Washington House

I signed up for 2 weeks of Spanish classes and this also included some cultural trips too. I had a great time in Merida. Everyone was very friendly and I felt really welcome in the school and in my homestay. (I stayed with a local family for the 2 weeks).
The classes were fast paced and had a lot of different types of activities so we could practice our Spanish loads. I made fast progress (I was a beginner with just a little Spanish before I went). I found the teachers to be patient and laid back so it didnt feel like a class like when you are at school! We were a small group too which helped.
Merida is a fun city and there is loads to do when you're not in class. We saw some cenote and went to the beach and also saw a working hacienda which was really interesting. I would like to go back and stay for longer if I can :-)

I had a great time in Merida and think I improved my Spanish quite a lot. I had a few different teachers during my stay and at first I thought that was strange but it actually helped me as they all had slightly different accents and listening was one of my weaknesses.
We played games in our classes and we practiced all the skills like speaking, reading, writing and listening. We did grammar too and I really improved with my conjugations which I struggled with before. Living with the homestay family and being surrounded by Spanish made a big difference to my understanding so that was a big plus point of the programme.
The city of Merida is very friendly and there are some cool bars and cafes and stuff like that. The beach is close to and you can easily go for the day by bus :-)

I wanted to find a Spanish course based in Mexico that also included a bit of culture and I found it in Merida! I chose Merida after quite a bit of research as it has a really good reputation and is safe for solo travelers like me! I also liked that I could stay close to the school with a local family- my house was about a 10-minute walk away.

Included with the course we had 2 cultural trips- one to Paseo Montejo which is a famous street here with amazing old colonial buildings, a museum, lots of cafes, statues and so on. The other trip was my favorite and it was to a place called Dzibichaltun which is an archeological zone with ruins and an open cenote. Cenotes are basically sinking holes- like a massive natural pool (often really deep) that were created when the meteorite hit the peninsula of Yucatan! They are really fresh to swim in and this was something I had never experienced before.

During my stay in Merida I had the opportunity to do lots of new things and experience the culture first hand which was one of my aims when I looked for a Spanish school. I really liked living with a Mexican family as it felt more authentic than a hostel where I would usually choose to stay and it meant I ate with the family and spent time with them and I could really practice my Spanish.
The classes at the school were very good and the teacher was always well prepared. We did a big range of activities to cover readng, writing, speaking and listening skills so I feel like I improved in all areas. Speaking was my biggest focus and I had lots of chances to practice when I went out at the weekend and after class.
My favourite trip was to the ruins at Mayapan as there was almost no one else there when we went and we could also climb the pyramids!

Volunteering with the local community was great fun and I really felt like I had the opportunity to immerse myself in local culture and really get to know the community. Everyone was very kind and welcoming (and very patient with my attempts to become fluent in Spanish!!) - the language classes really helped me too!
Merida is a beautiful place to visit, and there are also amazing places in the local area too, including Chichen Itza (an incredible Mayan ruin). I highly recommend finding time to visit a local hacienda and one of the many beautiful cenotes too. There is lots to see and do all around Merida!
If you are looking for an opportunity to develop your skills, get to know Mexican communities and see some beautiful sights I highly recommend this programme!!