Tal: Studying in Argentina Was The Best Decision I Ever Made
Tal Recht, a student at Indiana University Bloomington, took a bold decision to strike out on his own and spend several months studying in Argentina. Now he says it was one of the best choices he's ever made. Here Tal tells the story of how he chose Buenos Aires as a study abroad destination and what the experience has been like.
Studying abroad in Argentina, let alone Latin America, was not an easy choice for me. Don't get me wrong, I was excited to go overseas: as a student at Indiana University Bloomington, I had heard many stories of my friends’ abroad experiences and how they changed their lives. However, I major in Jewish Studies and am pursuing a certificate in New Media and Interactive Storytelling and unfortunately, due to the unusual nature of these areas of study, I struggled to find any programs that offered classes that counted toward my major and certificate.
But when I thought again about how I already had many more credits than I needed, I realized I could actually study anywhere I wanted! Then came the harder choice: should I go where my friends were going, or choose somewhere I was truly passionate about?
All of my friends at the time had decided to go to Europe, in countries like France, Italy, Germany, and Spain. Most of my closest friends from school wanted to go to Madrid, and at first I was planning on joining them. I had visited Madrid the previous summer and liked it, but never really fell in love with it. Still, I figured I would have a good time because I would be there with my friends.
However, I kept having a gut feeling that it wasn’t the right choice. It felt like a voice telling me that everyone goes to Spain for their semester abroad and that there was more to explore. So, while hesitant, I pondered the idea of going to a country without any of my friends to have a truly authentic experience, and I started looking for options.
I narrowed it down to three: Australia, South Korea, and Argentina. All of these places were very far from my home, and none of my friends were going there. Then I thought about the idea of traveling all around South America and rediscovering my love for Spanish, which I had previously learned in high school but had forgotten most of. So, I decided to take a risk and choose Argentina, and it was the best choice I ever made.
My first day at Expanish Buenos Aires feels like it was yesterday. When I arrived at the school in the morning, I was greeted by very kind ladies working at the front desk, who showed me to my orientation. We learned how the classes worked, about the activities the school offers (which are many), and other important information. We were then escorted to our respective classes, greeted by our new teachers and immediately jumped right into learning Spanish
I am astonished by how students come from many different places around the world and are of many different ages. Every Monday, a new group of students joins, giving those who remain many opportunities to meet new people and learn about other places. It has been so interesting learning about everyone’s cultures and religions and making new friends. During my time here, I have made many friends, and barely any are from the US.
Almost every day, we accompany each other to lunch, activities offered by the school, and often meet up to go out to bars and clubs together during the weekend. Although my time at Expanish is coming to end, I plan on continuing to spend time with the friends I made here while I stick around in Argentina.
Learning in the Classroom and Beyond
When I first started at Expanish, I was nervous that I wouldn’t be able to adapt well to my class level because I hadn’t studied Spanish for about three years. However, I was completely wrong.
All of my teachers are extremely helpful in explaining different concepts and very encouraging when it comes to asking questions. In the past, I struggled with admitting when I didn’t understand something. At Expanish, however, questions are always welcomed and sometimes even encouraged.
They emphasize the importance of everyone understanding a concept before moving on. My Spanish progresses so quickly that I move up to A2 for a week and then to B1, which is my current level.
The classes aren’t only focused on textbooks and notebooks. They also offer ‘Spanish in the City’ classes, where we take field trips around Buenos Aires to learn about the city’s history and culture while practicing Spanish in real-life situations. Additionally, they offer conversation-focused classes, where we speak Spanish for the entire class and learn local slang, important phrases, and how to handle real situations.
I also love the different cultural activities available throughout the week, such as cooking classes, Latin dance classes, tango, museum tours, food market tours, and neighborhood walking tours. Although I wish I had more time to participate in all of them, I've really enjoyed the ones I do join. I take part in Latin dance and tango classes, where we learn from professional instructors and pick up many new moves that are both fun and useful for going out. I also like to join the wine-tasting meetup at a local wine bar, which is a great way to meet new people and try new Argentine wines.
We also recently got to experience what Buenos Aires Carnival is like. We watched a huge parade on one of the city’s biggest streets, with music, dancing, costumes, and people spraying white foam everywhere. This was probably my favorite activity because I could experience Argentine culture on another level by celebrating one of their biggest holidays.
Overall, I am truly enjoying my time at Expanish and wish it didn’t have to end so soon. After learning so much Spanish and making many new friends, I can confidently say that I feel prepared to live here for the next five months and continue immersing myself in Argentine society.
Find out about all of our study abroad programs in Buenos Aires as well as our other destinations in Spain and Latin America.
