In a previous blog I discussed the growing popularity of travelers wanting to immerse themselves in foreign countries. Several companies offer package deals that allow you to participate in immersion programs and provide accommodations, meals and transportation. They are typically pricier than the standard cultural programs that offer basic amenities minus transportation fees.
My last blog detailed my fantasy all-you-can-eat trip around Japan. However, if you prefer to spend your vacation consuming more lessons than calories then I would recommend an extremely affordable Spanish immersion course in colonial Mexico that will cost you less than $300 per week.
The Cuernavaca Language School offers the program and you are responsible for finding transportation to the school. (Cuernavaca, Mexico is located about 50 miles from Mexico City). But, once you get there you’ll likely find the effort was well worth it. After all, is there any better way to learn a new language than to totally immerse yourself in a new culture and be forced to converse with the locals in their native tongue? The program offered by the Cuernavaca Language School gives you the opportunity to travel to Mexico to study Spanish and live with local families.
You choose your length of stay. Courses can last anywhere from one to 16 weeks, with classes held five days a week. The curriculum includes four daily 50-minute immersion classes with no more than five other students. There’s also a daily lecture covering topics such as indigenous cultures and Mexican art. In addition, you will take weekly field trips to notable sites in and around Cuernavaca. You are also given free time so you can explore the city on your own and use your new language skills to get around. Part of the package deal also includes the school’s homestay program, where you live and eat meals with a local family.
As I mentioned earlier, you are responsible for paying your own travel costs to Mexico. Tuition for one week of classes costs $290. However, if you choose to extend your stay to a month, the price decreases to $200 per week. The cost covers classes, a weekly field trip, and access to the school’s media lab. Homestays cost a bit extra. Typically, you’ll pay $20 per night with breakfast included or $30 per night for three meals. Textbooks are extra.
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