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Escuela de Español Casa Xelaju
Callejon 15 Diagonal 13-02, zona 1
Quetzaltenango
(+502)-7761-5954
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Registration
$ 50
Write to the school
Location Map
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| Rank |
84% |
| Prices |
170 USD for 25
hours per week including host family
115 USD for 25 hours per week without host family
Study one hour daily more or less: add or subtract about USD 26 per week.
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| School Size |
20 to 90 students |
| Openings |
This school currently has openings! |
| Summary |
A big professional school, which pays a fair salary to its teachers. Casa Xelaju claims to use a wholistic method where the motivation to understand and learn grammar comes from interesting texts, poems and songs. It has several speciality programs: A program for children, nurses and doctors, police, firemen and Spanish teachers. There are also Latin American literature courses ($10 extra, very recommendable). At casa Xelajú you can get university credits. Wireless internet for free.
The school now also offers tutoring via Skype for $15 per hour.
Total immersion in Quetzaltenango: excellent, if you don′t hang out with other students.
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| Registration |
Escuela de Español Casa Xelaju fills up in January, during Easter Week, and during summer (June through August). For these times new students are recommended to enroll at least two months in advance.
Tuition for summer is $195 per week. |
With a timely registration, the school can assign you the best teacher from its list. (Contact us for group discounts). |
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| Teachers |
The school has 23 fulltime teachers. They earn a good $49 a week plus social benefits. At casa Xelajú you can also get university credits.
[Show Details] |
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School's specific Information:
Only professional school teachers are invited to job interviews. They have to pass a course in teaching adults and a Spanish grammar course; only the best are then employed. Every week, students report on their teachers.
For university credits, just ask your university teacher to contact the school and give them your curriculum. The school will then teach the curriculum to you. After your return the university will automatically credit your work or examine you first. All sides are happy: your teacher and yourself for your fast progress, and the school for their opportunity to serve you. |
General Information:
Spanish language teachers in Guatemala are mostly young people like University students who do this job for very little salary (US$30-$60 per week) and are trying to continue their education. Teachers in our recommended schools have undergone a formal training and know how to make students enjoy learning. By enrolling in advance, you are likely to get a better teacher. This holds especially true during high season.
If you are not happy with your assigned teacher, don’t hesitate to ask the director for another teacher. How to get a good teacher.
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| Methods |
One on one teaching. Casa Xelaju switched from the traditional "Bottom Up" method to "Top Down", also known as "Whole Language".
[Show Details] |
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School's specific Information:
Top down works this way: A whole text is presented by the teacher as a foreshadow. This can be a story, song, poem, short story, etc. After the student has a feel for what she/he will learning, the teacher begins to have the students interact with the text. This can be done using pictures, drawings, gestures and other methods so the student experiments with the text. After the teacher is sure the student understands the text, the teacher focuses the students′ attention to the form or specific grammar structure that he/she is trying to explain to the student.
Finally games, plays, and simulations of real-life situations are used in such a way that the student feels the urge to put grammar into practice.
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General Information:
Spanish Schools in Guatemala promote the most effective 'one student one teacher' method. You spend your time talking and listening with your own personal teacher. This is why Guatemalan schools are probably unmatched in the world. Go to a good school, and get the grammar right, too.
A typical school day:
8:00 to 10:00 Grammar and exercises
10:00 –30 -minute break for coffee, tea, and socializing with teachers and other students
10:30 to 12:00 - Conversation, pronunciation, reading comprehension
After 12:00 - lunch with your host family
Afternoons: previously scheduled activities and homework
(See your curriculum of learning Spanish)
Most schools offer a diploma stating the amount of time studied and the level of Spanish attained (minimum of two weeks).
See more information about diplomas and university credits.
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| Materials |
No official textbook but verb and exercise lists. Teachers develop their own materials. Library: excellent: over 1000 books. Video library: excellent: over 160 educational videos/DVDs.
