words and phrases, noting them down and employing them in your own speech.<\/p>\n Eventually, you’ll get to a point where locals don’t even think of you as a foreigner and will speak naturally\u2014and that’s when your Latin American Spanish will really start to take off.<\/p>\n Now that you have all the tips for tackling all the different variants, I want to share some of my favorite tools and references that will round out your Latin American Spanish.<\/p>\n Some of these might even help you narrow down the regional dialect to focus on.<\/p>\n Best for:<\/strong> Intermediate and advanced learners<\/p>\n Radio Ambulante<\/em> has always been a great resource for learning about Latin American cultures. And each episode is narrated like a story, which keeps listeners really engaged.<\/strong><\/p>\n All the podcasts are accessible through the NPR website<\/a>, NPR One app<\/a>, Apple Podcasts<\/a>, Google Podcasts<\/a> and Spotify<\/a>, although I do prefer listening to them on the main Radio Ambulante<\/em> portal since I can read the transcripts as I’m listening to each episode. That way, I can also get a little reading practice in and note down any new words if I come across any.<\/p>\n The website is fantastic, and it clearly labels the country of origin for each story.<\/p>\n I do have to point out that these podcasts are around half an hour long and presented by Peruvian author Daniel Alarc\u00f3n.<\/p>\n Generally, Radio Ambulante<\/em> is suited for anyone ready to learn intermediate-level Latin American Spanish, but it’s especially useful for those that want to listen for the Peruvian accent and slang.<\/p>\n If you’re interested in learning more through these Latin American stories, you can download their app, JiveWorld<\/a>.<\/p>\n Best for: <\/strong>Beginners to advanced learners<\/p>\n FluentU lets you turn authentic media into personalized language lessons, so you can learn Spanish exactly the way native speakers use it.<\/a><\/strong>\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\n\tWith FluentU\u2019s Chrome extension, you can use our interactive learning tools with any subtitled content on YouTube or Netflix<\/strong>. You can even import your favorite YouTube videos directly into your FluentU account for customized learning!<\/p> \r\n\t \r\nFluentU also gives you access to a huge library of real-world Spanish videos<\/strong>\u2014movie trailers, news clips, music videos, and more\u2014all organized by topic and level.\r\n<\/p> \r\n \r\nNo more stopping to look up words or struggling to keep up with fast speech. While you watch, FluentU\u2019s interactive captions<\/strong> let you tap on any word for an instant definition, audio, image, and example sentences.\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\n \r\nWorried you\u2019ll forget all those new words from the videos? We\u2019ve got you! Our fun, adaptive quizzes<\/strong> reinforce what you\u2019ve learned and even give you extra practice with words you find difficult, making sure they stick for the long run.\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\n\t \r\nReady to make every video a language lesson? Start using FluentU on your computer or tablet, or download the FluentU app from the App Store or Google Play. Click here to take advantage of our current sale!<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\n Best for:<\/strong> Beginners<\/p>\n This is a good starting point for those with little to no experience in Spanish.<\/p>\n While this podcast covers the fundamentals that can be used in all Spanish-speaking countries, the focus is on Latin America in terms of the language, cultural notes and activities that involve visualizing yourself in places like Venezuela and Chile<\/strong>.<\/p>\n This beginner-level podcast is divided into 10 units, each composed of at least 10 episodes that are only a couple of minutes long. It’s basically bite-sized learning.<\/p>\n Each unit contains audio lessons, visualization exercises and reviews to reinforce what had been covered in the unit, so even though you’re listening to recordings, the instructor still asks you questions to help you think and respond in Spanish.<\/p>\n I recommend listening to these podcast lessons through the website so you can read along with the transcripts, but you can also find these episodes on Apple Podcasts<\/a>, Spotify<\/a> and Stitcher<\/a> if you prefer to learn on the go.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n If you want to know the similarities and differences between each Latin American Spanish, this podcast is what you should listen to.<\/p>\n From Argentina to Venezuela, there’s a podcast for every nation in Latin America that speaks Spanish<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Every episode is a conversation between European Spanish speaker Diana and a native speaker from each featured nation, which is helpful for distinguishing differences between accents.<\/p>\n These 22-minute-long podcast conversations are actually part of a course that provides vocabulary lists, language exercises, translations and transcripts for the dialogues. But you can access all the podcasts for free through the website.<\/p>\n I can’t speak on the rest of the course content since the audios alone already provide a ton of information, from climate, food, history, landscape and other interesting cultural tidbits that would attract Spanish-learning travelers.