study Spanish in Guanajuato, mexico!

People of all ages and backgrounds can study Spanish abroad in Guanajuato, Mexico! This is one of the many Spanish immersion programs offered by Spanish Por Favor. Since 1968, Guanajuato and surrounding mines were declared by a UNESCO a “World Heritage Site". Guanajuato is a quiet, charming, beautiful, and historical city. Students who want to study Spanish in Guanajuato, Mexico or at any other ASLS should contact us to learn more about all of our Spanish immersion programs.

You can be confident in our selection of our ASLS. It is our policy to personally visit and evaluate each school we represent. In addition to a comprehensive tour of all campus facilities and in-depth interviews of key faculty and staff, we actually take the classes offered to ensure that the company's elevated standards are upheld. A formal review and evaluation of all homestay accommodations is also undertaken. Relax, we do the work for you!

*Please contact us with any questions.

The Affiliate Spanish Language School in Guanajuato, Mexico.

School History	School Location	The School
Technology	Cultural & Social Activities	Course Summary
Teachers	Testimonials	Additional Information
	Prices

School History

Our Affiliate Spanish Language School (ASLS) in Guanajuato was founded in 1988. The school’s mission is to “provide a much needed service to both local and foreign students and to make a contribution to the global community”.

They contribute locally by providing career training and employment opportunities for many local people and internationally with the exchange of cultural understanding.

Last year, over two thousand students from around the world studied Spanish at our ASLS in Guanajuato.

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School Location

The school is located just outside the center of town, in Guanajuato's most beautiful neighborhood "La Presa”. The brilliant colors found in the architecture in Guanajuato they are charming and impressive. Students report feeling really good here. They say that it is a combination of the people, the mountains, the school, the colorful architecture, the narrow cobblestone streets and the fresh air.

Like other silver cities of Mexico, Guanajuato has beautiful cityscapes and architectural treasures. In fact, UNESCO declared the city and surrounding mines a “World Heritage Site" in 1988.

The 16th-century mining boom in Guanajuato led to the construction of fine townhouses, beautiful haciendas, and romantic plazas, for which the city is famous. The energy and vigor for life is impressive in Guanajuato. The people are friendly and opportunities to participate and observe the culture are immense.

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The School

The facade of the school is colorfully breathtaking. The school occupies the houses and gardens of a former private estate.

The campus provides a relaxed atmosphere and a learning environment conducive for the students. On average, students length of stay is anywhere from three to six weeks.

On campus you will find a full kitchen/restaurant that sells food and beverages during the hours of operation
(M-F 8:00 am - 8:00 P.M. & Saturday 10:00 am - 2:00 P.M.).

The new classroom and dormitory building has stunning views of the surrounding mountains.

The classrooms are spacious and conducive to learning and having fun! The school guarantees no more than 5-students per class. On average, the group class size is about 2-3 students.

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Technology

The school has WiFi through out the campus and all students have access to multiple computers that are connected to the Internet, which costs a minimal fee.

The school incorporates computer-based learning activities as well as interactive audio-visual learning tools.

For a fee, students can make international phone calls or faxes from the school. There is a printer that can be used by all students. The school sells students international phone cards at a discounted price for phone calls home.

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Cultural and Social Learning Activities

Once a day (yes!) the school offers all students a Mexican cooking and Latin American dance class. There is a minimal fee for the cooking ingredients, but the Salsa class is free and fun!

Day and weekend excursions can be arranged once you arrive and they are all reasonably priced. Here are a few excursions offered: hike mountain Bufa; historical tour around Guanajuato; excursion to San Miguel de Allende; visit Mexico City, Leon, and/or Dolores Hidalgo.

The cultural courses offered are insightful and well organized. Your participation depends on your current Spanish language proficiency. Here are some of the Cultural courses offered: Hispanic Movie Workshop; Latin American Literature; Indigenous Peoples of Mexico; National and Local Legends and Tales; Medical Spanish; Mexican Business: Culture and Economy; Gay and Lesbian Culture: A Mexican perspective; Mexican Politics; Muralism; Mexican Music; Pre-Hispanic Art.

