Dreams remain in the life of each person as an orientation that allows making decisions, since they give a special direction to each new adventure that begins. Dreams are also built from the desire to do what you like the most in a special way or to have a different experience with what attracts someone the most.

Colombia, for example, considered one of the happiest countries in the world, has allowed many foreigners to come to fulfill one of the greatest dreams in common; know South America. This country favors the start of this trip due to its geographical location and its accent, as many say that it is attractive and clear. Well, actually, for many more characteristics of the country.

Anita, as we affectionately call her in Colombia, is a Swiss woman who saved a lot of money as a bet on happiness to fulfill her dream of traveling through South America. This trip begins in Brazil, in a surf and yoga camp, and continues in Colombia when entering the Amazon jungle. She knew that Colombia had to be a key destination to really start her journey through everything new that can be found in one place: jungle, deserts, mountains, volcanoes, beaches, among others. So within her plan was to spend two months in the country, but they turned into four months, due to all the surprises that she brought her, since she did not want to leave Colombia.

Although in almost all the countries of this subcontinent Spanish speaking, this is not an impediment if you know the key words to survive in a place. For example, "hello", "please/thank you", "beer", "the bill" or "bye". However, it is necessary to take Spanish classes that guide autonomous learning that can take place during the trip by interacting with the locals of each place, and to understand cultural situations and thoughts.

On learning spanish, Anita indicates that it is a disadvantage to feel fear when making mistakes, since they are part of the learning process. So her strategy, due to her shyness, was based on writing texts that would be corrected by teachers at the school where she studied, Nueva Lengua. This school gave her the opportunity to know the basics of Spanish that she would need to continue learning on her own during her trip and to have the necessary resources to complete her experience as a tourist.

The school Nueva Lengua also allowed him to explore two cultures while learning because he took classes at the Medellín and Bogotá locations. In each one, her experience was different, due to the context of each city, and very good because in both she learned a lot. In these, the camaraderie and social support that exists in Medellín, for example, and the seriousness of the classes in Bogotá stand out. The experience of learning Spanish in two different cities allows us to recognize that there are factors such as the climate, the personality of the people, the transport in the city and its size, which intervene in the process of learning a language, since they intervene in affectivity of the learner to motivate him to study more. However, Colombians in general help in the process of learning Spanish because they are interested in foreigners having a good experience, even if they have to use their body language a lot.

So to start a new adventure and fulfill the dream of touring South America without speaking Spanish, the main recommendation is to start the trip in Colombia. Spanish school Nueva Lengua You can contribute a lot to this experience with autonomous learning tools, cultural information and of course, with Spanish classes in different parts of Colombia.

For more information, write your comments and questions to info@nuevalengua.com

Diana Lozano Cotes, Spanish teacher, Nueva Lengua Bogotá