Spanish language immersion school
Name of school:
San José El ViejoDates of attendance:
1991-93School's city and country:
Antigua, GuatemalaMy Review
I know this isn't recent, but the school is still in operation. San José is a beautifully quaint Spanish colonial town in Antigua, Guatemala, about an hours drive into the mountains from Guatemala City or "Guate" as the locals say. I attended a total of five weeks in three separate visits. What I liked about the school was 1-on-1 instruction and the classrooms are semicovered rooms in a garden setting. I had done research on schools in Cuernavaca, Mexico, and in Costa Rica but they cost more and were in a classroom setting. At the time, San Jose was the best price AND had 1-on-1 instruction. I had asked to speak with former students to hear their opinions and always heard great experiences. The director of the school Señora Mabel was very professional and friendly as were all the staff and instructors. I am now conversational in Spanish and use it frequently in my Job. I would love to return just to improve my Spanish a bit more.
Quality of instruction
ExcellentLevel of Spanish before attending
BeginnerDid the school accurately represent its program to you?
Yes.Were school employees helpful outside of the classroom?
Always or almost always.What are some pros and cons of the school's location?
Having my own teacher I think is what made the difference for me. One day we decided to go to El Mercado and all we did was converse in Spanish. I had the option of changing teachers every week or not. The school did find housing for me with a local family.
Rate the quality of your home stay
Excellent.Personal security
I usually felt safe.What did you most like about attending this school?
Teachers were amazing, 1 on 1. I liked everything, I did a lot of research before I decided to attend.
Whom would this school be best suited for?
We had from 20s-60s, all walks of life, Americans, Japanese, Canadians, Europeans. They try to match you up with a teacher that will work well with you and you can change teachers every week.