<\/p>\n If you’re an intermediate learner, I suggest you listen to these dialogues, pausing them any time you want to take any notes.<\/p>\n Best for:<\/strong> Beginners<\/p>\n Academia Latinoamericana de Espa\u00f1ol offers Spanish programs and volunteering opportunities in Cusco (Peru), Quito (Ecuador) and Sucre (Bolivia).<\/p>\n Additionally, the website has a good selection of free resources that’s really helpful for complete beginners<\/strong>.<\/p>\n These resources are divided into four sections.<\/p>\n The first is the Spanish lessons<\/a> section which consists of nine lessons that will teach you the language basics.<\/p>\n Next up is Spanish Pills<\/a>, a section dedicated to distinguishing between similar-sounding words and pronunciations between Latin American and European Spanish.<\/p>\n The last two sections are\u00a0Spanish Vocabulary<\/a> and Survival Guides<\/a>, both of which cater to Latin America.<\/p>\n If you like the idea of studying online but require some guidance, you always have the option to sign up for the online course, where you’ll be paired with a teacher that can work with you for up to 16 weeks.<\/p>\n Best for:<\/strong> Beginners<\/p>\n Need something more comprehensive as a novice? Then this course on Udemy might be what you’re looking for. You’ll even get a certificate of completion if you’re motivated by that kind of thing or want a skill to add to your resum\u00e9.<\/p>\n What I like about this course is that the lectures start you off in an environment you’re already familiar with\u2014your own home.<\/p>\n From rooms and household items to daily routines and chores, the grammar and vocabulary lessons are all centered on what you do and see every day<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The Complete Latin American Spanish Course has 26 lectures that are just about six hours in total length. This includes 15 video lessons and four extra, and if you want to emulate that classroom experience, you can also project these lessons onto your smart TV.<\/p>\n In addition, there are 44 downloadable resources so you take those with you everywhere you go.<\/p>\n Best for:<\/strong> Intermediate and advanced learners<\/p>\n The previous two resources are targeted at complete novices, but the problem with those is that there isn’t any progression into more advanced levels. If you want to take it a step further, these online exercises courtesy of the University of Texas at Austin will give you what you need.<\/p>\n Although the provided tasks range from Beginning to Superior Level, the video examples and podcast lessons are completely in Spanish<\/strong>, presented by native speakers from all over Latin America that speak at a normal speed.<\/p>\n These clips are just around a minute or so, but this kind of immersion might be a little intimidating for learners who are just starting out.<\/p>\n Take note that these exercises were made way back in 2006. The video quality is less than stellar, but the content is timeless.\u00a0<\/p>\n I admit that this course is a little dry and the website design could be more engaging, but I do enjoy their short and sweet grammar explanations that usually have comparisons to English structures.<\/p>\n There’s a lot of ground to cover when it comes to Spanish grammar, so I appreciate the conciseness of the grammar and vocab sections.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This language learning resource is far from anything you’ve encountered before. Or that’s what it was like at least for me.<\/p>\n The one thing you’ll quickly learn about Latin Americans is that they’re very passionate. Thus, there’s an intensity when they express their emotions. If you want to learn how to argue, swear and deal with daily struggles like a true Latin American<\/strong>, then Gritty Spanish has got you covered.<\/p>\n What’s fantastic about this program is how truly realistic the situations are, from the conversational flow to the background noises that really immerse you into each scenario.<\/p>\n The content really helps you speak and relate to Latin American communities on an entirely new and spunky level, which you definitely need if you want to communicate with locals as authentically as possible.<\/p>\n There are four audio packs and an additional pack which is just a censored version of the original. You also get a free e-Book<\/a> when you sign up. Read our full review of Gritty Spanish here.<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n Best for:<\/strong> Beginners<\/p>\n As much as I enjoy having access to online resources, I still like having some sort of textbook on hand to work on my reading and writing skills.<\/p>\n I also like mixing up my learning materials so I can listen to and see complex grammar structures in different forms.<\/p>\n It’s true that spoken Spanish can vary greatly from written Spanish, but “Colloquial Spanish of Latin America” features real conversations, clear explanations, supportive exercises, culture points and a focus on Latin American pronunciation to get you to learn the language the way it’s actually spoken daily.<\/p>\n This book has been used both in classrooms and for independent study<\/strong>, so that says a lot about the quality of the content.<\/p>\n “Colloquial Spanish of Latin America” is also accompanied by audio files<\/a> from native speakers. The files are available for download to help you refine that Latin American accent and pronunciation.