Testimonials video
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Testimonials
Learning Spanish at El Quetzal has been a truly memorable experience. My boyfriend and I were so grateful for this school, the teachers were dedicated and compassionate with our learning throughout the two weeks we studied in Xela. We enjoyed the activities they organised after class.The homestay family were so lovely to stay with and were patient with our very little Spanish. Shoutout to my teacher Claudia, she was very clear, kind, thorough and extremely patient. -Danica McElney
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My partner and I just spent two great weeks with El Quetzal spanish school. My teacher (Lucky) was incredibly professional and passionate. Glenda and Daniel were very accommodating and made the whole process very easy. We emailed the school around 1 month before beginning, and made a deposit to the school via bank transfer. Glenda set us up in a great homestay which provided good food and a true family environment. -Lorne Gurney
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This school is the best place we could imagine for beginning our travels in Guatemala and Mexico and improving our Spanish😊 We immediately felt at home here. The atmosphere was relaxed, the lessons were great and the after class activities were both fun, interesting and provided good opportunities for practicing our beginning Spanish skills. Our teacher Lucky was amazing. She was great at explaining new words, concepts and grammar in a simple way and without us sharing a common language. We can definitely recommend El Quetzal to other spanish learners.
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I spent about a month at this school and it was fantastic. Everyone was very kind and supportive. The 1 on 1 time with my teacher helped my Spanish a lot. My favorite parts were the cooking classes and walking around the city with my teacher. Xela in general is super foreigner friendly! Niko Jarmoszko |
I have only positive things about El Quetzal school. I had already done 3 weeks of classes in another school in Guatemala when I arrived there, and the quality of El Quetzal is by far beyond what I was expecting. I first said I was coming for 3 weeks and decided to stay 9 weeks. Be ready to be welcomed warmly by everyone. The classes are all individual but there are a lot of activities that involve all the students together, such as oral presentations, afternoon activities or cooking classes. You have at the beginning of the week a plan of the lessons and subjects you will learn that week and you have the opportunity to modify it. I will strongly recommend the school to anybody willing to learn Spanish seriously. The city of Quetzaltenango is also pretty and there’s a lot to see around.
Maxime Charbonneau
Maxime Charbonneau
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Excellent Spanish tutoring/classes, both online (Skype) and on-site in Xela, and the family that runs the school more or less adopts you during your stay. I picked El Quetzal after significant online research, and it was the right choice. I’ve had several months of online classes with Glenda, the director, and recently had two weeks of 5-hour/day sessions with Fernando, one of their tutors. In both formats the balance between study, review, and conversation has been perfect, and Fernando had a seemingly endless supply of ideas for what to do next. (My level is high intermediate/low advanced; I’m confident they can work with anyone.) Plus, during my stay in Xela, they filled my schedule with activities and made sure I had everything I needed. Daniel, Glenda’s husband and the chef for the cooking classes, even drove me to the bus station one afternoon so I could change my departure ticket. I learned a lot and loved my time here, and I’m eager to come back.
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El Quetzal Spanish was one of the best experiences I had while I was in Guatemala! The teachers there are very helpful and nice and being able to stay with a local family was a unique experience I really enjoyed!
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Fantastic experience with Skype lessons through El Quetzel!
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"I studied via Skype with El Quetzal Spanish School during the months of January and February 2015. I studied 3 hours per day for 5 or 6 weeks. My teacher, Fernando, was an excellent teacher. I am at a fairly advanced Spanish level and Fernando had the knowledge and experience to help take me to the next level. I found the teaching style to be professional, interesting and fun and the teacher was well prepared at all times. I hope to study at their school during my next visit to Quetzaltenango. I highly recommend El Quetzal Spanish school! 5 Stars! "
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Great school, great people, great education and a wonderful experience. I have attended El Quetzal several times. I would not have returned if I were not completely satisfied each time I attended. Based on my experience, I highly recommend El Quetzal Spanish School.
