JohnWhat

Hi,

With a new year comes new plans. So I decided to go study spanish for a few months in Latin America. (central or south america)

Can you help select the right place for me?

Firstly it must be relatively safe. So if I take good care, I should be OK.

There shouldn't be many tourists. This is better for my Spanish

It would be nice if the people are friendly, in order to improve my communication capabilities.

I'm not so into big cities, so I prefer a smaller town.

I love warm weather and sunshine.

If you have any suggestions for me, I'd be very happy if you'd let me know.

Thanks
John

guppyd

I live in Merida, Mexico and LOVE it. Not too many people speak English so I practice Spanish on a regular basis and the people are super friendly. It's 85 right now and sunny....in December. The beach is 30 minutes away and there are a plethora of language immersion schools if you want to take classes. Ruins, beaches, cenotes (look them up) are everywhere. ADO buses are easy and not like grey hound, these are super nice and get you anywhere you need to go. Merida is a great starting point to visit the entire Yucatan or take trips down south to Chiapas or Oaxaca. They say its about 1 million people but as I lived in a city of about 1 million before I came here I'd guess its more like 700,000

hopefulist

Based on my experience and research, the cost of studying Spanish in good immersion programs is about half the cost or less in Guatemala than in Mexico. My favorite school, the Cooperativa in San Pedro La Laguna on Lake Atitlán, would be a great choice for you, I think:
www.cooperativeschoolsanpedro.com

The school is located in a gorgeous garden overlooking the lake, I've been very pleased with my teachers and host families, and the school is really devoted to helping the community, too.

I've studied at quite a few schools in Guatemala and Honduras; let me know how I can help. My photos, blogs, and travelogues are linked below if you want to check them out. Happy trails!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/staceyholeman/collections

qwovadis

Good suggestions above also might have a look at

wwww.montanalinda.com

www.tamarindospanishschool.com

CR a little safer than Guatemala

check your consular advisories

My top 3 favs in SA

folks come from all over the world to study there

particualarly in summer/fall when it rains a lot in CA

www.bolivar2.com

www.donquijote.com

www.nuevalengua.com

Happy Hunting,

JohnWhat

Thanks both of you for your help.
It's really nice you want to help me out.
I appreciate it very much.

Hopefulist, that school in San Pedro indeed looks great. (and incredibly cheap) Thanks for that. However, to be honest, I would fear going to Guatemala or Honduras.

Mérida, seems like a great place, Guppyd. Thank you for your suggestion. Could you give me some more information about the following?:

1. With all the negative stories coming from Mexico right now, is it safe?

2. Isn't it too touristy?

3. What is the cost of living?

4. Since the city itself may be a little too big for me, are there some smaller towns around that may be more suitable for me?

It would be great if you could let me know!

Thank you both.
John

JohnWhat

Thanks a lot for your suggestions qwovadis!
I was just posting my reply to the other two posters when I saw your post.

I'll check your suggestions out.
Thanks!

hopefulist

That would be your loss, imo, but to each his/her own. My concern about Mérida, depending on when you're planning to study, is heat. We visited the Yucatán last June and it was HOT. I learned years ago that I don't focus well when it's hot so I always study in areas with more temperate climates; I enjoyed San Cristóbal de las Casas as a base, for example. The cost was nearly 3x what I typically pay in Guatemala, though. Keep us posted!

Dude

Although it doesn't meet all your criteria I am going to throw in Oaxaca City. Safe, at least in my experience of many years going there. A little bit too big, but easy to get out in the country plus the centro is great. Tourists yes, but fewer than in the past and easy to avoid. People are friendly and you would have lots of opportunity to practice. I like Becari langauge school there, but I have a vested interest as I am friends with one of the owners, but it is a good place as are el Instituto Cultural, Amigos del Sol and many other schools there. Anyway it is a an extrodinarily interesting place in a cultural sense. Has a high desert climate. The normal times for a bit of rain are late May through the end of June. Although more expensive than Guatemala langauge schools there are cheaper than further north in Mexico and they want customers as the recession has hit them very hard so you may be able to cut a deal.

baldone

Hey, Johnwhat:
Often you won't be able to separate "non-touristy" areas from areas that have decent language schools. Typically, but not always, the more touristed (is that a word?) areas are the ones that have good schools. I agree with Dude re Oaxaca. It is a fabulous place to study, but it is a bigger city. I've studied at 2 different schools there. That said, my best school experience was in Antigua, Guatemala. It is arguably the most charming colonial city in all of Central America. Perfect weather (although rainier than Oaxaca), and a smaller city. It is Gringo friendly but at the same time, few people speak English. Our school was founded to support bookmobiles to rural areas: http://www.probigua.org/files/en/index-1.html
I will say that because of the historical illiteracy throughout Guatemala, the instructors at Probigua are very dedicated to their craft.
Our experience was that most schools in Mexico are in groups, while in Guatemala typically they are private. IMO, the best language schools are in Guatemala. The people are humble and welcoming. Several years removed from civil war, Guatemala is as safe as any country in Central America, and every bit as beautiful. A fascinating read is "A beauty that hurts: Life and death in Guatemala", by George Lovell.

JohnWhat

Wow! Thanks for all your replies guys!
This is a very nice forum.

A lot to consider for me.

It's a really difficult decision to make. But you have given me plenty of new helpful information to wade through.

I'm sure I'll eventually make the right decision!

Thanks a million!!

RedStater

I had good luck and made excellent progress at the One-on-One Language School in Granada, Nicaragua.

http://www.1on1tutoring.net/program_...nicaragua.html

Granada is an interesting city, some tourists in evidence in early May, but not many - a lot of Yaquis are still nervous about visiting Nicaragua so it's not overrun. I found the local people to be extraordinarily friendly and hospitable. Instructors at the school were excellent, most of them (don't hesitate to ask for a replacement if you end up with one you believe to be ineffective). Home stays are available, and I'd recommend one. Cheap, too - IIRC, homestay accommodation, meals and 20 hours/week tuition ran just under $200 weekly. Some of the best money I've ever spent, I believe. I'll be back.