Touring - Lanquage schools - Spanish

Can anyone point me to GOOD Spanish lanquage schools anwhere along the Pan Americas Highway.

Especially cheap live in courses in Mexico south.

If you have a URL could you link on over and add it to
http://pub40.bravenet.com/freelink/show.php?usernum=3390624614&cpv=1

Any comments on your experience with them would help

Thanks

Gil Blair

Quito, Ecuador.

There are a number of good schools in the city (no names I'm afraid,) they will do anything from a 3 week crash course to a 3 month live with a family and learn type.

The advantage to Ecuadorian Spanish is you will sound like a Spanish native, whereas Mexican Spanish makes you sound like an Yank, Peruvian Spanish like a Scot, Argentinian Spanish like a Texan, and Central American Spanish like a hick.

So either lean the language in the mother country, or Ecuador is the next best thing.

Go to ebay or Amazon.com and buy Pimsleur's Spanish 1,2, and 3. They are expensive but well worth the money. Buena Suerte!

In terms of value, Guatemala has the best schools. There are hundreds and they compete with one another for the market. For around $125/week, you get room, board and 5 hours of one on one instruction m-f. The best city to go to is Quetzeltenango, and the best school (many say) is Juan Sisay.

Buena suerte, y buen viaje.

I had a very good experience in Quito. You will want to check out the South American Explorer's Club, which maintains a house in Quito for more info. (The SAEC is basically a clearinghouse for people's records of the outfitter, guide, or school they used)

I also took classes in Banos, which I enjoyed even more than Quito, but you will want to check on volcanic activity on Tunguraua (sp?) before heading there.

IMHO, many places in Guatemala (Antigua especially) felt like spring break hangouts for yanks. Of course I am a yank myself, doing mostly what the thousands of college kids were doing so I don't have any room to complain, but I liked Quito and Ecuador much better. Cuenca is another city on the Pana to consider, it is further south and has a much more relaxed and easy pace of life than Quito.

Enjoy, I think if you do some homework it will be hard to make a bad choice.

My GF spent the summer in Antigua taking a 6 week Mayan language course. She said there were lots of Spanish Language schools around, but she also said the city was very European. So, as previously mentioned, if you want to immerse yourself in non-European culture, you should stay away from Antigua.