¿Habla Español? My journey learning Spanish started at Instituto Cervantes de Manila back in 2005, my time at Instituto gave me a good foundation of Spanish. For those of you who are in Manila and wants to learn Spanish, Instituto Cervantes is the best place to go and learn it, especially if you’re aiming to get your DELE and heading to settle in Spain. If you plan to learn Spanish while travelling in Central America, Guatemala is the best country to learn it because of how neutral Spanish is in Guatemala comparing it to its neighboring countries. Once you’ve decided to go to Guatemala and learn Spanish, Quetzaltenango or locally known as Xela is the best place to be.

Continuing my journey of learning Spanish,  in 2011, while in Guatemala I took a big leap and decided to do an intensive Spanish lesson. I chose to go to Proyecto Lingüistico Quetzalteco de Español (PLQE) in Quetzaltenango. I picked this school because it is the pioneer Spanish school in Guatemala with proven superb track record of providing quality language instruction, socially responsible institution, and effective home-stay immersion program. 

Though there are other places that offers Spanish lessons in Guatemala such as in Antigua & Guatemala City, these places are more of  a tourists pit stops, and are not as culturally immersed while studying Spanish compared to being in Xela, especially if your primary goal is to be fluent in Spanish and learn more about Guatemala. In Quetzaltenango, you’ll feel like you’re part of the community as opposed to being just a tourist, which allows to practice Spanish and discover Guatemala in a daily basis.

A little more of PLQE, studying in this awesome institution, included in the school fees are;

• One-on-one Spanish lesson (tailored to my needs) with highly qualified Spanish Professors. Coffee, tea & sweet bread onsite are available for free during class.

 

• Home stay  program with 3 meals included (optional but highly recommended). Host families are well trained to help the students to learn more Spanish (no English allowed!) and how to prepare meals for foreign students especially for those with special dietary needs. Yes, vegan & vegetarian meals can be arranged.

 

• Organized local tours (minimal fares and extra expenses for food, entrance fees, tips, etc are not included)

 

• Library access & in – school activities, such as film showing, seminars, Friday evening gatherings and volunteering opportunities (can be arranged) are included as well.

 

I enjoyed my stayed at PLQE, not only I learned Spanish I also get to experience more of the Guatemalan culture, I gained friends and family while in Xela. The city became home for me and surely I can’t wait to visit it again!

So, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and sharpen your Spanish skills in Guatemala. Now is the time to check one more thing in your bucket list.

Make sure to subscribe to my mailing to read my latest blog straight from your inbox. Or, follow me on Facebook or Instagram for the latest snippet from me. Should you have any questions, or need some helpful tips and advice travelling to Xela and choosing a Spanish school in Guatemala, please feel free to email me or comment below. I’ll be happy to help you. Hasta luego amigos!

Con mucho amor,

Imelda♥