Former Students

I have studied many times in Antigua. This trip I decide to study in Xela because I wanted more of an “immersion experience”.

I was not disappointed in Escuela Minerva. In Antigua there were always between 3-8 other students in my homestay.  Minerva set me up in a homestay with no other students.

My family here were wonderful hosts, always willing to chat and help me with my homework. My teacher at Minerva was the best I’ve ever had (ask of Yessi!!) She was professional, spunky inventive and most of all she made learning fun.

I looked at several schools in Xela before picking Minerva.  I´m glad that I chose to be in zone 3 away from all the tourists and bustle of the city center.  Minerva´s facilities are clean, bright and hot over crowded like many schools near Parque Central.

The staff at Minerva were always helpful planning trips and treated me like a part of the family from the beginning.
I feel that I´ve made life long friends and greatly improved my Spanish in just three weeks. I´ll hever go back to Antigua again.

Roxan McDonald, Santa Cruz, LA. USA
Correo Electrónico: 4roxan@excite.com
22 Febrero  2008.

My nine-year-old daughter, Marina, and I spent an unforgettable month studying and traveling in Guatemala this past summer. For two weeks we experienced farm life at my sister’s Guatemalan in-laws 40 minutes from the Escuela Minerva in Xela. Then, we studied at Escuela Minerva for 2 weeks and took excursions to Antigua, Lake Atitlan, and pueblos surrounding Xela.

Though Antigua is a truly beautiful town and has many Spanish language schools there are far too many tourists; for a true Guatemalan experience Xela is by far the choice. Xela is also a beautiful mountainous city and the Xela countryside, lush with green and maize, is one of the most beautiful areas I have seen (and I have traveled a lot and lived in places with spectacular views of the mountains and sea).

For the past 20 years, as a foreign language educator both in the U.S. and abroad (administer, teacher trainer, and teacher), I knew exactly what I was looking for in a language school and found it at Escuela Minerva, for both my daughter and myself. Julio, the director of the school is a very charming man who played the guitar and sang romantic Spanish songs at a birthday party the school held in my honor. He is also very accommodating to the specific needs of students and families. He arranged for me to visit a local school in dire need of resources so that I could arrange a “sister school� relationship and take photos for presentations I plan to give in the U.S. At my request, Julio also researched and found a seminar on the Mayan calendar for me to attend. My little girl, was able to attend a local elementary school for a day and interact with the children there. These customized activities were in addition to the standard activities that the school offers.

One of the primary reasons I chose Escuela Minerva over other schools in Xela is the level of education and professionalism that Escuela Minerva stated that their teachers had. I found the description of their teachers’ expertise to be very accurate. All of the teachers at the school enunciated clearly and spoke slowly but in a natural way. My teacher, Noelia, knew Spanish grammar inside and out and could clearly explain it. As an educated linguist myself, I appreciated this. Noelia and I spent most of our time speaking and she corrected my errors in a very supportive manner. Noelia was much more than a teacher for me; she also became our tour guide as she oriented us to the city, our family nurse when she took us to the doctors, and a good friend. In fact, Noelia and I continue to email each other.

The program for my nine year old was equally good. For her, the school was more like a fun Spanish summer camp and this is exactly what I was looking for. Marina improved her Spanish while playing games and interacting with other children and her teachers. “My favorite thing at school was going to the zoo with my teacher and seeing a live toucan.�, says my little girl.

That day Marina learned the names of animals and still remembers those Spanish words. As we were leaving Guatemala, Marina asked, “Mommy, next year, can we come back and study at Escuela Minerva again?� I was so happy to hear this request, and we have full intentions of returning to Escuela Minerva next year – this time with my husband and perhaps a few friends.

I would be very happy to make recommendations to anyone interested in attending Escuela Minerva.

Aug 2007

My time in Xela and at the Minerva Spanish School has been one of the best experiences of my life. Julio Lima (Director), leads an extremely capable staff. There is a true sense of community at Minerva. Whether at school or with my homestay family, I have felt welcomed at every turn. The people I have met in Xela are incredible and I have made some of the best friends of my life. With confidence, I highly recommend Xela and Minerva Spanish School to anyone interested in study Spanish abroad. Questions? Yor can email me at: mollysloan@aim.com Molly Sloan. Quetzaltenango, Guatemala.

20 Abril 2007.

8 Abril 2007
Jill Carroll
jm-carroll@hotmail.com
Molly Sloan (mollysloan@aim.com
Lesley Peters lesley.peters@hotmail.com Megan Magaldino meganmagaldino@yahoo.com Enjoying their time at Minerva Spanish School.