I selected Guatemala because it is the least expensive place to study and because the number of schools there creates enough competition to keep the schools good. I selected Quetzaltenango because of the size of the city (not too big or too small) and because it seems to attract serious students instead of tourist. I selected El Quetzal because of its small size, individualized instruction and the good reviews it has received.
One of the keys to the good instruction at El Quetzal is Glenda, the owner. She requires each instructor to prepare a lesson plan based on the student's level of knowledge and specific needs. Then she monitors the student's progress. Every instructor I have had at El Quetzal had been personable, knowledgeable and a good teacher. I consider Glenda, her family and my instructors as my friends.
If you have specific questions fee free to contact me at: [email protected]
George Gibson
I selected Guatemala because it is the least expensive place to study and because the number of schools there creates enough competition to keep the schools good. I selected Quetzaltenango because of the size of the city (not too big or too small) and because it seems to attract serious students instead of tourist. I selected El Quetzal because of its small size, individualized instruction and the good reviews it has received.
One of the keys to the good instruction at El Quetzal is Glenda, the owner. She requires each instructor to prepare a lesson plan based on the student's level of knowledge and specific needs. Then she monitors the student's progress. Every instructor I have had at El Quetzal had been personable, knowledgeable and a good teacher. I consider Glenda, her family and my instructors as my friends.
If you have specific questions fee free to contact me at: [email protected]
George Gibson
After six weeks studying El Queztal, I give it high marks. The atmosphere was professional and yet familial. The teachers were knowledgeable and interested in the success of the student. I had three teachers (changing every two weeks), and found all three to be capable of meeting my needs. Each of course had strengths and weaknesses. Since I had studied the grammar system fairly extensively before coming, I was interested in practice rather than new lessons. The teachers were flexible and tried to work with my desires. Glenda, the director, was also especially helpful with our host family situation. My wife had come with me on this trip and when our first host family placement didn't work out with some of our needs, we were able to change quickly and easily. Overall, we had a very positive experience and I would recommend the school as a solid option for Spanish study in Xela.
Bryan Elliff
小さい学校ゆえに、先生や生徒同士でも自然と「おはよう！昨日は何してたの？」みたいな 会話が常に行われ、休み時間 に 他の先生と話が盛り上がり過ぎて授業に遅れた事も！(笑) ホームステイ先でもグアテマラと日本それぞれの文化につ いて 話 したり出来て、"勉強する"と いうより、"自然と話す"事が身に付く場所でした。
値段もお手頃、アクティビティも他の学校と同じくほぼ毎日あるし、
もしシェラで語学学校を探 しているなら是非とも見学して、
そして通ってみて欲しい学校です。
Sho Kodama (Japan)
値段もお手頃、アクティビティも他の学校と同じくほぼ毎日あるし、
もしシェラで語学学校を探 しているなら是非とも見学して、
そして通ってみて欲しい学校です。
Sho Kodama (Japan)
エル・ケツァール校は家族経営で、
生徒に対して親身な応対をしてくれるスペイン語学校です。
相談にはいつでも乗ってくれますし、困り事がないか声をかけてくれます。
先生は全員スペイン語しか話さないので、スペイン語漬けの毎日を送れます。
週末には、生徒・先生一緒に飲みに行くこともあり、
楽しく過ごしながら勉強できます。
Tadashi Okubo
生徒に対して親身な応対をしてくれるスペイン語学校です。
相談にはいつでも乗ってくれますし、困り事がないか声をかけてくれます。
先生は全員スペイン語しか話さないので、スペイン語漬けの毎日を送れます。
週末には、生徒・先生一緒に飲みに行くこともあり、
楽しく過ごしながら勉強できます。
Tadashi Okubo
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I studied with El Quetzal Spanish School for 11 weeks. I studied with many of the teachers and thought they were all excellent. I also stayed with a host family for my first three weeks (with Elena) and had a really good experience. I've attached two photos from a fun birthday celebration at the school.
