Study Spanish in Antigua Guatemala - Exchange of cultures

By Crista Luna

Many people from all around the world decide to come to Antigua Guatemala to learn about other cultures and to share their experiences with people from other countries, because Antigua is a place where many different cultures join and find their similarities in order to learn and enjoy the magic of another way of living.

Meeri Brandum, a Swedish girl that visited Antigua, decided to come for a while because “Antigua has the best of Guatemala” she says: “I love the mix of modern and antique, the history behind those ruins and getting to know different people around the world… all of that in one place is amazing”, she adds.
One of the activities she has accomplished during his stay in Antigua, that gave her the opportunity to exchange her customs with Guatemalan manners was the participation in a couple of weddings and birthday parties.
After that experiences she definitely  recommends to other foreigners to visit Antigua.

Another place where foreign can learn about Guatemalan culture, share experiences, and help poor people in the region, is the Carroll Behrhorst Foundation, which mission is to strengthen and expand processes of community development and participation that enhance people's lives, focus on supporting sustainable development initiatives that strive to improve the health and well-being of particularly vulnerable sectors of society, and working in respectful partnership with Mayan Guatemalans to have a positive impact on the problems associated with Guatemala's history of violence against indigenous populations, natural disasters, poverty, illiteracy and disastrously high rates of infant and maternal death.

Doctor Daniel Salazar is the Director of Carroll Behrhorst Foundation, located in 2ª. Calle 1-55, Zone 2, Chimaltenango. He has followed what Carroll Behrhorst inicia

ted one day, when he left family practice in Kansas and moved to Guatemala to open a small clinic offering medical services to the local Indian population, settled in Chimaltenango.

Many foreign people help this Foundation and it invest the financial supports in projects that promote self-sufficiency, foster community development, and enhance the education and health of people who are working to make a better life for their children and their communities.

For the tourists who like to make friends by learning Spanish, there are a lot of Spanish academies in Antigua where you can do this. Marybel Mijangos, from  Ixquic Spanish School, located in 7a. North Avenue #74^th, tell us that this school gives full attention to the educational needs of all the visitors:“Our teachers are certified teachers in Spanish as a second language for foreign students, by the Universidad Rafael Landívar, with over 17 years of experience”, she adds.

Guillaume Morillon, a french man that attended to Ixquic Spanish School in Antigua, tell us his exper

ience in the cultural-exchange perfect place: Antigua. He came to this exciting city for a practice of his business school and also to learn Spanish: “Here, in order to really get immerse in the Guatemalan culture, I lived in San Juan El Obispo with a family from Guatemala, I took classes at a school in Antigua, I volunteer in Los Patojos for 3 months as a guitar teacher, and I did practices in San Juan El Obispo and in Guatemala City. I recommend people to visit not only Antigua, but the whole country of Guatemala.

The schedules and cost of the Ixquic Spanish School is from Monday to Friday, in the mornings from  8:00 to 12:00, and at afternoons from 2:00 – 6:00. And the duration of the course is from 1 to 20 weeks, attending all levels, from beginners to advanced level. The prices of each course goes from $115 to $150, and the School gives special price for foreign people that volunteers in the country.

One of our main objectives of the School and a big part of its mission is #Women helping women through education”. Some of the activities they have with the students are games like Scrabble, cooking classes, movies (especially Guatemalan films), and Talk Evenings (between teachers and students).  And to make a cultural exchange between the students and local people, the academy have some activities like going to live to an Antiguan family house, learn Guatemalan typical food and cook a food from their country, the share the recipe, and in classes with the types of conversation, where students learn history, geography, customs etc. of our country.

One of the students named Robert Monsen wrote in the Facebook page of the academy: “My instruction at the Ixquic School was outstanding. Caring faculty that was very responsive to my language needs”. Also Mylène Hazel worte: “I discovered that this school had its own social project. The teachers recruitment is based upon one criteria: single motherhood (and of course, experience and formation). … I was very glad that the benefits would be well redistributed.

Another academy is the Spanish Academy Guatemala, located in 7th. North Avenuee #63. Aracely Luisa Ortiz, Coordinator of the Students in the Academy, who has over five years doing this work besides having the experience as a teacher of Spanish as a Second Language, explains that the classes can be taken from Monday through Friday, from 8am to 12pm and 2pm to 5pm. “The activities we have to teach Spanish are reading, dictation, oral and written exercises, reading comprehension, conversation, discussion of issues, development issues, and round tables. In this School also the students exchange customs and traditions by living with a family in Antigua, to have total immersion with the chapina culture.

Other Spanish academies for foreign visitors are Academia Colonial, located in7th West street #11, Guate Linda Language Center, 7th. North Avenue #80, Centro de Aprendizaje de Español Universal, Academia de español Alameda, Calzada Santa Lucía #18ª, Academia de español Sevilla, 1st. Avenue South #17C, Academia de profesores privados de español APPE, 1st. Street East #15, and  Casa de lenguas Guatemala, 6th. Avenue North #40.

Have fun learning about other culture with new customs and traditions around Antigua with people from all over the world, who will be very interested in your way of living and will share and enjoy these experiences with other people. Here in Antigua, is the right place to do this!