Have you ever thought about learning Spanish? Or about improving your Spanish?

The best place to learn Spanish is probably Guatemala. Guatemala pioneered the one-on-one method of teaching Spanish. The many Spanish schools there have honed that method into an almost foolproof way to learn the language. It is now called "The Total Immersion Program" and combines the one-on-one study, living and eating with a Guatemalan family, and daily after school activities that provide opportunity to practice newly acquired language skills. And Guatemala is a safe place to visit. The days of war are long past.






There are lots of Spanish schools in Guatemala. Teaching Spanish to foriegners (people from all over the world, not just the US, study Spanish in Guatemala) is one of their major industries. The two main centers of these schools are Antigua and Quetzaltenango (also called Xela). Every school teaches in the same basic manner by attempting to immerse the student in the Spanish language and the Guatemalan culture. Spanish lessons are given for 4 to 5 hours Monday through Friday with the one-on-one method. One teacher for one student. The student sits at a small table across from the teacher. There will be several similar pairs of teacher/student in the room, courtyard, or building. The teachers are trained to teach Spanish as a second language much as people in the US are trained to teach English as a second language. Some teachers are better than others and some schools do a better job of employing good teachers. All have pretty much the same basic method of teaching Spanish and tailor it to the particular student. Some schools, such as CSA in Antigua, have much more formal teaching plans than other schools.


In addition to Spanish lessons the schools arrange homestays for the students. The student lives and eats 3 meals a day with a Guatemalan family. The family speaks only Spanish and encourages the student to use the Spanish he or she is learning. They provide a great opportunity for practice. The student has a modest private room and a shared bath that has hot water. Sometimes private baths are provided, but at a higher cost. Food is generally good and families are usually fun to live with. They try to make students a part of their family. Normally several students are housed with each family. Each has a private room and meals are taken together. Most schools give Spanish lessons in the mornings and provide cultural activities in the afternoons. These activities include such things as visits to local attractions, trips to the markets, lectures on current events, movies, dance lessons, and cooking lessons. All of this is included in the weekly cost of about $150.

The abundance of Spanish schools in Guatemala can make choosing the right one for you a daunting task. Here are a few suggestions to help you make that choice. First, decide whether to study in Antigua or Xela. There are pluses and minuses to each. Antigua is closer and more accessible to the airport. School staff will meet you there and take you directly to your homestay. It is about a 30-45 ride. Antigua is a smaller town and is easy to get around. It is a major tourist destination with lots of good hotels, restaurants, night spots, and shopping. It is very easy to be distracted from studies while there and it is easy to find other English speakers. The weather is mild. There are many, many good schools in Antigua. I highly recommend La Union (http://www.launion.edu.gt/) and I highly recommend requesting accomodations in one of the villages nearby to Antigua where is less chance to speak English. There are only a few protestant churches in Antigua and no Methodist churches.

Xela (pronounced shay-la) is much less touristy and is a much bigger city. There is a lot to do there, but things are harder to find. There a less English speakers, but all of the schools are full of students who speak English. It is hard to escape. Xela schools are a little less expensive than those in Antigua and provide a standard 5 hours of daily Spanish instruction compared to 4 in Antigua. It is cooler in Xela because of the altitude. It is cold during November to March, especialy at at night. There are several protestant churches in Xela. The Methodist Church has its headquarters there. Xela is further from the airport (5 hours by bus) and normally requires an overnight stay in Guatemala City upon arrival. Xela schools can arrange this for you. They will have someone meet you at the airport, take you to a hotel or guesthouse, take you to the bus station in the morning, and make sure you are on the bus to Xela. Getting to Xela is a little adventurous, but very doable. Visit http://www.xelapages.com/ to find lots of information about Xela.

My favorite school in Xela (probably my favorite in Guatemala) is Sakribal (http://www.sakribal.com/). It is one of the few schools in Guatemala that places only one student per family. This greatly helps the learning process. The director, Olga Moscova, is one of the few females in the country to head a language school. She does a very good job of it. I was very impressed by her teachers and her homestay families.

If you have any questions or want help in going to Guatemala to study Spanish, send an email to ncvim@embarqmail.com and I will help in any way that I can. If you are thinking of studying Spanish in Guatemala, go ahead and do it. You will enjoy it very much.