Little advice needed

[siggalara]

Hi. I am a 20 years old female and I want to go to Nicaragua, on my own, to learn Spanish for about a six weeks or so, get to know some people and get to know the culture. And I was wondering if you could give me some advice.
I have been looking for Spanish schools that offer group lessons, and where I could possibly stay with a family. I am also looking for the best area in N. to stay in. I do not have a high standard for comfort and I really want to find a school in a place that is not completely spoiled by tourism and western culture.
Is there such a place ? And do you know any good school, possibly with “homestay” ?

Ps. La Mariposa school seems like a good one, but since I am traveling alone I think that staying with a family would allow me to get to know the society better. Do you know someone that has gone to that school on their own?
And is it, in your opinion, hard to meet people and get involved in the society? (and probably very different in each area)

Thank you, Sigga Lara

[kevins]

I will be doing a homestay with www.puestadelsol.org on Ometepe later this month. They offer Spanish lessons, and I may take some, but that's not the primary reason for my stay there. I'll write some kind of review somewhere on this forum, probably around the beginning of March.

Just wanted to throw that out there as an option, in case you found the idea of studying on a tropical island appealing 

I would think that most Spanish schools would have a homestay option. I did a three week school-with-homestay in Costa Rica several years ago, and it was great. I would definitely recommend a homestay as an easy way to immerse in the local community. You can explore and integrate on your own, but it takes a bit more effort. Homestays also tend to be economical compared to hotel living.

[tleamond]

We have a program in Ocotal (very much off of the beaten path) that includes language classes, home-stay, and volunteering.  More info at www.travelalive.com.

[Joshua Berman]

The main schools in Esteli have good homestay programs, Granada as well.

[randonee]

I don't know about the class sizes (prob _very_ small), but a number of the fincas in Miraflor had classes.  And it's not touristy at all.     And it's gorgeous.  It is a bit isolated, but that adds to the small-town feel and makes it easier to get to know people. 

[¡Un Buen Viaje! Jessica]

Hi siggalara,
I can personally vouch for La Mariposa. Since 2002, I've studied Spanish in five cities (Leon, Matagalpa, Granada, Managua, La Concha) and can say that the instructors at La Mariposa are top notch. They offer homestays as well, and the community is lovely and not at all touristy. You'll also get a chance to visit markets, coffee cooperatives, local artists, horseback ride, among other fun things as part of their program. The other city I truly enjoyed for learning Spanish was Leon. The school I attended (NSS) has changed ownership since then (2003) but it is a marvelous city for language learning as there are many things to do and learn in town. All of my homestays have been pleasant over the years. I would not recommend going to school in Granada if you are looking for "unspoiled by tourism." Buena suerte!

[lola]

Hi Jessica
Thanks for the La Mariposa recommendation.  It sounds like you must've learned a good bit of Spanish by now.  Do you think the teachers at La Mariposa are competent enough to teach advanced Spanish too?  I've found that it's easier to find schools that teach the basics, but hard to find advanced teachers.  I'm going to check them out but if you are still on this website I was curious what you think!