Dear Prospective Student:

I'll give you all the information that you need to know about the Escuela Utatlan in this email. However, if I left anything unanswered, please feel free to write, call, fax or email at the addresses given at the end of this letter. Basically, our program at the school is divided into three areas: teachers, activities, and families.

The Teachers: It's a one-on-one course; one student and one teacher. This aspect of the school NEVER changes, if there are 2 students, or 50 students. All our teachers have years of working experience, as well as credentials through a course on how to be a Spanish teacher to foreigners. We do not accept just any local speaker. Our methodology of teaching is individualized to your personal needs, through you and your teacher making a schedule of study between the two of you. We don not fee l comfortable plugging you into a pre-existing program, because that cannot guarantee that it will meet your short and long-term goals for Spanish. We have teachers of both genders and of different age groups, so if you would feel comfortable with a certain type of teacher, we can do some matching.

The first portion of the class goes from 8am to 10:30am when we stop for a 30 minute break to relax, have some tea, coffee, snack, chat a little and cool down from the morning session of classes. We then resume at 11am and end classes at 1pm. It is also possible to study in the afternoon, from 2pm to 7pm.

THE ACTIVITIES: From Monday to Saturday, we schedule activities in the afternoons, which change weekly and according to the interests of the current group of students. These activities can include movies on the situation in Central America, dance classes, cooking classes (of typical foods, like tortillas), hikes, conferences, trips to local villages, textile factories, hot water baths, and more!

THE FAMILY: We give you the opportunity to live with a Guatemalan family, but only if you choose so. The family will provide you with your own room, hot water, 3 basic meals a day, and a place to study. This is a chance to practice your Spanish through conversation with them, as well as get a new perspective on life in Guatemala.

THE PRICE: Escuela Utatlan's price is only 880 Quetzales (or 110 US$) a week, including 5 days of classes and 7 days of home stay. Don't want a family? Then you pay only 680 Quetzales (or 85 US$) a week. Only want 4 hours a day? No problem, we'll adjust the price when you get here. The school accepts traveler's checks, quetzals or America Dollars, whichever will be easier for you. Don't worry about the day you show up, classes begin any day of the week. Activities are included in the tuition, except for the entrance fee and the bus fare which is never much in Guatemala.