Antigua, Guatemala

Brief history
Founded in 1543 and known as the “old city of Guatemala,” Antigua served as the Spanish colonial capital of Central America for two centuries.

Culture & Traditions
Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site and acclaimed for its Baroque architecture and ruins of colonial churches, Antigua is a city rich in history and abundant in natural beauty. The volcanoes, offering breathtaking panoramic views of this charming city, are just a hike away. Upon arrival in sunny Antigua, you will feel as if you have travelled back in time as stunning historic ruins surround you. Ancient Mayan temples, pyramids and ceremonial buildings will leave you in awe. Immerse yourself in the city’s rich, Pre-Columbian Mayan history, and perhaps you will pick up one of the city’s 20 native languages and dialects in addition to Spanish!

Museums
Learn about the history, marketing and brewing process of coffee at The Coffee Museum, peruse an assortment of Mayan artifacts and art objects from Pre-Columbian times to the present at the Casa K’ojom Mayan Music Museum and discover the beauty of the textiles and customs of the Antiguan natives at the Rincon Sacatepéquez Museum.

Nearby cities to check out
- Ciudad Vieja: All these three seductive small towns are known for their charm and historic colonial churches
- Jocotenago
- San Juan El Obispo

About Enforex Antigua
- Our partner school receives students from over 70 countries each year across its network of schools, making it easy for our students to make new friendships from the four corners of the globe
- All schools have been awarded the CEELE (Certificate For Excellence In Teaching Spanish As A Foreign Language) by implementing cutting-edge methodology. They focus on a communicative approach, so you will feel comfortable speaking the target language in no time

School location
- Enforex Antigua is located just 1 block from the Plaza Central, the city’s main square
- The location allows for a beautiful view of the Agua Volcano and since Antigua is on the smaller side, you can easily get around on foot

Professors
You’re here to learn Spanish, trust our maestros! They are all passionate and enthusiastic with Masters or PhD backgrounds certified by the Instituto Cervantes, a Spanish government ran organization promoting the teaching of Spanish as a foreign language! You can’t get more Spanish than that!

Inside the classroom/at the school
- Average class size: 5 students (10 maximum)
- 8 classrooms
- Video room
- Meeting room for afternoon activities
- Internet access
- Space for private classes on the terrace

Curriculum – what to expect
- We have 6 levels of class: A1 Basic, A2 Elementary, B1 Intermediate, B2 Advanced, C1 Superior and C2 Proficiency
- Just in case you’re not sure about your level of proficiency, you’ll receive an oral and written test as soon as you arrive to best determine which group you’ll be placed in
- 5 extra hours of cultural lessons and workshops per week
- The good bit: when you complete a Spanish course with Enforex, you will receive an official Enforex diploma
- Classes start every Monday
- Each class is 55mins long and run from 9.30-1.30 or 2.30-6.30

Example of a recent class syllabus
- Not readily available > would have to request from school directly (+ would need 6 different ones for various levels of classes)

Can I get US college credit?
Imagine fulfilling the language requirement at your home college through participating in an exciting language immersion program! You can visit a foreign country, learn while experiencing a new culture, and go through an easy process to gain official college credit for your time abroad

- Here’s the simple 4 step process
> Sign up with us then get started
> Request a transcript when you are done
> Submit your official transcript to your school
> Then you’re all set!

For more information, check out: http://www.languatica.com/plan-your-trip/get-college-credit/

So what are my studies actually going to be like?
- Once you arrive, you’ll be placed in a class with other students at a similar proficiency level to yours
- Enforex schools encourage the learning of a language through conversation
- You will also take classes in: grammar, reading and writing skills, and listening ability
- Cultural classes cover: cinema, literature, TV and current affairs
- You’ll also get to go on a number of weekly cultural excursions and activities – all on the house of course

Why an internship?
Participating in an internship is the key link between your studies and becoming a member of the “real” working world. An even more valuable asset, which employers love, is the ability to work in a foreign country and interact in a foreign language in the workplace. Help build your resume and get your dream job by doing an internship abroad!

How long is the internship for?
- Usually a combined 3 months (1 month of studying, 2 months of working in the company)

Pre-requisites
- You must be at least 18 years old
- You should have at least an intermediate level of Spanish
- You must have medical insurance
- Before starting the internship, you have to enrol on a 4 week Spanish course (either: a refresher, or an introduction to business Spanish)

Industries offered
- Food/catering
- Non-profit work
- Tourism
- Law
- Cinema/entertainment
- Consulting
- Sports
- Marketing
- Hospitality
- IT
- Business

To bear in mind
- You won’t be paid during your internship, but bonuses can be negotiated
- Placement depends on a number of factors (availability in the company, your level of Spanish, your CV, etc.) and we cannot guarantee a position in the specific company or field of your choice – but we’ll do our best!

Host families / home stay
If you want to get comfortable speaking Spanish as soon as possible, there’s no better place to hone your skills than by living with a family. They will help give you a great understanding of Spanish culture, traditions and make you a local in no time.