Tucked away in the highlands of Guatemala there is a special place that radiates with the spirits of its people, their culture and the passion of Julio Lima and his extraordinary group of teachers. The luminescence of Quetzaltenango makes the Minerva Spanish School the right choice for anyone considering the greatest time you never knew you always wanted.

I studied at Escuela Minerva for a combined total of 16 weeks over a period of seven months. I am practically a local. I have survived a study abroad experience in college, and I must admit that I was a little apprehensive about the idea of attending a language school and living with a local family, again. Any doubt quickly subsided within minutes of my arrival. My Guatemalan family is incredible and they enthusiastically accepted me as one of their own.

The school offers an excellent blend of conversation, literature, composition and grammar usage in their intensive language instruction program. Minerva Spanish School is ideal for complete beginners, folks who are trying the brush up on key phrases to aid a long journey even further south of the border, or students and professionals seeking fluency in all areas of the Spanish language. In addition, this school is also affiliated with the Universidad Rural de Guatemala for anyone interested in a degree program and extra accreditation. In short, Escuela Minerva is the school for you!!!

The city is rich in culture and there is something for everyone. Escuela Minerva is a short walk or microbus ride to heart of the city. The school provides an array of daily activities (optional) that keep students busy all week. There are multiple English language publications that list activities throughout Guatemala and Xela, including job postings, apartment listings and volunteer opportunities for those who plan on spending some quality time in Central America. These positions are extremely rewarding and an excellent way to practice Spanish. Additionally, you will find a home at XelaPages a traveler-friendly webpage and internet café that is your premiere guide to Quetzaltenango.

To my family, friends, and the unforgettable staff of Escuela Minerva, I am truly grateful for your hospitality, kindness and above all your amistad. I graduated with superior level of Spanish, but I have graduated from my Guatemalan experience with more than a diploma. If you have even had a passing thought about traveling to Guatemala, Escuela Minerva is only one of the many gems you will find in Quetzaltenango. Contact Julio Lima and book your flight right now! You think you know, but you have no idea what you are missing.

Megan Magaldino
meganmagaldino@yahoo.com
April 2007

I would like to use this opportunity to wholeheartedy recommend the Escuela Minerva to anybody who is consedering where they should study upon arrival in xela.

I studied at the school for 11 weeks and in fascinating insigts into Guatemalan culture and made many new friends. The director Julio, and the school admisión secretary Rosita, immediately make you feel welcome upon arrival. I personally studied with the same teacher for the whole 11 weeks, although some students opt to change every 3 weeks or so, and we got on extremely well, becoming good friends. During my time at Minerva I took part in organized activities including a sisit trip to an indigerious market. I also paticipated in, and thoroughly enjoyed, working of Guatemala cuisina, birthday parties and maestros versus estudents football matches! When my time came to leave the school my Spanish was at a very pleasing level, one at which I was able to have in-depth and varied conversations with local people using past, present and future tenses confidently. I shall definitely sep un touch with and overall have had an amazing time, one I will always be grateful for I would also like to add that I have had a wonderful stay with my homestay family, arranged by the school. Once again thank you to everybody connected to the Escuela Minerva for helping to make my time with joy such a rewarding one.

Sincerely,

Ben Carlo, 2006.
wailsong@yahoo.co.uk

Minerva is Great for Families

The Minerva school was a wonderful experience for our family and we highly recommend it for others. We attended for two weeks, along with our two children, ages 8 and 6, in the summer of 2003. We would be happy to talk to any families considering attending the school who might have questions about how well it works for children.

Everyone at the school was warm and welcoming and very patient with us and our children. The children’s teachers were particularly patient and kind. They took Joshua and Eva on outings to the nearby zoo, to play soccer, and  to bakeries; read them stories; encouraged them to write in Spanish; and played games, such as Scrabble, with them in Spanish. The children also participated with us in an outing organized by the school to visit nearby hot springs. They loved swimming in the thermal pools and interacting with the teachers and other students. The school has a very fun-loving and friendly atmosphere. Our children enjoyed the party we had one day to
celebrate the birthday of one of the teachers. I’ll never forget my
daughter dancing and singing along while Julio, the director, played “La Chucaracha� on his guitar. Joshua and Eva were very proud of themselves at the ceremony held to mark our “graduation.�

The one-on-one instruction provided by the school is great. We all learned a tremendous amount. It was also very positive for our children to see their parents learning a language. It reinforced for them how important we think it is for them to know another language.

