subject: Choosing a Spanish School [print this page] Choosing a Spanish School Choosing a Spanish School
Choosing a Spanish school in another country can be a daunting task. A Google search will turn up hundreds of possibilities. If you have an idea of where you would like to study that can make life a little easier and narrow the choices somewhat. But even though you might know in which country or even which city you want to study, the choice can still be bewildering.
If your interest is in learning the Spanish that is spoken in Latin America then you will want to avoid Spain as a language school destination. The Spanish there is quite different, with a pronounced lisp that supposedly was introduced through the court of king Ferdinand copying his lisp, although this is actually a folk tale. But there is still a huge variation in Spanish in Latin America, with the Cubans and Argentinians in particular speaking a version of Spanish that can be quite hard to understand. If you want to study where the Spanish is clearest and most readily comprehensible, then Ecuador, Peru and Colombia (the Northern Andes) are the best choices. The Spanish spoken in the major cities of these countries (Lima, Quito, and Bogota) is particularly clear and crisp in comparison with other countries and even in comparison with what is spoken in more rural areas of the same countries.
The next question that arises is which Spanish school to choose? Even among these three cities there are probably more than 150 Spanish schools. If you have a preference for one of these cities then life is a little easier. Lima may be thought of as being a little too dangerous, and Colombia certainly gets its fair share of negative press for the narco-trafficking and related kidnappings that take place there. But it is a historic and well maintained city with a mild climate and very agreeable people. Quito shares the same qualities, being the first UNESCO declared World Heritage site in Latin America. So there is certainly plenty to do there for the Spanish student who also wants to immerse themselves in culture as well as language.
Cost is another factor, and among these three countries Peru may be slightly cheaper overall than Ecuador, with Bogot definitely more expensive, although still reasonable by US and European standards. The price of an hour of classes in these three countries runs from about US $5 per hour up to $18 per hour, so you will want to know what you are getting for the extra money that you might consider spending on classes in a more expensive school.
On balance, Quito emerges as a preferable destination to study Spanish for its relative safety, relative economy, cultural highlights, and its clear Spanish. But with over 60 Spanish schools in Quito you still have some work to do to make a choice.
The first suggestion is to avoid the unregistered schools and those that hold their classes in a hostel or other shared space. All schools must be legally registered with the Ministry of Education to ensure that they meet minimum standards. Some hotel owners seeking to make an extra buck off their guests install a teacher or two and say they have a "Spanish School." But they lack methodology, materials, methods, and the ambience of a real Spanish school that is dedicated to teaching the language well. Worse, some of the cheapest schools pay their teachers sub-standard wages, and as some people will work for anything they can get, there will always be teachers of dubious quality ready to teach the unwitting student.
So, sticking to those schools that seem well-established and reputable you arrive at a list of maybe 8-12 Spanish schools in Quito that you might like to consider. On what criteria will you decide? Price, ambience, particular needs you might have (age, interests, social life of school), types of programs on offer, aims and philosophy of the school?
Within the reduced list, if you are a socially and ecologically aware person who loves travel and culture and who values safety and consideration, and the chance to mix socially, then one school stands out: Yanapuma Spanish School (www.yanapumaspanish.org). This school is a non-profit that donates all its profits to Yanapuma Foundation for work in indigenous and marginalized communities in Ecuador. They run a variety of interesting programs in Quito and around the country, and studying there by itself makes a contribution to the environmental and cultural development of the country.
