Lost in Translation

For many of you planning on going abroad, the place you want to go mainly speaks your second language, unless you are going to someplace that speaks your first (of course...but that's cheating!!). While looking into programs in Latin America, you should consider your level of Spanish. If you are more of a speaker or a writer.
Personally, I'm not much of either, at least that's what I thought when I left home four weeks ago. I know how to write, but it's no where near perfect. And I can speak, but I'm not much of a talker as it is in English. Either way, it is helpful to know so that you can learn ways to improve the one that needs a little bit of help. For example, one of the girls that is in the program is not much for speaking Spanish, but she can write phenomenally. So she uses her writing skills to help her talk to locals. If someone asks her a question, she usually has a notepad and pen with her so that she can write down key words and phrases from what they said and turn it into an appropriate response. If you think something like this will help you, try it. It can never hurt to try something.
Aside from knowing your own level, you need to understand that everywhere you go will have a different dialect. The majority of the Southern American accents are similar as far as their pronunciation of "s" at the end of a syllable and "ll". Having a forewarning can help you to better prepare for the differences when you arrive to your destination. Here in Chile, the "s" at the end of a syllable is usually dropped. For example, if you are going to say a word like "hasta," which is normally pronounced /asta/, will be pronounced more like /ah-ta/. And that goes for 90% of "s" at the end of syllables.
Along with pronunciation differences, there are also slang terms that are different in every country. I only know a couple of the ones here and I do not know if other countries use them, but since Chile is fairly isolated, the odds of hearing the slang here used with moderate frequency in other countries are pretty low. My favorite term is "cachai" which is "you know?" or "got it?," common phrases in the US, right? Also, when asking someone how they are, you usually ask "¿cómo estai?" (in place of está/s). Of course there are many others, and surely they will have a post of their own, so look for them!!
Just remember, language is different everywhere. You wouldn't believe that Michigander English is the same as Californian English, right? Different accent, different slang. Same rule applies to Spanish.