News
Antigua, Guatemala, the Spanish-learning capital of the world
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| Photo by Patricia Miller The school regularly attracts a wide-range of students, including many over age 60. |
By Patricia Miller
Imagine 65 students seated at individual desks speaking Spanish with private teachers in a warm, lush green outdoor setting. That was what greeted me in early January.
I sat at a desk with Rosa Maria Morales, my instructor, under bougainvilleas and the adjoining convent's 300-year old rock and mud wall.
After trying to learn Spanish in Green Valley a few hours/week, I decided on an intensive Spanish learning experience.
A price comparison of Mexico, Costa Rica and Guatemala led to the incredibly low-cost Spanish language school, Proyecto Linguistico Francisco Marroquin, one of many such schools in Antigua, Guatemala.
How can you not study Spanish when the cost is only $150 a week for seven hours/day, five days/week with a private instructor? I chose PLFM because it was the first language school in Antigua and, also, its teachers had university training in teaching Spanish as a second language.
As well, I felt that if the Department of State, the U.S. military, and the World Bank used the school, it was be good enough for me.
I had a fascinating 16 days there. I can't imagine a more beautiful, interesting and inexpensive place to study Spanish.
Although Antigua measures only a square mile, it is full of cobblestone streets and charming baroque and colonial architecture, including the ruins of churches from the 17th and 18th centuries.
During the daily 20-minute walk from my colonial bed and breakfast to PLFM, I saw two of the city's three volcanoes atop the surrounding green mountains. Unfortunately for the residents, these volcanoes constantly bubble and deposit dust on porches and patios.
Another appealing aspect is Antigua is full of Mayan women from nearby villages who sell huipils, native woven blouses, and other fabrics that represent Guatemala's 21 separate Mayan linguistic and geographic groups.
Speaking of bargains, my colonial B&B, with a private bath, was more than adequate at $125/week. More luxurious lodging is also available. Depending on one's appetite, lunch and dinner can run as little as $ 10.
My day began early. Before 7:30 a.m., I was seated in Dona Sara's kitchen, enjoying the aroma of the local coffee (in quality, ranked third in the world).
While we chatted, she prepared my huevos rancheros, frijoles and bread.
Then, I was soon saying “Buenas Dias” to those I encountered en route to school. The study day was from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a two-hour lunch. The day also included two 30-minute morning and afternoon breaks.
By noon I was ready to relax, so I walked home, rested and then ate a small lunch. Afterward, it was back to 2-5 p.m.. class. Although the official study periods are long, most students and teachers took short hourly breaks.
After class, I was free to shop for apples, papaya and yogurt at the open market, find interesting stamps at the post office, and wander through appealing shops hunting for bargains in hand woven purses, tablecloths, and pillows. Following a delicious bowl of black bean soup or grilled chicken I returned home to study.
The daily routine was augmented by cultural trips to coffee plantations, museums, villages for weaving demonstrations, and day visits to such places as Chichicastenango, Guatemala's largest artisan market.
All tours are conducted in Spanish, with your teacher accompanying assuring total immersion.
My favorite excursion was to a local chef s home where I learned to make chili rellenos and tamales.
I now describe my Spanish proficiency as a high intermediate. For instance, I can read the Spanish language Readers' Digest and converse readily on a variety of subjects.
However, I had a previous foundation in Spanish. For beginners, three weeks of intensive study should enable one to converse easily on survival and routine topics. And, that's all you need to more fully enjoy Arizona's Hispanic culture.
For more information see the PLFM Web site at www.plfm.org.
Patricia Miller is an English language learning specialist who resides in Green Valley. Contact her at plmiller442@cox.net.
The details
WHERE TO STAY:
Students may lodge with families for $79 a week that includes and three meals a day.
The second option is one of the many bed and breakfasts, which usually only accept payment in Travelers' Checks, in Antiqua. A few are listed below:
Casa Barrios, 3a Calle Oriente #25. Tel: 78320.241: $125 -single; $240 -double per week. Large colonial house 15 minutes from school.
Casa Rosales, I a Avenida Norte #7. Tel: 78323.086. $140 - single; 225 - double per week. Quiet garden and a 15-minute walk to school.
Casa Alonzo, 5a Avenida Norte # 15. Tel: 7832.0517. $125 - single with a cable T.V.; $175 -couple in a double bed; $200 - 2 twin beds; a 5- minute walk to school.
Casa de los Cantaros, 5a Avenida Sur #5. Tel: 7832.0674. An upscale beautiful colonial home. $385 - single; $470 - double with laundry included. Tip of 10 percent for staff expected. A 15- to 20-minute walk to school.
The Cloister. 5a Avenida Norte #23. Tel: 7832.0712. An upscale place with a beautiful atmosphere. Wireless internet. $400 - single; $500 for two; $565 for three; suite $5 75 for two. Tip of 10 percent for staff expected. Five minutes from school.
Hotels are also available and range from $60 a night to $175, including Posada de Don Rodrigo and Hotel Casa Madeleine.
HOW TO GET THERE:
From Tucson American Airlines has round-trip economy fares changing planes in Dallas-Fort Worth to Guatemala City for $839. The first leg is approximately 2 hours and the second leg is about 3.
