Frequently Asked Questions
Why study Spanish
in San Andrés?
We
at Eco-Escuela Spanish School believe that San Andrés
offers Spanish students the perfect balance of educational
excellence
and cultural opportunity.
If your goal
is to learn Spanish in a cultural context, we feel very strongly
that a small town with a world-class cultural heritage is
best suited to achieving that goal. In San Andrés, students
will be truly immersed in a non-cosmopolitan population
of unjaded, friendly
villagers who ONLY speak Spanish.
It's also important to consider the quality of the family-living
experience. In Antigua, for example, too often there
are several foreigners staying with the same family at once.
In this
case, it's more like a hotel, than a family atmosphere. Also,
often there are separate mealtimes for the students and the
family." Such a situation is inconceivable in San Andrés.
Here the families truly delight in 'adopting' someone from
another
culture for a week or two. You really become
part of the family. In this environment, your Spanish skills
will soar.
What's the weather like?
Like other tropical countries, Guatemala has
two seasons - wet and dry. The dry season usually lasts from
December
to
May, the wet season from June to November. During the wet
season, mornings are typically clear, then thunderstorms
build through the afternoon into a refreshing shower, then
the clouds dissipate in time for a lovely sunset. The coolest
months are January and February, while March and April are
the warmest. Still, this is the tropics, so average temperatures
tend not to vary more than 10 degrees Fahrenheit (5 Celsius).
Is it easy to communicate with home?
It's
very easy in San Andrés to keep in touch with
family, friends, or business associates. There are numerous
Internet Cafes in Flores, all charging around US$ 1.50 per
hour. If you find it necessary to make E-mail contact with someone in a hurry,
Eco-Escuela offers internet access as a service to our students. We have a dial
up connection and the cost to us is pricey (about US$ 8 cents per minute) but
if you need it right now, then we will be glad to accommodate you.
Increasingly students are bringing cell phones with them
for their journeys. If you plan to bring a phone, let us
know and we will give you the necessary info to get connected.
Phone cards are another popular option and their are several
Tiendas that sell them in San Andrés.
It's generally
much cheaper to arrange in advance to receive a call from
abroad, rather than to dial from Guatemala.
Is San Andrés safe?
The small town
of San Andrés is, in fact, very
safe, and very welcoming to visitors. It's
hard not to be charmed by the relaxed friendliness of the
place. San Andrés gives an overwhelming sense of safeness
and a lack of resentful, tense vibes between locals and foreign
visitors.
Any afternoon and evening one can watch schoolchildren
playing, elders leisurely passing the time of day women
scrubbing clothes by hand in outdoor sinks
or in the lake, children kicking soccer balls and men struggling
beneath huge loads of firewood.
Do you teach children, too?
Children are most welcome at Eco-Escuela Spanish
School! We've had many families study here, and have developed
a kids-friendly curriculum
to keep the youngsters engaged and happy. Most of the families
who house our students have children of their own, who,
like all kids, are quick to make friends. Also, we can arrange
visits for your kids to local schools, an experience that
will prove unforgettable. We think studying Spanish for
a
week or two in a safe and friendly Central American town
is a wonderful way to encourage in a child an adventurous
spirit of travel and a lifelong respect for other cultures.
NOTE: For legal reasons, all participants under the age
of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Is there medical care or a pharmacy in town?
There are four very small pharmacies in town.
We recommend that visitors carry with them all the prescription
medicines
they will need during their stay.
If I live with a family, will I have a private room or
will I have to share my room with other students?
Every student at the Eco-Escuela Spanish School gets his
or her private room. You won't have to share your room with
anyone
unless you want to. We do have double rooms available for
couples, though.
Can my host family provide vegetarian meals?
Certainly. Just let us know when you fill out the registration form and
we'll advise your host family accordingly.
Can I change my host family if I don't like the place?
We work with a variety of host families and if you
don't like the one we place you with, we'll move you to
another
one the next day. Our host families are carefully selected
and provide good service, however, and requests to change
families are very rare. How far from the school are the host families?
All our host families are located within a short walking
distance from the school. Thus you can walk back and forth
in just a few minutes.
Can you place me with a family with children?
Yes, we have a number of host families with children of
all age groups. Just note your preferences on the registration form when
you sign up.
I'd prefer to stay at a hotel. Can you make the arrangements?
Yes, we'll be happy to make a reservation at a local hotel
for you. Please let us know when you sign up what kind
of hotel you're looking for and what your budget is.
Can I start any day or do I have to start on Monday?
We are very
flexible with our schedules and allow our students to begin
their
courses whenever it's convenient for them.
Can I have classes on Saturday and/or Sunday?
Yes, if you are in a real hurry, we can arrange for you
to have classes on Saturday and/or Sunday. We recommend,
however, that you take off at least one day per week. You
can't study all the time! See Excursions for
ideas on what to do on the weekends.
How can I pay for my course? Do you accept credit cards?
You can pay with US$, travelers checks, money orders or
Guatemalan Quetzals. At this time, we're not equipped to accept
credit
cards,
but there are a number of ATM's in nearby Santa Elena and
Flores where you can get Quetzals with international credit
cards.
Can I change my teacher if we don't get along?
Certainly! We want you to be happy and enjoy your classes.
Let me point out, though, that requests to change teachers
are very rare here. Our teachers are well trained
and very good at adapting their instructions to their students'
needs, interests and learning styles.
Do I need to bring textbooks and a dictionary?
We will provide all the class materials you'll need, so
bringing textbooks isn't necessary. A notebook and a dictionary
is something no Spanish student should be without though.
What else should I bring?
- Passport
- Solid walking shoes and shower footwear
- Light long sleeve shirt and pants
- Swim wear
- Sunscreen
- Insect repellant
- camera
- Money Belt
- Dollars or travelers checks
- Credit Cards or Bank cards with
the IPlus icon
- Photocopies of important
documents.
- Rain Protection, especially during the rainy
seasons
(May-September)
- Medicines for first
aid + prescriptions
Can you recommend a good guidebook for the area?
There
are a number of books that discuss San Andrés,
Petén - Guatemala, or Central America. The Lonely
Plane Handbook for Guatemala (with
a large section
on Petén Guatemala), and the Rough Guide to Guatemala
are indispensable.
Do you have a question that's
not answered here?
Contact us and
we'll happy to assist in any way we can! |
