Michael Shapiro is the author of 'A Sense of Place: Great Travel Writers Talk About Their Craft, Lives and Inspiration' He can be reached throughwww.michaelshapiro.com. Shapiro is a contributor to National Geographic Traveler, Islands magazine and the Washington Post travel section.
AS KNOWLEDGE OF SPANISH becomes increasingly vital throughout North America, more and more people -- physicians, students, journalists, and just plain interested folks -- are eager to quickly learn the language. Some choose night classes or tutors in the United States, but there is a faster, easier, more exciting way to learn: individual instruction in Guatemala. A personally tailored course in Antigua, a colonial city that commanded Spain's Central American empire for more than 200 years, is the perfect centerpiece for a vacation with a purpose.
Why Antigua?
Antigua, resting more than a mile above sea level in the Guatemalan highlands, is a tranquil, picturesque town of cobblestone streets, colorful markets, and striking geography: Three towering volcanoes (one still active) loom over the city like temperamental guardians. Unlike many programs in Mexico and Costa Rica, Antigua's schools offer individual instruction -- one teacher, called a maestro or maestra, is assigned to each student, enabling the teacher to design the course to suit the student's particular interest.
The schools are one of the best remaining bargains in the hemisphere: one can study six hours a day and live with a family (including meals six days a week) for about U.S. $100 per week. Students can enroll for as many weeks as desired. Some may enroll for a week or two to dust off rusty skills or achieve basic knowledge; others may choose to study for 12 or 15 weeks to gain command of the language. Daniel Trueba, a medical student from Peoria, Illinois, spent 15 weeks studying at the Arcoiris (Rainbow) School, to learn enough to communicate with Spanish-speaking patients.
 | | Rooftop studying |
Throughout much of the United States, "many people who come into the emergency room don't speak anything but Spanish," he said. "I'm tired of not being able to speak Spanish when it's really needed." Trueba recalled an incident in a Chicago hospital when physicians had to ask a janitor to translate for a Spanish-speaking patient because no medical personnel spoke the language. "It was a travesty that no one could help this lady with her problem.... I just want to change that."
Guatemala is an especially good place to learn the language because Guatemalans speak a pure Spanish; the Spanish spoken in Mexico, for example, includes more slang terms and words derived from English. Another nice aspect of studying in Guatemala is the weather: mild days and cool nights. During the rainy season, typically April to October, bring a sweater and jacket.
Because it is centrally located, Antigua is an excellent starting point for a trip west to Lake Atitlan, east to the Caribbean town of Livingston, or south to Pacific Coast beaches.
Located about 45 kilometers from the capital, Antigua is removed from the pace and smog of the city, and has many nearby attractions, such as the indigenous weavers in San Antonio Aguas Calientes. Because it is centrally located, Antigua is an excellent starting point for a trip west to Lake Atitlan, east to the Caribbean town of Livingston, or south to Pacific Coast beaches.
Traveling in Guatemala during daylight on main tourist thoroughfares felt generally safe during visits in 1994 and 1990. However recent violence in the country should serve as a warning to tourists to be cautious in the country. In March, 1994, an American woman was beaten nearly to death when rumors spread that she was abducting Guatemalan children to sell their organs to U.S. donor banks. Since then, a U.S. government warning on travel to Guatemala has been in effect, but no foreign visitors have been victims of severe violence since that attack, according to a Guatemalan Embassy official.
"Total Immersion" and After-School Options
Studying Spanish in Antigua can be the ideal introduction to the customs and culture of the Guatemalan people. During his language studies, Trueba spent some mornings working in a hospital and gained an inside view of a public health system in the developing world. John Kuppler, a geologist from Eugene, Oregon, came to study Spanish in Antigua, seeking knowledge of local attitudes toward the United States. "I'm trying to understand this tiny little blustery globe we live on," he said. "You have to understand the language to understand the culture and people."  | | A cozy study session |
Teacher Aura Marina Ruiz Porras said teaching Spanish to foreigners is a trabajo de doble via, or a two-way job. "We don't just teach the language... we receive the culture of people from all over the world." At most schools, students have a new teacher each week so they will become accustomed to different accents. However, if a student especially likes a maestra, the teacher can be requested for a second week.
Antigua's language schools can also provide an entry into service projects. For example, the Professional Spanish Language School works in concert with a project to aid indigenous peoples in the Ixil triangle, one of the areas most heavily ravaged during the guerilla war that reached its peak in the early 1980s. "Our school is not just a business -- it's a social project," said Roberto King, the school's director. The teachers are a link between the students and the project, and some students serve as volunteers or visit the project, he said.
A foreign student leads a good life in Antigua. While not studying, students relax in the central square, some playing hacky-sack, others buying crafts from indigenous sellers.
At Arcoiris School, students are urged, but not required, to volunteer at a local hospital and work with sick children or invalids. "What is most important is to understand a community's problems," said Rosi Condi, a director of Arcoiris.
Proyecto Linguistico Francisco Marroquin started its school, the oldest and most established in Antigua, as a way to fund a project to preserve the country's Mayan languages and to promote literacy among indigenous peoples. The school's students are encouraged to visit the project and see how it is keeping tribal languages alive.
Offering six hours of instruction a day and, like other schools, the opportunity to live with a local family, PLFM calls its program "total immersion." The school works with the student to find the right family, said Dean of Students Pamela Hirst-Prins. "Some students love animals and kids -- others don't. You're here to enjoy yourself as well as learn Spanish."