Jhana Taylor Valentine |
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Hi, I had an amazing 6 weeks at El Quetzal! Glenda and her family and the teachers truly open their home and lives to the students and make them feel part of their big family. I went from knowing almost no Spanish to being conversational and much more confident in 6 weeks.There is a lot of flexibility-- and the more you put into it, the More you get out. I worked with the teachers Jacquie, Claudia and Fernando and each were fabulous. I recommend switching it up after a few weeks to be exposed to different teaching styles.
Esther, my homestay mother for nearly 6 weeks was wonderful. Very accommodating for vegetarian diets! She has had students for the last 15 years but doesn´t make you feel like you´re just one in a long line. The school attracted great students and I made many wonderful friends! Free salsa dancing lessons on Thursday were fun! Samantha Feld |
I can highly recommend El Quetzal Spanish School. I found Xela a wonderful town with a good mix of strong local culture and plenty of entertainment for visitors. The school is very small with a personal atmosphere, you get to know everyone in a very short time, nice activities for this group where on offer including lunches with gift exchange in the family house of the owner of the school on Valentine´s day which was touching.
My host family was a good experience too, accommodation was basic but everything was there, and just 15 meters from
the school. Meals where good, and my hosts and their young kids made my stay a lively one, frequently they asked if everything was alright and for feedback.
2 weeks is short time to study Spanish, but the program included homework, presentations and my teacher was very good, so my progress was very quick, I was able to have basic conversations, travel, buy things, ask information and even made a start with the past tense in just 2 weeks.
All in all highly recommended, also because of their very good price/quality ratio in my eyes.
Check-in to the school was very good, the owner of the school and her family came to collect me from the bus station and brought me to my host family.
Frits Kleinen Hammans
My host family was a good experience too, accommodation was basic but everything was there, and just 15 meters from
the school. Meals where good, and my hosts and their young kids made my stay a lively one, frequently they asked if everything was alright and for feedback.
2 weeks is short time to study Spanish, but the program included homework, presentations and my teacher was very good, so my progress was very quick, I was able to have basic conversations, travel, buy things, ask information and even made a start with the past tense in just 2 weeks.
All in all highly recommended, also because of their very good price/quality ratio in my eyes.
Check-in to the school was very good, the owner of the school and her family came to collect me from the bus station and brought me to my host family.
Frits Kleinen Hammans
My host family and all 3 teachers at El Quetzal School were amazing! My host family was patient with me and always kind to me. My 3 teachers were fantastic!!
In the afternoons we visited other villages, watched educational movies, learned how to sew etc.
Carolyn Murphy
I studied during one month in El Quetzal Spanish and my experience was excellent.
Before electing to study there I visited about 15 Schools in Xela, but this one gave
me a different impression, when I asked question on the teaching methodology, they
gave me a detailed description of the activities, techniques and homework which made me choose them.
I was right about the quality of the lessons and the techniques used to make you progress
rapidly in your level of Spanish. I know live in Xela and it has given a good start to develop my Spanish language skills.
I would definitely recommend them and study over there again!
Yann, France
Before electing to study there I visited about 15 Schools in Xela, but this one gave
me a different impression, when I asked question on the teaching methodology, they
gave me a detailed description of the activities, techniques and homework which made me choose them.
I was right about the quality of the lessons and the techniques used to make you progress
rapidly in your level of Spanish. I know live in Xela and it has given a good start to develop my Spanish language skills.
I would definitely recommend them and study over there again!
Yann, France
I can't say enough about Glenda, her family and the teachers at El Quetzal. Ive always found the prospect of taking on a new language a daunting challenge but after 2 months at the school I couldn't be happier with my progress. The teaching is one to one and has always catered for my level and is taught in the manner that I would like to learn. The school has a real family feel with every week filled with activities, a great lunch every Thursday and a group of teachers who are generally interested in helping you succeed. I'm looking forward to doing more study at the school when I'm next in Xela.
