Spanish Language School in Masaya, Nicaragua
Masaya, a folkloric and cultural city: Masaya is situated in a privileged area between Managua and Granada at just thirty minutes from the international airport. Masaya territory hosts important protected areas that have big environmental impact on the surrounding areas. Some of these nature places are: the first national park of Nicaragua, the unique and active Masaya Volcano National Park; the beautiful Laguna de Apoyo nature reserve, and the Tisma Lowlands. Masaya is the most populated province in the whole country. In the year 2000 the government declared Masaya the capital of the Nicaraguan folklore. The Masayas, as people from this province are known, are hard-working, very creative and nice. The city has a very active commerce and there are lots of shoe stores, hammocks stores, ceramics, handicrafts and furniture workshops. In Masaya downtown there are stores, pharmacies, hotels, some internet cafes, restaurants, B&B, banks, ATM machines, two markets, bookstores, and gas stations. Credit cards and small dollar bills are accepted as a way of payment in most of the stores, restaurants and hotels in the city. Masaya is full of popular culture and folklore of Nicaragua. Throughout the year, cultural activities such as folkloric dancing, parades, carnival, cultural fairs, and religious processions are performed enriching the cultural life of this great place. In downtown, the Centro Cultural Mercado Viejo national market, is where the visitors should buy the handicrafts, try typical food, listen to the marimba music and see the traditional dances. Catarina and San Juan de Oriente, traditional artisan villages, are located at a short distance from Masaya city and are also a great sample of the folklore and popular art in this region of Nicaragua. Masaya offers great opportunities to learn Spanish in Nicaragua!
The school in Masaya: The Masaya Spanish language school is located in downtown at just five minutes’ walk from the central park and close to internet cafes, banks, ATM´s and supermarkets. Through the years the Masaya Spanish School has established and consolidated a group of young and friendly well-trained, experienced and professional language teachers with background language training in Laguna de Apoyo, Granada, León and Managua. All of them are quite skillful in the teaching of Spanish as a second language. The staff is very helpful and nice with a good sense of humor that will make you gain confident and feel relaxed. The local Director, Bismarck Calero, and the rest of the staff speak some English even though it is not used during the class unless it is necessary and requested by the students to be clarified on a specific grammar topic. Spanish lessons take place usually in the mornings while in the afternoon the school organizes excursions and visits to hammock factories, and handicraft workshops as part of the cultural experience for the students where they learn and practice Spanish and add new words to their vocabulary.
The Spanish class: The students receive twenty hours of Spanish instruction per week at the school, four hours Monday to Friday with coffee breaks. Classes are small and usually one on one. Spanish classes start every Monday all year round but any student can start any day according to their time availability. Classes combine grammar and conversation in all the levels. The school offers optional afternoon tutoring at an additional cost for those who want to learn Spanish more intensively. Class materials such as Spanish workbook, grammar sheets, notebook, and pen, are provided by the school. There are offers for, 15 hours, and 20 hours packages per week.
The lodging options: The school has been working with host families for years. Most of the students at the school in Masaya have chosen to stay with homestays which are nice and friendly families who provide a clean and private room equipped with a fan, and a clean bed, shared bathroom with the family; three provided meals per day for seven days a week. Host families have experience in hosting international students from many countries and cultures. This lodging option is highly recommended for those who want to experience full immersion and be exposed to Spanish language all day long during the length of the program.
Hotels and Apartments in Masaya: For those students who prefer to have more privacy there are optional lodgings in hostels, hotels, B&B, and apartments. The local school Director can assist the students who rather choose this option to living with a host family.
Things to do in Masaya: A colorful city with plenty of cultural life! This is Masaya! Here, you can visit the numerous and accessible family-owned small factories and workshops where hammocks, hats, drums, guitars, shoes, handicrafts, furniture, and typical dresses are made. There are discos, restaurants, historic churches that you can visit; you can also visit the Nature Park and the historic old fortress both just a few minutes outside the city; swimming, bird-watching and kayaking is possible in Laguna de Apoyo beautiful Crater Lake located at thirty minutes ride from Masaya. Every afternoon, sightseeing and shopping in the small market known as Tiangue de Monimbó -an ancestral indigenous location where traditional food and drinks are sold- is a good activity for those interested in this kind of cultural aspects.
Transportation to School: Spanish Abroad Nicaragua Schools offers transportation from the Airport in Managua to Masaya city as an additional cost.
PRICES FOR REGULAR SPANISH COURSES IN MASAYA (20 hours per week)
LENGTH OF PROGRAMS | SPANISH CLASSES | HOMESTAY | TOTAL COST | TRANSPORTATION |
1 Week | U$ 170 | U$ 110 | U$ 280 | One person: Two people: Three people: |
2 Weeks | U$ 302 | U$ 220 | U$ 522 | |
3 Weeks | U$ 434 | U$ 330 | U$ 764 | |
4 Weeks | U$ 570 | U$ 440 | U$ 1,010 | |
Extra tutoring, | $10 per hour | U$ 20 per day | In accordance with choice | |
Homestay includes private room, shared bathroom, fan, all the meals, filtered water, and healthy food for seven days per week. The total cost includes also 3 afternoon excursions per week. | ||||
PRICES FOR REGULAR SPANISH COURSES IN MASAYA (15 hours per week)
LENGTH OF PROGRAMS | SPANISH CLASSES | HOMESTAY | TOTAL COST | TRANSPORTATION |
1 Week | U$ 135 | U$ 110 | U$ 245 | One person: Round Trip $80 Two people: Three people: |
2 Weeks | U$ 240 | U$ 220 | U$ 460 | |
3 Weeks | U$ 345 | U$ 330 | U$ 675 | |
4 Weeks | U$ 450 | U$ 440 | U$ 890 | |
Extra tutoring, | U$ 10 per hour | U$ 20 per day | In accordance with choice | |
Homestay includes private room, shared bathroom, fan, all the meals, filtered water, and healthy food for seven days per week. The total cost includes also 3 afternoon excursions per week. | ||||
COSTS FOR SPANISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES IN MASAYA (20 hours per week)
LENGTH OF PROGRAMS | SPANISH CLASSES | HOMESTAY | TOTAL COST | TRANSPORTATION |
1 Week | U$ 220 | U$ 110 | U$ 330 | One person: Two people: Three people: |
2 Weeks | U$ 390 | U$ 220 | U$ 610 | |
3 Weeks | U$ 560 | U$ 330 | U$ 890 | |
4 Weeks | U$ 730 | U$ 440 | U$ 1,170 | |
Extra tutoring, | $10 per hour | U$ 20 per day | In accordance with choice | |
Homestay includes private room, shared bathroom, fan, all the meals, filtered water, and healthy food for seven days per week. The total cost includes also 3 afternoon excursions per week. | ||||
COSTS FOR SPANISH FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES IN MASAYA (15 hours per week)
LENGTH OF PROGRAMS | SPANISH CLASSES | HOMESTAY | TOTAL COST | TRANSPORTATION |
1 Week | U$ 167 | U$ 110 | U$ 277 | One person: Two people: Three people: |
2 Weeks | U$ 300 | U$ 220 | U$ 520 | |
3 Weeks | U$ 433 | U$ 330 | U$ 763 | |
4 Weeks | U$ 566 | U$ 440 | U$ 1,006 | |
Extra tutoring, | $10 per hour | U$ 20 per day | In accordance with choice | |
Homestay includes private room, shared bathroom, fan, all the meals, filtered water, and healthy food for seven days per week. The total cost includes also 3 afternoon excursions per week. | ||||