Mente is so grateful to be repeatedly graced with the presence of such wonderful and interesting participants from all over the world. We get to meet so many travellers who pass through this city and love to hear what everyone thinks of their time here.
Katie spent a month in Buenos Aires and we could not have asked for a better participant. She participated in the Intensive Spanish Program and stayed with an Argentine family in one of our homestay acommodations. Katie took advantage of her Mente program and was sure to squeeze everything she could out of her experience here. We watched her go from speaking very little spanish to being able to make friends in a foreign language, a transformation that makes our work worth while.
There is no better way to learn about our programs than directly from those who have participated in them. If you are thinking about come to Buenos Aires to improve your spanish skills, take a minute to hear from Katie in her own words about her time here.
What did you think of Buenos Aires?
I loved Buenos Aires. You will never run out of things to do in the city. One of my favorite things is how the city had a little bit of everything. If you wanted to be in a very posh and historic area you could go to Recoleta or if you wanted something very modern and technological you could go to Puerto Madero or Palermo Soho. I also thought that the city was just very beautiful and it had a lot of character. I found traveling around the city and navigation to be relatively easy and the people I met were always very friendly to me and patient with my Spanish.
Can you tell us a little bit about your spanish classes?
The Spanish classes I took in Argentina were extremely helpful to me because it was four 
hours everyday dedicated solely to learning Spanish. At the school my teachers hardly ever spoke English to me. At first it was difficult because even when they were explaining complicated grammar and vocabulary it would be in Spanish. However, I soon realized how helpful this was because by listening to their explanations in Spanish and trying to make sense of it, I was learning a lot very fast. The Spanish classes were also very helpful to me because the teachers always encouraged us to speak. Although we had a workbook that we followed, we often spoke freely about many things. Understanding grammar is important, but being conversational is also extremely important for everyday life living in a foreign country. The best way to become conversational in a foreign language is to have conversations and so we engaged all the time in very fascinating conversations in my classes. Also, since my school was very international many people there did not speak English. This meant that the only way for me to communicate with many of my classmates during class as well as during breaks was through Spanish.
How was your experience with Mente Argentina?
My experience with Mente could not have been better. I found out about the program through a google search and I was very nervous going in because I had no idea what to expect. Mente was so helpful to me from the moment I arrived in Argentina. Mente set me up in my school, explained countless things to me, and provided me with a great community of people.
“They were the support system and feeling of security that I needed while I was traveling alone in a foreign country for the first time.”
I did not go to Argentina knowing anyone and through Mente events I was able to make great friends with people from all over the world. I always looked forward to going to the mente events because I would get a chance to see my friends who I didn’t see everyday in school and I would get to go to very fun and interesting places.
What did you like most about your time here in Buenos Aires?
“I enjoyed many things about my time here in Argentina, but I think that my favorite was going to language exchange events.”
I was a regular are Mate Club and I went twice a week. I really liked maté club because it gave me a chance to practice Spanish with locals, make great friends, and share our cultures. Besides being extremely fun, Mate Club also helped me learn a lot of Spanish. I learned special phrases and I learned to speak like the locals do instead of the very formal Spanish that is taught in many textbooks.
How do you think this experience will help you in the future?
“I think this experience will help me a lot in the future because it pushed me outside of my comfort zone.”
Going into my journey in Argentina I knew very little Spanish and I was terrified of speaking because I was embarrassed and afraid to make mistakes. I got over that fear very quickly while I was in Argentina because I was forced to use my Spanish. By the end of my time there I was speaking in Spanish almost 24/7. Since I have been back I have been very excited to continue using my Spanish. Now, I find myself speaking Spanish with everyone I meet who knows the language. Living in a major city like I do, I have found that being bilingual is extremely important and valuable.
What advice do you have for people thinking of coming to Buenos Aires?
My advice for people who are thinking of coming to Buenos Aires is to come! I have never learned a language faster than I did when I was living in Argentina. If you really want to learn a lot I also definitely recommend living with a host family. I had such an amazing time with my host family and they were unbelievably kind and welcoming to me. I think that living with a host family was a key reason I learned so much Spanish because I was forced to speak in Spanish outside of the classroom. My host family did not speak much English so all of our interactions were in Spanish. It was tricky at first, but after a few family dinners I was amazed by how much I was learning. By the end of my stay, I was able to join in their conversations at the table and we all would laugh together and enjoy one another’s company. I had an excellent relationship with my host family and they taught me so much Spanish and so much about Argentina.
Heather Houde @ Mente Argentina