Country Article / Postcards

The Best Spanish Schools in Latin America

Date: 10/17/2006

I’ve traveled to several countries in South and Central America to study español, and play tourist; an economical way to vacation abroad.

The schools cost $100 a week for four hours a day, and you can live with a local family (meals included) for $70 a week. The schools will connect you with a family, known as your “homestay.”

I’ve been to Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, and twice this year to Granada, Nicaragua--four weeks in January, and six weeks more in March and April. And I’m planning a return trip to Granada.

My Spanish is coming along, and while knowing the language in any country is important, learning a language in that country is an experience…and as far as I’m concerned, a vacation. Plus, Granada is a tranquil colonial city with friendly people.

I’ve attended three different schools in Nicaragua: Casa Xalteva, One-on-One Tutoring, and APC Spanish Schools. All three have something to offer, depending on your preferences, and all three offer homestays as an option. Check their websites for particulars, but you can’t go wrong with any of the three.

At Casa Xalteva I spent four weeks under the tutelage of profesora Margie, who also made herself available on weekends (for a nominal fee) as a tour guide. Together with another student we visited the Volcanic Island of Ometepe. We had planned to climb one of the two volcanoes, but Margie and I were both a little under the weather, so we put it off for a future day (another reason for me to go back). On Ometepe we saw mono congos, the local term for howler monkeys--in the mornings the howling will wake you up.

The classes at One-on-One Tutoring are rigorous. I studied four hours each morning, with a different profesora each hour. The mixture of teachers is a great idea, each with his own vocal inflection. Alas, after two weeks of that, it got to be a little too much for me, so I switched to…

APC Spanish Schools, where for four weeks, at my request, all we did was sit there and talk to each other for four hours a day. They call it “conversational Spanish.” At times we simply went for a walk, while continuing the conversations. Profesora Lucia was quite amicable, and today we still exchange e-mails on a weekly basis.

Geary Radcliffe
For International Living