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La Antigua, Guatemala
Name: Deborah
Residence: Denver
Profession: (freelance) Market Research
Hobbies: Traveling, skiing, hiking, rock-climbing, and a life-long student of ballet and SpanishWhat were your reasons for wanting to learn Spanish?
I continue to study Spanish because I love to travel and I want to be a better 'world citizen'. I started studying in high school. I grew up in a small Kansas town in which half of the population spoke Spanish and I needed it as a summer lifeguard at the local pool.
What level were you before going to Guatemala?
I've studied Spanish off and on my whole life. I've gone through a college two year program twice. However, I always felt I was a 'beginner' because I didn't use Spanish outside of the class room, and would forget it during times without classes. Speaking Spanish has always been difficult for me and in a regular classroom, I could get by without speaking much due to class size and structure. I knew to get to a different level, I needed to live in a Spanish speaking country where I would 'have to' speak.
Why did you decide to go to Antigua?
I wanted to spend my 'sabbatical' in a truly different culture and one in which speaking English would not be an easy option.I went to Antigua two years ago for a 2 week trip to work with a medical mission group from Kansas University. I went a week prior to the medical group arriving, to immerse myself in Spanish to be ready to help translate for the doctors. I found Antigua to be very affordable, for both living and Spanish school, and a beautiful little town. Also, by Guatemalan standards, Antigua is reasonably safe.
In addition, I liked the 1 on 1 teaching style offered by the more than 70 schools in Antigua, as I knew it would force me to speak.. The one on one style also provides the opportunity to listen to a native speaker (the professor) rather than other people learning to speak Spanish as is the case in a typical group classroom.
How would you rate the school you attended? How were the classes?
I really liked Tecun Uman. www.tecunuman.centramerica.com
Beyond classes, this school offers daily sessions (most are free) for the students to learn about the culture and history. Most days these sessions involve an outing (e.g.; tour of a Mayan museum, tour a coffee finca, climb a volcano….). The school also arranges weekend trips to places like Tikal. I also appreciated that the school provides volunteer opportunities.My instructor was very good. Not only had he been through law school (which made for very interesting conversations about the Guatemalan legal systems and government) but also had studied to teach Spanish. He is the reason I continued to study at the school, and stayed longer than planned. I spent four hours a day with him, five days a week for three months.
Did you stay with a family?
I stayed in a very nice house of a widowed woman near the school and near the center of town. I had a private room and bath and a view of a volcano. There were other adult students living there from around the world (e.g.; Iran, Japan, Switzerland, Australia, …). The cook prepared wonderful meals using the local fresh fruit and vegetables. For less than $100 per week one can live with a family in Antigua and have nearly all your meals provided.What were some of the highs and lows of your trip?
I was very sick for a week after eating a meal in a very fine Guatemala City restaurant (which was ironic that it was after that meal, versus some of the suspect places I ate while traveling in the country). For me that was a low point.There were many high points. I was in Antigua for Good Friday. To see the brightly colored 'carpets', works of love, created on the streets for the Easter procession is really worth a trip.
I found I loved working with kids through my volunteering in a project for kids of single, very poor, mothers in a neighboring village.
Another highlight was translating for the medical team again this summer. To be able to hear and understand the stories of the poor people who traveled for many hours to have their family members receive medical care was worth all my suffering of verb conjugation and memorization.
What did you learn about Guatemala that you were not aware of prior?
By attending weekly lectures in a near-by restaurant, and talking with my Spanish teacher, I learned much more about the poverty of the country (the majority of the country is defined as severe poverty, i.e. making less than $2 / day), the gang issues, and the civil war.
What recommendations do you have for someone who plans on traveling there?
I recommend reading a couple books to learn more about the country and its history:
Steven Bentz book "A Guatemalan Journey" and "I, Rigoberta Menchu: An Indian Woman in Guatemala".In addition, check the US government's travel website for current safety issues.
http://travel.state.gov
How has your experience benefited your Spanish? What was the biggest surprise?
Living in a Spanish speaking country really helped my knowledge and use of Spanish. For three months, learning Spanish was 'my job'. Volunteering and interacting in the town increased my vocabulary a great deal. I surprised myself in my ability to translate for the US medical team this year after just 3 months.This past summer I surprised myself by being able to read several novels in Spanish. But like most things in life, the more I know, the more I don't know….there is still so much to learn. Now 4 months of being in another country doesn't seem like much time at all. Now I want to live for a year in a Spanish speaking country.
What has been the most difficult part of learning Spanish for you?
Definitely, for me, speaking is the most difficult.What advice or tips do you have for other students who want to learn Spanish?
If you opt for a home stay, ask to see pictures and e-mail other students who lived there. Or, when you arrive ask to see three possible home-stays. Talk to the people who are living there. Not all home stays are created equal!Also, I advise not paying for your school and home stay in advance. Pay by the week and leave your options open if you don't like the school or family situation.
Travel with cipro and don't brush your teeth under the faucet. : )
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