Spanish school | Earthoria

Cuenca is a UNESCO World Heritage city, founded in 1557 by the Spanish, about 10 hours south of Quito in Ecuador. I chose to study here following my Spanish studies in Guatemala as Guatemala and Ecuador are the cheapest places to study, and with the ‘cleanest’ spoken Spanish in Latin America.

Studying Spanish in Cuenca, Ecuador

This time around I opted for two weeks of 4 hours a day one-on-one Spanish lessons.

In this podcast I discuss why I chose to study in Cuenca, getting to Cuenca from Quito, the bag slash that occurred to me on the way from Quito to Cuenca, how I chose the Spanish school, the costs of living and studying here, and how I rate the Spanish classes at the Abraham Lincoln Cultural Centre where I chose to study. I finish the podcast with an interview with Richard, the founder of the Abraham Lincoln Center in which we discuss the school, activities in and around Cuenca, and why it is better to study in Cuenca than Quito!

If you have comments or questions about studying Spanish in Ecuador or Guatemala, please feel free to post them below.

Links

My photos of Cuenca, Ecuador
Abraham Lincoln Center website

Studying Spanish in Cuenca, Ecuador

March 15, 2009March 5, 2009 by Thomas

Having got over the trauma of my bag slash, I found some Spanish classes in Cuenca, Ecuador through a recommendation on the Lonely Planet forums. I’ve just completed a week of 4 hours/day one-on-one lessons here – at the Abraham Lincoln Cultural Center (pictured below).

I’ll be studying for another week here and also publishing a podcast shortly containing a lot more information on studying Spanish in Cuenca….

Listen to the podcast I made on Studying Spanish in Cuenca, including an interview with Richard the director of the Spanish School.

Rancho de Rosa: Our host family in San Pedro, Guatemala

January 9, 2009December 5, 2008 by Tina

Living with a host family has both advantages and disadvantages. Significant advantages are: practicing your Spanish on a daily basis, experiencing Guatemalan life and culture from "the inside", and living in a safe and filling environment (the food is more than sufficient). Some disadvantages might be: lack of privacy, eating at set times (not decided by yourself), and noise because you live with a family with young children.

We, however, have got the perfect solution. We have rented a house from the amazing family Phillip and his wife Rosa, so we have our own privacy. But we eat our meals with the family in their restaurant "Rancho de Rosa". This way we get to practise our Spanish and be part of a family, but with the option of withdrawing and having our own privacy.

When we met Phillip and Rosa we were looking for privacy after two intense weeks with another family – but had we not already stayed with another family I would have surely wanted to stay in the house with Phillip and Rosa because they are such a lovely and warm couple.

You do not have to stay with them as a student though to eat in their restaurant "Rancho de Rosa". It is open everyday from 9.00-20.00 and you can have very cheap, traditional food there (such as rice with refried beans and platanas for 10 quetzals ($1.50)).

Rancho de Rosa is located next to San Pedro Spanish school (and also works with San Pedro Spanish school) in zone 2 of San Pedro.

If you have the chance to drop by there at any time – please send them my love.