Ready for a true vacation or break from your regular routine? We loved our month of Spanish lessons, in conjunction with a home stay, in Guatemala. Consider this sample day to get a taste of the experience:
6 a.m.: Wake up to the sound of roosters and wander up to the third-story cement rooftop of your host family’s house to do some exercises. You’ll have to duck under a line of laundry hung out to dry by your host mother who still washes clothes in the lake, but even then the view is spectacular: sparkling Lake Atitlan just in front of you, and the verdant slopes of San Pedro volcano at your back.
7 a.m.: Breakfast with your Tz’utujil Maya host mother down on the first floor of the house, just inside the small courtyard planted with rosebushes and a fruiting lime tree. Today’s menu: tamales and coffee for the adults, and because your host mother has astutely figured out that your kids aren’t wild about tamales, chocolate-flavored cereal and milk for the children. Your kids inhale their breakfast, and enthusiastically thank your host mom in Spanish!
8 a.m.-noon: One-on-one Spanish lessons at your school. As usual, you and your teacher start out with conversation in Spanish, por supuesto (of course). Yesterday evening you attended a school-sponsored lecture about the Maya calendar and astrological signs, all in Spanish (much of which you understood, to your delight!). As a result, today you have all sorts of questions for your teacher. She explains the role of midwives in interpreting a child’s calendar sign. An hour later your conversation has evolved into a discussion of U.S. immigration and your teachers’ many friends who have emigrated north looking for work. Over the course of your four-hour Spanish lesson, your teacher expertly weaves in more formal grammar instruction. Today’s topic: the different uses of the two “to be” verbs in Spanish–ser and estar. During the language school’s mid-morning coffee break, the two of you join the other teachers and students for a snack of crispy empanadas. Your kids and husband report, with excitement, that tomorrow they will be teaming up to make tissue-paper kites with their teachers during their lessons.
12:30 p.m.: Lunch back at your home stay. Today your host mother has made delicious broccoli cutlets, rice, and guacamole. As with all meals, there are steaming corn tortillas on offer. “Buen probecho!” Your host siblings chime the Spanish equivalent to “bon apetit” as they rush in and out of the kitchen, coming and going from work and school. After lunch, your family helps your host mother out by washing dishes in basins in the courtyard. You would like to go kayaking on the lake this afternoon, but your youngest child already looks tired–he has nearly fallen asleep at the dinner table for the last week as he adjusts to Spanish and his new environment. When he asks if he can go watch cartoons with his host sister, you agree, putting the kayaking plans on hold for another day. The whole family spends a lazy afternoon at home, lounging in the hammock, playing card games, and doing Spanish homework.
4 p.m.: You walk down to the lake with the kids to get fruit smoothies–your favorite is papaya, and they choose pineapple and banana. Along the way, the kids stop to play pick-up street soccer with other children. Later that evening, your whole family goes to a salsa dance class put on by your language school.
7 p.m.: Dinner back at home. Your family of four joins your host family of six, plus their grandmother who only speaks the Maya language, Tz’utujil. The kitchen is crowded, but full of animated conversation. The meal: black beans, eggs, fresh white cheese, and corn tortillas. Somehow your hosts have learned that today is your birthday, and before you know it, your host mother has placed a cake in the middle of the table and everyone is singing and clapping. You look over, and even your youngest son, who is usually slumped over in your lap at this hour, is grinning ear to ear.
Sound like an experience you might enjoy? In two weeks, I’ll share a post explaining the logistics of Spanish-language school in Guatemala: what to budget in terms of time and money, how to choose a region and school, and special considerations if you plan to bring children along.
December 11, 2016 at 3:56 am
Dear Katie, my 18 year old daughter is thinking of going to San Pedro in Guatemala next year before university. I have read other good reports of this school, but am worried about her safety in the country. Did you meet any other 18 year olds studying alone? Would you say it was a safe environment for a late teen? She would be coming from London and has never been outside Europe on her own before.
Any info would be really useful
Thanks so much!
Anne
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December 12, 2016 at 11:32 am
Hi Anne,
I can understand your worry about sending your daughter off to another part of the world on her own. I did a good deal of asking and reading about safety before I chose Cooperativa for our family to study Spanish. We were advised by friends from Guatemala not to spend any time in Guatemala City. As a result, we had a cab ready to pick us up and take us directly to Antigua after we landed at the airport (I believe for one person your daughter could also reserve a seat in a shared shuttle, which would make the journey more affordable). We arrived late at night, but the journey to Antigua (about an hour) was easy. Once in Antigua we felt very safe, though it sounds like one should use auto rickshaws to get around at night (we weren’t out at night). We also felt very safe in San Pedro–we allowed our 6- and 9-year old to roam the neighborhood on their own in the afternoons–but again we were not out at night. At the language school, we met one 17-year-old girl and then several other people in their early twenties.
