Jennifer le Roux, professor of ESL/Developmental Studies at CMC, traveled to Guatemala last May to take part in a Spanish language immersion. She recounts her adventures in the post below.
In May, I traveled to Guatemala for two weeks to study Spanish and live with a local family. I had been told that the small town of San Pedro on “Lago de Atitlan” was small, safe, not too touristy, and most off all, known for San Pedro Spanish School with its one-on-one instruction.
I arrived in Guatemala City late at night and was met by a driver/ owner of a small hotel. The next morning, I was to take a 9:00 a.m. taxi to Antigua and from there a 4 hour shuttle drive to San Pedro. The taxi driver got lost, and I missed the shuttle, so I took the last one into the mountains. On my arrival, I learned that the shuttle I had missed had been held up by 5 masked gunmen who had shot the driver in the face – he survived – and robbed the passengers of all they had. I felt lucky that all I had lost was some time and the lodging I had set up with a family.
It was late, so I took the local transport, a “Tuk Tuk” to a hotel for my first night and arranged for a family stay the following day.
Each day I met with my instructor from 8:00 a.m. to noon. We conversed under a canopy of trees, worked on tenses, and discussed effective ways of learning and teaching language. After class, I had lunch with my family and then explored the town, before volunteering at a small school for impoverished children between the ages of 8 and 12.
In the evenings, I attended “Club de Conversacion” and then an activity in Spanish. There were movies, guest speakers, salsa dancing classes, and talks by locals. 7:00 p.m. was dinner and conversation with my family who is Mayan and speak no English. After dinner, I walked into town, usually in the pouring rain to meet up with fellow students and give my brain a rest from trying to explain my way in Spanish.
On the week-end, I took local boats to neighboring towns of Santiago, San Marcos, and Santa Cruz. It was particularly windy and the boat ride was more exciting than I would have liked. Most passengers disembarked, and when I did get off, I noticed the name painted on the side: El Titanico! On calmer days, I paddled a canoe into several homes. The Lake is experiencing environmental issues and rising waters. Lake Atitlan has risen approximately 14 feet over the past two years and several homes, hotels, and structures are now under water.
Towards the end of my stay, a lightning strike over the lake shut down all power – lights, phones, computers, banks were all affected. No food could be refrigerated and going out at night meant walking in pitch dark.
I decided to go the colonial city of Antigua known for its architecture and volcanoes by way of taxi to avoid any chance of being held up on a shuttle, and besides having to jump out of the moving vehicle once due to it sliding backwards down the mountain, I had an uneventful trip. I spent the last week-end inAntigua exploring local markets, the side streets, and taking in the volcanic views by hiking to the cross.
Even though I had only two weeks in Guatemala, I spoke more Spanish than I ever have, experienced living with a local family, met some inspiring travelers, and through working in the local school, felt “at home” in the town when I ran into the local children. It was something I have wanted to do for many years, and I plan to go again as it’s the best way to learn another language. For information on the San Pedro Spanish School, go to: http://www.sanpedrospanishschool.org/