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| Mexico * Guatemala * France * Costa Rica |
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Antigua, Guatemala vacation, travel and tourist information by reviewer Janette Higgins.
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Guatemala
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La Union Spanish Language School
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The Martinez Lopez Family
1a Avenida Sur No. 21
Antigua, Antigua
Guatemala, C.A.
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| Phone: 011-502-832-7337 |
| Fax: 011-502-832-7337 |
| You'll have your own private teacher in a quiet, attractive setting conducive to learning. |
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Review by Janette Higgins
author of The Best Places to B&B in Ontario: A Selective Guide
Six editions of the book were published to critical and popular acclaim. Janette now publishes her B&B
reviews and holiday reports online.
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Antigua, Guatemala may have more Spanish language schools than anywhere else on the planet. Which means that choosing a Spanish language school in this engaging town can be somewhat daunting. Among the best is La Union Spanish Language School (Centro Linguistico La Union). Six dedicated members of the Martinez Lopez family run the place and they handle 40-120 students depending on the time of year. Alfredo is the business manager, Juan Carlos the school director, and papa ‘Maquito’ keeps an eye on things over at a second campus. The two brothers got started by teaching English to Peace Corps volunteers and went on to open the school about a decade ago.
Pre-register at La Union (or most other Spanish language schools for that matter) and getting to Antigua is easy. Simply fly into Guatemala City airport. Walk across the runway into the small international airport building. Look for someone holding a sign with your name on it. Follow him and you’ll be put onto a shuttle bus for the less-than-an-hour ride directly to Antigua.
Lessons start any weekday at La Union Spanish language school. For the very reasonable cost of US$95 a week you’ll have a private teacher for four hours in the morning plus an hour of free internet and a laundry chit. If you also want classes in the afternoon the price is a bit higher. Since it’s one-on-one teaching it’s a good idea to let the school know what you’d like to learn. This way they can partner you up with a suitable teacher. Do you want to concentrate on verbs and grammar? Do you prefer conversation? Would you like a chance to improve your Spanish in a specific professional area? Or is your goal like mine – to learn basic Spanish so you can get by in Spanish-speaking countries?
The Lopezes are flexible and open to creative partnerships. For example, they participate in a unique social program run by a Quebec government agency for teen dropouts. The host families are carefully selected from a nearby town with no nightlife to ensure the students have no distractions. They school also has a special program for children aged 4-14.
La Union offers free afternoon cultural learning opportunities, all in perfectly articulated Spanish that even I, as a beginner, could understand. We had a lesson on how tortillas are made, visited an organic macadamia nut plantation, and enjoyed an energetic introduction to salsa dancing. The most memorable excursion was by jam-packed local chicken buses up into the hills to see a Mayan god named Maximon who likes nothing better than offerings of money, booze and cigars.
La Union Spanish School has two campuses. One is in a building a few blocks from the main square. It has a small open courtyard garden with fountain and is closer to the homestay families. The other is half a block from the main square on the second floor of a commercial building. Here, student/teacher combos sit at tables on the second floor balcony which looks down on a large open courtyard with green gardens below. Both locations have an internet café and help-yourself coffee and tea.
Most students opt for a homestay with a friendly Guatemalan family but if you want a hotel there’s a full range from backpacker’s digs to the ritzy B&B that hosted former US President Clinton. You can, however, do very nicely for US$40-70. I chose homestay was placed with recently widowed Iris Arrivillaga and her two young sons. I had a room with private bath. (Most homestay rooms have shared bath but La Union offers 5 with private bath, plus 3 more in a guest house where meals are served by staff.)
My housemates were three young men, two from Holland and one from New Zealand. They had private rooms but shared the bathroom with the family. All meals were included except Sunday lunch and dinner. The cost was US$60 for them and $70 for me. And that was for a week! The homes are modest with few amenities but I lucked out in other ways – Iris was a great cook.
Other students were not so lucky and occasional complaints about meals could be heard. But for the price most don’t complain much. Also, though my shower was hardly more than a dribble, at least it was lukewarm. Several I knew had to endure cold showers. Regardless, come with a sense of adventure and you’re likely to have one of the most memorable times of your life.
And Antigua! Antigua is a beautiful town of 25,000 people on a plain surrounded by volcanoes. An eighteenth-century earthquake partly destroyed many of the impressive Spanish buildings and cathedrals but their ruins add to the charm. Restaurants and night spots abound, all hopping with mostly young people from around the globe. The climate is spring-like with warm days and cool nights. Plan to dress in layers and you’ll be fine.
Note to reader: I appreciate your support of the continuation of my research by letting the owners know you read my review of their spanish language school on this bbontario website. Many thanks! Janette Higgins, Travel Writer
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La Union Spanish Language School, Antigua, Guatemala
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| Tell your hosts Janette Higgins sent you! |
| E-mail: |
Click Here |
| Website: |
http://www.launion.edu.gt/ |
| Best to call: |
anytime |
| Languages: |
Spanish and English |
| Season: |
All year |
| Rates: |
USD95 for 4 hours daily Spanish language classes. Very flexible: you can study 2-7 hours daily |
Currency converter
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| Cards: |
No cards. Cash/US traveller's cheques on arrival |
| Facilities: |
Two campuses, both with central fountain/garden areas. One-on-one teaching. |
| Location: |
Central Antigua, one hour from Guatemala City and Guatemala International Airport |
| Directions: |
Most arrive by air (see review). For driving directions contact school. |
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