In Antigua, we stayed at a very nice hostel/inn called Yellow House, which had an attached travel agency with very reasonable rates for reserving shared shuttle seats on to San Pedro. Your daughter would be very safe and comfortable there. And in San Pedro she will have a family to help look after her.
In short, I would feel safe sending my 18-year-old to Antigua and San Pedro on their own, as long as I trusted them to use good common sense about going out at night or making weekend trips with a buddy. I hope that helps! Let us know how her trip goes.
Best, Katie
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December 17, 2016 at 7:27 am
26 years ago, I moved to Costa Rica as opposed to Guatemala after hearing my many Guatemalan employees in the USA tell me how dangerous it is there >And that was 26 years agoI am sure it is worse now,They would not even allow me to visit there, even if I promised to wear a black wig and keep a very low profile. Many if their own friends had either been killed or kidnapped for ransom. AND The US Embassy for years has Guatemala high ranked dangerous for US travelers. SO If I were sending a teen especially a girl to study Spanish I would choose Costa Rica which has as much charm, better schools, and more important is VERY SAFE especially for kids alone. I do not advise sending them to the Caribbean Coast or SanJose as for the recent entry of the heavy drug cartels now. (Although they sneak in every country, it is better to avoid the areas in which they settle.
I am happy that you enjoyed your 2 weeks there but sorry to say that 2 weeks in a remote area is hardly long enough to sniff out the danger, and many Tourists feel a false sense of security in many Central American Countries until they face the REAL THING. Costa Rica is very safe and just a reminder that Honduras is the MURDER Capital of the world so please take care in choosing where to study Spanish,..Most are aware of the many horrific crimes committed all over Mexico , a country which I used to love to visit MANY years ago..Sad to say no longer..The crimes are hushed up to prevent the demise of Tourism.
TAKE CARE for Gods Sake.
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December 20, 2016 at 5:46 pm
Thanks so much for your comment, Debbie, and for your concern. It’s true that all countries have dangerous areas, and some countries are certainly more dangerous than others. You mention Honduras–I considered a language school there quite seriously, but decided against it after friends who had lived/traveled there discouraged me for safety reasons.
My family was actually in Guatemala for about five weeks (a month of language lessons and a week of travel). My distinct impression, which is confirmed by what I read and hear from people living in the country, is that Guatemala has become much more safe since the end of the civil war. Before we settled on our itinerary, I checked carefully with Guatemalan and foreign friends who have lived there. They recommended avoiding Guatemala City, but beyond that simply using good judgement. Interestingly enough we felt safer in the Guatemalan cities and towns we visited than we have in San Jose, Costa Rica.
Thanks again for your input!
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January 6, 2017 at 8:53 pm
Hello, my husband came up with a crazy idea for him and he wants to take our family, two adults and three younger kids, to a fluent Spanish speaking place and submerge them in it for a few month. He is thinking Jan-march 2018. Do you have any suggestions of the safest and best places for full families. We are both willing to work and also willing to volunteer in exchange for housing etc… you seam to have had a broad experience 😀 My girls are 3,7, and 10 all blonde hair and blue or green eyes. I am a blonde haired blue eyed momma as well. Safety is first and foremost. Thanks for your info and any suggestions, input, and ideas you might have. 😀
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January 6, 2017 at 9:26 pm
Hi, Stephanie. I know your husband’s Spanish immersion plan may seem crazy, but I think this is a great idea. What a unique and bonding experience it will be for your family. At the same time, I can understand your concern for safety. There’s a lot to consider. First might be health. Good medical evacuation insurance will be important, just in case–your current insurance may cover this, so be sure to check.
Then there’s the question of what health risks you are willing to consider and what you are not. For example, Costa Rica has potable water throughout the country–even your shower water is treated–but in other countries like Guatemala, for example, your family will be at higher risk of dysentery and other water-born illness. You can visit the CDC website for info on each country. We raised our infant in India (where he got sick a good deal, likely because of unclean water). So, this is something we are willing to put up with, but it’s sure nice to drink right out of the tap in Costa Rica. Malaria, as a different example, is something I would be less willing to expose my kids to.
Then there’s the even more subjective question of what countries and locations are safe in terms of crime or political instability. I would not feel comfortable traveling with my kids in Guatemala City or Honduras from what I’ve read, for example, but I have felt very comfortable in Nicaragua, Costa Rica and other parts of Guatemala.
