Getting to Know in San Salvador
Spanish Classes In El Salvador
El Salvadorans are famously friendly, patient, and genuinely pleased when visitors attempt to speak their language. But that doesn't mean your high-school Spanish isn't painful to listen to. So if you're going to be spending some time here, you might as well brush up on the native tongue. Luckily, numerous short-term, affordable language programs are available throughout the country.
In San Salvador, you'll find the Mélida Anaya Montes Spanish School -- part of El Salvador's human justice organization, Centro de Intercambio y Solidaridad (CIS; Av. Bolivar 103, Colonia Libertad, San Salvador; tel. 503/2226-5362; www.cis-elsalvador.org) -- which offers one- to four-person classes taught by El Salvadoran teachers, homestays with local families, and a strong emphasis on social justice in El Salvador. Students participate in 4-hour-long daily classes and can also participate in a program introducing them to El Salvador's political progressive organizations, communities, and political parties. Classes begin on Monday year-round and cost $223, plus a $25 registration fee, per week, including food and lodging. Classes on their own are $100 per week.
The lakeside hostel Amacuilco (Calle Principal, Lago de Coatepeque, Santa Ana; tel. 503/7822-4051; amacuilcohostal@hotmail.com), by beautiful Lago de Coatepeque, offers a 5-day, 20-hour Spanish course, including food, lodging, and kayak rentals, for $120. El Salvador's SalvaSpan language school (5a Calle Poniente, btw. 4 and 6 Av. Sur, #15, Santa Ana; tel. 503/7051-4171 in El Salvador or 413/374-0159 in the U.S.; www.salvaspan.com) offers language classes at a place of your choosing -- for instance, if you want to take 2 days of classes in Suchitoto, 2 days in Playa Sunzal, and 2 days in Ataco, the SalvaSpan teachers can accommodate you. Classes are $175 to $200 per week for 5 days of 4 hours per day, one-on-one instruction. Homestays can be arranged in San Salvador and Santa Ana for an additional $125 to $150 per week.
