Has anyone here taken a Spanish Immersion class in Mexico?

[Lisa0825]

I am looking into taking a week or two class. I know this won't make me fluent, but I have a decent vocabulary, and feel that an immersion class will really boost my skills. I love Mexico, and would like to go back for a trip anyway, so I started looking at programs. They are surprisingly affordable. I found several classes in the $100-200 per week range (including supplies), with homestays available at pretty good rates as well.

I have friends who go to San Miguel de Allende every year, and love it there, so I am leaning toward going there. I was just curious if anyone else had done anything like this, and if so, what your experience was like.

Thanks:-)

[gmoney]

1. NOBODY expects the Spanish Immersion...

...or was that the Spanish Inquisition?

Donde esta casa d'arbusto?

[Lisa0825]

2. jajaja! eres muy chistoso!

[TlalocW]

3. I took my last Spanish class in Mexico

On a program through my university so one of my college's profesors went with us to teach the classes. You might check into whatever universities are around you to see if they have anything like that as we had students from the college, high school teachers, and a couple dudes who just wanted to improve their Spanish go. One of my Math professors went a couple of years after I did.

You might consider going where we went which would be Oaxaca. There are several famous ruins around - Monte Alban, Mitla, Dainzu as well as several small villages that specialize in a particular craft. A flight to Villa Hermosa to take a bus to the Mayan ruins of Palenque wouldn't be cost prohibitive. The city of Oaxaca (which gave Mexico Benito Juarez) is a small picturesque town where a lot of American students go to study because they have a lot of Spanish immersion schools. Even though you'll see a lot of Americans, you'll definitely know you're in Mexico. If you go in July, you can catch the Guelaguetza Festival, which is where all the various Indian tribes come to the city to the Guelaguetza Stadium to perform their tribes' dances. There are also lots of parades and festivals leading up to that.

Anyway, I could go on and on, but I won't. If you'd like more information or to see some pictures, email me at [e-mail].

TlalocW

[Lisa0825]

5. Thanks for the info!

I was thinking about Oaxaca, San Miguel de Allende, or a couple of other colonial towns. The programs through my community college and Univ of Houston are more expensive, so that is why I was looking into making my own arrangements. The tuitions are pretty reasonable, and I think I could stay with a family for a couple hunred a week. But through the community college, it was $1600 for two weeks. That's a lot more, even considering airfare or bus fare. (San Miguel is a reasonable bus ride from Houston).

The event sin July sound GREAT! I am very interested in the Indian cultures. I'll be sending you an email. Thanks again!:-)

[Maestro]

8. Look into Cuernavaca, MX

It is in the mountains just north of Mexico City. There are a lot of schools there.

[Lisa0825]

11. Gracias, Maestro! I will look into that too!:-)

[candy]

4. My son went to Guatemala for 3 months----

Lived with a local family and went to school all morning. Lots of Europeans were there studying Spanish also.

[Lisa0825]

6. I would love to be able to spend that much time....

but all I can spare right now is a couple weeks.

I hope to live in Mexico, at least for a year or two, sometime in the near future.

[candy]

15. I agree---my son is a self employed free spirit bachelor---

who loves life and especially loves Central and South America.He's just back from Peru.

Most of us can't go away for 3 months becuase of job or family responsibilites.

[Massacure]

7. Yo quiero que vaya a Mexico

Pero, yo no tengo dinero. :p

Anyways, if it has been a while since you used Spanish, then I would suggest you take it as a refresher. If you are just out of school and have recently taken Spanish classes, then you probably won't need them.

[Lisa0825]

9. My last real Spanish class was in 1988.

I didn't use it much, and lost most of my abilities. But I had a boyfriend I met in Mexico for two years, so I visited a half dozen times, and practiced on my own. I am now in a continuing education class as a refresher, and plan to enroll in a full course either in the summer or fall (depending on the schedule), but I htought immersion would be a good way to improve my skills too.

I am on a budget for it, but I am hoping to swing two weeks if I find the right deals.

[JanMichael]

10. This is Stephanie, not Michael

And I adore San Miguel...you don't have to arrange a homestay there...you could get a room at the Pasada de San Francisco right off the Jardin, and walk to the Institute.

I adore it there; and I highly recommend it.

[Lisa0825]

12. Thank you, Stephanie. Did you take a class there?

I'm not sure about homestay vs. hotel. I hear homestays give you another level to the experience.... having to speak spanish at home with the family and all.... but I wonder if I may need the break a hotel will give me at the end of the day!LOL! The last time I visited my ex-bf in Mexico, I met a lot of his family, and most spoke no english. I had a wonderful time, but when I got home, I had NO desire to hear spanish for quite a while!LOL! It takes a lot of concenstration for me to understand and come up with a response.

[Zomby Woof]

20. it can be difficult

But after a month, I was DREAMING in Spanish, and near-fluent. So rusty now though...

If you do the homestay, it helps to have American roommates who can help along. It gave me the incentive to try harder when others were in the same boat.

[TroubleMan]

13. I was immersed in tequila in Tiajuana for a weekend...

Does that count?

I wish I could help you, but I don't remember too much of it.

[Lisa0825]

14. well, I do feel less shy about speaking spanish after a couple margaritas!

Salud!

[emulatorloo]

16. If you choose San Miguel, be sure and visit Guanajuato

San Miguel is pretty Americanized, to me at least. . .be sure to take the short bus ride over to Guanajuato, a really beautiful city.

http://www.aboutguanajuato.com/

[Zomby Woof]

18. Guanajuato is awesome!

You can walk by the University and just a short distance down the alley is the birthplace of Diego Rivera. You can even get a few morbid laughs at the museum where they keep the volcanically-preserved mummies. :-)

I loved my weekend there.

[emulatorloo]

22. How much mummy candy did you buy to bring home!?!

That city has so much atmosphere, and it is fun to wander the streets and soak it all up.

[Lisa0825]

23. Thanks, emulatorloo and ZombyWoof.. actually Guanajuato has a school

I was looking at too! It's in my bookmarks for now.

Thanks for the info!

[Zomby Woof]

17. Morelia, 4 weeks in the summer of '90

Lived with a family who didn't speak English for the entire time, and attended bilingual classes at the University of Morelia. We did take weekend field trips to nearby cities and towns with the other students, and could speak English at school and on those trips. But at the house... no.

It's a beautiful place, and the old capital of colonial Mexico (under the name of Vallodolid), so the architecture of Spain is everywhere.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT. Morelia would be a great destination, very off the beaten tourist path, with a few American retirees living there, and students frequent the place, but still a great place to study by immersion.

Buena suerte.

[emulatorloo]

21. I love Morelia - and don't miss Patzcuaro

The Great State of Michoacan!

Great places to hang out and hear music, terrific food (I forget the spanish name for "Plaza Chicken"), wonderful festivals, great history, amazing crafts, friendly people. How I would love to live there someday.

http://www.surf-mexico.com/states/Michoacan/Patzcuaro/patzcuaro.htm

[Lisa0825]

24. OK, now Morelia is added to my list of places to investigate!LOL

So many great destinations.... so little time. That's why I want to move to Mexico. I love it there, and I'd love ot have the chance to travel around a while. Bus trips there are pretty affordable, so if I lived in one city for a year or two, at least I could make weekend trips each month to see new places.

Thanks for the link! I will check out Patzcuaro too:-)

[Servo300]

19. Does living in San Antonio count?

:-)

[Lisa0825]

25. haha! I think that only counts for partial credit!