Spanish Study and Cultural Immersion in Copan

  Honduras

Copan Ruinas

Term: Throughout the year 
Dates: Start dates every Monday, all year round.

Description: Our school is located in a typical styled building, near the central park and within walking distance of the ancient Mayan Ruins, temples, and museums. It is family run and offers a relaxed learning atomsphere. The school holds about 40 students but the average number is around 25, they all receive private one on one tuition.

All teachers are qualified master instructors who are graduates of Honduran universities with a minimum of 5 years of teaching Spanish as a second language. The school has a good international mix of students from North America and Europe, the average age is around 28 years of age. Our school also has campuses in La Ceiba and Utila Island, split programs mare available.

Standard: 4 Lessons daily (20 lessons per week) Private Instruction

Our programs cater for all language levels from absolute beginners to the more advanced, include the use of course materials and provide a variety of options to enhance your program. For more information please see Prices and Start Dates.

Each student will be expected to take a short placement test on the first Monday morning of the course (unless a complete beginner), to determine the students language level and ensure placement in the correct class. Lessons are usually held in the mornings, starting at 9 am, which leave the afternoons free for social or cultural activities, trips, workshops, short excursions or free time to relax or explore on your own.

We emphasize conversation, reading, grammar, and the experience of real life Spanish situations. Once a week, classes are held in an "eco" environment such as a beach, a waterfall, a river or a Honduran "paraiso" (paradise).

Our staff consists of select "maestros" (master professors) who are graduates of Honduran universities. Our Spanish programs are popular with business and medical professionals, engineers and research scientists, seeking accelerated and special vocabulary classes.

Host Family: (private room) 3 meals daily.

Highlights: Copán is the southern most of the ancient cities of the vast Mayan civilization that flourished in The Classic Period of 300 to 900 AD. Today, national boundaries put it in northern Honduras, some 12 kms from the border with Guatemala. Besides its jungle setting and abundance of stelae, being off the beaten tourist track enhances its attractiveness for the language traveler.

The famous Maya ruins are located about 1 km on the outskirts of this sleepy yet beautiful colonial city, which has a population of about 24,000. The city has quaint whitewashed houses and buildings, old cobblestone streets, beautiful plaza, a peaceful colonial church and more horses than cars.

The archaeological site at the ruins is the best remaining testament to the culture of the Mayan Indians and is open daily. Among the best of the ruins are the magnificent Acropolis composed of courts and temples, the Great Plaza, a huge amphitheater, the Court of the Hieroglyphic Stairway dating from 613 and the ball court and hieroglyphic stairway.

The Acropolis, has superb carved relief's of the 16 kings of Copán and the majority of the site's original sculptures are still on display at the Copán Sculpture Museum, whose four-story centerpiece is the Rosalita temple, a full-scale replica of a temple recently excavated beneath the Acropolis.

Surrounding Copán, the scenery is beautiful, only one hour drive from the village you will find fantastic Hot springs and picturesque mountain villages including Santa Rita de Copán scatter the landscape. Honduras is also a great place for people who just enjoy helping others. There is a lot of poverty in Honduras, many language students find satisfaction in taking their free time after class to help in volunteer work.

Cost in US$: Varies depending on length of program.

* Use of teaching material, textbooks, etc.
* Placement test on the first morning at beginning of course.
* Accommodation in Host family (private room) with 3 meals daily.
* Cultural and social activities.
* Free Internet access.
* Language proficiency certificate at end of program upon request.

Experience Required: no

This Program is open to World Wide Participants.

Participants Travel to Honduras Independently Or in Groups

Typically Participants Work Independently

Application Process Involves:

• Written Application