Pete Hedley Perth, Australia
Pete Hedley Perth, Australia
El Quetzal is a very well run locally owned Spanish school with excellent native Spanish speakers passionate about their language. The teaching method is well structured so my Spanish improved a great deal and I enjoyed the classes with my teacher (Claudia) immensely. The extracurricular activities with the other students and teachers enriched the experience and we all continued to speak Spanish outside of class whatever our level of ability. The rates are extremely well valued and Glenda (teacher and owner) is very accommodating and really looked after everyone. Having been to a few schools, I can highly recommend El Quetzal to anyone looking to rapidly accelerate their Spanish language learning at whatever level.
Nicholas Gault
Nicholas Gault
While significantly improving my fluency, pronunciation and vocabulary in Spanish, I received every assistance possible to take advantage of Xela s endless educational, cultural and recreational opportunities. I especially enjoyed the school’s excursions to charming small towns located near Xela, each having its distinctive atmosphere and history.
You can choose from plenty of language schools in Xela. I was lucky enough to choose just the right one for me. Quetzal Language School is owned and operated by a highly skilled indigenous woman who has trained her staff to make learning Spanish fun by tailoring one on one lessons to each student´s ability, level of advancement and individual learning style. The atmosphere in the school is relaxed, friendly and very supportive. In addition the school offers excursions to the many charming small towns surrounding Xela, each with its own atmosphere, history and cultural and recreational opportunities.
The school provides a family type atmosphere with shared meals, special activities, and creative projects. It also offers cooking classes in Guatemalan cuisine and informative lectures on local and national issues important to Guatemalans. I cannot say enough good things about Quetzal Language School. But find out for yourself! A highly memorable experience awaits you.
Miguel
You can choose from plenty of language schools in Xela. I was lucky enough to choose just the right one for me. Quetzal Language School is owned and operated by a highly skilled indigenous woman who has trained her staff to make learning Spanish fun by tailoring one on one lessons to each student´s ability, level of advancement and individual learning style. The atmosphere in the school is relaxed, friendly and very supportive. In addition the school offers excursions to the many charming small towns surrounding Xela, each with its own atmosphere, history and cultural and recreational opportunities.
The school provides a family type atmosphere with shared meals, special activities, and creative projects. It also offers cooking classes in Guatemalan cuisine and informative lectures on local and national issues important to Guatemalans. I cannot say enough good things about Quetzal Language School. But find out for yourself! A highly memorable experience awaits you.
Miguel
El Quetzal Spanish School is a perfect fit if you want a small, familiar school that still maintains high quality teaching and education about Guatemala. The teaching, atmosphere, and activities were all superb. Our host family (Esther et al.) was also great. Basically, you should go here.
My girlfriend and I spent a total of 12 weeks over two different visits studying here. We are biologists and came with basic conversational skills that we had picked up through work over the years. So, we started near the beginning of the grammar as we had not had formal classes. We covered most of the foundational grammar (through past tenses of the subjunctive) during this time. Most of your class will be spent on grammar, although during my last few weeks we focused more on comprehension, vocab, and expression. You also spend a lot of time learning about Guatemala´s history and culture, something that I found equally as interesting as the spanish. Beyond the classes, I found the weekly presentations very useful as they forced you to come out of your shell more in front of people and take more risks with your speaking. I also learned a great deal about other people´s learning styles/speeds and Guatemalan topics during these talks.
I think I studied with all but one of the regular teachers (they rotate you every two weeks), and found them all great and easy to work with. This is key as you spend 5 hours a day, 5 days a week with a completely new person one-on-one. The teachers also enjoyed socializing outside of class, and I had a lot of fun exploring the city with some of them. I would especially recommend Claudia or Byron for the really advanced speakers that are working beyond grammar.
