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Frequently Asked Questions

Do schools pick me up at the airport?

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. Alternatively, there are hotels which offer this. There are the following three recommended options: (for other hotels, see also www.guatemalastory.com)

Posada Belen Museum Inn

www.posadabelem.com
pbelen@guatemalaweb.com
This is a comfortable and safe museum hotel in the historical centre of guatemala city. The cost for airport shuttle service and hotel room starts at $36.00

Dos Lunas:

lorena@intelnet.net.gt
Lorena can pick you up and take you to her hotel just two minutes from the airport. The next morning, after you have had breakfast, she will drive you to the bus station. The Dos Lunas service includes airport pickup, shared room, general bath, breakfast in morning, transportation to the bus and bus ticket. Options start at $27.00

Patricia`s Bed & Breakfast

(502) 2331-0470 & (502) 5402-3256v 19 street 10-65 z. 13 Aurora II
www.guatemalastory.com
patriciabb@intelnet.net.gt
Patricia charges $12.00 per person, this includes room, breakfast next morning and transportation airport - hotel, plus $5 to take you to the bus station next morning. Just call or better, send a mail.

You can contact hotels by phone, e-mail, or their web sites. Remember to include your name, flight number, and date and time of your plane arrival in Guatemala City.

How about safety in Guatemala?

I have been living in Guatemala peacefully since twenty years. During all that time the US government has warned tourists to travel in Guatemala. I have followed up numbers. Statistically, the risk to travel in Guatemala is about twice the risk of crossing a street in an EU country or in the US during the same lapse of time. So yes, the risk is higher, but not extreme. Having said this, there are a few rules every traveller should follow: Adapt to safety measures taken by the local population, e.g.: In some urban areas, single women do not go out after 9 p.m. In Zone One of Guatemala City, do not carry expensive gadgets in public and watch your luggage. Beware of the surf in Monterrico, about six persons die there every year (without being mentioned in any newspaper or web site).

How much time do I need to learn Spanish?

Spanish schools in-country constitute a very effective way to learn. Within a six weeks you may be fluent, and able to understand the average Spanish person on the street. An absolute beginner needs three months to go through all grammar and be fluent. You can do it faster, but if you learn grammar without it becoming automatic you'll sooner or later lose it again. Many students commit the mistake of pressing their teachers to learn more advanced grammar without being fluent. Native speakers of roman languages (Italian, Portuguese, French) can learn Spanish quickly: in three weeks you can be fluent in intermediate conversational Spanish. Other European language speakers and Africans need six weeks to achieve the same level of proficiency. Asian students and elderly persons need ten or more weeks for this.

Is it one teacher - one student?

All Spanish schools in Guatemala teach one teacher - one student. You spend your time talking and listening. This is why Guatemalan schools are probably unmatched in the world for learning speed.

Where do students come from?

There are students from all over the world, of all professions and ages, generally from 20 years onwards.

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About Us

Our small team has set ourselves the goal to make Guatemalan Spanish Teaching known in the world, and to put the finger on outstanding schools. We believe that this will benefit Guatemalan society ï¿½ as well as many students from overseas. Our effort helps save the schools publicity costs. Please be aware that we receive a small commission of each student who inscribes through us...

Guatemala 365 categorising schools

Guatemala365 tries to give every Spanish school on the website a fair chance at visibility. Therefore, we have created a categorizing system that allows schools to place themselves according to how students perceive them and how they define themselves. Our categorizing system depicts the atmosphere of the school, thus making it easier for future students to find their match.

History

In 2002 David Unger created Guatemala365, a website that provided information on several Spanish schools around Guatemala.

David's primary motivation for building this site came along during his work as a forest conservationist. During that time, he met many foreigners who were either very happy about their Spanish schools or very regretful. But in general, all could agree that finding a Spanish school had proven difficult.

So, David took it upon himself to assemble a small team to gather information on the schools. Ivan Maldonado took a significant role in this process. Since he had also been a teacher, he knew what to look for and ask for.

His work was of excellent service to the site, which soon became an essential tool for Schools to promote themselves and for students an easy way to find reliable information.

Guatemala365 helped around ten to thirty thousand students find their schools.

The first Spanish school in Guatemala was founded in 1969 by Proyecto Lingüstico Franciso Marroquín. A foundation whose mission is to promote the development of Mayan cultures and languages. Academia Lüinguistica Caco claims to have created the "one on one" learning method for which Guatemalan Spanish schools are known. This method was spread around by School owners who had formerly worked as teachers who returned to their hometowns to open schools, create jobs, and promote tourism.

Everyone gets to be a teacher in a Guatemalan Spanish school. Many of the teachers are people who travel from small villages to tourist places looking for opportunities that Spanish schools provide. Many single mothers and students rely on their jobs as teachers to stay afloat.