My boyfriend and I did a foreign exchange program through our University in Texas. We had no idea what to expect and were so happy and suprised by what we found. We took a total of 45 hours of Spanish over a 2 1/2 week span, and made life friends with our profesoras! They are so welcoming and invite you to be apart of their lives and community. Before we left, we felt more at home than anywhere else we had ever traveled to in the past! Now, I can understand conversational Spanish and have a conversation with locals! Love this place and if you take a class in San Juan del Sur, this is the place!
This school is great, very helpful with flexible learning hours to suit your holiday or travel plans.Our teacher's name was Mariel, very nice and helped us with numerous things out of school.
I couldn't recommend this school highly enough. All the teachers are well trained, patient, and very professional. I've been twice now, for a total of three weeks of one n one lessons and my Spanish improves considerably each time I go.I've now been traveling in Central America for nearly a year and am proud to say I am getting very good at Spanish, thanks to these guys. Will definitely be back for more!
The Latin American Spanish School was recommended to me by a friend who currently works for a non-profit in Nicaragua, and who was a student at the school a few years back. I just spent about five weeks at the school and can wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone interested in studying spanish at a great school in a beautiful, laid-back town. The teachers are experienced professionals with deep roots in the community, the school is well-organized and the lesson plans are well-thought out. My teacher, Lucia Garcia, is a fantastic instructor. She has been teaching at the school for a number of years and has the techniques for drawing language out of a student down-pat. I was looking for a place where I could settle in and just study spanish, and for my needs the Latin American Spanish School was a perfect fit. I wanted a rigorous program with a fair amount of homework, which is what I got, but they will tailor the learning to the student, and there were folks there who seemed to be on a more laid-back program, as well as more advanced students who would just drop in for an hour or two a day. The town of San Juan Del Sur is small enough that you can walk anywhere in town in a few minutes but it still has most of the big-city amenities, such as banks, a couple of gyms, a small supermarket etc. Despite the fact that it is probably the most popular beach/party town in Nicaragua, it is surprisingly mellow and had, for me, a safe, clean vibe. I did not do a homestay, although speaking to the students who did, they seemed to value the experience highly. I chose instead to stay at a super-pleasant and almost unbelievably inexpensive hotel owned by a Nica family, which is called Chale’s House, and is only about a half a block from the school. After spending about two months in Nicaragua, and talking to others currently living and working there who have studied spanish at the Latin American Spanish School, I can say that it has an excellent reputation, is highly respected, and above all, is a welcoming and friendly place to learn.
Regardless of your current understanding of the Spanish language, these maestros will at the very least give you the material needed for success. Beyond that lies great fun and a feeling of significance, doing something other than surf and melt on those beautiful beaches! I will admit that it was challenging, but the professors are very patient and ready to share all sorts of valuable information regarding the language as well as their culture. I wouldn't trade this experience for anything thank you l.a.s.s!!!Fleetwood and Tori
I studied at this spanish school in the beautiful village of San Juan Del Sur for a month and also did their home-stay program.....both were fantastic, i had arranged over the internet with Mariel, who was great and very responsive, and when i arrived i couldn't find my hotel and so called in at the school and was welcomed with open arms, it was lovely, My profesora Vanessa was AMAZING, the patience of a saint, and made my learning experience, i learned more than i ever imagined possible in 4 weeks, i now live in south america and can get along fine in daily life. I had never studied spanish before.I Can not recommend this school highly enough, professional, organized and great learning atmosphere, also the homestay was a great way to learn about Nicaraguan culture and food......Continúe el buen trabajo muchachas :)
I lucked upon this school the first time around, just walking by. But the second time I came in because another school I tried in another town was no comparison. So I came back to SJDS, LASS, and to an amazing teacher, Mariel. The school setting is a proper classroom where it is easy to concentrate and you're surrounded by learning/teaching materials. I enjoyed the time I spent with Mariel and was absolutely impressed with her teaching technique. The other students I saw come and go seemed equally happy with their experience. I feel confident this is the top of the line in Spanish schools and hope I am lucky enough to come back and study some more there. If you're looking for a Spanish school, look no further!
Our family of four (kids ages 8 & 10) took lessons with LASS this month and the experience overall was positive. We found that the teachers were approachable and willing to work with us and our varying needs and preferences. While we all made progress, I was a bit disappointed by the amount of time that was spent by the teachers writing down basic words/sentences or creating activities by hand (i.e.word search, drawing pictures of words, etc.) for us. I believe that the time would be better spent actually practicing the pronunciation and learning the grammar of the language rather than watching them draw/write as that type of information could easily be reproduced from a master document. The discussions about Nicaraguan history and politics were very enlightening and educational for us adults. Overall I would recommend LASS.
Very organized lesson plans that are flexible with your level of Spanish. Friendly, involved teachers, comfortable classroom atmosphere, and fun after-class activities. Great value for the price.
The week was tailored to my specific needs & being 1-1 was at exactly the right pace. The tutors are lovely & not only teach you Spanish, but about Nicaraguan life & culture. It was definitely the best language experience I've had. Big thanks to Lucia & the gang.