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SPANISH COURSES

Buenos dias - Welcome to Guatemala

Learn Spanish on a structured course in Guatemala - one of the most beautiful and culturally rich countries in Central America. Absorb the language on a daily basis while attending classes - you'll hear it all around you and speak it yourself while shopping or socialising, and even on a bus or in a restaurant.

There is no better way to learn a language than to live it, eat it, breathe it and speak it in a Spanish-speaking community.

On this page:

      .

About Guatemala and the voluntary projects you can do there

One of the Spanish Schools in Antigua

Return to the Guatemala Home Page and
the list of all our projects in Guatemala

ABOUT THE SPANISH COURSES

 

Our courses are based in beautiful Antigua. This is a lively an possibly the most beautiful town in Guatemala. It has amazing churches and architecture in general, and everything is very colourful - including the most unbelievable buses! Antigua is generally known to be more beautiful than Guatemala City and is a very popular destination with tourists who want to 'experience' Guatemala.

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Antigua is the Mecca for learning Spanish in Central America and we have some very good schools there. A description of some of the schools is given in the next section to give you a taste of what your time there will be like.

The details of the courses is given below.

Intensive Spanish Courses:
  • Choose from 4, 6 or 8-week, Intensive Spanish courses. These are available at: Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced level.
  • You have the option of studying individually on a one-to-one basis, or within groups ranging from between 2 to 4 students.
  • Courses consist of 20 hours of lessons per week (4 hours per day).
  • Classes are held Monday to Friday, from 8am to 12pm and/or 2pm to 6pm
  • Enjoy the benefits of studying alongside other students from all over the globe.
Whether you decide to study a Spanish course individually or amongst friends, you won't be alone because each centre may host many groups simultaneously, thus giving you the opportunity to interact and socialise with others.

ABOUT THE SPANISH SCHOOLS

We have a number of schools in Guatemala where you can learn Spanish. A couple are described below to give you a taste of what your time there will be like:

The Spanish Language School, Antigua
This school is an INGUAT approved school. This basically means that it has achieved certain levels of standards set by the Guatemalan Education Department.
Accommodation:
Accommodation in this school will most likely consist of
private room with a shared or private bathroom. Food will be 3 meals a day (except on Sundays) with access to sufficient purified water, etc. Any special dietary needs can be arranged. Hostel accommodation can also be arranged if you would prefer that, and host family accommodation is also available

Courses
Classes are held Monday to Friday, from 8am to 12pm and/or 2pm to 6pm. In order to give you a better knowledge of the Guatemalan culture, some recreational, cultural and educational activities are included in this Spanish programme.

Certificate of study and University Credits:
At the end of the study period, you'll receive a certificate for time studied. The School also offers the ACTFL and FSI tests, which are recognized as university and working credits in the USA and in Europe ( there may be a charge imposed by the School for this service).

Special: Xtra Spanish Lessons
Specials Application Form
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The Spanish School APPE in San Juan del Obispo
San Juan del Obispo is a small pueblo on the outskirts of Antigua. If you would like to escape the crowds in Antigua and experience a glimpse of real Guatemalan pueblo life then this course would suit you. Studying in San Juan offers students the opportunity to truly immerse themselves in the language learning experience. APPE School chose this location because of the friendliness of the people and also for its artists workshops.

Location:
To the south and four kilometres from the city of Antigua is the picturesque city of San Juan del Obispo in Sacatepéquez. It is named in memory of its founder, Francisco Marroquin, educator and first bishop of Guatemala, San Juan is located at the base of the Volcano Hunapú (Agua) and serves as a memorable land mark for its beauty and awe inspiring views. The town is 1600 meters above sea level and has a population of about 2,300 people. There are small shops, pharmacies, bookshops and transportation services in San Juan.

The busses from San Juan to Antigua run from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and from Antigua to San Juan they run from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

To the east of central park are a Barroque style church and a beautiful Episcopal palace. From the north, you can observe the extensive and marvelous Panchoy Valley where the conquistadors founded the very noble and fair city of Santiago of the Horses (Antigua) in 1543.

