Spanish Abroad: Repeat Spanish Student Review

Spanish Abroad receives many repeat customers, as we offer multiple locations and not everyone can meet their Spanish proficiency goals within one specific study abroad experience. Janice was one of these students that continually returned to study Spanish Abroad with us on several different occasions. She has studied at 5 different Spanish schools and has travelled to 3 different countries while learning Spanish through Spanish Abroad. She was kind enough to write a review about her Spanish immersion experience.

I have been teaching French, German, and a little Spanish at the high school and college levels for the past 25 years. My job entails recruitment and evaluation of foreign language teachers in the US, so I've approached my Spanish Abroad experiences with a critical eye. All the schools I attended employed professionally trained teachers with excellent teaching skills. The emphasis in all schools is on real, day-to-day communication and practical Spanish that you can use the minute you walk out the door of the school into the street. Many teachers take their students around town to practice shopping and to taste local specialties and visit marketplaces. 

The materials provided in all Spanish Abroad schools have been thorough and well explained. All teachers did their utmost to motivate students to communicate in Spanish. My husband, a beginner, really enjoyed the cooking classes in Oaxaca and cultural excursions in Antigua. 

The schools I have attended in Costa Rica (Manuel Antonio), Guatemala (Antigua), Mexico (Playa Del Carmen, Oaxaca, and Mexico City), all had excellent and professional instruction, as well as welcoming home stay hosts who were great cooks. The accommodations have been clean, modern, and quiet, with charming hosts who were always willing to engage in conversation and even to help with homework assignments from the schools. 

Small class size in all locations was a real plus. Daily conversation classes, grammar drill, and cultural lessons provided a well-balanced approach to learning Spanish. All schools had Internet for student use between classes. Many teachers used film, music, and cultural documents to enhance learning and to stimulate conversation. The coffee breaks and snacks were also first-rate - especially the tropical fruit in Costa Rica and the yummy juices in Mexico City. It was very easy to get to know other students and to arrange evening or afternoon get-togethers and excursions.

Spanish School Locations Visited

Playa del Carmen Spanish School - Mexico

Playa del Carmen, is in a beautiful outdoor setting near the beach with easy access to the town, shops, and good restaurants. The days are hot, so plan to take your intensive classes in the morning and early afternoon and save

the rest of the day for beach-combing. It's a quick and easy boat ride to Cozumel, where you can experience some of the best snorkeling in the world.

Manuel Antonio Spanish School - Costa Rica

Manuel Antonio offers a breathtaking view of the ocean and provides delicious fresh fruit and juices at snack time. You are close to the beach, the rain forest, and plenty of outdoor activities. We especially enjoyed our guided tour of Manuel Antonio National Park as well as an afternoon snorkeling tour. The school organized excursions and cultural events which were well-organized and fun. The teachers were very creative with games and group activities that stimulated conversation and were also a lot of fun.

We went to Manuel Antonio in March, and the weather was HOT!  We took classes from 8 - 1, then headed for the beach to cool off and have lunch at the fabulous and inexpensive beach barbecues. One note of caution: Quepos is not a good place for night life. Stay close to the park and take the local bus to the language school.


Antigua Spanish School - Guatemala

The school in Antigua offers one on one instruction with very interesting and inexpensive afternoon excursions to the surrounding areas. We even participated in the Semana Santa tradition of making "alfombras" from colored sand - a wonderful way to feel part of the drama and pageantry of the many parades and preparations for holy week. My husband got to play the role of the groom in a Mayan wedding when we visited one of the outlying villages. Thanks to the Spanish language school's friendly staff and interesting outings we really got a chance to experience the local culture and traditions first-hand. We also took free salsa lessons at a local dance school and, to our surprise, we were not the worst dancers in the class!


Mexico City Spanish School - Mexico

Mexico City's school employs university-trained instructors who offer challenging and personalized instruction. One of the most interesting classes there was a conversation class taught by a young university graduate who gave us many personal insights into Mexican life, culture, and language. We also learned a lot of street slang, which was fun and which surprised our host families.


Teachers in Mexico City are willing to talk about any and all topics and love to digress from the lessons to chat about music, politics, history, film, food, or any topic the students are interested in. The give and take in these lessons was fantastic. The 6-hours per day that I spent there seemed to fly by with the variety of teaching styles, themes, and activities. Plus, Mexico City is a hotbed of culture, history, and the arts. 

The public transportation system makes it easy to get around this huge metropolis. I felt safe taking the metro every day to class. The Chilangos (residents of Mexico City) were consistently friendly and patient when I asked for directions or advice. Mexico City is full of life and energy. I can't wait to return there!


Oaxaca Spanish School - Mexico

The Spanish school in Oaxaca emphasizes small-group instruction with a variety of teachers throughout the day. Films and music were used to introduce vocabulary and cultural themes. There was a very good balance of listening, speaking, reading, and writing activities. The city of Oaxaca is extremely safe and pleasant for strolling (pasear) at all times of the day. In the evenings, the Zocalo is full of families, couples, young and old, who come to the center of town to eat, listen to music, and chat. There were numerous free dance and music performances that we enjoyed. People are friendly and very willing to strike up a conversation at any time. The craft shops and food markets in Oaxaca are sensational - a MUST if you come to this area.

Our host "mother" served us fresh tortillas every morning delivered straight to her doorstep. My husband is now an expert on mole and sopa azteca, thanks to the school's cooking classes. Oaxaca has a great variety of evening activities and is safe for strolling at all times of the day. One of my favorite activites was watching the evening "Telenovela" with the host family and writing down loads of new vocabulary and useful phrases.

Spanish Student Pointers

My recommendation for beginners is that you enroll in a small class. It's fun to interact with other students and also to hear new words and phrases several times. One on one tends to be pretty intense for beginners, but excellent for intermediate or advanced levels. You will need to learn some grammar, so be prepared to do some memorization and drill. It's a good idea to carry a vocabulary notebook with you at all times so you can keep track of the new vocabulary you learn while shopping and touring the area.

It's been fun staying in families with children because they are so cute and energetic, although they tend to speak pretty fast. Older people are really great to learn from because they are patient and speak more slowly. I learned the most from my hostess in Mexico City, who spent a lot of time at home and looked forward to hearing me tell about everything I had done and seen that day. I really learned to master the past tense during that two-week stay!

Why Choose Spanish Abroad?

Spanish Abroad has been a great option for my husband and me. Our typical vacation consists of a few nights in a very nice hotel at the beginning of vacation, just enough time to relax and transition to the new climate and culture. Then we go to our homestay location to experience real family life and to practice our Spanish. Spanish Abroad has been a fantastic source of information regarding shuttles, airport connections, local customs, climate,

food, money exchange, and everything we needed to know to make our trips safe and pleasant. Judy even told us the length of the walk or bus ride from our host family to the language schools and gave us great advice on hotels and B&Bs for before and after the home stay.

Thanks to my vacation experiences over the past five years with Spanish Abroad, I was able to pass the New York State Teacher Certification Exam for Spanish Teachers and enjoyed teaching a section of beginning Spanish 1 at my local high school last year.