Situated in one of the oldest and most historical buildings in Xela (Quetzaltenango), Miguel de Cervantes School of Spanish gives you the opportunity to taste the culture of Guatemala while you learn.
How you study Spanish is your choice. Yo
u have the option to learn the Spanish language with private instruction, outdoors in one of the quaint courtyards, upstairs on a balcony or deck, or take your Spanish lessons indoors amongst the tall ceilings surrounded by art.
At our school you won’t be trapped in some small stuffy classroom in the summer.
Our instructors are certified and experienced in teaching the Spanish language. They design the teaching programs to accommodate the needs and desires of each student. We encourage our teachers and students to get outside the classroom to visit the historical, cultural, inviting places of Xela, the jewel of Guatemala.
Or perhaps take a couple hours to visit one of the many marketplaces sprinkled throughout the city. Learning to speak Spanish can simply be a part of your vacation to our great city, there is lots to see.
The city is safe. There is very little crime in Xela. The reason for this is that our major industry is education. Xela boasts 5 universities more than 25 trade schools plus 30 language schools. People from all over the world come here to get educated. The colonial atmosphere plus the blend of education and old world values makes Xela one of the safest destinations in all of Central America.
Why Study Spanish?
Why study Spanish? Spanish is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. It is estimated that upwards to 400 million people speak the language, with the vast majority of those people living in North, Central, and South America. With a little work and effort on your part, you can learn and speak a new language and thus be able to communicate to millions of new people.
If you already want to speak Spanish, you need to choose a language school in order to learn the language. Perhaps you are traveling to Mexico or Central and South America and need to learn the essentials in order to communicate. Maybe you are trying to learn the basics for language development in order to become fluent in the future. Maybe you need to improve your writing and conversational skills in order to volunteer at any number of worthwhile organizations and projects. Whatever your reasons for learning the language, the teachers and staff at Miguel de Cervantes believe this is the correct place for you.
Why Choose Miguel de Cervantes School of Spanish?
Why choose Miguel de Cervantes Spanish School? We are not going to lie. There are fine Spanish language schools in Xela (Quetzaltenango). Of course, at the same time, there are more than a few unqualified Spanish language schools throughout Xela and the rest of Guatemala
What sets us apart from other schools is the emphasis our teachers and staff put on each individual student. The teachers and staff at Miguel de Cervantes provide the highest quality Spanish language education. We have qualified, well-trained, and professional teachers and staff. Our learning environment is intimate, friendly, and always one-on-one. Attention on our students is, of course, our number one priority.
If it is your interest to learn, improve, or perfect your writing, reading, speaking, and comprehension skills, then look no further than Miguel de Cervantes. If it is your goal to experience and understand Guatemalan culture, Guatemalan society, and Guatemalan politics, then look no further than Miguel de Cervantes. If it is your interest to immerse yourself in everything that Guatemala has to offer, then look no further than Miguel de Cervantes Spanish School.
At Miguel de Cervantes our staff takes an active interest in your life. We are a smaller school when compared to some of the large schools that call Xela home. However, bigger does not mean better. There are a fair number of Spanish schools that treat the students much like a business commodity. Often the student will rarely, if ever, meet the owner or owners. The owner and much of staff will almost never take an active role in the students´ lives. With so many students at these schools, it is easy to be lost in the crowd. It is easy for the students´ opinions, questions, and problems to be ignored. However, these same schools will have no problem taking your money.
This is definitely not the case at Miguel de Cervantes. The teachers and staff take great pride in getting to know each individual student. The students most definitely matter to us. We encourage you to read our former students´ testimonials. We are a small school that will work with your interests, whether Guatemalan culture, politics, history, or anything else. At the same time you will improve your Spanish conversational and comprehensive skills.
Our teachers have years of experience teaching Spanish to language students from around the globe. Our teachers are all certified to teach Spanish. Our teaching staff also receives periodic teaching courses and refresher courses within the school. Basically, our teachers are certified and well-trained to teach Spanish to language students. We realize that your experience at a language school will be at the center of your Guatemalan experience. Thus we are dedicated to offering our students the most effective language study program.
Here is how we offer you a chance at a great education as well as a great Guatemalan experience closely approaching the ideal of true cultural immersion: ” We offer our students five hours of one-on-one Spanish classes. There is always the option for three to four hours of one-on-one classes. However, we suggest five hours, especially for new students. This ensures that the student becomes acclimated to the language. ” We offer you a home-stay with a Guatemalan family. We have carefully selected our families to ensure you will be treated like a member of the family with ample opportunity to speak Spanish. You will not be treated like a business commodity. Staying with a Guatemalan family is an important part of your language and cultural experience. Although for true Guatemalan immersion we suggest a home-stay with a family, we understand that sometimes students like the freedom of living on their own. We can help students find a guesthouse, hostel, or hotel that meets their budgetarydemands. If there is available space, the student
can stay at our guesthouse. ” We can help students with the many worthwhile volunteer opportunities in the Xela area. There are dozens and dozens of organizations and projects that need volunteers. We will do our best
to place you with an organization of your choosing. One should remember, however, that in order to be placed in some organizations or projects, the volunteer often must commit to a minimum amount of time (from just weeks to a year) and must possess a minimum “level” of Spanish in order to serve them. It should be noted that there are plenty of organizations willing to work with volunteers for short amounts of time and at any “level” of Spanish. ” In order for a student to become truly immersed we also lead activities about the culture, politics, customs, and history of Guatemala and its people. These activities could include documentaries and movies, conferences, discussions, presentations, dance classes, cooking classes, and daytrips within Xela or to neighboring villages. And we are always open to planning special activities around your particular interests.
On the first day of class the teacher and student will evaluate your Spanish comprehension skills. However, we DO NOT separate our students into “beginner,” “intermediate,” and “advanced.” We believe these are vague and artificial titles. The teacher and student will evaluate together what the student needs improvement on. Afterwards the student and teacher will develop a study plan for the week that reflects the needs, interests, and expectations of the student. To expose the student to different teaching styles and different accents, the teachers are rotated every week or every other week.
Miguel de Cervantes School of Spanish has various materials for your use, including grammar and exercise books and reading books in Spanish for your pleasure. Of course, these materials are for your use as a supplement to your classes. These and other materials may be used for homework or for additional help with lessons.
It should be noted that Miguel de Cervantes School of Spanish continually evaluates the staff, teachers, and host families in order to provide the best services to the students. In fact, the students are a key component to this evaluation process.