Escuela de Lenguas UNLP/About Argentina/Argentinean Society

Communication in La Plata

This article is about how people communicate in the city of La Plata.

An informal style

Most Platenses are friendly and informal. We talk about politics with anybody –taxi drivers, patients in a waiting room or people queuing up at the bank– as if we were acquaintances, friends or family.

Platense accent

We talk quite fast, and not very clearly. Our way of speaking is quite different from that of “porteños” (people from Buenos Aires city) and that of the rest of Buenos Aires province. We don’t like being considered part of the “conurbano” (the surroundings of Buenos Aires city), we are the capital city of the province! Whereas we don’t mind going to Buenos Aires city -we are used to going there to work or for entertainment- people from BA complain when they have to come to La Plata, saying it’s a long way away (while the journey is shorter than that from La Boca to Belgrano, two neighbourhoods inside the city).

Because it is an important university city, La Plata is full of students from all around Argentina and other countries, so we’re often influenced by the way they communicate. We learn from them, and they learn from us. What usually happens is that they adopt our words and expressions and adapt to our speaking style. They find it funny and enjoy using it.

Typical words and expressions

We call buses “micros”, we say “el” instead of “la” diagonal, we buy chicken at the “pollajería”. We all know the wolf and the lion are not simply animals but football teams, and we have a forest where “the” museum is, although there are lots of museums in our city.

Our streets are called by numbers, but only we can understand why after Calle 1 (Street 1) comes Calle 115 and after Calle 32 comes Calle 531. When we give an address we usually omit the preposition “between”, so it sounds really crazy, for example “47, 12 and 13”.

Body language

We also use body language a lot. We kiss everybody, even people we have just met. We also touch and hug people all the time. We even share mate with strangers sometimes, which can be really awkward, especially for foreigners. It’s a way of showing confidence, and a sense of belonging.

We also stop a bus or a taxi stretching an arm, ask for a coffee, a beer or the bill raising a hand, and move our arms and hands a lot while we talk.

Media tradition and new means of communication

We have our own newspapers, TV channels and radio stations, so we can keep informed about our city 24-7. We also have local theatre companies and writers, too.

Platenses use mobile phones all the time and everywhere, even at the cinema, the theatre, at work and in class. But not to talk: we communicate through Whatsapp, Facebook, Instagram or email. Only a few –elderly– people still have long conversations on a home phone.

The expression of Platense personalities

Famous bands –like Virus and Los Redonditos de Ricota– were born here, and we’re sure there’s something typically Platense in their songs.

Dr Favaloro was from La Plata, too, and the way he communicated his great ideas and opinions is an example we should always follow and never forget.