[Show Details] |
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School's specific Information:
Teachers develop their own materials. There are board games to help learn vocabulary, and posters with a variety of different topics in order to practice conversation.
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General Information:
At most Spanish schools in Guatemala, teachers write examples and grammar on paper; at others, blackboards are used. And at some, students receive a notebook for their own use. Teachers generally have to supply their own teaching materials. The most widespread book is AMSCO “Spanish Three Years” (Nassi, Levy), a very helpful grammar and exercise book in three levels, written in Spanish and English. A few schools have good libraries, video collections, and many have board games like Scrabble and others, to make teaching more entertaining.
If you are not an English speaker, you may want to bring grammar- and exercise books in your language. In any case a good and small dictionary is very helpful for homework.
(See recommendations on good Spanish Textbooks.)
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| Special Programs |
Casa Xelaju offers special courses in Spanish Literature, History of Guatemala and Spanish for Educators, Health Workers, Business people, College Students and Children. The school now also offers tutoring via Skype for $15 per hour. This program is popular with future teachers in California and Texas. You study for two weeks minimum, two hours daily.
[Show Details] |
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School's specific Information:
Spanish Literature: Together with your teacher you choose several books and read them. The teacher gives you information on the biography of the author and the historical background of the book. You write essays and learn vocabulary.
History of Guatemala: You work on historic documents like REHMI, which presents the findings of the so-called truth commission which tried to paint a history of the armed conflict of Guatemala by means of thousands of interviews and testimonials. Guatemalan history is unique since parts of the country have never been conquered, and there are many texts on peaceful colonization.
Several of Casa Xelaju′s teachers are professional kindergarten or primary school teachers. They teach children with visual methods. There are over 20 books with songs for children. There is ample space for children.
Spanish test preparation for: PPST Praxis II, OPI, FSI, AP, CLEP.
Other special programs: Spanish for Educators, Spanish for Health Care Workers, Spanish for Business.
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General Information:
Special Programs are available for medical students and nurses, lawyers, missionaries and business people. You study Spanish as any other student, but with emphasis on the vocabulary of your profession or interest. Schools also get you in contact with Guatemalan professionals of your field and organize practical courses upon request.
A few schools have good programs for children. Guatemala365.com recommends schools in safe places and with a garden or ample cubicles. This way the children feel free to play while learning.
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| Location |
There is a small, quiet classroom for each student. Relax in a big patio with water fall and cafeteria.
[Show Details] |
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School's specific Information:
Students and teachers have quiet and well-lit rooms in a four floor house. There is no interference from other classes. Depending on the teacher, these rooms are bare like monks′ cells or full of posters and educational things. Every room has a window with a good view of the city. |
General Information:
Many schools have big halls or patios in a pleasant environment, with tables that seat two. You can often hear teacher-student conversations from nearby tables. Some schools have separate cubicles for each teacher – student team. Most schools have small patios or gardens to relax and get to know each other at break time. Some schools also have a cafeteria or even kitchens where students and teachers meet to cook local or food from their home countries.
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| Activities |
Visits to local villages and attractive sites, dancing, local food cooking course, videos, talks. Salsa and Merengue courses.
[Show Details]
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School's specific Information:
During low season three activities per week, during high season five. There are excursions on weekends. In all activities students pay for transportation. .
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General Information:
During afternoons, a school staff member takes you to the most beautiful places, interesting projects and Maya traditions of the
area, where you have the opportunity to practice your newly learned Spanish and get to know teachers and other students. These activities make your stay a real holiday. Some activities like weekend trips have an additional cost.
Note: small schools have fewer activities during low season.
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| Host Families |
Families earn $40 per week. Student′s reports about host families are mostly good.
