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Spanish Immersion Schools in Central and South America

Studying Spanish abroad is incredibly easy and affordable. You don’t have to be enrolled in a university to attend most of these programs. Spanish Immersion schools in Central and South America are designed for independent learners of any age and they cater the curriculum to meet the needs of the students.

The typical time frame for these schools is Monday-Friday. The student simply pays by the week. The typical schedule is 8am – noon and includes coffee/tea breaks. This is known as a 20 hour week. You may also pay for more or less hours.  

Usually during the afternoons and evenings there are excursions planned that allow the student to experience aspects of the local culture and history. There are often complimentary dance or cooking classes included in the tuition cost.

It is possible to take classes that are just one-on-one, that is, only you with your teacher. In fact, in many of the countries, like Guatemala, Honduras, Ecuador and Nicaragua, this is the norm. In the other countries, they usually have a group rate, which is for small groups of 2-5 people. If you want to have private instruction then you can pay a little more. You may also lock into a group rate and find that there are no other students available to join the group at that time. So you would get the lower rate by default.

Most schools offer discounts if you stay for multiple weeks. Some also offer a reduced rate during the slow season, which is typically during the non-summer months (summer in the norther hemisphere).

Another feature of these Spanish Immersion schools is that they place you with a local family for a homestay, where you can experience the day-to-day life of the locals. These homestays include 3 meals per day, except on Sundays and a private room. The families usually have many years of experience hosting foreigners. If you prefer more privacy, the schools have other housing options, which are usually nearby hostels. Some schools include the homestay in their pricing while others have it priced separately, so be use to be aware of this when comparing prices.

These schools are plentiful in most Latin America countries and since they are competing for students, the prices can be really low, as low as $5 an hour. Compared to the cost of having a private Spanish tutor in the United States, this is an incredible savings.

Another wonderful feature that many of these schools offer is the opportunity to volunteer in the community. Volunteer opportunities can range from working with orphans to reforestation projects.

Some of the schools are not-for-profit and the tuition fees go to support the community. While other schools incorporate adventure sports or eco-tourism into their program.

In my research I have found that the most affordable schools are in Guatemala, Nicaragua, Bolivia and Ecuador. Close in affordability are Peru and Honduras. The pricier schools are in Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama and Argentina. There are fewer Spanish immersion schools in Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, Venezuela, Columbia, El Salvador, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.

About the Author

Scott Shell was born in Omaha, Nebraska but grew up in the Western suburbs of Chicago. He earned a degree in music composition from DePaul University. He founded the rock band Cats and Jammers. He is the owner of Advanced Language Learning Systems, LLC and the author of Teaching Yourself Spanish and he moderates the Spanish Immersion Directory.

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