Want to Learn Spanish in Guatemala?
In the months leading up to my trip to Guatemala, my friends were so curious about what the experience would be like. They were constantly asking me to share the research I had done on different Spanish schools, and were even more excited when they heard that $200 USD per week would pay for school tuition, accommodation, and food. Too good to be true? I promised a full review at the end of the month, so here goes.
One-liner. Studying Spanish in Guatemala was a fantastic experience that I would wholeheartedly recommend and repeat.
School. The school I chose is called Pop Wuj, located in Quetzaltenango (also known as Xela), Guatemala. I chose the school because of its popular medical Spanish program, though in the end I decided to participate in the standard immersion program instead. I also chose the school because it is a well-established, non-profit organization involved in interesting community projects.
My experience at Pop Wuj was the highlight of the trip. I had 4.5 hours of one-on-one Spanish tutoring five days per week. Typically, my teacher and I would spend 1–2 hours having casual conversation in Spanish over tea, and the rest of the time learning verb tenses and doing grammar exercises.
In the afternoons, I was free to study or to attend the optional afternoon activities put on by the school. These activities included movie night in Spanish, lectures about various topics in Spanish but also translated into English (topics such as Guatemalan politics, Mayan history, and environmental problems in Guatemala), playing with kids at a local childcare center, helping to construct basic stoves in the homes of families who previously cooked only with indoor open fire, school dinner cooked by the students, and local field trips to various markets, churches, and hot springs. There was tons to do after school. It felt like summer camp.
I adored my teacher Alberto, a man in his 60s who used to teach high school. He doesn’t speak English, so when we got stumped we’d take turns looking things up in the dictionaries on his desk. He was very open to my requests and goals. All of my buddies had great things to say about their teachers too.
A note for my med friends — in the medical program, students spend their mornings either working in various clinics, constructing the stoves, or working in a community nutrition program. Students have four hours of one-on-one Spanish class five days per week in the afternoons. Having taken no Spanish before, I decided to enroll in the regular immersion program instead, and I was glad that I did. Students who had taken Spanish in high school or college did well in the medical program. If you’ve never taken Spanish before, I’d recommend three weeks of the immersion program first before beginning the medical program.
The average amount of time students spent at Pop Wuj was four weeks, but there were students enrolled for 2–8 weeks. Looking back, my ideal scenario would have been six weeks at Pop Wuj, broken up by one week of travel in the middle (so seven-ish weeks total).
Extra-curricular and social. There were about 10–15 other students enrolled in school with me. Almost every night, they would go out for drinking, dancing, movies, or food. Most were in their 20s to early 30s, but there were people in their 50s too. Being the anti-social hermit you know I am, I almost never went out with them. They were all lovely, interesting, vibrant people though. I opted for a month-long yoga pass at a local studio instead and went to yoga every evening. It was blissful. I also took a nap every day after school.
Living situation. I was placed with a host family through the school. All of the host families were located within walking distance from school, and all students got a private room. Hot showers are hard to come by in Guatemala and the most common setup is for the water to be heated in the shower head as it comes out, so I had to settle for warm…and short…a short warm shower, every other day. That part definitely took some adjusting.
A funny article about so-called Suicide Showers in Guatemala:
My host family was very welcoming. A cute couple in their 60s, they also hosted five other Guatemalan students studying at the local university.
Food. This is where I struggled the most. My host mother served three meals per day, which meant that I had very little control over my food because I was not allowed to use the kitchen. It Guatemala, all of the food has an unbelievable amount of salt. It’s inescapable. I must admit though, my American buddies didn’t seem to be very bothered by it. It was also very difficult to get a hold of a hearty serving of vegetables, either at home or in restaurants. The typical Guatemalan diet just isn’t very healthy. The food was comforting though — I’d typically have a pancake and some fruit for breakfast, tostadas with beans and cheese with chicken soup for lunch, and black beans and one egg for dinner. I’m so excited to get home and eat a million vegetables. And Salt and Straw ;)
The mangoes were life-changing. I ate one during recess at school every single day, with only my hands (you just sort of peel it like a banana). Best fruit I’ve ever had.