The church and the palace were built in 1541 for Bishop Marroquin. The palace was destroyed in the Santa Marta earthquake of 1773. It was rebuilt in 1940 but the church is in tis original form. The park has also been rebuilt. Now the palace is a convent for nuns from the Betania congregation. There are four nuns living there and they are dedicated to religious activities and the upkeep of the building.

ACCOMMODATION

 

Your accommodation will most likely be living with local families and this enables you to really become totally immersed in the local culture and gain insights into the way of life from the inside. Some families are able to take more than one volunteer at a time, so it's possible that you may be placed together with other volunteers.

Food will be provided and will consist mostly of local dishes. One of the most enjoyable aspects of living and working in a foreign country and culture is to enjoy the local cuisine, and in Central America the food is very interesting and sometimes quite exotic.

"The family is lovely and the house is fine. The food is sensational and changes every day so that we try a lot of the local food. The meal times are set at 7.10am, 12.45 and 6.40pm. Funny that it is so structured, but they are fitted in between classes, etc., so it has to be done.

"My days up until now have been 7.10 breakfast (cereal, pancakes, fruit, etc., it changes), classes 8- 12. Lunch is at 12.45 (chicken, soup, beans, pizza, tortillia, etc.). In the afternoon there are activities to do or it is free time till dinner at 6.40, then go out to a bar or to bed early as it is an exhausting life." Rebecca Tilley
WHAT IS REQUIRED OF YOU:

As with all our destinations, the Guatemalan culture and heritage is different to Anglo-Saxon cultures and this must be borne in mind. 

Self-reliance and independence are highly appreciated in all our destinations and will help you to make the most of this wonderful opportunity! 

Once you have applied for a placement, we will send you a very detailed Guatemala Information Book, as well as an equally detailed Safety Guide - both of these will help to make your stay in Guatemala one that you will never forget!

To read about the extensive Support & Backup we provide in our countries, please click here.

TRAVEL:
You have the option to arrange your own flights or we can assist you with your flight arrangements. If you would like us to do this for you, we will liaise with you regarding available flights and dates to suit you. All arrangements for your flight bookings/payments will be fulfilled by Murray Rogers Travel Ltd., ATOL No. 6856. (Read more about Murray Rogers Travel Ltd.) Where possible, we arrange for two or more people to travel on the same flight and we will let you have the names and telephone numbers of other volunteers on your flight, so that you can chat to each other or even meet up before leaving for your placement.
Where possible, all flights we arrange for you have changeable return tickets because many of our volunteers choose to extend their stay once they are in their destination country. Changeable return tickets enable you to do so, within the limits of your visa and the level of your air ticket, of course. If you choose to book your own flights, you should endeavour to get a changeable ticket. We meet you at the airport regardless of whether you make your own travel arrangements or not.

You'll be met at the airport by Lilian, our Guatemala Organiser, or one of her staff. From the airport you'll be taken to your accommodation and introduced to everyone. Within the next couple of days you'll be taken to the school and she will ensure that you are well settled in.

We can also arrange your flight dates to give you additional time at the end of your project for travelling around and sightseeing - this is a fascinating and wondrous country!

VISAS:. In countries where visas or immigration documents are required, we'll send you all the necessary forms and information and make the process very easy for you.

To read about the extensive Support & Backup we provide in our countries, please click here.

"Antigua is absolutely STUNNING. I cannot stress how stunning it really is. I wish i could zap you all here just so you can see it for yourselves." Rebecca Tilley

PRICES:

To see the Prices of this project and all our other projects in Guatemala, please click here

Prices include
  • Food & accommodation while on your project,
  • 2 T-shirts, if required for your project
  • All support and backup during your programme
  • Meeting you at the nearest airport, where appropriate, but exclude international travel.

Return to the Guatemala Home Page and
the list of all our projects in Guatemala

TO APPLY FOR A PROJECT, PLEASE CLICK HERE

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Last modified: April 24, 2008