Glenda, who runs the school, and Daniel (her husband) are gracious hosts and do their best to make you comfortable and welcome. You will find that the school is as much a social project for Glenda as a school, and she uses funds and student volunteer hours to advance projects she supports in neighboring towns. Beyond the rewarding opportunity to give back, these projects provide you an inside look into life in rural Guatemala that I think would be hard to find otherwise. Being affiliated with Glenda and the school makes people trust you and bring them into their life more.
I also found the daily activities, including the weekly meal that you help prepare, nice opportunities to get out and see the area with the assistance of your teachers. They are also good chances to practice, practice, practice!
Our host family was amazing. Ask for Esther! She is a fantastic cook and probably taught us the most about local customs and history. She has been hosting students for years and has a remarkably international and open-minded view on behavior, religion, etc. for someone who has never traveled outside the area. The rest of her family was also extremely warm and open and invited us to participate in their Xmas and Semana Santa activities.
To summarize, if you really want to focus on Spanish and culture and are not in Xela to party all the time and just hang out with travelers then you should go to El Quetzal. I will always be grateful for the experiences I had there and hope to visit again sometime soon. Please email me if you have questions.
Be aware that nobody has central heating in Xela. Nobody. So, if you come in the winter, especially December-February, it will be cold in the mornings (around freezing and a little higher). So bring lots of layers for your classes and the evenings at home.
Ian Ausprey
My girlfriend and I spent a total of 12 weeks over two different visits studying here. We are biologists and came with basic conversational skills that we had picked up through work over the years. So, we started near the beginning of the grammar as we had not had formal classes. We covered most of the foundational grammar (through past tenses of the subjunctive) during this time. Most of your class will be spent on grammar, although during my last few weeks we focused more on comprehension, vocab, and expression. You also spend a lot of time learning about Guatemala´s history and culture, something that I found equally as interesting as the spanish. Beyond the classes, I found the weekly presentations very useful as they forced you to come out of your shell more in front of people and take more risks with your speaking. I also learned a great deal about other people´s learning styles/speeds and Guatemalan topics during these talks.
I think I studied with all but one of the regular teachers (they rotate you every two weeks), and found them all great and easy to work with. This is key as you spend 5 hours a day, 5 days a week with a completely new person one-on-one. The teachers also enjoyed socializing outside of class, and I had a lot of fun exploring the city with some of them. I would especially recommend Claudia or Byron for the really advanced speakers that are working beyond grammar.
Glenda, who runs the school, and Daniel (her husband) are gracious hosts and do their best to make you comfortable and welcome. You will find that the school is as much a social project for Glenda as a school, and she uses funds and student volunteer hours to advance projects she supports in neighboring towns. Beyond the rewarding opportunity to give back, these projects provide you an inside look into life in rural Guatemala that I think would be hard to find otherwise. Being affiliated with Glenda and the school makes people trust you and bring them into their life more.
I also found the daily activities, including the weekly meal that you help prepare, nice opportunities to get out and see the area with the assistance of your teachers. They are also good chances to practice, practice, practice!
Our host family was amazing. Ask for Esther! She is a fantastic cook and probably taught us the most about local customs and history. She has been hosting students for years and has a remarkably international and open-minded view on behavior, religion, etc. for someone who has never traveled outside the area. The rest of her family was also extremely warm and open and invited us to participate in their Xmas and Semana Santa activities.
To summarize, if you really want to focus on Spanish and culture and are not in Xela to party all the time and just hang out with travelers then you should go to El Quetzal. I will always be grateful for the experiences I had there and hope to visit again sometime soon. Please email me if you have questions.
Be aware that nobody has central heating in Xela. Nobody. So, if you come in the winter, especially December-February, it will be cold in the mornings (around freezing and a little higher). So bring lots of layers for your classes and the evenings at home.
