# Expat seeks Intensive school vs. private tutor



## yossarianb52 (Dec 27, 2012)

Ok, simply put, I am living in DF and trying to find a better way to learn Spanish than simply living life in the city. I've tried the whole cut yourself off from English deal and it works to a point. I can order in restaurants or charge my phone at Oxxo but what I really need is a much more in depth way to learn. 

My best two options seem to be private tutors or an intensive set of classes. Both have their ups and downs however. Private tutors can be cheaper OR not. Also how to find a good one and not someone who will be unintentionally jerking me around for a few months? For the intensive classes, the price is a bit much (500 USD for TWO WEEKS at Frida Kahlo school for example) and again, finding the right school is tough.

What I'm asking is for success and failure stories from anyone out there (especially in DF but not limited to) and if anyone has any resources they would like to share, I'm sure I'm not the only one who would significantly benefit. 

Thoughts?


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

yossarianb52 said:


> Ok, simply put, I am living in DF and trying to find a better way to learn Spanish than simply living life in the city. I've tried the whole cut yourself off from English deal and it works to a point. I can order in restaurants or charge my phone at Oxxo but what I really need is a much more in depth way to learn.
> 
> My best two options seem to be private tutors or an intensive set of classes. Both have their ups and downs however. Private tutors can be cheaper OR not. Also how to find a good one and not someone who will be unintentionally jerking me around for a few months? For the intensive classes, the price is a bit much (500 USD for TWO WEEKS at Frida Kahlo school for example) and again, finding the right school is tough.
> 
> ...


What is working for me, slowly, is a combination of three things:

Classes - group classes either through a school or arranged privately with a teacher and a few others to share the cost. One school had a monthly rate for two 2-hour classes per week. The rate per hour came out to $25-30 mxn/hour. Currently I have a 2 hour class, once a week with a teacher and a friend and the cost comes to $75 mxn/ hour. Private teachers seem to get $150 - $200 mxn/hour and it can be split between 1 to half a dozen people. 

Intercambios - People I see regularly and spend an hour or two talking in Spanish then another hour or two speaking English.

Living - in an environment where none of my neighbors or shops speak English.

I also attend a group weekly of Mexicans trying to learn English. The group meets in English, but I have lots of side conversation in Spanish and have met many Spanish speaking friends through that group.


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## mexikatz (Mar 16, 2013)

yossarianb52 said:


> Ok, simply put, I am living in DF and trying to find a better way to learn Spanish than simply living life in the city. I've tried the whole cut yourself off from English deal and it works to a point. I can order in restaurants or charge my phone at Oxxo but what I really need is a much more in depth way to learn.
> 
> My best two options seem to be private tutors or an intensive set of classes. Both have their ups and downs however. Private tutors can be cheaper OR not. Also how to find a good one and not someone who will be unintentionally jerking me around for a few months? For the intensive classes, the price is a bit much (500 USD for TWO WEEKS at Frida Kahlo school for example) and again, finding the right school is tough.
> 
> ...


I feel your pain.

We have been here 4 months. First 2 months I made very little effort. Then I solicited a tutor via the local 'newcomers' web-site. I got many responses and just got lucky with the girl I chose. She has a masters degree in education, speaks English and has a sense of humor. I was getting together Tuesday/Thursday for 1 1/2 hours per at a cost of $150 pesos per visit but I found that there wasn't really enough time between visits so I've changed it to 2 hours each Thursday. My wife, who speaks perfect Spanish comes with me. She says the girl is an excellent teacher. 

So if my wife speaks Spanish why do I need a tutor ? I think I am just lazy about learning Spanish. Everyplace we go I have my wife to translate for me. Sometimes we agree to not speak English anymore, and that lasts for a little while, but then reverts back. Anyway - I am slowly picking up the basics. 

So much of my time is spent in front of the computer and just about everything I see is English. One thing I have found recently is that my browser (Google chrome) will display the web content in Spanish ! By default when you visit a Spanish page it will offer to translate the page to English. 

The other habit I am adopting is planning my day and then preparing Spanish sentences for various situations. So if I am going to the doctor I'm ready to tell her I feel good but the medicine makes me tired. 

There are also Android apps that provide Spanish assistance but I haven't played with them yet.


