Work Experience, Study & Languages>>Languages>>Spanish>>Learn Spanish in Central America
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With majestic volcanoes rising out of lush green rainforest, highland villages steeped in tradition and vibrant, spirited people, Guatemala put quite simply is a magical destination!
Beautiful Antigua, where all of our placements are based, is arguably the most picturesque and certainly one of the oldest cities in Central America, characterised by a mellow, yet distinctly international feel. The local residents of Antigua are warmly referred to as Green bellies or panza verde due to the abundance of avocados that grow in the region.
Antigua’s splendour is protected by three giant guardian volcanoes Agua, Fuego and Acatenango, providing a stunning setting which attracts thousands of visitors every year. Antigua is one of the most popular places in Central America to learn Spanish so you are bound to meet lots of other students and travellers!
As for things to do with your spare time, whether you’re an adventure-mad extreme sports enthusiast or a nature-loving bird-watcher, Guatemala’s awesome unspoilt natural habitat will have something for you. The extraordinary terrain around the volcanoes and caves provides the perfect setting for mountaineering and caving (spelunking) whereas the fast-moving rivers are ideal for boating, white-water rafting and windsurfing, with Lake Atitlán also popular for diving. There’s also a nearby turtle sanctuary - see above for volunteers holding the baby turtles on a trip there
Besides this you can also find ample opportunity to go mountain biking, bathe in hot springs surrounded by lush green jungle, or indulge your passion for nature in one of the country’s national parks.
Your Project : Learning Spanish
Did you know that Spanish is either an official language or is spoken by a significant portion of the population in no less than 23 countries around the world? Pick up a useful skill and gain confidence by practising it in a Spanish-speaking country!
Many travellers in foreign countries feel that learning at least something of the language can open up a whole new world of experience for you. In Guatemala, a simple ‘hello’ or ‘thank you’ in Spanish will often earn the respect of local people not to mention making it easier to find your way around. But for travellers who are seriously interested in learning or improving their Spanish, what better way forward than to take a language course at the prestigious APPE Spanish Academy in Antigua. On a Travellers language course here you will study with fully qualified and experienced Spanish teachers, giving you an ideal foundation to practice your newfound skills around the town.
The APPE Academy was founded in 1992 and guarantees a completely professional, yet informal and fun teaching service for its students. The Spanish course consists of intensive, one-on-one tuition along with a few larger group classes. You will be taught using the APPE’s highly reputed ‘global method’ which has been used successfully by the Peace Corps in Latin America and uses visual, auditory, verbal and accumulated knowledge techniques applied to specific situations.
Standard courses consist of five lessons per week each lasting four hours (20 hours per week). All classes are predominantly held in Spanish and you will be encouraged to speak and eventually think in Spanish as much as possible! However, don’t let this intimidate you as most teachers will speak English.
At the end of the course, you’ll receive a Certificate issued by APPE Spanish School, stating that you have done the course, to what level, and the duration in hours of the course you have completed.
About the Language centres
We work with two language centres in Guatemala, all located in and around Antigua:
Antigua Location - Main School :
First founded in 1543 Antigua remained the capital city for the over 200 hundred years until the earthquake of 1776, reducing the city back to rubble. The city repopulated gradually managing to retain the traditional character.
San Juan Del Obispo - Rural:
Four Kilometres south of Antigua is the picturesque town of San Juan. It is named after its founder Francisco Marroquin, the first Bishop of Guatemala. The town is located 1600 meters above sea level at the base of the slopes of volcano Agua.
This is a small rural town with, on a clear day, absolutely awe inspiring views of the dramatic landscape. From the north you can see across the marvellous outstretching Panchoy valley, where the conquistadors founded the very noble city of ‘Santiago of the Horses’ or Antigua in 1543. The Town of San Juan has far less local amenities at hand compared to its two bigger brothers but has far more to offer for both its local culture and inspiring views. Buses to Antigua are normally every 30 minutes, costing 2 Quetzals. The peaceful nature of San Juan offers the student the opportunity to completely immerse themselves in their Spanish studies.
You can arrange to combine Spanish lessons with any of our other projects in Guatemala. Please see Travellers website for details.
Accommodation & Food
Accommodation with host families means that Travellers volunteers get to eat, sleep, work, socialise and generally live like a Guatemalan. Local family homestays enable you to fully experience the local culture from the inside. Many of our volunteers remain friends with their host families long after they leave Guatemala and in some cases they return to the country later especially to visit their family. Some homestays are more like small hotels, which can accommodate between 1 and 10 volunteers at any one time. Many offer the option of single or shared rooms, and generally houses within the same town are in close proximity with each other. The accommodation is comfortable, with a ‘western-style’ bathroom.
All of your meals will be provided from Monday to Saturday, leaving you free to sample local eateries on Sundays. Expect to develop a taste for corn tortillas, tostadas and tacos in plentiful supply! Although it could be said that the emphasis with Guatemalan food is more nutritional than culinary, western and international dishes are also easily available in Antigua. Although Guatemalans are big on eating meat, we can easily cater for vegetarians.
Our users say...
"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. The cobbled streets contain brightly coloured low houses and the most amazing cathedrals or ruins are everywhere. Most of the house roof tops are covered with flowers and plants. It is fascinating to sit in the park and watch those stunning colourful ladies and girls come to sell their beautiful coloured fabrics, headbands and bags, etc., etc
The town is very modern even though the locals are rather poor. There are many internet cafes, restaurants, bars, shops, galleries, travel agents, bookshops, etc. In fact, have never seen so many internet cafes, salsa bars and travel agents in a small town.
Finally, the most important and greatest asset of Antigua is that it is surrounded by volcanoes and mountains - every angle is a photo!!!! I am always seeing something different here. There is always some form of music playing in the streets too. I'd imagine Cuba being similar. The food is sensational and changes every day so that we try a lot of the local food. - Volunteer Rebecca Tilley:
from £695
Live and work abroad helping children, adults, animals and entire communities in less advantaged countries. Learn about their culture from the inside! Stay from as little as two weeks to as long as one year - you choose your dates and duration!
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