Here's a tip from a woman I met who is finishing up her master's degree at the Ohio State University. If you want a cheap place to learn Spanish or brush up on the Spanish you know, try Guatemala. She was in Antigua for two weeks last summer and found it cheap, fun and an extensive Spanish language lesson.

From what she said, you can just basically show up in Antigua and find a school and a place to stay. Lodging with a family as a homestay is readily available and schools are everywhere. If flying-by-the- seat-of-your-pants travel isn't your thing, here are a couple of links to websites for language schools so you can plan ahead. The first one, Casa de Lenguas has been around since 2001. The website includes information about the program, activities, lodging and who your fellow students might be. The average age is 30. People are as young as 18 and go up to age 65. I'm sure if you're over 65, you won't be kicked out.

One thing that caught my attention about the Casa de Lenguas program is there is a volunteering component. If you bring materials and supplies to donate to a charitable organization and donate your time to a cause, you can get a discount off tuition.

The Ixchel Spanish School, in business since 1999, emphasizes speaking and also includes homestay information and extracurricular opportunities. For even more options, check out Conexion. This is an internet café in Antigua that lists several Spanish schools and their contact information. "¡Buen viaje!" Have a good trip!

Filed under: Arts and Culture, Learning, North America, Guatemala