There are volunteer opportunities for all students. Please let us know on your application if you are interested in volunteering while abroad.

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Course Summary

To be selected as an ASLS, the school must offer classes that primarily focus on developing the students' communicative skills. Classes are fifty-five minutes long with a ten minute break in between.

Students take a total of twenty to thirty hours per week. Thirty hours a week, is the equivalent of more than a semester of Spanish in the university setting.

The school takes beginners up to advanced native Spanish-speakers. Classes start each Monday of the year, except holidays, and six years-old is the minimum student age.

Students can take one-on-one or group (less than 5 students) classes. You can take some group classes and some one-on-one classes. The course schedule is flexible.

These are the Spanish course options at our ASLS in Guanajuato: Basic Communication and Vocabulary (beginner); Pronunciation and Diction; Reading Comprehension (intermediate / advanced); Conversation Workshop (intermediate / advanced); Listening Comprehension (intermediate); Composition and Writing Skills Workshop (advanced); Grammar (all levels).

ASLS in Guanajuato has many specialty Cultural courses for people of all ages and background. Here are a few cultural courses offered: Hispanic Film Workshop; Latin American Literature; Latin Rhythms Dancing; Local History/Legends; Mexican History, Politics, Culture, Cuisine; Prehistoric Art and Spanish for Professionals.

The school has a incredible “Spanish for Kids" course, which is very popular with parents who want to learn or improve their Spanish and want their kids to do so as well. Children who attend are between the ages of six and twelve. The course consists of three hours a day at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. The course makes full use of games, visual materials, videos, popular songs, “rondas”. An important value is incorporating interaction and the language in social contexts. In addition, the "Kids" program includes 2 hours per week of interaction with Mexican children. All of the teachers who teach the Spanish for kids course have been certified to teach this age group and have many years of experience. We have received many positive testimonials and reports that this program is excellent!

Another specialty course offered at our ASLS is “Spanish for Legal Professionals & Students”. This class is taught in Spanish and is reported to cover a broad mix of practical legal terminology and vocabulary with the emphasis on oral fluency. In addition, this course will address how to incorporate legal terms and processes that are best communicated in English (because of the country to country differences) rather than in Spanish.

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Teachers

Students with teacher who is playing music.

There are over thirty Spanish language teachers on staff at our ASLS in Guanajuato. All of the Spanish language teachers have earned Bachelor's degrees and some hold Master's degrees in education. Some teachers hold degrees in Mexican History, Literature, Law, International Trade, Tourism, Education and Economics.

All teachers receive ongoing teacher training throughout the year. The teachers are highly qualified and some speak German, English, French and Japanese.

Students with teqacher learning Spanish.

All of the teachers have over two years of experience teaching Spanish as a second language and most have over ten years. Teachers are rotated weekly, but students can choose to stay with the same teacher if desired.

Spanish Por Favor recommends that students change teachers at least once a week to increase their exposure to different teaching styles and personalities.

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testimonials

The students who wrote testimonials have agreed to share their experiences with anyone who is interested. However, there email addresses will only be shared upon written request. Thank you.

Name: Michael B.
City and State: Santa Monica, CA

Having had little success in the past learning a new language through traditional instruction, and unsure about my tolerance for extended immersion in place where English is not spoken, I was initially hesitant about taking the plunge... but wow!, am I glad I did it, and chose to do it at the school in Guanajuato, Mexico.

The combination of the energetic faculty, the flexibility of their programs and methods of instruction (adapted each week to my preferences and demonstrated abilities), the setting in such a manageable and magical city (culture, topography, and climate), and the hospitality and encouragement of my host family all helped me exceed my own expectations.

After only 30 days, I returned home able to enjoy basic conversations in Spanish with friends and colleagues, and with very pleasant memories of my time in the mountains of central Mexico.
I would recommend the school without reservation to anyone serious about a well structured and facilitated total immersion program in a safe and delightful environment.

Name: Lori M.

