There are few more interesting places to live and study than the city of Quetzaltenango. Commonly known among Guatemalans by its Quiche name of Xela (Shay-la), the city is situated in a mountain valley at an altitude of 7500 feet, amid spectacular peaks and volcanoes. Its altitude gives it a perfect climate—daytime high temperatures never exceed 85*F or drop below 55*F. It is the site of three universities and the home of many of Guatemala's outstanding writers and artists; it prides itself on its reputation as "The Cradle of National Culture." The city serves as the commercial and cultural center of the vast rural region known as the Altiplano, where Guatemala's indigenous population still carries on subsistence agriculture by methods that predate the Conquest. The majority of the city's population are Maya-Quiche Indians, many of whom still wear their traditional clothing in daily life. Xela has few slums for a city of its size (pop. 125,000).
We are a language school, focused in teaching Spanish as a second language, with experienced teachers. The school was founded in 1991, with the idea of providing teachers the opportunity to have a stable job, for the students to have the opportunity to experience the language and have a total immersion in multi-cultural country, and for our rural communities to relief the levels of poverty. Our fields of expertize are: Medical Spanish Program, Social Work program and Regular Immersion Program. Where we offer our students the opportunity to learn specialized language and volunteer in fields appropriate to their profession. We are associate to many Universities in U.S.A. and programs as well. Our awards are the smiles of the people we support, and the satisfaction of our students of having helped our communities while they were learning.
Faculty Information:
Our school is a cooperative wholly owned by the teaching staff. After the teachers draw a modest wage and take care of expenses, the remaining income is dedicated to financing the thriving rural development projects and educational endeavors that the school has undertaken and nurtured over the past ten years. If you choose to study with us, the money you spend will do more than teach you Spanish; it will help relieve a little of the severe poverty in which so many Guatemalans are now forced to live. If you are so inclined (and the vast majority of our students are), you will also have the chance to work directly on the projects, side by side with the beneficiaries of your financial assistance.
Other Activities:
In addition to our traditional immersion plan, we offer an alternative program designed specifically for college students. The goal of this program is to complement traditional language study through field trips that bring students into direct and more focused contact with different aspects of Guatemalan life, such as the history, customs and traditions that have been preserved from our past and that continue to shape our present.
Facility Information:
We offer four distinct programs: a Spanish language immersion study and an excursion program that expands the immersion program to include cultural fieldtrips, and two programs geared for students and professionals in the fields of Medicine/Health care and Social Work/Community Development. All programs feature volunteer work projects. The Medical/Health care and Social Work/Community Development programs provide students with field placement and supervision in their professional practices.
Our teaching style is one-on-one. The formal classes in Spanish are given four and a half hours a day, five days a week. During the rest of the day and in the evening, the school offers a variety of activities that are designed to teach you something about Guatemalan and Latin American culture.
Notes:
Plus US$65 registration fee.
Homestay included.
Also see Vacation Schools in:
Language Schools
Central America and Caribbean
Guatemala
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