That's one message that few students miss. A foreign student leads a good life in Antigua. While not studying, students relax in the central square, some playing hacky-sack, others buying crafts from indigenous sellers. After class some head to the Cenicienta bakery on Fifth Avenue (which has good pastry and coffee if you can stand the insipid Muzak) or to the Mistral bar, where foreigners gather at 5 p.m. to watch CNN's nightly international news report.
After dinner, travelers congregate at the varied bars around town, where a cuba libre (rum and coke) costs less than a dollar. The language of Antigua's nightlife is typically English or German -- after Americans, Germans make up the largest group of students in Antigua. So much for total immersion. One student said she left Antigua because she found it too easy to hang out with gringos and speak English. Other language schools are in Quezaltenango and Huehuetenango in western Guatemala, where there are fewer foreigners.
Many schools offer extracurricular excursions, such as a trip to a Pacific Coast beach or a visit to the Iximche ruins near Tecpan. In honor of Tecun Uman, the heroic Indian chief slain by Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century, the Tecun Uman school had a fiesta and a weeklong series of soccer and ping pong tournaments. The Centro Internacional de Espanol, which has an adjacent travel agency, held a raffle for a free round-trip flight to Costa Rica.
Students are also invited to ask their teachers to walk with them through Antigua's colonial ruins and churches. For a change of pace, the student can invite the teacher to talk over coffee or to go shopping in the open-air market. Studying typically occurs in outdoor courtyards, a refreshing change from the stifling indoor classrooms of a typical college. Many schools also provide coffee and tea to give students the morning jump start they might need after a night of drinking Moza (a dark Guatemalan beer) at the Oasis.
Living with a Host Family
The blossoming "industry" of language schools is also a boon for host families, and the bars, restaurants, stores, and street sellers that depend on foreigners. DoÒa Marta Natareno, whose family has hosted nearly 500 students in the past 15 years, says that while this is naturally a type of work, it is also an enriching experience. The Natarenos' family dining room is decorated with photos of former students. "After they leave they write letters," she said, proudly showing a Christmas letter and photos from  | | The author's host family in Antigua | a student who lived there 10 years earlier. Asked if students detract from her family's privacy, Dona Marta responded, "We're all one family. We all live in the same house."
For some, living with a Guatemalan family can be disillusioning. Don't expect American luxuries and comforts; for example, many homes don't have hot water. However, students receive the basics -- in most cases a clean, private room, ample meals, and the warm companionship of a family away from home. Many families host four or more students; however you may be able to request a home that hosts only one or two students. Due to the procession of visitors through most houses, it may take a bit of effort to become part of the family. Yet all that is usually needed is interest in the family members and a willingness to use your new Spanish skills. Almost all Guatemalans are friendly and eager to welcome foreigners into their lives.
Trueba, the medical student, recalls that he and his wife Deb were quickly made to feel at home. "They're like our family. When Deb had her birthday, there was a huge fiesta," he said. On Christmas each member of the family gave a small gift to the Truebas. "They don't have money, but everybody thought of us."
Kuppler, the geologist from Oregon, said his family was equally accommodating. "Since I'm a great big man she fed me great big meals."
Choosing a School
After you've decided to study Spanish in Antigua, what's the best way to select a school? There are two approaches: Send for brochures and reserve by phone, fax or mail; or go to Antigua and evaluate the schools in person. If you're interested in studying at a peak time, including summer, Christmas vacation and Easter week, it's best to reserve up to three months in advance, as the better schools fill up early. If you'll be studying during an off-peak period, you may want to first visit Antigua and talk with school directors and students. Hiring a private tutor, though typically more expensive, is another option.
PLFM director Hirst-Prins says "a school is as good as its teachers," and if a teacher and student don't click, the student is free to change teachers. She encourages potential students to check out various schools and see how they feel about each one. Beware of schools that are insistent on having a student pay for several weeks in advance, she warns. Also, don't be led to a school by those who recruit students at the bus stop, advises Cesar Robles of the Centro Internacional.
Benjamin Garcia Lopez, the director of Antigua's office of tourism, INGUAT, says any problems with schools or any other services should be reported to his office. He recommends teachers aged 40 or older because "experience comes with age."
Knowledge of the city's history and traditions is also important, and teachers should impart this history to their students, he added. "If they know what Antigua was like 200 years ago, this I like. They should tell students... that Antigua was the capital of Central America for 232 years and nine months."
Trueba said he saved money for three years to spend time in Antigua, and that it was worth every penny. "I learned about the culture, the role of women, the church, problems with the army and how people think. If I didn't have school loans to pay off, I'd work here," he said. "It's probably been about the best experience of my life. When I have grandchildren, I'll sure remember the time I had in Guatemala."
If You're Going...
For more information about tourism in Guatemala and the language schools in particular, contact the Guatemala Tourist Commission, 299 Alhambra Circle, Coral Gables, FL 33134. Phone: 800-742-4529.
The best-known language school is Proyecto Linguistico Francisco Marroquin, which provides consistently good teaching. A tutorial costs about U.S. $125 a week (prices vary with the exchange rate) and includes six hours of individual instruction daily plus room and board with a local family. You can contact the school at PLFM; Apartado 237; 4a Avenida Sur No. 4; Antigua, Guatemala. |