If you make two stops, Dallas-Fort Worth and Miami en route to Guatemala City, the cost is $633.18
When you make your reservation with the school, you give them your flight information, and a school driver will be at the airport to pick you up.
I sat at a desk with Rosa Maria Morales, my instructor, under bougainvilleas and the adjoining convent's 300-year old rock and mud wall.
After trying to learn Spanish in Green Valley a few hours/week, I decided on an intensive Spanish learning experience.
A price comparison of Mexico, Costa Rica and Guatemala led to the incredibly low-cost Spanish language school, Proyecto Linguistico Francisco Marroquin, one of many such schools in Antigua, Guatemala.
How can you not study Spanish when the cost is only $150 a week for seven hours/day, five days/week with a private instructor? I chose PLFM because it was the first language school in Antigua and, also, its teachers had university training in teaching Spanish as a second language.
As well, I felt that if the Department of State, the U.S. military, and the World Bank used the school, it was be good enough for me.
I had a fascinating 16 days there. I can't imagine a more beautiful, interesting and inexpensive place to study Spanish.
Although Antigua measures only a square mile, it is full of cobblestone streets and charming baroque and colonial architecture, including the ruins of churches from the 17th and 18th centuries.
During the daily 20-minute walk from my colonial bed and breakfast to PLFM, I saw two of the city's three volcanoes atop the surrounding green mountains. Unfortunately for the residents, these volcanoes constantly bubble and deposit dust on porches and patios.
Another appealing aspect is Antigua is full of Mayan women from nearby villages who sell huipils, native woven blouses, and other fabrics that represent Guatemala's 21 separate Mayan linguistic and geographic groups.
Speaking of bargains, my colonial B&B, with a private bath, was more than adequate at $125/week. More luxurious lodging is also available. Depending on one's appetite, lunch and dinner can run as little as $ 10.
My day began early. Before 7:30 a.m., I was seated in Dona Sara's kitchen, enjoying the aroma of the local coffee (in quality, ranked third in the world).
While we chatted, she prepared my huevos rancheros, frijoles and bread.
Then, I was soon saying “Buenas Dias” to those I encountered en route to school. The study day was from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with a two-hour lunch. The day also included two 30-minute morning and afternoon breaks.
By noon I was ready to relax, so I walked home, rested and then ate a small lunch. Afterward, it was back to 2-5 p.m.. class. Although the official study periods are long, most students and teachers took short hourly breaks.
After class, I was free to shop for apples, papaya and yogurt at the open market, find interesting stamps at the post office, and wander through appealing shops hunting for bargains in hand woven purses, tablecloths, and pillows. Following a delicious bowl of black bean soup or grilled chicken I returned home to study.
The daily routine was augmented by cultural trips to coffee plantations, museums, villages for weaving demonstrations, and day visits to such places as Chichicastenango, Guatemala's largest artisan market.
All tours are conducted in Spanish, with your teacher accompanying assuring total immersion.
My favorite excursion was to a local chef s home where I learned to make chili rellenos and tamales.
I now describe my Spanish proficiency as a high intermediate. For instance, I can read the Spanish language Readers' Digest and converse readily on a variety of subjects.
However, I had a previous foundation in Spanish. For beginners, three weeks of intensive study should enable one to converse easily on survival and routine topics. And, that's all you need to more fully enjoy Arizona's Hispanic culture.
For more information see the PLFM Web site at www.plfm.org.
Patricia Miller is an English language learning specialist who resides in Green Valley. Contact her at plmiller442@cox.net.
The details
WHERE TO STAY:
Students may lodge with families for $79 a week that includes and three meals a day.
The second option is one of the many bed and breakfasts, which usually only accept payment in Travelers' Checks, in Antiqua. A few are listed below:
Casa Barrios, 3a Calle Oriente #25. Tel: 78320.241: $125 -single; $240 -double per week. Large colonial house 15 minutes from school.
Casa Rosales, I a Avenida Norte #7. Tel: 78323.086. $140 - single; 225 - double per week. Quiet garden and a 15-minute walk to school.
Casa Alonzo, 5a Avenida Norte # 15. Tel: 7832.0517. $125 - single with a cable T.V.; $175 -couple in a double bed; $200 - 2 twin beds; a 5- minute walk to school.
Casa de los Cantaros, 5a Avenida Sur #5. Tel: 7832.0674. An upscale beautiful colonial home. $385 - single; $470 - double with laundry included. Tip of 10 percent for staff expected. A 15- to 20-minute walk to school.
The Cloister. 5a Avenida Norte #23. Tel: 7832.0712. An upscale place with a beautiful atmosphere. Wireless internet. $400 - single; $500 for two; $565 for three; suite $5 75 for two. Tip of 10 percent for staff expected. Five minutes from school.
Hotels are also available and range from $60 a night to $175, including Posada de Don Rodrigo and Hotel Casa Madeleine.
HOW TO GET THERE:
From Tucson American Airlines has round-trip economy fares changing planes in Dallas-Fort Worth to Guatemala City for $839. The first leg is approximately 2 hours and the second leg is about 3.
If you make two stops, Dallas-Fort Worth and Miami en route to Guatemala City, the cost is $633.18
When you make your reservation with the school, you give them your flight information, and a school driver will be at the airport to pick you up.
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