I spent a total of 4+ months studying at Celas Maya over the course of the past year, and in that time the phenomenal teachers and staff were instrumental in bringing my Spanish level from basic conversation skills to a high-degree of mastery. I progressed far more than I initially imagined possible (and ended up passing the DELE C2 exam!!!), thanks in large part to the exceptional quality of the school overall, as well as the staff's willingness to tailor the learning experience to my specific needs and goals. I was often amazed by the passion and joy the teachers brought to every class, and by the attentiveness of the administration in ensuring a positive experience for every student. I am now confident communicating fluently in any context, and I often get mistaken for a Guatemalan over the phone!
In addition to providing an excellent study experience, Celas Maya hosts a warm, welcoming community and an environment that seamlessly blends fun, adventure, relaxation, learning, and cultural immersion. From salsa class, to volcano hikes, to visits to local communities, to sea turtle liberations, the daily activities the school offers are a perfect supplement to class time, and for me they formed an important part of the cultural learning experience
I highly recommend Celas Maya school for anyone looking to learn or improve their Spanish. It is a tremendous place to study and experience the beautiful country of Guatemala, regardless of your Spanish level or background. I hope to return soon!
4.9 Star rating says it all. Excellent school.
Celas Maya was a fantastic program that provided me with individualized Spanish learning and helped me expand my Spanish language skills immensely! The program is well-organized and well-established in the community, the staff are warm and passionate about what they do, and the teachers are beyond excellent. I would hands-down recommend studying at Celas Maya for anyone, and hope to return in the near future!
I loved my experience in Guatemala with Celas Maya! From the get-go, the administration was very quick at responding to my inquiries and helping me to plan my trip (including arrival, overnight housing and transportation). It was a wonderful school to learn medical Spanish, as many of the teachers have a lot of experience teaching medical students and other health professionals and are comfortable speaking about medical topics. Furthermore, they have a simulation experience with a clinical room at the school to practice clinical encounters in Spanish and they were very helpful in placing me with a great clinic with a physician and other local medical students. The instructors were flexible and really fun to work with and the staff in general are very friendly. The school also organized daily activities to explore the local area, learn about Guatemalan culture, and continue to practice Spanish. I was also placed with a host family who I adored and also really helped me to improve my Spanish. I would recommend Celas Maya to anyone!
I pastor a Spanish Church in Atlanta, Georgia and spent a few weeks at Celas Maya. I was able to return home preaching in Spanish without an interpreter. I highly recommend Celas Maya and I hope to spend another month in the school in 2017.
Everything was as described but better. My Spanish improved greatly and I enjoyed the staff, the activities, and the setting. Very experienced teaching staff.
I studied at Celas Maya for 2 weeks (summer 2016). Prior to my trip, the school helped me to arrange all of my transportation from the airport to the school (it was very easy!). I stayed with an incredible host mom who was so hospitable, warm, and friendly. She also was happy to let me practice my Spanish with her each day for as long as I wanted. The Spanish classes were 1-1 (just me and a teacher) so the instruction was individual to my specific needs and wants. In the afternoons, I went on excursions with a licensed tour guide that the school provided for free or for a minimal charge. Overall, this experience not only helped me to improve my Spanish, but enriched my knowledge of the Guatemalan culture. I know many people may be hesitant to travel to Guatemala, but at no time did I feel unsafe. Without reservation, I would recommend this program because of its quality and price.
Overal, Celas Maya is a very good school of Spanish.
The management teams of the school always gave me quick responses and are so kind to every problems I had in the life there.
There are many options of the teachers. I took classes by 2 teachers in 6 weeks.
Both of them were so kind and had deep knowledge and experience of teaching Spanish.I took Dance class for 5 weeks as well.It was a private lesson by professional dancers with a certain amount of discount,compared to the original private lesson at his studio. It was very practical and fun! You should try them!
In addition, there are many activities in the school everyday,which help students get known each other and know further understanding of culture and history in Guatemala.
I had a memorial experience there and could improve my Spanish dramatically. I would like to go back to the school in the future!
I had an amazing experience at Celas Maya! After spending a lot of time researching other schools, I decided to go to Celas Maya because of all the positive reviews from other students. The one-on-one teaching really helped me establish a good foundation of spanish and allowed me to develop my conversational skills(of which I had none before going to Xela). I had three different teachers while I was there and they were all exceptional. Xela is a great city to be in and I hope to go back someday! This is by far the best school, and I highly recommend it!