Nestling amongst the Andean mountains, Sucre is a beautiful and unique place with a rich history. After spending time in Portuguese-speaking Brazil, my next stop in South America was the beautiful and mountainous country of Bolivia. I spent 3 weeks in Sucre, Bolivia’s constitutional capital, learning Spanish to equip myself for the rest of my travels.
Why Learn Spanish in Bolivia?
Sucre was a very pleasant place to set down roots for a few weeks. Despite being the capital city, it had a friendly small-town feel to it. It was quite safe to wander around, and had plenty of interesting sights to see (and eat) in between studying.
Sucre comes highly recommended as a language-learning location by previous travellers, and for good reason. The cost of living in Bolivia is especially low. It’s one of the cheapest places in South America, which makes learning here very affordable for a backpacker on a budget.
Bolivians are also known for their clear and neutral Spanish, which is perfect for learners. After travelling around South America, I can attest to the fact that Bolivian Spanish is one of the easiest accents to understand. Participating in conversation at the pace of a native speaker is a major hurdle for many learners. When you’re struggling to process all that new vocabulary, the last thing you want is to be left guessing what word was actually said. Try speaking to a Chilean and you’ll know what I mean!
My Experience Learning Spanish in Sucre
I had three weeks of Spanish lessons in Sucre, which was probably one of the best investments I’ve ever made. After 60 hours of one-to-one lessons, I went from knowing some basic phrases to being able to converse fairly comfortably in Spanish. Practical advantages aside, being able to connect with locals in their own language was definitely a big part of what made my South America trip so special.
I took 4 hours of morning lessons per day (08:30 – 12:30), 5 days a week. The early starts were a little painful, but I soon settled into the routine, and it meant the rest of my day was free for other things. The school offered both group and individual lessons. There wasn’t a major price difference, so I chose to have individual lessons to learn more effectively at my own pace.
It was a slightly odd feeling to be back at school. I almost felt like a teenager again, especially when I got given homework! The lessons were quite intense, and I always left with my brain feeling stuffed. Luckily, I got along really well with my teacher, Verónica, so my time was as enjoyable as it was educational. We did most of our lessons in one of the classrooms overlooking the central courtyard. But on sunny days we sometimes sat outside to enjoy the weather. We even had one lesson in a café, going over a particularly tricky piece of grammar with some Bolivian snacks for brain fuel!
I had a wonderful time studying at Sucre Spanish School. The staff were all lovely, and there was a general friendly and inviting atmosphere. There was a real mix of students – fellow travellers hailing from all parts of the world, which was an unexpected bonus.
Extracurricular Activities
Aside from classroom lessons, the school also organised other activities, including a Sunday market trip and a cooking class, where we learnt to make Bolivian peanut soup and spicy chicken. This was an amazing opportunity to experience everyday Bolivian home cooking, as well as practising our language skills in a different environment. Claudia, our cookery teacher, introduced us to traditional ingredients such as chuño (freeze-dried potato) and local fruits which I’d never even heard of before.
Homestay Experience
I decided to stay with a Bolivian family in Sucre, and organised this in advance through the school. Although this was a slightly more expensive option, I wanted to better immerse myself in local life and practice my Spanish. I stayed with a large family close to the centre of town, and it was a short 10-minute walk to class every day.
The family were friendly and welcoming, and patiently let me practice my beginner’s Spanish with them. We were always treated to a delicious three-course lunch after class every day – soup is a staple of Bolivian meals, as I soon found out. My room was also spacious and comfortable. I must admit, though, that this experience wasn’t quite what I’d envisaged.
The family regularly hosted students, and during my stay we had quite a large number (8 to 10). This was great from a social perspective, as I made lots of new friends from around the world. However, it meant that the experience didn’t feel particularly authentic. It was difficult to immerse myself in the language with so many English-speakers to fall back on. Having said that, I did really enjoy my time at the homestay, and would choose it again if I were to come back.
Practical Information
Sucre is situated at 2,810m above sea level and it may take some time to acclimatise to the altitude. It took me a few days to stop feeling out of breath after climbing a flight of stairs. You also get sunburnt more easily at altitude, so make sure to bring sunscreen.
Sucre’s climate is quite mild and is split into the dry season (winter), which lasts from April to September, and rainy season (summer), which lasts from October to March. I visited in March, which was at the end of the rainy season. I was treated to a mix of crazy storms and lovely sunny days. It did get fairly chilly at times, so I advise packing some warmer clothes. Or better yet, buy a patterned knitted jumper from a local stall as a souvenir. You’ll find the same designs all over South America, but they were the cheapest in Bolivia.
It’s important to note that everyone learns languages at a different pace, based on a number of factors, and there’s no shame in that. I’d previously studied French, which has similarities to Spanish as they’re both Latin languages. This made learning Spanish a lot easier for me. There’s no magic formula for learning a language – it takes hard work and practice. It’s therefore important to manage your expectations about how much can be achieved in the time that you have.
Recommended Spanish School: Sucre Spanish School
Lesson Cost: $6.5 USD (45 Bs) per hour or $6 (42 Bs) per hour for >20 hours
Homestay: $13 (90 Bs) per night, includes breakfast and lunch
Tips for Maximising Your Spanish School Experience
- Try to do some self-study before you arrive. You’ll have a better feel of the language and be able to progress more quickly if you’ve at least covered the very basics by yourself. Coffee Break Spanish was a really fun beginner’s Spanish podcast that I enjoyed.
- Book in advance and choose morning lessons. This allows you to maximise your free time to do other things (or study if you really want). The students in my homestay who had afternoon lessons never managed to do much with their days – just lie-in, lunch, and lessons.
- Make sure to do your homework and keep a vocabulary list. A bit of self-study outside of lessons is the best way to consolidate all that learning from class.
- Practice, practice, practice with anyone who will speak to you – the shopkeeper, the waiter, other students… Learning doesn’t have to feel like work if you find the right people to talk to. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes; it’s the best way to learn.
Read more about what to do in Sucre.
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