Below is an email that we recently received from a former student, Sheila Chase, who studied in the summer of 2007. Please read and enjoy.

Studying Spanish in Guatemala

I chose to study Spanish in Guatemala primarily because it was very economical and I was told it was a beautiful country. While it was as economical as I expected, the beauty of the country and the people were beyond my widest dreams. This was truly a dream come true!

Casa Xelaju has a unique program that offers something for everyone. The Spanish classes were my main focus and I found that the Spanish was much more pure than the TexMex Spanish I had grown accustomed to in Texas. While the Guatemalan Spanish has a unique flavor, it is far closer to the Castilian linguistically than many other “New World” Spanish languages. My teacher at Casa Xelaju was an expert in the grammar, pronunciation and orthography of the language. Even though I have studied Spanish since third grade in the States, and spent 4 weeks studying in Mexico, I learned more about grammar and fluency at Casa Xelaju in my six week stay than I learned in all my previous years of study. The best part about it was that I was not spending hours and hours studying Spanish from a book or tapes, although they were integral parts of the program. The best part was that it was fun! I learned by shopping in the city of Xelaju, from the street vendors to the “Hiper Pais” (the local Wal-Mart). I bargained with the women who sold beautiful weavings and tapestries. I went to the mall and local food markets. I attended church and most of all I talked with my host family.

The stay with the host family was one of the best experiences of the program at Xelaju. My host family consisted of two senior citizen ladies, a mother and daughter, but just because they had many years does not mean they were boring! In fact just the opposite was true. My host mother told me of the history of her family and her late husband’s family coming to Guatemala. She spoke of the church and role it played in their family’s immigration from Europe and the contrast between her European roots and her Central American roots. We had a lively discussion one night with some of the family’s friends (in Spanish, of course!) that covered politics, racism, men in general, and preserving the earth while enjoying a comfortable lifestyle. This was the time I could use what I had learned in my Spanish classes on a practical level. My host family was very educated and the food was to die for! My host mother wanted to cook me things that were familiar and American like grilled cheese sandwiches, but I wanted the unfamiliar and Guatemalan most of the time. There is nothing in the world like having pancakes with homemade strawberry syrup with chunks of fresh strawberries on top. Bananas that were on the trees the day before they were on my plate is no comparison to the bananas I buy in the US that must sit out a day or two to ripen before I can even eat them. I walked through the street market at Minerva and could smell pineapples, avocados and fresh onions calling me to buy them.

The part of the program that I did not expect was the excursions! They were a blast. I went to a museum that explained in detail the beautiful and colorful “trajes” the indigenous women wear. We saw pottery, dishes, men’s’ clothing and ceramics that were everyday items to the Guatemalans, but were works of art for me. I went the beach and worshiped the sun Guatemalan style. I attended cooking classes, saw the ruins of Takalik Abaj, and went to the cleanest and best aquatic park ever! The natural volcanic steam sauna and hot springs pools in the midst of the rolling hills were unbelievable, I traveled to Antigua on a side trip and caught a once in a lifetime event for me, a symphonic concert in the park (for free) by the National Symphony of Guatemala. There is so much more I would like to share about my experiences there, I could go on and on.

Everything was not and is not perfect there, though. It is important to do your homework to know the challenges that will need to be faced while traveling in a third world country. I will not go into detail here, but it is sufficient to say that I returned home more appreciative of hot water, cold drinks and wasting toilet paper.

If you chose to study Spanish in Guatemala I would rate Casa Xelaju as the best place to accomplish that goal. I cannot wait until I am able to return.