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## yossarianb52 (Dec 27, 2012)

mexikatz said:


> I feel your pain.
> 
> We have been here 4 months. First 2 months I made very little effort. Then I solicited a tutor via the local 'newcomers' web-site. I got many responses and just got lucky with the girl I chose. She has a masters degree in education, speaks English and has a sense of humor. I was getting together Tuesday/Thursday for 1 1/2 hours per at a cost of $150 pesos per visit but I found that there wasn't really enough time between visits so I've changed it to 2 hours each Thursday. My wife, who speaks perfect Spanish comes with me. She says the girl is an excellent teacher.
> 
> ...


Yeah that sounds very familiar. The laziness is def a factor, especially with the computer involved. I try not to use the translate feature but it is an uphill battle. My wife (a local) doesn't need to translate for me that much anymore but i do remember those days. 

Would you mind passing your tutor's info along? If she has any spots available I'd appreciate a sit down. Thanks!


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## thinkering (Apr 24, 2013)

UNAM in DF has classes / courses as well, if you like classroom learning. I attended a few there, and the price was reasonable at the time.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

thinkering said:


> UNAM in DF has classes / courses as well, if you like classroom learning. I attended a few there, and the price was reasonable at the time.


The UNAM classes have an excellent reputation. 
Here's a link:CENTRO DE ENSEANZA PARA EXTRANJEROS - CEPE


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## Quetza (May 27, 2012)

It depends a lot on your own learning process. I found that, after grasping the basics of english in a classroom, I was more comfortable learning by myself (translating, reading in english, joining forums in which I could practice writing or meeting people for language exchanges) and filling in the blanks with my teacher.

I don't know about tutors but you might want to check the courses at UNAM, one of the best universities in the country. Here's the link: CENTRO DE ENSEANZA PARA EXTRANJEROS - CEPE

Other than that, I'd be glad to meet up sometime for an Intercambio, I desperately need to polish my english pronunciation 

Edit: Isla, seems that great minds do think alike!


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## yossarianb52 (Dec 27, 2012)

Thank you both, checking out UNAM's program now. Quetza, I'll be in the city later this week if you want to meet up, absolutely


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

yossarianb52 said:


> Thank you both, checking out UNAM's program now. Quetza, I'll be in the city later this week if you want to meet up, absolutely


I live in the DF too. Let me know when you two are meeting, so I can join you, if that's ok.


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## GARYJ65 (Feb 9, 2013)

Isla Verde said:


> I live in the DF too. Let me know when you two are meeting, so I can join you, if that's ok.


Isla:
Felicidades! Teacher's day


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

Establish an intimate relationship with someone who doesn't speak English. This is known to be an excellent way in which to learn Spanish.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

GARYJ65 said:


> Isla:
> Felicidades! Teacher's day


¡Gracias!


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## yossarianb52 (Dec 27, 2012)

Ok, an update to the debate. I'm pretty solid on taking a formal intensive or at least semi-intensive course but I've narrowed it down to two options. One, the aforementioned Frida Kahlo school (2 weeks, 60 hours, $500) or two, UNAM's centro de ensen~anza para extranjeros (6 weeks, 108 hours, roughly $350). I was hoping someone had some idea about one of these, particularly the UNAM course as its cheaper for more hours even though spread out over more time. 

anyone have any experiences with these two?


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

yossarianb52 said:


> Ok, an update to the debate. I'm pretty solid on taking a formal intensive or at least semi-intensive course but I've narrowed it down to two options. One, the aforementioned Frida Kahlo school (2 weeks, 60 hours, $500) or two, UNAM's centro de ensen~anza para extranjeros (6 weeks, 108 hours, roughly $350). I was hoping someone had some idea about one of these, particularly the UNAM course as its cheaper for more hours even though spread out over more time.
> 
> anyone have any experiences with these two?


Many years ago I took summer courses at the UNAM but no language classes, just culture and literature, and all were excellent. One thing to consider is the size of the classes: as a language teacher, I'd recommend a school that limits class size to no more than a dozen or so. Another thing to consider is the length of the course. Especially as we get older, our brains need more time to absorb and process new information and skills, so, all things being equal, a six-week course is likely to be more useful than the super-concentrated one at the Frida Kahlo school.


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