A different set of questions for your family to consider is whether you want to be on the move or to concentrate on one place. For my family, concentrated time in one place has been much more successful. It allows for deeper connections with local people, more language and cultural learning, less expense, and a pace of life and routine that suits our kids better. Your family could concentrate your time on a volunteer location, a language school, possibly a WWOF (Willing Workers on Organic Farms) location, or simply life in a village or town of your choice. I looked seriously at Ecuador, Guatemala, and Costa Rica in my research. In fact, if we hadn’t been looking for a school for our kids, I think we would have spent our year in Ecuador or Guatemala. Schooling for the kids is another question. I’ve written a post about schools abroad, but with just a few months, in your shoes, I think I’d be tempted to home school, which offers a good deal of flexibility (though it also means little time for adult work/other pursuits, so that’s a trade off).
I hope this helps. Good luck with your decision!
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March 14, 2017 at 10:39 am
Love your blog! Us: A Canadian family planning something similar to your trip. Are you home schooling? We have a 5 year gap between our kids, would 3 be too young? Wait until the youngest is 5 and the oldest is almost 10?
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March 19, 2017 at 2:01 pm
Hi Jen,
Great to hear from you. To answer your questions, we are not home schooling. If you scan down my blog posts you will see at least one about our children’s school, the Monteverde Friends School. We picked our gap year location largely based on the school. I think there are advantages and disadvantages to going with young kids versus school-aged kids. Private schools, if that is the approach you take, can be expensive, so having kids still at home could be a good choice. If I were living abroad with preschoolers, I would look for a community with options for preschool, play groups, or simply a large population base where I could meet other young families. Much as I love Monteverde, it probably wouldn’t be my first choice with preschoolers. With school-aged kids, the primary advantages in my mind are that the experience will likely be more memorable for them and they will get more language exposure with their peers. Yet paying for schooling can get expensive. I hope this helps.
Best of luck with your planning!
Katie
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May 7, 2017 at 2:31 am
Hi, Katie,
I was looking into the Cooperative Spanish School and ultimately came across your article in the LA Times and your blog. All of your writing has been very enjoyable and informative. I really appreciate your insight.
I would love to travel with my 4-year-old son to Guatemala for 4 weeks January 2018. I would actually love to give it an even longer shot but my husband won’t be traveling with us and I don’t think I would be able to cover a longer stint financially.
I was hoping for your input on a female traveling with a little one alone.
I have some rudimentary Spanish skills that I am eager to improve. The little one has had exposure to Spanish and will likely attend a dual immersion Kindergarten.
I am interested in structured lessons but even though he will be closer to 5 come January, I think exposure through song, play, stories, etc are good enough for him.
I am a little concerned that even 4 hours a day will overwhelm me!
Are there are enough activities outside of classroom hours to keep us occupied for 4 weeks?
Thank you kindly for any and all input.
Sincerely,
Sara
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May 9, 2017 at 8:37 am
A dual immersion KG sounds like a great option for your son–I strongly believe that play with other kids and adults is the best way to learn a language for little people. And the earlier the better.
In terms of four hours of instruction for you, I can understand how that might feel like too much, but my husband and I felt it was just right once we had tried it. A good teacher will blend lots of conversation, or even walks around town, in with more structured grammar lessons. For me, as long as I knew my kids were settled and doing well, those four hours flew by.
Having said that, language learning for the whole family took a lot of energy. So, in terms of the rest of the day, you and your son may well be up for an hour or two of rest. We don’t own a TV at home in the States, but we let our kids watch Spanish cartoons for an hour a day with their host sister in Guatemala just to relax.
What area are you considering? San Pedro felt very safe, though there weren’t many park type areas to hang out in (I’m thinking of afternoons with a young child). Instead, we joined in street soccer games, hung out with our host family, or played games we had brought with us at a local café. If you are looking at Antigua, they have a wonderful central park, which could be a good place to play/explore, though because of all of the tourism there, you might be spending more time with foreigners–for some folks this is a real concern, though we met some lovely foreigners in Guatemala.
I hope this helps. I’d love to hear how your experience turns out–particularly the KG piece. Please consider writing with an update once are there. Enjoy!
Katie
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May 30, 2017 at 12:21 pm
Hi, thanks for the great article! With my wife and 8-year-old daughter, we intend to take a year or so off and start with the Americas. It’s all coming very suddenly so not sure where we’ll start and whether we’ll take a camping car with us or not. I thought of starting to learn Spanish for a month or so, and Guatemala was my first idea as I hear since long it’s a nice and cheap place to learn Spanish. We like nature and quietness (we live in Switzerland), does Antigua fit or do you recommend other nice places?
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May 30, 2017 at 8:52 pm
Hi Pierre,
What an exciting plan. We loved our days in Antigua–it’s a beautiful city and really enjoyable to explore on foot. Nevertheless, we were glad to study Spanish in San Pedro for a couple of reasons: more natural areas to explore on afternoons and weekends (it sounds like we share that interest), and a guarantee of having a host family all to ourselves (rather than being some of many students staying with a host family as we are told often happens in Antigua). We weren’t disappointed. Good luck with your planning!
Best,
Katie
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