Hi.

I am looking to include social science into my PhD study which will be conducted in Central America, and will therefore need to be fluent in Spanish. I already have basic conversational skills, though feel it necessary to become fluent in all aspects of the language (i.e., written, speaking, listening, and reading).

Can anyone suggest any language courses, please? (I am based in the UK, but do not mind travelling for training).

Thanks in advance!

Adios! :-)

I am giving you suggestion learning chocolate web site is very good for learning English.

Thanks for the suggestion :)

Hi NJR,

I would recommend doing your language learning in Central America. You might find that the teaching is a bit traditional in some language schools (emphasis on grammar, rote learning), but you will get one-to-one tuition at an affordable price, and of course you will be learning Central American Spanish from the start (there's a big difference). Are you going to focus on any particular countries? I studied at a great school in Estelí, Nicaragua, but most schools have websites now so it shouldn't take much googling to find something you like.

Good luck!

Hi Xiuhei,

Thank you for your reply. I will do a bit of googling to see what is available. Out of interest, how long did you spend in school in Nicaragua and what level can you now speak - fluent? Thanks.

Hi again,

I spent about 8 months doing four hours a week at the school. My Spanish is pretty fluent, though quite colloquial, and this is partly the result of the tuition, though also the result of living in a village and having the options of speaking Spanish or not speaking at all.

I'm about to start a PhD in politics, on Nicaragua. Would be interested to hear about the Soc Sci elements of your research?

Xiuhei