Room options
- Single room (a private room with a single bed)
- Double room (a larger room with two beds, usually shared with one other person)

Food options
- Half board (breakfast and dinner)
- Full board (breakfast, lunch and dinner all provided by your host family)

Location
- Host families’ houses are all located within 10-30 minutes walk or public transport away from the school

Good to know
- All families are hand-picked out by our school
- Families have to undergo a comprehensive approval process before being listed as one of our trusted host families

- If you have any special requests (dietary/allergies/other) just let our customer service team know and we’ll be sure to help you out: info@languatica.com

Find out more
- If you need anything or have any questions, drop us a line at: info@languatica.com – we’ll get back to you in a flash

Apartments
Shared
For that real “study abroad” feel, look no further than sharing a fully equipped apartment with your fellow Spanish students. Being like-minded students of a similar age from around the world, your Spanish will come on leaps and bounds by simply discussing who’s turn it is to wash up, which bar you’ll be going to that night or talking about the recent results of the local futbol team.

Room options
- Single room (a private room with a single bed)
- Double room (a larger room with two beds, usually shared with one other person)
- Triple room (a room with three beds, shared with up to two others)

Location
- Student apartments are all located walking distance from the school, or a short trip on public transport away

Good to know
- Meals and cleaning are not included
- Every apartment has a kitchen equipped with everything you could ever need to cook for yourself: microwave, stove, oven, pans, cutlery and more

Find out more
- If you need anything or have any questions, drop us a line at: info@languatica.com – we’ll get back to you in a flash

Private
If you prefer your own space, we can also help get you a studio apartment.

Room options
- Studio apartment with one bed

Location
- Centrally located in the city’s most fashionable and central districts
- Studios are located 10-20 minutes from the school

Find out more
- We’d be happy to give you more details about this type of apartment, just shoot us an email at: info@languatica.com

Student residences
To maximize your chances of meeting as many new people (both fellow international students and locals) as possible, head to the student residences. The flavor won’t be dissimilar to college life in dorms, apart from the fact that you’ll be speaking a whole lot more Spanish.

Room options
- Single room (a private room with a single bed)
- Double room (a larger room with two beds, usually shared with one other person)
- Triple room (a room with three beds, shared with up to two others)

Location
- All types of student residences are centrally located right in the hustle and bustle of the city, 15-20 minutes walk from the school

Good to know
- Access to a private bathroom may be available, but there are very few available
- You will meet both international students and locals
- There are 4 types of residences – listed below

Find out more
- We’d be happy to give you more details about this type of apartment, just shoot us an email at: info@languatica.com

University campus
- The largest type of residence that we offer: ranging from 35 to 150 students
- Usually only available in the summer time – but to find out whether the residence you are interested in is available outside of the summer, drop us an email at: info@languatica.com

Family style residences
- These are smaller types of residence run by a family
- Generally there are 5 or 6 rooms for students
- The family will take responsibility of cooking for the students – depending on the family, students may have meals together with the family, or in a separate dining room with just fellow students

Cultural (museums, operas, tourists attractions, etc.)
Hike to the top of Antigua’s three famous volcanoes, the Volcán de Agua (12,356 ft), the Acatenago and the Volcán de Fuego. Dine on Mediterranean, Italian, Asian, American and of course traditional Guatemalan fare at small, nieghborhood eateries throughout the Antigua marketplace. Gather at Parque Central in the heart of the city to mingle with friends and admire intricately woven crafts made by the locals. Revel in the historic architecture of ruins and attractions such as the Church and Covent of Capuchins, Ruins of old San José and El Libro Antiguo.

Nightlife (restaurants & bars, clubs, dancing)
Local bars and live music permeate Antigua and offer a great alternative to beach R&R.

Sports
Dirt bike on some of Antigua’s roughest tracks, hike three of the city’s breathtaking volcanoes and horseback ride up the mountain trails or along the cobbled streets.

Scholarships that you might be eligible for
- We love learning languages and travelling so much that we want to make our programs accessible to as many people as possible. For that reason, we offer a couple of awesome scholarships to help get you on your way!

- We have 2 kinds of scholarship:
> Our “Find a job” scholarship
> The “language aficionado” scholarship
- See whether you’re eligible for a Languatica scholarship and take a look at the easy application process here

What is included
- Each element of trip ordered and paid for separately:
> Tuition
> Accommodation (including all food)
> Extra-curricular activities
- Languatica has absolutely no hidden fees. No application fees, no service charges, no booking fees – so you can sleep easy
- Flights are not included, but for access to the best rates, see our “Getting There” page

Estimated minimum and maximum amount of money to bring
- Not sure whether this will provide value – any estimations would be huge guess + so different from person to person. Could be massively misleading.

Recommended partners for flights
- Skyscanner
- Expedia
- Kayak

How to get the best prices on flights
- If you need any assistance in getting rock bottom prices, get in touch with our customer service and we’ll search our partners’ databases to get you the lowest possible prices
- Drop us a line at: info@languatica.com

Getting from the airport to the school
- You’ve got 3 options to get from the airport to the school:
> Airport pick-up – A member of your language school will come to the airport to greet you and take you back to the school
> Taxi – There’s a taxi rank right outside the airport
> Public transport – If you’re up for the challenge, do it like a true local and take a bus to the school – there are routes from the airport which will drop you off nearby
There are different costs associated with each method of getting to the school. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us, to get a better idea of the prices of each – we’re here to help!