[Show Details] |
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School's specific Information:
You have your own room and shared bath with hot water in your host family. Three meals a day, even on Sundays. Host families living close to Casa Xelajú have access to the school′s wireless networks as well. Thus those students living in this proximity of the school and that have wireless adapters* on their laptops will be able to tap into the system from the comforts of home. |
General Information:
Generally host families provide each student with their own private little room and three meals a day/six days a week. On Sundays, most families provide no meals. There is nearly always hot water and electricity. It is recommended that you bring your own towels, soap, shampoo and other personal care from your country or you can buy it here. Your host parents help you with any problems and encourage you to talk Spanish. It is pretty interesting to see how people live in Guatemala.
A word on food:
By looking at what families earn at different schools you can assess the quantity of food given. The range is from US$30 to $85 per week. If you are in a $35 host family, please do not complain about beans every day. Just eat out now and then.
If you do not want to stay in a host family, we recommend you to visit www.guatemalastory.com for a list of good hotels in Guatemala City, Antigua, Atitlan, etc.
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| Volunteering |
Casa Xelaju runs "La Pedrera" Community Project with over 100 beneficiary children, some attending college.
[Show Details] |
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School's specific Information:
For more volunteers opportunities, ask the director or if you choose you can look for one yourself by visiting, www.entremundos.com. |
General Information:
Most schools have only loose contact to volunteer social projects or have only poor projects on their own.
If you want to volunteer, it is best to rely on PMG (Antigua, Rio Dulce and Cobán), or Entremundos (Quetzaltenango) or other non profit organizations in order to find an organization that suits students' interests.
More information on volunteering and jobs in Guatemala.
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Dawn Lasby
dawn.lasby@yahoo.ca
06 / 2009 |
I also attended Escuela de Español Casa Xelaju in Quetzaltenango (Xela). I studied for two weeks there. My teacher, Claudia was not so good, but my first instructor at this school Zuly, was excellent. Study resources were ok, but, I would have liked an exercise book, but, the handouts provided by Zuly were good. Activities in Xela were excellent run by Elizabeth. I didn′t choose a host family. I would definitely recommend Casa Xelaju. Thanks, for the follow up... I knew where I was going, then I went to school. Their websites were helpful in deciding for a school, I chose this school, because of their activities. Sincerely, Lawn. |
Ron Torgerson
rrtorgerson@hotmail.com
06 / 2008 |
I attended Casa Xelaju Spanish School for 1 week. My instructor′s name was Lady. All Lady would do is conjugate verbs, even though I asked for tourist survival skills. Two hours into the second day I quit in disgust. The only vocabulary she went over was colours - all of which I had memorized before going to Guatemala. I would never go back there again. A young woman I met on the first day (also from Canada) said she was having problems with her instructor not being responsive to what was asked of him. I don′t recall that instructor′s name. Field trips at this school were interesting but not at all related to instruction - they seemed to be designed to just use up time. For instance, one weekend trip was to the beach, but there was no attempt to provide context. The staff members tasked with trips - Miguel - was a very nice and accommodating person, but was very new to town. I think he will be a credit to the school once he has a few months more under his belt. His orientation session for, and assistance to, new students were excellent. I did not stay with a host family, having rented one of the new apartments at the school. Next time I will try to rent another apartment - but not at Casa Xelaju. I contracted with them to pick me up at the Guatemala City airport, put me on a bus and pick me at the terminal in Xela, and take me to the apartment I rented with them. The guy was late picking me up at the airport - I was standing in line for a taxi when he wandered up. He was very nice and got me a ticket for the bus. Then, I wasn′t picked up in Xela. After waiting for 30 minutes I took a taxi. Even though I had booked the apartment 6 weeks previously, it wasn′t ready for me until after 6 pm that night - they were still trying to get the electricity working. During the 3 1/2 week in the apartment, I never had Hot (I know this really means warm) water in the apartment, the toilet leaked in the bathroom, flooding the floor, etc. It was very difficult to get the staff to fix the problems. I would give this school a failing grade. Thanks, Ron. |
