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Spanish Academy Xinabajul
4 Avenida 14-14, zona 5, Colonia Los Encinos
Huehuetenango
(+502)-7764-6631, 7764-6629
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Registration
$ 30
Write to the school
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| Rank |
83% |
| Prices |
180 USD for 20
hours per week including host family
115 USD for 20 hours per week without host family
Study one hour daily more or less: add or subtract about USD 25 per week.
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| School Size |
2 - 12 students |
| Openings |
This school currently has openings! |
| Summary |
This school combines a friendly and relaxed family environment with professional teaching. The main goal of the School is, to provide quality Spanish language instruction to students. On Mondays, after excursions, students discuss during class their experiences practicing what they learned the previous week.
The school is established in a nice building on a tranquil and safe neighbourhood of Huehuetenango.
Founded in 1992.
The school extends a diploma upon request for student with more than two weeks of lessons.
Total immersion in Huehuetenango is excellent, since it is off the beaten touristy path, best in Guatemala. |
| Registration |
This is a small school that fills up during times like, Holy week (Easter), summer (late may through late August) and at the end and beginning of the year. For these times it is recommendable that you enroll at least two weeks in advance to help the director plan for staff and family placement.
By registering in advance, the school can assign you the best available teacher. |
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 |
There are 6 permanent experienced teachers which earn a good $55 in weekly salaries. Teachers average experience is 10 years.
See details for recommended instructors!
[Show Details] |
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School's specific Information:
Teachers have University degrees or are studying to become teachers. They all have undergone grammar courses and training specifically to teach Spanish as a second language to adults.
Recommended teachers: Otto Mendoza II, Sheni.
Teachers are trained in grammar for two months and they have to practice for a certain time in order to be a qualified teachers. |
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 |
Just like some other schools in Guatemala, this school uses the effective ′One on one′ teaching method and also, are flexible to tailor the program to meet each individual′s need.
[Show Details] |
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School's specific Information:
After the ten′o clock break students have the option to swap teachers in order to liven up teaching. Spanish Academy Xinabajul extends a diploma to students; stating the amount of time studied and the level of Spanish achieved.
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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: small. Video library: layman videos.
[Show Details] |
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School's specific Information:
The working materials include paper, pencil, textbook, blackboards and other. Small library with about 20 books, video for activities.
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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 |
This school offers teaching for children, via phonetics and visual play cards.
[Show Details] |
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School's specific Information:
The children′s program is different from adults. It includes teaching via repetition, phonetics, pictural flash cards and games. Program cost is the same as adults. |
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 |
Teaching takes place in a small and comfortable school house with ample rooms for every student and teacher team. Between lessons they gather in the kitchen to socialize. There are also a small patios and a terrace.
[Show Details] |
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School's specific Information:
The recently built school is a pleasant brick construction with 7 individual classrooms in two stories. The school is beautifully situated on the outskirts of Huehuetenango near the police sub-station. You have a nice view of a little river near the school and the green highland hills on the other side. |
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 |
Excursions and bike tours to Aguacatan, El Mirador, Chiantla and other places. There are also some local activities available and students also organize weekends activities.
[Show Details]
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School's specific Information:
Teachers and students alike join the activities of this school. They consist mainly in irregular excursions and bike tours to Todos Santos, Aguacatan, El Mirador (at more than 3,000 meters above sea level, you have the best view of Huehuetenango′s beautiful countryside.), Chiantla, museum and other places. Students are invited to Conferences with public entyties..
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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 a good $55 per week. Student′s reports about host families are generally good.
[Show Details] |
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School's specific Information:
Families are selected according to your requests, once you enrol to this school (unless you specify that you don′t wish to live in a host family). There you will be provided with your own private room, shared bathroom with hot water and three fresh meals a day for a week and the possibility to interact with the host family to practice your newly learned Spanish. |
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 |
The school can contact you with different volunteer organizations. They also participates in social programs and scholarships to help underprivileged students continue their education.
[Show Details] |
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School's specific Information:
The students have an opportunity to volunteer at different organizations like national hospital, nursing home, orphanage, schools constructions nearby Huehuetenango, etc. |
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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| Airport Pick-Up Service |
Upon request, the school can arrange with a hostel in Guatemala City to pick you up at the airport and drive to the bus station of buses that go to Huehuetenango.
[Show Details]
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School's specific Information:
Should you wish to be picked up at the International airport please let us know in advance. A representative from a credited hostel will pick you up at the airport and take you to the hostel where you can spend the night and will take an early bus to Huehuetenango the following day. The hostel`s representative will take you to the bus station and someone from the school will greet you upon your arrival in Huehue. This service has a cost of $35 per person and it includes a night at a hostel and next day′s breakfast. |
General Information:
If you don?t want to worry about closed banks on the airport, late night hotel search or unsafe zones of Guatemala City, take advantage of the airport pickup service of your school.
For hotels in Guatemala City please see www.guatemalastory.com.
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How to get there 
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Send yourself an e-mail with information on how to get to Spanish Academy Xinabajul.
If you arrive by pullman bus, please call the school before leaving Guatemala City, so that the director or a staff member can meet you at the bus station. The school is located in "Los Encinos" suburbs near the police sub-station in Zone 5 in Huehuetenango.
