In celebration of Peru’s independence day this weekend, I am sharing two recent Peruvian Slang Gesture Videos that I recorded while on a recent trip to Lima.
I always have a great time traveling, exploring new places, trying new food and simply watching people in different cultures. As you can imagine, that is particularly true when I head to a Spanish-speaking country. I pick up new Spanish slang, take photos about the local usages of Spanish and always walk away with article ideas.
On my recent trip to Peru it occurred to me to contact a Spanish school to see about some private Spanish classes focused specifically to learn Spanish slang from Peru. This was a last minute idea. Friday morning I googled Spanish classes in Lima and after a quick look to see how far one of the language schools was from my hotel, I decided to stop by and see if I could set up a couple classes.
As it happened, I met Alejandro (from Peruwayna Spanish school) who quickly coordinated classes for me with a couple private tutors. In total, I spent almost 6 hours over the next week discussing with two separate tutors the nuances of Peruvian Spanish. After a bit of initial awkwardness while I explained I already spoke Spanish and only wanted to know how to say a bunch of vulgar words, we started whizzing through a ton of vocabulary (not all vulgar) and after my three sessions I walked away with a much better understanding of the local vocabulary.
But I also happened to have found 2 willing teachers, Dayana and Raúl, both of whom let me record them displaying and explaining common gestures used in Peru.
Here are both videos:
Mobile viewers: watch this video here https://youtu.be/skMMYPHl4tE
Mobile viewers: watch this video here https://youtu.be/lEYPhkqER0s
My successful Spanish school experience in Lima offers several lessons for the language learner:
• When you contact a Spanish school, be clear about your goals.
• Be as flexible as possible with your schedule. Work in to the school’s structure whenever possible.
• Know your teachers. By this I mean understand their background. This gives you a better understanding of the Spanish you are learning. Dayana comes from a city in Peru called Arequipa and since she arrived recently to Lima had experienced some vocabulary confusions. Because of this she had some great things to share with me, and also quickly understood my needs.
• It is not necessary to plan ahead to get some great Spanish classes and lessons. Sometimes, last-minute ideas are great. This especially applies if you are traveling and want to learn Spanish slang during your visit.
• Get out there and make it happen. The best way to learn Spanish (or any language) is to hit the street and talk to people.
Enjoy both of the Peruvian slang gesture videos and feel free to share them.
Check out these other Learning Peruvian Spanish Slang articles.
