¿Habla ingles? Fala ingles?
As you travel around South America, it's a helpful accident of history that you can get by almost everywhere with just one language...
In fact in every country with the exception of Brazil (and the Guyanas) a little Spanish will go a long way, and although there are definite regional differences, it's recognisably the same Spanish as you might have learned for holidays in Spain.
In Brazil, although many people do speak (or at least understand) Spanish, they are proud of the fact that they are Portuguese-speakers, and will often prefer to speak English in preference to Spanish even when the latter might actually be more practical. Brazilian Portuguese has a few pronunciation and vocabulary differences to European Portuguese, but again it's not a million miles away, so any prior knowledge you have will stand you in good stead.
To learn a bit more about the specifics in each country, see our dedicated language guides below:
Bolivia: Spanish, Aymara & Quechua
In Bolivia, many people speak the indigenous languages of Quechua or Aymara as a mother tongue, but Spanish is understood by just about everyone.
find out more...
Chile: Spanish
Chilean Spanish is fairly typical of that spoken in Latin America, both in terms of vocabulary and pronunciation, so any Spanish you learn here will stand you in good stead.
find out more...
Ecuador: Spanish and Kichwa
Although Kichwa (or Quechua) enjoys official status in Ecuador, Spanish is overwhelmingly the primary language, and will be spoken by just about everyone you meet in Ecuador.
find out more...
Peru: Spanish
In Peru, although indigenous languages such as Quechua and Aymara have a degree of official status in some areas and are widely-spoken, Spanish is the national official language.
find out more...
Venezuela: Spanish
Venezuelan Spanish is rich in slang and the accent can often be difficult for outsiders to understand - unless, strangely, you learned your Spanish in the Canary Islands...