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Martina Steinort
passenger@fantasymail.de
01 / 2009 |
Hello, I decided to go to Spanish Academy Xinabajul in Huehuetenango. I studied for 4 months there. I got a good instructor, his name is Otto Mendoza. Hay espacio para estudiar pero hay pocos libros. Mi maestro y su esposa fueron mi familia. Yo tuve mi propia habitación y la comida estuvo muy rica. El nombre de la familia es Mendoza Dominguez. I would recommend the school to others. Sincerely, Martina. |
Rachel Szekely
Rachel.Szekely@gmail.com
10 / 2007 |
Hi! I ended up going to Academia de Español Xinabajul in Huehue and I wasn′t very impressed. There were no afternoon activities, the teachers often came late or wasted my class hours chatting amongst themselves and making coffee. There were almost no materials at all. My teachers were Sheni and Otto. I didn′t stay with a host family. Thanks, Rachel |
Stephanie Childs
stephanie.childs@mail.mcgill.ca
05 / 2006 |
I attended Escuela de Español Xinabajul in Huehuetenango, for 4 weeks during May. It was a really amazing experience, and gave me both a great introduction to what life is like in Guatemala as well as helped me to improve my Spanish enormously. There weren′t many organized activities, but I think that was mostly because while I was studying, there weren′t many other students, actually for one week I was the only one, and another week there was only other student. I was free to travel around if I wanted, many students go to Todos Santos for a bit as it′s close by, but I preferred staying in Huehue and hanging out. I went on road trips with my family in their crazy old car to Chiantla and Colotenango to visit market days, and one weekend I went to Mexico to visit ′Lagos de Montebello′ with my teacher. Friday nights we would usually make a big dinner at the school with all the students and have a crazy dance party afterwards until the early morning. I spent many afternoons at the orphanage nearby. Everyone is so welcoming there, the kids just run out and greet you, throwing their arms around you. It is really fun, most of the volunteers just spend their time playing with the little kids or talking with the older ones (great opportunity to practice Spanish, because they′re really patient). Mostly the kids just need love and attention. I also got a chance to go with some of the other people who work at the orphanage to visit tiny indigenous communities in the mountains where they go to give away some of the clothes that get donated. It should be noted that the orphanage is quite religious and bible classes are mandatory for all of the kids. However, everyone is welcome to play with the kids, regardless of religion. All of the teachers at Xinabajul are fully qualified and excellent, and there is always lots of laughter. I had a bit of a learning-style conflict with my first teacher, but I talked about it with the director, and changing teachers was not a problem. My host family was also wonderful, there was always lots of delicious food and a real feeling that I was welcome. Huehue is a great place to study Spanish, and though the town is, I admit, a little ugly, everything is close-by and even though it′s pretty big, it has that small-town feel with everyone greeting you as you walk down the street. The best thing about my experience at Xinabajul was how much the teachers really cared about me. I am now working in an office in Guatemala City, but I go back and visit Huehue once in a while on weekends and I am always warmly welcomed back. I would highly recommend Xinabajul to anyone who wants to learn Spanish and get to know a different Guatemala from what you see in Panajachel and Antigua. |
Karina Danielsen Tallman
susiesuede@yahoo.com
11 / 2005 |
Spanish Academy Xinabajul I wanted to stay in a town area without many foreigners/language schools. I am very happy with my choice. Huehuetenango is a really good location to learn Spanish, as the number of other language students/foreigners is very limited. In addition, there are basically no services etc. designed with tourists in mind. Hence, I felt like I truly experienced Guatemalan life for a short period. I studied for 3 weeks. I wish I could have stayed longer, but had to return due to work etc. I had two different teachers - one in the morning and one in the afternoon. They were both good teachers and I enjoyed the experience of two different persons and two different teaching styles etc. My family was excellent. They were very kind and inclusive. I could not have asked for a better family. |
Debbie Rosenberg
03 / 2004 |
We studied at Academy Xinabajul in Huehuetenango, studied for two weeks, and had excellent teachers and a very loving, wonderful family. We highly recommend the school to anyone. Good luck with your site. |
Helene Obrien
10 / 2003 |
Yes me and my fiancé studies for one week at the school and loved it. We went to Xinabajul, - it all seems like a lifetime ago now I′m back in the real world. My teachers were Cheni and Otto- the owners of the school and they were both brilliant, my Spanish improved loads with them, although I′m forgetting it as quickly as I learned it! As for the family, well they really made it for us. We stayed with a family who owned a small restaurant so we ate very well and they taught us how to make lots of Guatemalan dishes which we have shown off to our friends in the UK. |
Roger Muskett
09 / 2002 |
I spent 2 weeks in August at the Academy Xinabajul in Huehuetenango. It was an awesome experience. The teachers were professional, friendly and made me feel at home. My home stay was wonderful - my host family made me truly feel like a part of the family. I am returning for 10 days in December as much to practice my Spanish as I am to visit my family and teachers, and next summer I plan to return for 6 - 8 weeks. Huehue is a great place to learn Spanish - there are no "gringos" to speak of, and the people in the city are friendly. Please feel free to use me as a reference. |
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