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Two Months in Guatemala | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Immersion, Schools & Certificates |  | |
| Kuros Newbie United States Joined 6148 days ago 16 posts - 16 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Spanish | Message 1 of 8 15 June 2010 at 12:13am | IP Logged | ||
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Hello!
I am an intermediate speaker of Spanish...I've studied it seriously for about a year, both in school and on my own. I can read newspapers, I know the grammar fairly well, and I can hold a basic conversation. My listening skills are lagging somewhat. I leave on Wednesday to spend two months in Xela (Quetzltenango), Guatemala. I'll be doing 25 hours a week of one on one instruction. I would like to hear from people who have done similar programs how much this benefited you? Did you see a great improvement in your language ability? Do you have any tips on making the most of the time? Xela isn't nearly as touristy as Antigua, and there are compartively few English speakers there, so I hopefully will not be speaking much english. Thank you! 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Tally Bilingual Diglot Senior Member Israel Joined 5610 days ago 135 posts - 176 votes  Speaks: English*, Modern Hebrew* Studies: French | Message 2 of 8 15 June 2010 at 12:14am | IP Logged | ||
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I haven't but I have to say lucky you! Enjoy :)
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| LtM Triglot Senior Member United States Joined 5862 days ago 130 posts - 223 votes Speaks: English*, French, Spanish Studies: German | Message 3 of 8 15 June 2010 at 2:49am | IP Logged | ||
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I'm not sure if you've arranged a private situation or are at a school, but if there are any other students around (speaking English and learning Spanish), do -not- converse with them in English, even if their Spanish is so basic that they can't yet speak much. I'm serious about this; it's better to spend a lonely two months if necessary, rather than socialize in English.
I've been to a couple of different immersion schools/situations, and the worst is always that the American students will want to spend their "off" time chatting in English, because their L2 skills aren't good enough yet for easy conversation. Don't get pressured; it's your time, money, and effort, so try really hard to be monolingual for the entire time of your stay. Speak, think, and write only in Spanish (which may feel overwhelming and exhausting for a while) and it will really pay off. I wish you the best -- and let us know how it went after you get back! 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Kuros Newbie United States Joined 6148 days ago 16 posts - 16 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Spanish | Message 4 of 8 15 June 2010 at 2:54am | IP Logged | ||
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Thank you for the reply! I will be taking lessons through a school, but it is one-on-one instruction with a teacher.
I will take your advice to heart. Other people have told me the same thing. Hopefully the locals will be willing to speak Spanish with me. =) Did you find the immersion programs beneficial for you? 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| akprocks Senior Member United States Joined 5288 days ago 178 posts - 258 votes Speaks: English* Studies: German | Message 5 of 8 15 June 2010 at 2:59am | IP Logged | ||
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I think Xela has a high indigenous population, due to segregation. So you will be in a rather poorer part of Guatemala and not enjoy as much luxury as say, a five star hotel. which causes tourists to stay away. For me if I went their that would be a plus, as I was born and raised on a rez and native land trust so i'm more comfortable with Indians and their 'style' then with mestizos or white people. Other then that you'll have an awesome time and probably reach basic fluency, depending on the fact that your intermediate.
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| LtM Triglot Senior Member United States Joined 5862 days ago 130 posts - 223 votes Speaks: English*, French, Spanish Studies: German | Message 6 of 8 15 June 2010 at 5:54pm | IP Logged | ||
Yes, I did, both linguistically and culturally. However, even if, for whatever reason, you don't feel that you have benefited as much as you would have liked, just remember that every experience adds to who you are as a person, and you will gain something from every situation you are in, even if you don't realize it at the time. Hey, can I go with you? ;) 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| endation Triglot Newbie United States mattgrabermusic.comRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 6301 days ago 28 posts - 28 votes Speaks: English*, Modern Hebrew, Spanish Studies: French, German, Russian, Portuguese, Mandarin | Message 7 of 8 15 June 2010 at 7:03pm | IP Logged | ||
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I did a very similar thing about 6 years ago when I'd say that I was probably at an intermediate level too, but I went to Buenos Aires, Argentina. The two areas are obviously very different, but.....same idea. Yes, it was very beneficial. Besides for just being a great life and cultural experience, your language skills will definitely improve. My main tip would be to walk around a lot, talk to people and use the language whenever you can, and don't get frustrated if you don't understand everything or have trouble saying exactly what you want to. Sometimes it might seem like not that much improvement is actually taking place, but I'm sure that at the end of the trip you'll notice a huge difference from before you left.
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| Kuros Newbie United States Joined 6148 days ago 16 posts - 16 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Spanish | Message 8 of 8 15 June 2010 at 10:46pm | IP Logged | ||
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@LTM: You can go with me if you promise not to speak English. =)
@akproks: That is one reason I chose to go here rather than Antigua. I don't want to be a tourist or do touristy things, and I am not really comfortable in the five star hotels myself, since I grew up in a very rural area. I also heard you can go around Antigua all day and not hear any Spanish. @endation: I will do my best to use Spanish only, heh. I am pretty shy normally, so I'll have to force myself to try to walk around meet people. I also want to take guitar lessons while there, so maybe I can meet some people that way. Thanks everyone for your comments! 1 person has voted this message useful |
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