José Soplanucas

@Unicorn explained very well the importance of knowing the purpose before deciding where to experience language immersion.

The question, then, is when we decide to cut in the evolution continuum to identify an origin. I think otherwise. I think the idea of "purity" of a language has to do with erudition and the need for the upper classes to be the ones able to speak a pure language. In some cases, like in Spanish, this idea is at the foundation of the Real Academia de la Lengua Española. I always liked English more because of its lack of language authority and the much more democratic idea of anyone being able to create language.

He definitely does not know what he is talking about. I partially disagree with you. I do not think there is any place that can claim to be the purest example of any language. Languages are living structures, constantly evolving and interacting with one another. Salamanca, hosting the most prestigious Spaniard university and being a relatively small city (I do not think the population reaches 200K), I am sure has many educated people who can speak and write very well in Castillan. But from that to say that the region has the purest form of the language there is a huge leap.

Agreed, they can be stupid and not racist!

I do not think that is possible after the BLM and woke movements rise.

What about Philipinos, Eskimos, Native American Indian ethnicities, Polynesians, (keep filling in your forgotten ethnicities)

When we point to structural racism as a challenge, there is always some oblivious/racist idiot saying: What? But I am color blinded!

I am in the poor wing of the forum. I cannot afford business or first class. I travel pretty comfortably in the Economy Plus section. United and American have this hybrid class that gives you extra legroom and better service, and usually boards with group 4 or 5.

I see how you came up so fast after I opened this thread. Nice!

Can more than one post be marked as "the solution" in one thread?

I see you typing, @RadioRob. Damn you are fast.

Hola! I just received a notification I had never seen before. Someone (I assume the thread's OP) marked one of my posts as "the solution." Is this something new? Gracias!

Suppose anyone is considering Buenos Aires, which is a great option to learn the Spanish spoken in the South Cone, specifically in the Rio de la Plata region. In that case, I strongly recommend the Laboratorio de Idiomas de la Universidad de Buenos Aires. The UBA is a very prestigious academic institution (internationally prestigious), and its Lab is a hub attracting learners of all languages and ages. Three decades ago, when I started to learn English, I attended this school. It is a public, utterly free university in all of its undergraduate schools and desperately seeks additional funding. The Lab is one of these additional funds sources, as they can charge for the enrollment. In my time, the Lab was inside the Facultad de Filosofía y Letras. I am confident that in these three decades, they improved the experience or mirrored it in other branches. The UBA may also be offering the service in other schools (Facultades). If the UBA endorses it, it is reliable. They specially cared about the courses offered to foreigners learning Spanish, as it is legal to have a differentiated fee for Mercosur citizens. They would get relatively a lot of funding from Europeans and North Americans taking the classes. As it was very popular and demanded institution, you were able to mingle with a very diverse crowd, diverse in all aspects. I hooked up so many times there. One of the things many would do was offer an exchange: I teach you Spanish, you teach me (fill in your target language). So native speakers of two languages had the chance to teach each other outside of a classroom setting. I made several American and British friendships. We would meet and chat half of the time in one language to then switch to the other in different environments. I am not sure, but I am confident this experience can be replicated in any big city if you resist the temptation to hang out with your own language speakers and instead mingle with the locals.

People of Color have to work harder and for less money than their White brothers and sisters in most professions, not only in escorting.

Bull shit. Your ignorance and your fondness for spreading falsehoods are unsurprising. Colombia is not a country full of White people as much as Mexico is not a country full of Indigenous people. You are just picking what you want to see (as usual) to back your falsehoods. So bad the Politics forums is hidden. Your pro-White racism is well-documented there. Perhaps you think that Colombia is full of Whites because you do not recognize the particular mestizo mix in the region, which is quite different from the Mexican mix.

I did not forget. Although Catalán, Vasco, and Gallego are the three most famous languages spoken in Spain besides Castellano, other regional languages exist (Valenciano, p.e.), but as Gallego, they are dying. Catalán is alive thanks to the cultural and economic power of the region, which supports a strong nationalist and separatist culture. The situation with Euskera (Vasco) is similar, but with an addition. Its origin is a linguistic mystery, and academic research came to strengthen the factors common with Catalunya. I do not think the nationalist culture is as strong in Galicia as in the Pais Vasco and Catalunya.

I agree with @Unicorn. I would not go to Barcelona to learn Spanish. The city is an excellent tourist destination but not the best place for a Spanish immersion experience. Whoever visited knows the feelings of the local nationalists, which often limits your chances to practice your target language. Something similar happens with Bilbao, although the city is less appealing than Mediterranean Barcelona. The Vasc country also has a solid nationalist culture around the local language.

I see you are missing the Politics forum to share your bitterness. Poor thing.

Look at you. Everyone in DC tries to escape our hellish summer, and you are trying to get in.

Colombia has two pluses over Mexico: The entire country is right now one of the most affordable destinations in the world and THE most affordable one in the Spanish-speaking universe In general, Colombian men are significatively more attractive than Mexicans. Perhaps this is a very subjective opinion? Hell no, Colombians are way hotter. 😇 Besides that, both cultures are unique, with strong local identities, and are gay-friendly in urban areas. Mexican educative system is more prestigious than the Colombian one, but the difference is probably nonexistent for language schools for foreigners.

Any Spanish-speaking country with a working educational system is a good option. Spain (Madrid, Valencia, Salamanca, Sevilla, Zaragoza), Colombia (Bogotá, Medellín), and Argentina (Buenos Aires, Córdoba, La Plata) are usually the most respected destinations, but Uruguay, Chile, and Mexico are great options. Some think you should choose the program's quality and disregard the destination. I can't entirely agree as I believe the best part of a language immersion experience occurs outside the classroom. I would first choose which is the most appealing destination in general and then research the best learning program available in that one city.

He used to tour the corridor NYC-Phili-DC. I always loved his porn work. About five years ago I contacted him to explore a contract. He told me he was not into kissing. I dropped the negotiation.

He will be in DC.

These (fill up with your favorite currency) are authentic.

@Good Grief