One of the highlights of the program is living with a family. We loved our  family! Our children spent many hours each day playing with their three children and with cousins who lived next door. We ate three meals each day with the family, went on outings with them, and were invited several times to visit their extended family. We learned a lot of Spanish while being with them. They couldn’t have been more friendly, generous, and open. We were sorry to leave them and look forward to some day returning.

After we left Minerva, we traveled in Guatemala for two weeks. Our children learned a lot more Spanish, as well as Mayan culture and natural history. We greatly enjoyed our time in the Lake Atitlan area, Antigua, and Tikal and would be happy to make recommendations to families interested in traveling in those areas.

We were all sad to leave Guatemala and wish we could have stayed much longer. Joshua and Eva felt very accomplished upon completing their adventure and have each made presentations at school about their trips. Our trip to Guatemala was one of the best things we’ve done with and for our children.

Feel free to contact us with any questions.

Debra Prybyla & David Blockstein
daviddebrahome@gmail.com

I studied Spanish at Escuela Minerva for four weeks in March and another eight weeks in August and September.  All those weeks I was at Escuela Minerva I had a really great time.  I had classes with teachers Flory and Monica and I don’t think that the teachers at other schools could be better.  I really learned a lot and they are great people.  It’s a small school and there is always a family atmosphere.  It wasn’t just 5 hours Spanish each day with the many activities the school organized. Many evenings I went with students and teachers to a restaurant or cinema and we always had a good time. 

Because I studied 12 weeks at the school I had to write a thesis (Costumbres de Guatemala) and at the end I had to give a presentation about it.  Escuela Minerva is the only school in Quetzaltenango which does this, which proves the professionalism of the school.  If you want to learn only a little Spanish in a big school and go late every night then this is not your school.  But if you really want to learn Spanish in a family atmosphere then Escuela Minerva is your school. 

Lindo Greve 
Lindo_greve@hotmail.com

I am a first year Spanish student from the University of
Victoria, in British Columbia, Canada. I have attended Escuela Minerva for four weeks to practice my Spanish prior to my second year Spanish course. Xela and Especially Escuela Minerva provide an excellent environment to learn, study and practice Spanish. Whether for travel, university or work, Escuela Minerva can design a program specifically for you. School director, Julio Lima is a university professor and his instructors are friendly, organized and very professional. The school and home stays are located in a residential part of Xela, approximately 20 minutes by walking to the city center. It is a safe environment for studying Spanish. The staff at Escuela Minerva are eager to share their knowledge of Spanish and the cultures of Guatemala with you.

Brian Woodley
bwoodley@pacificcoast.net


Nachdem ich verschiedene Spanischschulen in ganz Guatemala durchprobiert habe, kann ich Euch nur waermstens die Minerva Spanischschule in Xela empfehlen! Dort bemueht man sich wirklich sehr um die Schueler, es werden viele Ausfluege und kulturelle

Veranstaltungen oder Diskussionen angeboten und der Spanischunterricht hat ein sehr hohes Niveau. Ich hab in den 3 Wochen die ich dort verbracht hab ne Menge gelernt  - sowohl sprachlich als auch ueber die Kultur   und Politik Guatemalas, und habe die Zeit dort sehr genossen!

Sabine Gose

The Escuela Minerva is one of the best Spanish Schools in Xela.  The teachers affiliated with it are all charming and very knowledgeable. All the students who were there when I was there felt welcomed into the Minerva family.  Even students who were only studying for 2 or 3 weeks developed real and rewarding friendships with their teachers. 

The one on one education is the best way to learn Spanish.  Additionally, all the host families associated with the school are of sterling quality. They go out of their way to have conversations with their students - which is why my Spanish went from  non-existent to very competent in one month.  The school is currently undergoing renovations so that it will be an even more pleasant facility soon.  It is located in a beautiful neighborhood very close to the main downtown area of Xela.

Also,students can take weekly trips to interesting places nearby and participate in stimulating conversations about the Guatemalan economy, Mayan religion, etc.  I highly recommend the school to anyone considering spending some time in Xela.  I will be happy to answer more questions at  

Bidisha Banerjee
bidisha.banerjee@yale.edu.  

Woody was the coordinator of Escuela Minerva for more than 8 months.  He has detailed knowledge of the schools style, atmosphere and philosophy. Woody also has traveled extensively in Guatemala and would be happy to help in any way he can with your trip.

Woody Rubin
woodyrubin@hotmail.com