Barbara Lindemann
lindemannb@cox.net
04 / 2008 |
The week after studying in San Pedro, Atitlan, we moved to Xela (Quetzaltenango) and went to Casa Xelaju Spanish School where we studied for an additional week. I was satisfied with my teacher there, but my daughter′s teacher did not meet her needs for grammar instruction. The school was not as well administered as the school in San Pedro. The director did provide us with a roomy and comfortable apartment beside the school, and we appreciated the central location. The field trip to Salcaja was interesting and with a good guide from the school. I′d recommend the school and the one in San Pedro. Thanks, Barbara. |
Jenniffer Chase
jlchase9@gmail.com
11 / 2007 |
My husband and I studied at Escuela de Español Casa Xelaju in Quetzaltenango. We studied for 5 days only. We had separate teachers who were wonderful. I mostly received and reviewed information that the teacher and I worked on during the class. I was to study the information for the next day. I thought this was fine and helpful. My husband had a similar experience with his teacher. Our host family were fabulous. We stayed with an older couple who had a great set up for us and were very helpful with our studies. Xela is very cold for my husband and I because we are from Southern California, and therefore the house was very cold. But, that is our only complaint about the whole experience. I would say that the school earned a 90%, or in US school grading standards, an A-. I don′t believe we stayed long enough to know how much more satisfactorily or less satisfactorily the school could be. But for one week, we were both happy and for the rest of our trip through Central America, we were speaking and understanding more Spanish. Thank YOU very much for following up and having guatemala365.com, I was grateful for this site because it put so many schools in one location for review. Jenniffer. |
Rhoda Martin
rhodamartin@googlemail.com
10 / 2007 |
I finally decided for Casa Xelaju Spanish School in Quetzaltenango. I studied there for two months. At first, I had one excellent teacher, then the others were regular, obviously bored, yawning, checking text messages etc..., during lessons. Study materials were varied - the permanent teachers had good resources, the temporary teachers′ resources were non-existent. My host family was great, friendly and helpful and they let me come and go as I wish. In summary, I′d say Casa Xelaju is cheap but the quality of teaching you get really depends on which teacher you happen to get. So do your research! Best wishes, Rhoda Martin. |
Charles Gribble
grib0014@umn.edu
10 / 2007 |
Note, that in my recent trip I was savvier, more travel wise, more in tune culturally, and better able to communicate than I was a year ago (my first trip). My comments and observations need to be read with this in mind. In addition, please keep in mind that I am a language teacher with many years of experience working with foreign language speakers from all over the world. My built-in expectations tend to be high even if my demeanour is laid back. I also attended Casa Xelaju Spanish School in Quetzaltenango, which is a big Spanish school with a long history. I studied there for one week, 5 hour class days, with the hope that I would be introduced to new or interesting methodologies or approaches?something the school emphasizes in their advertising. One of my difficulties was that I came down with the flu in the middle of the week, and after missing a day spent the final two days in a recovery mode. Not the best way to be a student. That fact notwithstanding, I didn?t see how studying at this school was much different from anywhere else I?ve been or heard about. My teacher was competent and refreshingly easy to understand. Not highly creative. Not able to quickly spot where I could use extra help and practice. Instead, just like the young teacher at other school, it was ?what do you want to do?? and ?what would you like to work on?? Study materials in general seemed kind of old or worn out to me. I could say more, but I work with such excellent stuff as a teacher of ESL that it′s hard to make comparisons with anything I saw in Guatemala at some pretty decent schools. This school is well equipped to provide excursions and multi-cultural experiences that I only got a glimpse of in one week. The physical setting is to the stark side?definitely more institutional than homey. My homestay situation was the most Spartan of the three I have experienced. I was fed very well. The house was strictly set up for boarders, traffic noise was common, and there was just nowhere to go beyond your bedroom. One week in Xela was enough. I probably got tired of it after spending six weeks there last year. I think a person could count on any of the schools I attended to teach basics and fundamentals well. But as an intermediate learner, I think the experiences from my recent trip left a lot to be desired. A note about cost or expense. Naturally, in Guatemala (except in Antigua) it?s not horribly high. The school in Cobán was around $135 per week and in Xela around $165 per week. But if you look at the cost per hour of instruction, it was about the same. Best, Chuck. |