Ian Ausprey
Bob and I spent three weeks at El Quetzal Spanish School and we would rate it the best of the three schools we took classes at on our trip through Mexico and Central America. The one on one lessons were intensive but interesting with lots of attention to language learning detail, Guatemalan culture and history, and to my specific interests. There were afternoon activities such as visits to nearby villages, one day to the wonderful hot springs - very nice considering the temperature in Xela and even on weekends it was possible to arrange for a hiking guide. Our host family, Carlos and Cony with their lovely daughters were so kind to us and made our stay very comfortable. I would not hesitate to recommend El Quetzal as a school for serious students who want learn Spanish very thoroughly.
Correspondence with the school was smooth and helpful.
Kathleen Gallagher
Correspondence with the school was smooth and helpful.
Kathleen Gallagher
El Quetzal Spanish School is a warm and inviting school while being rigorous at the same time. The teachers were excellent and I learned more Spanish in these six weeks than I thought was possible.
Study materials consisted of current newspapers, history books, films.
Matt holland
Study materials consisted of current newspapers, history books, films.
Matt holland
Amazing experience in this small family school. Teachers were really nice and our family host too. We really recommend to go to Quetzaltenango in El Quetzal Spanish School, we were like home. We learned a lot of Spanish, but also about culture and tradition. Glenda and her family are just amazing. We are missing them !!
Quetzaltenango is really good city to study with nice volcan hikes around.
Frederick Leblond
Quetzaltenango is really good city to study with nice volcan hikes around.
Frederick Leblond
Before I finally decided to go to El Quetzal, I was a bit cautious of the fact the rates were so cheap in comparison to a lot of the other schools. I thought that this might of meant that the quality of the teachers and resources would have been worse. However I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I could not of been more wrong and I loved the fact that this school is small with a family- orientated feel to it. The standard of the teachers there is excellent and in 6 weeks I would say I went from beginner to a competent intermediate level. My teachers were Gloria and Fernando and I would definitely recommend them to anyone. They were very easy to talk to, I felt comfortable and a large proportion of my lesson time was spent having casual conversations. Towards the end I could talk about anything and everything and understand. Conversations are the key. I enjoyed the mix of students there. There were guys who required to learn Spanish for their jobs or studies and there were guys like me who just wanted to communicate in another language. I made a lot of friends during my time at the school, which has a very welcoming and friendly environment.
I stayed with the Ramos family, Vilma and Alberto and their two sons Tito and Guillermo. Very pleasant to stay with and definitely accelerates your learning.
It would be a pleasure to recommend El Quetzal to anyone who wants to learn Spanish. I say avoid the larger schools and pay less for better value! (please feel free to send me an e-mail if you have any questions).
Alan Stride
I stayed with the Ramos family, Vilma and Alberto and their two sons Tito and Guillermo. Very pleasant to stay with and definitely accelerates your learning.
It would be a pleasure to recommend El Quetzal to anyone who wants to learn Spanish. I say avoid the larger schools and pay less for better value! (please feel free to send me an e-mail if you have any questions).
Alan Stride
Hello, I decided to go to El Quetzal Spanish School in Quetzaltenango. I studied at this school from October 4th – November 5th for a total of 5 weeks. I had a fantastic instructor called Byron. He was very patient, funny and great at explaining the language. There was good use of study materials although, I would recommend bringing your own dictionary, especially if you are not a native English speaker. There were excellent after school activities, including visits to neighboring villages, Guatemalan films and hikes up local mountains and volcanoes. I also frequently went for drinks with some of the teachers in the evenings which was an excellent opportunity to practice my Spanish in a different environment. I stayed with a wonderful family (mother´s name – Esther) and couldn’t have wished for a better experience. They were always exceptionally friendly and very accommodating to my (initially terrible) Spanish. I would definitely recommend the school. It´s fantastic value and everyone there – Glenda, Heber, Byron, Linda, Miriam, Julio etc…, is really eager to help you learn and always great to talk to. I wish I could have stayed longer. Regards,
Andrew Leese.
Andrew Leese.
EL QUETZAL has been authorized and accredited by.
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