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Spanish is Chile’s official language, and Chilean Spanish, or "Castellano"
as it is referred to in Chile, has its own unique set of pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar and slang.
In addition to Spanish, English, German, Italian, and several indigenous languages like Mapudungun and
Aymara are also spoken in various regions. Ethnologue
has a great interactive map and descriptions of current and extinct Chilean languages. As for English, it is used primarily for international business and is
not widely spoken in Chile. With this in mind, it’s not a bad idea to learn a little bit of Spanish before heading to Chile, and to seek opportunities once in
the country to learn the language. There are a plethora of online resources dedicated to providing rudimentary Spanish lessons for little or no cost. Some of
my favorite online resources for learning Spanish are:
Chile is a country rich in tradition and culture with a long and varied history. Chile’s official tourism site provides a great overview of Chilean life and culture highlighting the country’s rich heritage, diverse regions, and attractions. Among some of the more notable aspects of Chilean culture are its dance, holidays, and customs.
The national dance of Chile is the Cuenca (video), which is described as “Zoomorphic”, whereby the dancers reenact the courting ritual of the rooster and hen. The male dancer’s moves are often aggressive, and the female is more elusive and demure. The Cuenca is also said to have been a protest dance for women whose husbands and/or sons disappeared during the Pinochet years ( Mundo Andino).
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About.com
Holidays and festivals in Chile – a calendar of celebrations.
Ancient Chile
Art, Culture, and History of Ancient Patagonia. Information specific to the land and the Mapuche, with a photo slideshow of the Mapuche.
Being Indigenous
Mapuche Region of Chile including people, language, customs and art.
Chilean Soccer: Play Anywhere
Chile’s love of soccer.
ChileTravel: Chilean Travel Network
Articles and itineraries for Chilean wine country travel.
Chile Arte
Gallery of virtual art in Chile, from Chilean artists.
Chile Culture, History and Archaeology
Several articles related to the archaeology, culture of Chile’s past.
Chile Information Project (CHIP)
Chilean travel, business, culture, family, food, geography, safety, language, and culture.
Chile Culture and Customs
Chilean business and social customs, religion, attitudes, values, tipping, conversational topics, gifting and entertainment.
Chile Industry
Articles on the various industries in Chile including agriculture, fishing, manufacturing, and exports.
Chiloe Island Myths
Famous myths and legends of the Chilota on Chile’s Chiloe Island.
Country Studies: Religion
Article on the religion of Chile from a historical perspective.
Country Studies: Religion and Churches
An overview of Roman Catholicism and Protestantism in Chile.
Culture of Chile
Overview of the origins of the name “Chile” and the country’s unique indigenous heritage and culture.
Don Quijote Newsletter
Monthly online newsletter including an article on Chilean heritage and culture.
Encyclopedia of Nations: Chile
Article on the important fishing industry of Chile. With over 1,000 species of fish within Chilean waters, the country’s commercial fisheries have long been important.
Ethnologue.com: Languages of Chile
Map of indigenous Chilean (and Argentinean) languages including Quechua, Aymara and Mapudungun.
Executive Planet: Chile
Guidelines for business etiquette for the international traveler to Chile. Includes articles on business dress, conversation, entertaining and professional public behavior.
Fishing and Forestry in Chile
Article detailing the important and widespread industries of fishing and forestry in Chile.
Geographia
Articles on Chile’s history, culture, and explorations. Site also includes a calendar of events, travel tips, and region-specific information.
Go Chile
Sports and outdoor activities enjoyed in Chile yesterday and today.
Go SouthAmerica
Chilean literature, music, dance, museums, recreation, and related resources about Chilean culture and notable Chileans.
iExplore
History of Chile with spotlight on native populations.
IndigenousPeople.net
Overview of the indigenous people of South America, including Chile, and their descendents. Videos of various indigenous peoples, festivals, dances, and music.
InfoHub, Specialty Travel Guide
Listing of Spanish language schools in Chile – learn Spanish while you are there to teach!
InfoPlease
Very basic information on Chile, the people, its history and government.
Joe’s Kitchen: Chilean Holidays
A list of publicly celebrated holidays in Chile with links.
Kwintessential Cross Cultural Solutions
Overview of language, culture, customs and etiquette including cultural norms regarding greetings, gift giving, dining, and business meetings.
LANIC: Latin American Network Information Center
Collection of links to arts and cultural information on Chile including architecture, customs, and festivals.
Maps of the World
Articles regarding the accent of Chilean Spanish, and the use of English and German in schools and various regions, and the arts and culture. Site offers links to religion, people, festivals, music, mythology and more.
Mapuche Language
A few common phrases or words in Mapudugun translated into English and Spanish.
Mav Canal Cultural
Information on, and links to, several areas of Chilean culture including: art, architecture, paintings, theater, crafts, libraries, native culture, education, history and more.
Mundo Andino (The Andean World)
Information on northern Chile with focus on the national dance (cuenca), and folk music. Includes links to Chilean culture, food, movies, and modern-day Chile.
Pepe’s Chile
Use of Spanish (Castellano), English, German and Indigenous languages in Chile, as well ask links to cultural information, Chilean slang and photos of the country.
Portals to the World
A list of resources selected by the Library of Congress experts on Chilean Culture.
The Wine Web: Chile Wine and Wineries
Map of wineries in Chile by region.
Travel Document Systems: Chile
Article on Chilean culture with focus on the cosmopolitan culture of the urban cities and the rural culture of peasants.
University of Chile - Poetry
Features the work and life of Chilean poet Pablo Neruda.
Video: MapuChile
Short video produced by MapuChile on the past and present Mapuche people of Chile.
Wikipedia.org: Culture of Chile
Online encyclopedia of Chilean music, literature, mythology, cuisine, film, and sports.
Wines of Chile
Chile is wine country. This site represents 90 Chilean wineries.
BusinessSpanish.com
Online tutorials about how to speak and write business and conversational Spanish by listening and repeating examples and simplified grammar rules. Offer daily free lessons and online dictionary.
Chileno: “Chile’s Favorite Blog”
Language learner advice on the intricacies of pronouncing the letter “r” in Spanish like a native.
Learn Spanish
Free online Spanish grammar tutorial including lessons, quizzes, tests, and audio drills with option to purchase complete book and CD-Rom Spanish language lesson program.
Parlo: Language, Culture, Life.
Offers comprehensive online courses, a blog, podcasts, fee Spanish language videos, and a cultural site dedicated to “virtual immersion”. Some free and fee-based language and culture services.
Power-Glide Foreign Language Programs
Offers accredited Spanish language courses online for children and adults, using the ‘natural language acquisition’ method.
Rosetta Stone
Program offers speech recognition technology and real-life simulations to provide authentic context to learn Spanish. Online Latin American Spanish lessons available for subscription.
Spanish-Kit: Spanish Learning Tools
Free online Spanish education resource designed to help people learn to read and speak the language. Site filled with grammar, vocabulary, and downloadable material in Spanish.
Tell Me More
Language learning software with speech recognition technology and personalized language courses. Lessons offered online.
Traveling Words
Website offers short, accelerated language courses in Spanish. Each course contains over 100 popular phrases recorded by native speakers. Download the first chapter for free, and purchase the others. Easy to run on computer, MP3-player, or to burn onto CD.
Visual Link Spanish
Has a free (demo) Spanish Language Lesson program, with option to purchase complete online course.
Word2Word
Links to several free online Spanish language exercises and classes.
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Information shown on this website is the result of a collaborative effort by Dr. Rod E. Case and the EDS491/691 Special Topics in Teaching English
as a Second Language Class, Wintermester, 2007. |
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