<\/p>\n Best for:<\/strong> Beginners<\/p>\n If courses and textbooks seem a little too boring for you, consider learning Spanish through short stories that are distinctly Latin American in terms of cultural subtleties, idiomatic expressions and colloquial language.<\/p>\n The majority of the text is in the present tense<\/strong>, so there’s nothing too crazy, grammar-wise. The stories are a light read, each divided into three chapters that contain vocabulary lists, comprehension questions and answer keys.<\/p>\n Because these stories are inherently short and are accompanied by an English translation, this book is an excellent escape from that generic language textbook that beginners are so often recommended.<\/p>\n For parallel texts like this, I like to read them before bedtime and then read them again the next day before completing the exercises.<\/p>\n If this book works out for you, you can also order the second volume of stories<\/a>.<\/p>\n Best for:\u00a0<\/strong>Intermediate and advanced learners<\/p>\n RadioLingua is a fairly new website that exposes world-language learners to the basics in pronunciation, common phrases and conversation through short 3:37-minute audio bits<\/strong>. Lucky for you, they have recently added RadioLingua One Minute Spanish for Latin America, with a premium course and membership in the works that will cost only $12 USD.<\/p>\n Currently the free version provides listeners with 10 lessons that offers a nice, friendly and approachable method to LAS audio. These 10 lessons are ideal for beginners, as phrases are repeated several times, with English translations incorporated into the audio bits.<\/p>\n To get an idea how the One Minute LAS system works, listen to the 1-minute\u00a0introductory video<\/a>\u00a0and then head over to\u00a0Lesson 1<\/a>. For your convenience, all lessons can be downloaded to your iTunes or as an mp3 file on your computer.<\/p>\n Best for:\u00a0<\/strong>Beginners to advanced learners<\/p>\n Dialectos\u00a0<\/em>(dialects) is the holy grail of LAS sounds and phonetics. The precision of its search engine offers a language gold mine where you can explore all angles of LAS pronunciation and accents. The search engine provides you with four different search fields: country, linguistic feature, conversational topic and indigenous language<\/strong>\u2014how cool is that!<\/p>\n Let\u2019s say that you\u2019re amused by\u00a0the use of\u00a0voseo<\/em>\u00a0in LAS<\/a>, or maybe you just want to listen to some\u00a0LAS from Puerto Rico<\/a>.\u00a0No worries, because\u00a0Dialectos<\/em>\u00a0has you covered\u2014even going as far as offering you\u00a0audio in the Quechua language<\/a>, an indigenous Andean language, and also the second official language in Peru.<\/p>\n Although the indigenous language section is limited, it\u2019s nonetheless an important linguistic aspect of LA to explore as an engaged learner. Quechua in Peru, Aymara in Bolivia\u00a0and Guarani in Paraguay are\u00a0definitely worth exploring because of the re-emergence of indigenous communities in popular society and the formation\u00a0of these languages alongside Spanish in state affairs.<\/p>\n Best for:\u00a0<\/strong>Beginners to intermediate learners<\/p>\n This is a very practical site which offers LAS audio neatly organized in four sections: Art\/Culture, Travel\/Geography, Society\/Economy and Short Stories.<\/p>\n The audio recordings\u00a0range from 6-10 minutes, and all of them come with a colorful written transcript. The topics are complex enough to offer a comfortable level for advanced speakers, but are just accessible enough\u00a0to create a real challenge for both beginners and intermediates<\/strong>\u2014thanks\u00a0to the length and written transcripts.<\/p>\n2. Use the preterite (instead of the perfect)<\/h3>\n
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3. Pay attention to Spanish in the USA<\/h3>\n
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4. Listen for pronunciation<\/h3>\n
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5. Pick your destination to study Spanish in Latin America<\/h3>\n
6. Pick up local dialects<\/h3>\n
Unique Resources to Learn Latin American Spanish<\/h2>\n
Radio Ambulante<\/a><\/em><\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nFluentU<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/div>\n<\/a><\/p>\r\n<\/a><\/p>\r\n<\/a>\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/a><\/p>\r\nLive Lingua Podcast<\/a><\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nLengalia Podcast on Latin America<\/a><\/h3>\n
<\/a>Best for:<\/strong> Intermediate learners<\/p>\nAcademia Latinoamericana de Espa\u00f1ol<\/a><\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nComplete Latin American Spanish Course on Udemy<\/a><\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nUniversity of Texas Spanish Proficiency Exercises<\/a><\/h3>\n
Gritty Spanish<\/a><\/h3>\n
<\/a>Best for:<\/strong> Beginners and intermediate learners<\/p>\n“Colloquial Spanish of Latin America”<\/a><\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n“Spanish Short Stories for Beginners”<\/a><\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nRadioLingua<\/a><\/h3>\n
<\/p>\nDialectos<\/a><\/h3>\n
Veinte Mundos<\/a><\/em><\/h3>\n
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