Christina
09 / 2007 |
I decided to attend Escuela de Español Casa Xelaju in Quetzaltenango. I studied for 6 weeks there. I had 4 different teachers, 2 great ones and 2 mediocre ones. Each teacher comes up with their own plans and uses their own materials, so it depends on the teacher. In general not many textbooks are used at the school. My host family was absolutely excellent. I enjoyed staying with them. In general this school is good for the independent student that already knows a little Spanish and is interested in focusing on developing conversational skills. Thank you, Christina. |
Ricardo & Rita Mier
ricardo-y-rita@hotmail.com
04 / 2007 |
We got the name of the school Casa Xelaju Spanish School, from a friend who had gone there many years ago, but your site really provided the confidence to go ahead and sign up. We were there 5 weeks. Our teachers, I had two and my wife had the same one for 5 weeks, were very good, university educated. Very professional. In fact, a requirement for them is that they present a talk regarding language or culture or politics to the other teachers on a regular basis--they operate more or less like a university department. They worked us hard, which is what we wanted. The activites, 3-4 per week were similarly good and included a hike to a lake on top of a volcano, dance lessons, a visit to a free clinic (something I instigated), several talks about Guatemalan politics, relevant movies, cooking lessons, visits to the market, etc... Really only one semi-negative, I signed up for the "Medical Spanish" course, but my teacher didn′t really know anything about patients, or medical practice so that kind of fizzled. Our family was really superb. Very nice, clean quarters, terrific food, nice people. The woman in whose house we were staying had pictures around of students who had lived with the family in the past and she was always talking about them and how much she enjoyed having the students. We spent quite a bit of time sitting around the table talking in Spanish. We developed a nice relationship with her--when we left, she cryed to see us go. Guatemala 365.com is great and was very useful. Thanks, Rich Mier |
Anonymous
01 / 2007 |
Finally I studied at Casa Xelaju Spanish School in Xela, Quetzaltenango. I was there for 1 week. My teacher was pretty good, he knew the rules and how to teach them. He was fairly young and had only two years of teaching experience. He spoke decent English, which in his case was a drawback, since I got the feeling he was often using it much more than necessary in order to get his own practice. He was also a mumbler, it was often very hard for me to understand what we was saying. He was happy to go out on field trips with me to various places, which was great. He took me in his car to the huge cemetery, which is a highly recommended trip, especially with a local who can explain things to you. We also went to the giant San Francisco market together, a very fun and crazy trip. My family there was great, very friendly, multigenerational, very bland food though. The school was huge, under some remodelling, and not very pretty, after the other two schools, with gardens and plants, studying in a tiny empty room with only a table and two chairs felt a little like prison, but that was ok, as it made it feel more serious. |
Lou-Ellen Saidel
louellens@comcast.net
02 / 2006 |
I had gotten the name of Escuela de Espanol Casa Xelaju from a friend, and that is the school I ended up at. I studied for 3 weeks and 3 days. I would have loved to have stayed longer, but had only that much time off from my job. I had an excellent teacher. I did not participate in too many activities. This was my 3rd time in Guatemala, and so I had some of my own ideas about how I wanted to spend my time. The family I had was not quite a family--more of a boarding house. Many other students had not liked this setting. I found the proprieties to be a bit idiosyncratic, but we got along fine. LS |
Maria Catalina Rogers
lightgreentoday@gmail.com
02 / 2006 |
I then attended Escuela de Espanol Casa Xelaju in Quetzaltenango for a month and found it to be very professional. The activities there were decent but only every other day or so, the family was really great and the teaching was top notch. |
Michael Turilli
michael_turilli@hotmail.com
01 / 2006 |