State: Michigan

I had the opportunity to chaperone on a trip to Guanajuato, Mexico August 2007. It was a wonderful experience and I plan to return with my daughter next summer for a period of time to study at School. The office staff where incredibly efficient and helpful even though I could barely communicate. The founder of the academia, was very kind to our group by spending time with us and encouraging us along the way. We also appreciated our teachers and instructors. They did a wonderful job teaching us well so that we would learn well. The city was absolutely beautiful with its color and winding streets. Our group's only wish was that we could have spent more time at the School.

Name: Susan B.

City and State: San Diego, California

I had an opportunity to attend the intensive language development program this past summer for two full weeks: July 16 through July 27. I received 20 hours of intensive Spanish grammar, 15 hours of Spanish conversation and 5 hours of private lessons in pronunciation and diction. In addition to the coursework, the school offered numerous historical/cultural/social activities and tours that richly augmented this educational experience. I lived with a local family and participated fully in their daily family life and Sunday worship services. My senora was gracious, kind and responsive. This language/cultural immersion experience was life-changing for me. I fell in love with Spanish and the Hispanic culture.

I have been a teacher/educational administrator with twenty-five years of experience as a chief academic officer of a high performing kindergarten through grade 12 school system in California with a growing percentage of second language learners. I am now serving as a full professor and quality assurance administrator for a private university. Point Loma’s mission is to develop highly qualified, high performing educators of noble character with a calling to maximize the potential of English learners and students with special needs. My aim this summer was to experience life through the eyes and heart of a second language learner and to seek out effective, research-based strategies for second language development to enhance our teacher development program. My experience in Guanajuato helped me achieve my goals!

As an experienced educational program evaluator, I can firmly say that the school provides a superior program in terms of effective teaching in all aspects of language acquisition in a rich cultural context. Their highly professional teachers are amazing in their systematic delivery of a well-designed curriculum. Every teacher showed empathy, warmth, and respect for the second language learner. I found my conversational classes to be dignifying and challenging. We dealt with engaging political/historical topics and also personalized and relevant topics like how I would like to spend the rest of my life. We always received specific immediate feedback to guide our language development.

We got our best tips about restaurants and cultural events from our teachers who went the extra mile to engage us, to connect with us and to look after our needs. I had very little Spanish when I arrived in Guanajuato. By the time I left two weeks later, I was thinking and writing in Spanish with a growing ability to speak the language which I intend to continue developing.

Beyond the school, I loved the wide variety of cultural and historical offerings. The Cervantes Museum was my favorite. There was something new and different to do EVERY day after class. It was exhilarating to have everything in almost walking distance.

Name: Hilary C.

Country: USA

The school provided a wonderful link for foreign students to engage fully in learning Spanish in an authentic context. They loved staying with the host families and enjoyed the sight-seeing and culture of Guanajuato. Many of my students plan to return next summer.

Additional Information

Spanish Por Favor recommends flying into Leon International Airport. If you fly into Mexico City’s International Airport, you must take a 4-5 hour bus ride to Guanajuato. On the first day of class, all students receive a detailed orientation, receive a student identification card that can be used throughout Mexico for discounts (bus, museums, etc).

After the orientation, students will take a written and verbal examination to identify their appropriate language level. This test usually takes thirty to forty-five minutes to complete. After you have completed your Spanish immersion experience, you will be asked to fill out a satisfaction questionnaire to critique your teachers and overall classroom experience.

Guanajuato - price points

homestay / Week (3-Meals, single room & shared or private bath)	$154
Dormitory Housing / week (Private or shared room & bath)	$80-$280
Group class (20-hours) / week	$100
Group class (30-hours) / week	$120
Spanish for kids / week (3-hours per day)	$85
One-On-One class / hour	$14
airport pickup / person (Pickup Only)	$40
One-Time registration fee	$75

Prior to departure students must pay a $99 enrollment fee and deposit to reserve a seat. All homestay accommodations (to live with a native family) start on Sundays and end on Saturdays. The airport pickup service is optional, but highly recommended. Price points are quoted in USD.

1.888.870.0427