Spanish School Antigua

Anybody got any recommendations for a spanish school in Antigua for a couple of 60 somethings english with intermediate spanish ,,1 week with homestay type

regards chris p

I just returned to NJ from 1 week of study at Don Pedro school in Antigua. I am 59, and up until now I have been mostly self taught: listening to audio materials on my way to work, and reading some grammar books. I would call myself an advanced beginner. I wanted to overcome my hesitancy to speak and wanted to start conversing in Spanish. I took 4 hours per day of lessons with Christina at Don Pedro school. She taught some grammar each day, but most of the time we just conversed--about 98% in Spanish. For me to talk and to listen that much was challenging but not overwhelming. After just one week I feel much more comfortable communicating in Spanish. Antigua is a WONDERFUL place. The home stay--with a friendly family near the school--was clean, comfortable and very enjoyable. I by and by got to know the other 20 or so students during the week. I guess I expected mostly American college students, but there was a very nice mix of people various ages and from various countries. You will have a great time. I highly recommend the school.

chrispateman,

I attended Proyecto Linguistico Francisco Marroquin (PLFM)for 8 weeks of full time one-on-one lessons, and absolutely loved it! The school is right next to La Merced, in Antigua, sporting many outdoor cubicles for class learning. If classroom learning doesn't suit you, you may request to go out and about, touring and learning with your teacher. The teachers are marvelous, and my homestay was also awesome. There were many people of all ages, including college students (which liven the place up), and retired folks simply vacationing. If you have questions about my experience, let me know! I can also recommend teachers for you to request.

Best!

Gabe

I studied for several weeks at Antiguena Spanish Academy. The teachers are what makes this school. They provide good instruction in a beautiful garden setting which can’t be beat. The classes are 1 on 1 and focus on what you want to learn, which is just about what every school in Antigua offers, so no difference there.

The office admin communication by the owners was poor and disorganized and detracted from the overall experience. After you’ve paid or made a deposit payment, it’s hard to get information about your homestay, its address, where and when to meet on the first day of classes, etc. Given that these details are necessary and needed in a timely manner for each new student who attends the school, its surprising that the office admin isn’t proactive in providing these details and the student has to initiate these information requests. Outside of paying for classes I can’t think of one time the office interacted with me or asked about my experience or if I had any problems.

Overall prices at Antiguena are lower than at other schools. I hope the teachers are paid well and the lower prices aren’t reflected in a lower teacher salary. It would also be convenient to pay via PayPal instead of a 5-10% added fee for using a credit card.

Daily afternoon activities organized by the school are rather poor and better tours could be arranged (factory for chicken buses, trip to Pastores to see shoes being made, etc), which probably goes back to the school disorganization. Students at the school are very social and often self-organize group outings or get togethers throughout the week. It’s a larger school, possible 25-35 students, or more, at a time, which probably helps with the social aspect.

Most students studying when I did stated the family homestay weren’t interactive. Most consist of a room you rent with 3 meals a day included. The only time you’ll see or interact with the family is during meals. That’s assuming your family is there and they haven’t outsourced meal production to a maid. Be advised if you want to use internet at your Homestay, you’ll need to pay $10-$12 USD EACH WEEK to the family in addition to the Homestay cost. Neither Internet nor laundry is part of your Homestay. My Homestay was not very interactive, but my family was nice.

Overall, because of my instructor and the garden setting I enjoyed my experience, but it was more about my chemistry with the teacher than anything to do with the school. Other schools in Antigua or throughout the country would likely be a good experience as well.

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