Travel. I took the last five days of the month to do a bit of travel. I visited Lake Atitlan, a lake with little towns dotting the perimeter that are best accessed by boat. Then I spent a day in Antigua, a charming city showcasing Spanish architecture, narrow cobblestone streets, and colonial churches. I am writing to you now from a serene tree house lodge near Antigua — basking in the sunshine, going on nature walks, doing outdoor yoga with volcano views, lazing about in my tree house hammock, and indulging at the lodge’s gourmet vegetarian restaurant. This spot is one of my very favorites.
I have been pleasantly surprised by how much I’ve been able to communicate with the basic Spanish I have gained. I can ask questions about the menu, navigate bus transfers, and make basic small talk with people I meet. I’m so excited about it!
I forgot how liberating it is to travel alone. You can just see where the day takes you, without ever having to verbalize your decisions. You can selfishly and unapologetically do whatever you want, every hour of every day. If you haven’t traveled alone in a while, I highly recommend it.
Cost. In total, I spent $2350 USD over four weeks. Flights were $1000, my school for three weeks was $800 (including $100 total in tips for my teacher and family), discretionary spending was $200, and the five day vacation I took at the end of the trip was $350.
Spanish competency. It was so rewarding to watch my Spanish improve each week. Before this trip, I had done only Rosetta Stone through level 3 and some Duolingo. After three weeks of school, I still have very far to go, but I can express basic ideas and concerns, and I have learned enough grammar and medical terminology to take a basic medical history and do a physical exam (H&P). I still struggle with comprehension a lot. After three weeks, I feel like I need three more weeks of school here to really be proficient in a full H&P. However, I feel empowered now to earnestly attempt patient encounters in Spanish. I can explain that we can call a translator if necessary, and I practiced with Alberto sensitive discussions like advance directives and informed consent. I have come a long way since my arrival.
I am excited at the prospect of returning here one day to study more. I met a second year family medicine resident here who is here on an elective rotation for one month, doing the medical Spanish program and working in clinic in the mornings. I hope that can be me in two years!
Perspective. Listening to lectures at school, witnessing families crushed by poverty, and talking to my teacher and host family have made me reflect on the privilege that it is to travel, and to study. I realize that the relative weakness of the Guatemalan currency makes it so that my teacher would never be able to afford a trip to the US, not to mention the difficulty in even getting a tourist visa.
I learned that 35% of pregnancies in Guatemala are in girls 14 or younger, with contraception difficult to access and abortion generally illegal. I see young girls carrying their babies and toddlers on the street, selling trinkets and asking for money, and think about how the absence of reproductive control condemns them and their families to the cycle of poverty. [See how good I am at relating every single thing back to reproductive justice?]
They tell me that it is far from an actual democracy here and everyone knows it — that the descendants of the original colonialists from Spain (3–4% of the population) control which candidates get to run for office, as well as controlling the vast majority of the agricultural, commercial, and financial sectors. The U.S. and Canada continue to exploit Guatemala and other Latin American countries for produce and natural resources. There is a significant gang presence and it is unsafe to walk alone at night or to use an ATM without the supervision of gun-towing men.
Being here makes me ashamed to be from the U.S. and reminds me of the problems that the U.S. creates and perpetuates, but simultaneously makes me thankful for the luxury and privilege that being American afford. I am looking forward to returning to my clean air, safe streets, and hot showers.
Conclusion. This trip has been a transformative experience, and I hope to come back some day and repeat it. Improving my Spanish has left me thirsty for more. I desperately want to be able to communicate with my patients, to be able to properly help them. Often during med school, it occurred to me that knowing Spanish would be more helpful to my patients than knowing medicine. I’m getting closer, and I plan to keep studying Spanish for 55 more days until residency starts.
I would recommend this experience to anyone who is serious about learning Spanish, who works in or plans to work in healthcare, who needs a break from the grind, who wants to gain some perspective, or who wants to stretch herself. Feel free to reach out to me with more questions.
