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How to Choose Your Next Spanish Immersion School?
Learning Spanish can open a wide number of doors for you, both personally and professionally. And there is no debate that the best way to learn Spanish is to go to a Spanish speaking country and enroll in a Spanish Immersion course. But how do you choose which country you should study Spanish in? And within that country how do I know which Spanish school to choose? Here are a few tips that can help you make the right decision.
Lauri Stiller has studied Spanish all over Latin America and has had both good and bad experiences around the world. Her best experiences with Spanish schools were both in Mexico. The Quer'taro Language School and the San Crist'bal Language School
1) Choosing your country.
This is no best Spanish country to go to to learn Spanish. It all depends on what you hope to get out of the experience. That being said, there are a few things to consider when choosing a country.
The first is what are your goals in learning Spanish. If you are looking to get a job working in Argentina or Mexico the
best choice will be to enroll in a Spanish school in the country you want to work. This makes your decision easy.
For those of you who do not have a goal that specific here are some things to keep in mind. Mexican Spanish and the Spanish from Spain (in that order) are the most commonly spoken Spanish in the world. The Spanish from Spain is considered the most "pure" but the Spanish from Mexico is considered the easiest to understand (that is why most movies are dubbed in Mexican Spanish).
If cost is an issue, look to central America. A rule of thumb is that the poorer the country, the cheaper you Spanish lessons will be. Of course, the other side of this coin is that the poorer the country the less safe it tends to be.
2) Choosing a Spanish Immersion Program
- COSTS
Usually the most important factor for everybody. There are a few things to look out for in this category. While most Spanish schools have the costs for their classes on their website, please make sure to read them carefully. While some Spanish schools look affordable at first glance, they raise the prices in subtle ways like charging you a registration fee (sometimes over $100.00 U.S.) for simply putting your name on a list, or they charge you for all you books (up to $100.00 U.S. per book per level). So read the fine print.
Additionally, remember the saying of "you get what you pay for". It is not worth saving a few dollars to go to a far worse school.Check the testimonials and if possible ask to contact to other students who have attended the school to see what their experiences were.
- LEVEL OF TRAINING OF TEACHERS
Just because you can speak a language does not mean you can teach it. Make sure the Spanish teachers are trained to teach, and have experience. And confirm what kind of training that the teachers have. Many Spanish schools will claim to have "trained" Spanish teachers, but when you arrive you find that the training was nothing more than a weekend course given by the Spanish school itself. Once again talking to former Spanish students who attended the school is a good way of getting this information.
- DOES ASSOCIATION MATTER?
"Our Spanish School is affiliated with ABCD Group!" Many Spanish schools advertise associations with certain groups, but make sure that the groups are legitimate and reliable. It is easy for a Spanish school to create a Spanish association and then claim to be part of it. Some schools even go so far as to claim to be part of some more well known associations, but are not. Some well known associations to watch out for are Cervantes and Don Quixote.
But also keep in mind that Spanish language associations do not necessarily dictate the quality of a Spanish language school. Many Spanish language associations charge large fees to become members, and many good, small Spanish schools simply cannot afford to join them. Some Spanish associations also have strict rules, and many Spanish schools do not want to loose their freedom or identity.
- WHAT DO YOU WANT OUT OF YOUR SPANISH IMMERSION EXPERIENCE
Examine the environment carefully. If your goal is to improve your Spanish as quickly as possible try to stay away from the from tourist traps where most people probably speak English. Also, if your goal is serious Spanish study, stay away from beach resorts as those areas, as well as the Spanish schools in them are geared towards those who want to party as much as learn Spanish. Here are some recommendations for some beautiful, but non-touristy cities to learn Spanish in.
Quer'taro, M'xico
San Pedro de la Laguna, Guatemala
Bariloche, Argentina
San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua.
With all of this information in mind, you are well on your way to choosing the perfect Spanish immersion experience for you!
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