Spanish in Colombia is a new language guide written by August Flanagan, who I met in 2009 while waiting in line for a free tango show in downtown Medellin, Colombia.
I should add that before writing Spanish in Colombia, August created Lenguajero, a free online language learning community where people get together to practice their conversational English and Spanish.
As of 2011, there are over 10,000 members.
Spanish in Colombia
Getting back to the his guide, August was kind enough to send me a review copy, and I found it to be packed with very practical information.
If you’re heading to Colombia for a few days, or even been living here for a year or more like me, I’m sure you’ll learn a few new words, or fruits.
This 50-page ebook does more than just offer tips for learning Spanish, it’s a primer on the culture of Colombia.
The well-designed ebook is broken into 6 chapters, including:
- Five Reasons to Visit Colombia Now
- The History of Spanish in Colombia
- Modern Spanish in Colombia
- Colombian Slang
- Books, Movies and Music from Colombia
- Colombian Foods
My favorite chapter is the Colombian slang, as I’ve found that learning the local slang is possibly the fastest way to feel like you know Colombian Spanish, and can communicate in a way the locals understand.
The other chapters offer a quick intro to the culture via common foods, drinks, books, movies and music. All of these things you’ll notice on your own when you get here, but the fruits and music can be hard to decode so a head’s up is all you really need before arrival.
I haven’t taken formal Spanish classes in 15 months of living in Colombia, yet the slang I picked up helps me relate to the locals immediately, and on a very authentic level. Plus, it’s a lot of fun!
The regular price for Spanish in Colombia is $7.95, however this week August is running a sale on the Kindle version, which you can get for just $0.99 on Amazon.com.
