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Melisa_Gaskins
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« Reply #1 on: July 10, 2006, 08:54:03 AM » |
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Dear Mr. Berman and Mr. Wood-
My name is Melisa Gaskins and I am currently a philosophy major at
Middlebury University in Vermont. I have picked up a Spanish
minor and because of this I am traveling to Nicaragua for the
summer. I had originally planned on attending NSS in Granada but that was until I bought your book and realized that there were other options. I was interestd in attending either the NSS in Granada or the one-on-one spanish tutoring acad. I was hopeing to hear your opinion on which one you would chose. Thanks for you time!
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Joshua Berman
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« Reply #2 on: July 10, 2006, 08:56:08 AM » |
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Melisa,
First off, congratulations on a great decision to study Spanish in Nica. Regarding your request, NSS is no longer -- they disbanded last year into a handful of regional school options, many run by the very experienced former NSS instructors. See the Transitions Abroad article mentioned above for more specifics.
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Randall Wood
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« Reply #3 on: July 11, 2006, 10:10:51 AM » |
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Melisa - I'll echo Joshua's congrats. Nicaragua is shaping up as a place to study Spanish, and its rates are competitive. Several travelers have reported to us they thought they learned more in Nicaragua as compared to a place like Antigua Guatemala because there were fewer tourists, so they got a deeper immersion into the culture.
Anyway, you might check out the section on Spanish schools in Moon Nicaragua that starts on page 420. We give a couple of suggestions for studying Spanish in Matagalpa, Granada, Esteli, San Juan del Sur, Leon, Managua, Leon, the Laguna de Apoyo, and even how to study in more than one place.
Happy studying!
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Vapues Tours
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« Reply #4 on: July 14, 2006, 10:56:27 PM » |
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Hi Melissa,
Good for you to come down to Nicaragua to learn the language! Nicaraguan teachers are very enthusiastic in their ways to bring across the Nicaraguan language and culture. My experiences in León have been very good, and I have heard similar good stories about some Granada and Matagalpa schools. Note that learning Spanish in Nicaragua is not a strict classroom activity, you will most likely spend several hours roaming around the city with your teacher, searching for the many spectacular landmarks and impressive contemporary historical sites. Who ever said that learning Spanish was boring?
Best regards from León, Jan
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chelito
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« Reply #5 on: July 21, 2006, 10:00:57 AM » |
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I had a great experience at Casa Xalteva in Granada. I met many travelers who were doing spanish classes at different schools too, and they all had great things to say. The Moon info is pretty good but a bit dated -- the Transitions article posted above is pretty spot-on.
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Dorothy Pintar
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« Reply #6 on: July 25, 2006, 03:13:46 PM » |
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As am older learner I need a Spanish instructor with a great deal of patience. I grew up in Southern California and when I was in the 3rd grade it was legislated as a required course........I have slept a few times since graduating from high school in 1967 and those darn language skills have hidden behind some interesting neurofibril tangles.....Still I plod on. My husband and I will be traveling to Nicaragua at least yearly and while his Spanish is good, lets just say mine is dormant (read gone)
Please be very frank and suggest a school that fits our needs, if one exists.....
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Ycjimenez
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« Reply #7 on: July 25, 2006, 03:34:40 PM » |
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Dorothy Pintar
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« Reply #9 on: July 25, 2006, 05:45:54 PM » |
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Yajaira,
I used your link to check out the school you recommended and I'm guessing that you are an instructor there? If so, could you address the specific questions in my previous post? Thanks
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Randall Wood
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« Reply #10 on: July 26, 2006, 10:07:45 AM » |
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Dorothy - If I may offer a suggestion: I've studied 7 languages with close to 20 different teachers in over six countries, and I strongly believe the biggest single factor in the experience is not the school but the teacher. If you can find a teacher whose teaching style matches your learning style you will have a good experience. Unfortunately such a personal decision requires a bit of research, so no single school can promise you satisfaction.
What has worked for me personally is by speaking with the school and meeting with some of the professors/teachers before signing up for classes. You can then choose one that suits your style. I'd recommend you look for a school where students have generally been satisfied, and approach them (by phone, perhaps) to ask about meeting some of the teachers.
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Dorothy Pintar
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« Reply #11 on: July 26, 2006, 12:12:27 PM » |
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Thanks, your advise makes good sense. I will be going to Managua again in Jan 2007 and maybe can make some transportation arrangements (local drivers I know) to visit a couple of the schools. In the meantime I have contacted a local spanish teacher who will privately tutor me....thank God.. The medical missions trip I will be going with usually provides a translator but I would like to do it myself (at least alittle) I am currently taking a Spanish course for Health care providers but believe it or not it seems rather elementary....(I do not need to learn the days of the week again  Thanks for the input. |
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Ycjimenez
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« Reply #12 on: July 27, 2006, 10:03:07 AM » |
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Hi Dorothy,
Yes, you are right I'm a teacher here, and as I said before the school is owned and operated by the teachers who works here, all we have been teaching for more than 4 years, since we all were the staff in another Spanish school before start our own school. Randy is right when he said you has to know the teacher before select one, because we all can have the experience but everyone has a different personality. we have had students of all ages and all professions and they like our method as we work one on one and we drive our classes depending on the student preferences and interests, this way you can have a lot of interaction between you and your teacher.
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Timoteo
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« Reply #13 on: September 07, 2006, 03:20:02 PM » |
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Hi, I too am looking for some recommendations for Spanish instruction for two-three weeks, probably in January, 2007. I have been to Nicaragua three times in the past two years, and I have heard good things about the schools in Leon. Plus Leon looks like a good place to spend some time.
Does anyone have any direct experience with schools in Leon? Specific email addresses? And, any idea as to cost, and room and board?
Muchismas gracias, Timoteo
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Joshua Berman
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« Reply #14 on: September 09, 2006, 08:57:54 AM » |
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From the article linked in the original post on this thread: Spanish Schools in LeónSchools are in flux in León, with a few new ones being formed at press time, and the oldest one being disbanded. Ask about Spanish schools in the Casa de Cultura, or check the bulletin board at the Vía Vía Hospedaje for private tutors and lessons. Also, Va Pues Tours (tel. 011/505/606-2276, info@vapues.com, www.vapues.com) recently began offering an intensive, full-immersion Spanish course: US$195 for 20 hours of one-on-one class (over five days), includes room and board. If anyone has any additional information on schools in Leon, please let us know. Hope this helps, Timoteo. |
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