Spanish Language Schools

Spanish Language Schools in Mexico

Have you thought of going to a Spanish language school? Let me explain a little about these places in case you are having dreary memories of high school.

Throughout Mexico -- actually, just about everywhere in the vast Spanish-speaking world -- language schools offer short courses of a week to several weeks or even months. They are intensive and usually have small numbers of students in the classes, and often offer options such as a homestay with a family near the school, weekend cultural excursions, and the like. This is often also called Spanish immersion study.

The schools vary in how many hours a week you are in class, or one school may offer different options. Typically you can start on any Monday other than major holidays. Often classes are in the morning and you study or relax in the afternoons. Costs vary too.

Not only do you learn a good bit of Spanish, but you also get to know some Mexicans. Their culture may come alive, as you experience being more inside of it than you may have been as a tourist.

Spanish language schools exist in most if not all Mexican cities. Cuernavaca, where the Cuernavaca Language School uses the Platiquemos method, and Guanajuato are two cities I've heard recommended for their language schools. They are both charming cities as well! You could also study near the beach in Cancun, in sophisticated Guadalajara, or anywhere else you desire. Search google, yahoo, or your favorite search engine for the name of the city and the phrase "Spanish language school." You may prefer to choose a city that is less touristy so that there will be less English spoken around you and the Mexicans in the shops will be more likely to speak Spanish with you.

You aren't limited to Mexico, of course. There's Spain and all of Central and South America. Guatemala has long had some schools around Antigua. Keep in mind that you will be hearing different accents in different countries, just as if you learned English in Dallas, London, and Sydney!

Naturally some schools are better than others. You can tell something from their websites, if they have them, or by asking for references from students who have been there. Ask how many students are in a class, and what the age range typically is. If it matters to you, ask about the privacy and bathroom situations in the host families.

I looked around on the internet a while to see if I could find a forum where people compared notes on different Spanish language schools. I didn't find one (please email me if you do!) but Idid find a couple of good pages with more information: choosing a Spanish immersion school from about.com, and a page on Spanish language school FAQs from the ecotourism site planeta.com.

Kelly and I haven't tried a Spanish language school yet ourselves, but we are thinking about it. It's an excellent way to kick-start your fluency!

Before or after you go, see also my page on how to learn Spanish.