I am happy to provide you with a report of my experience in Guatemala. Here it is. I studied at the Escuela de Espanol Casa Xelaju for six weeks and would highly recommend it to anyone. I had three teachers while I was there, and found them all to be well qualified and very professional. It was great to have my own personal teacher who could address any questions I could think of and tailor the classes to my specific needs. Aside from grammar classes, for two weeks I studied Latin American literature at the Casa Xelaju. For anyone who already has a strong background in Spanish, I would recommend these courses. They cost a little more, but are definitely worth it as they are taught by the most experienced teachers. Outside of class, the school offers many good activities if you want to get involved. They also offer free internet access throughout the day on about ten computers, and have an extensive collection of Spanish language films which you can watch whenever you want. I stayed with two families while I was there, and both were good experiences. They took good care of me and provided a very comfortable environment for living. Most of the families have been housing students for years. My experience at Casa Xelaju exceeded my expectations and I really have no complaints. It′s a good school for those who really want to learn Spanish. I was also very happy with the services provided by www.guatemala365.com. I found their information to by very reliable and they made the process of going down to Guatemala incredibly easy. |
Sally Palmer
sallyrae17@yahoo.com
08 / 2005 |
My boyfriend and I decided to go to Escuela de Español Casa Xelaju in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. We studied for only a week, but it was a great environment for learning Spanish. I would recommend this school to someone who wants to be away from English speakers, as only Spanish is spoken in the home stay and at the school. It was my first time ever learning Spanish, so it was a bit difficult to set up a schedule or learn a massive amount in such a short time period. My teacher focused on conversational skills rather than grammatical rules, which was good in a sense. I was able to learn a lot about the culture of Guatemala and the indigenous people. As for the family aspect, we had a great family and the food was amazing. It was a little strange at mealtimes, though, since I didn′t know much Spanish. I could understand what they were saying, but I didn′t have the vocabulary to reply. The parents would talk slowly to my boyfriend and me, but as soon as their relatives were around, they would talk a mile a minute. If you want to study in a pretty town or one with things going on, I would recommend studying in Antigua. Xela doesn′t have much going on and I found it to be rather polluted. Also, the altitude adjustment was difficult for me..so I wouldn′t recommend it for people with low blood pressure. |
Kathy Nakazawa
kathy.nakazawa@sfport.com
06 / 2005 |
Actually I picked the school based on my friend that had already attended previously however; here is some feedback to your questions: I deciden for Escuela de Espanol Casa Xelaju Quetzaltenango. I studied for two (2) weeks. About my teacher? I was disappointed with the first teacher (student with no formal training) and requested to change after the first week, the teacher that I was assigned the second week was very good (degree in teaching Spanish and expert on grammar). My family was very nice and very welcoming into the daily life and conversations. |
Michael Charles Clark
mcclar@berkeley.edu
07 / 2004 |
Also studied at Escuela de Español Casa Xelaju in Xela for 2 weeks, but I was less pleased. I thought the school was very much overpriced, and I didn′t learn much from either of my teachers. My friends who went to smaller, family style places seemed to have better experiences. Also my host family in Xela was terrible whereas my host family in San Pedro was fantastic. I thought the website was very good, and I especially appreciate the school rankings, it′s hard to great a straight answer on which schools are good, because often time′s people are affiliated with one of the schools. Good luck. |
Teresa Zensen
11 / 2003 |
I studied at Casa Xelaju for 3 weeks and had a wonderful experience. The teacher′s are very knowledgeable and they tailor the program to the individual′s needs and wants. It allows you to have time to work in the after school tutoring program of La Pedrera, helping the local children with their own school work. One of the main things I was looking for in a program was individual instruction and the ability to help the local people in some sort of project. The both of these exceeded my expectations. The family I stayed with was very accommodating and had been hosting students for many years. I can only say great things about the school and the availability of activities. The cost was very reasonable. I found that the area of the town in which it was located is very central and they have computers available for students to use all day long, until 7 PM. I would definitely recommend this school to anyone. If you have any other specific questions to ask I′d be glad to answer. I came away from Guatemala with many great memories and friends from there. |
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