Spanish Language School in Mexico

Instituto Jovel, San Cristobal de Las Casas:
At Instituto Jovel in San Cristobal de Las Casas we offer our students the opportunity to be fully immersed in Mexican culture, far beyond what is available through standard tourism.

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We provide high quality language classes,  home stays with Mexican families where you feel comfortable and give you any assistance you need regarding travel, leisure and other personal needs.

All of our teachers are native Mexican Spanish speakers, specially-trained as second language teachers; they are also fluent in English, necessary sometimes to explain specific concepts or problematic structures. The combination of linguistic/cultural immersion with high-quality Spanish classes results in rapid Spanish language acquisition at every level.

Intensive Spanish Courses for Professionals.

Families open their homes and offer comfortable and clean rooms, private or shared, to students at the Instituto Jovel. Living with a family offers students the opportunity to be in round-the-clock contact with the Spanish language and Mexican culture and thus, further developing their comprehension and speaking abilities. All of our families live within walking distance from the center of town. There are also a variety of small and medium posadas and apartments in San Cristobal de las Casas.

In addition to the Spanish classes, students have the opportunity to participate in cultural workshops and activities, in an intercambio program with members of the community and optional excursions to nearby places of interest.

San Juan Chamula at 7km distance from San Cristóbal, is the best known indigenous village in Chiapas, mainly being famous for its unique blend of traditional Maya rituals and Catholicism to be seen in their church. The chapel is lit by hundreds of candles placed in front of statues of various saints and spread out on the church floor; the air is filled with the smoke and sweet smell of incense and there are groups of people kneeling on the floor amidst pine needles performing prayers and rituals.
Zinacantan, at another 4 km beyond San Juan Chamula is, just as San Juan Chamula, a predominantly Tzotzil Maya community, but has its own traditions, its own rituals and its own traditional clothing, very different from San Juan Chamula, despite its proximity.

The trip to these two indigenous communities includes visits to the churches, the market and a visit to the home of a local family.