At Instituto Miguel de Cervantes, our program is all-inclusive. When you sign up for the minimum number of hours of language classes, you are automatically eligible to participate in the entire range of cultural activities that we plan each week. In addition, you may also participate in any of the weekend excursions that we plan for our students (at an additional cost).

Communicative Approach

Placement

Beginning Class

• Development of basic communication skills.
• Listening, comprehension, vocabulary development, pronunciation guidance, and conversation.

Intermediate Class

• Advancement from beginning communication skills.
• Vocabulary development and conversation practice with role-playing; some attention to useful grammar points.

Advanced Class

• Progression from intermediate level communication skills.
• Continued vocabulary enhancement and conversation practice; review of essential grammar structures for writing activities; authentic reading assignments.

 

Upon arrival at the Institute, your level will be adjusted with a quick oral test at the beginning of your first class.

Class Size

All our classes are limited in size to no more than 5 students,(up to 8 in the busy summer months) which ensures personal attention for all our students. Language instructors undergo intensive training in our methods, and their classroom performance is continually reviewed. At the Institute, we have assembled our own teaching materials and workbooks.

Program Options

• THE BASIC PROGRAM. The language component of our Basic Program consists of a 3-hour, daily language block. These classes begin at 9 a.m. and run until 12:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. (There is a half-hour break from 10:30 to 11:00.) Sometimes special classes may be later in the afternoon.

• THE BASICPLUS PROGRAM. Those individuals who want even more intensive language instruction may sign up for the BasicPlus Program, which offers an additional language-learning block from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Sometimes the BasicPlus one-to-one class may be later in the afternoon. These are individual, not group, classes, and they are designed to offer additional practice in the vocabulary and structures introduced in the Basic Program. These private sessions may also be designed around the special needs of professionals — teachers, medical professionals, lawyers, or others who have special language-learning needs. Let us know what your needs are and we will arrange a BasicPlus Program to fit them.

• CULTURAL PROGRAM. All Basic Program or BasicPlus Program participants are eligible to participate in our diverse cultural activities. The Institute's cultural programs are designed to provide students with more "listening" and "speaking" time with the language, as well as introduce them to many aspects of Mexican history and culture.

  They include dance classes, cooking classes (for a fee of $20 per person, minimum 5 persons), films, and lectures on Mexican history, art, and literature. For a small additional fee as well, you can participate in ceramic and art workshops. A weekly calendar of activities is posted every Monday. Even if we organize some activities, you can explore the different museums and attractions on your own. We'll recommend the places that are worth seeing.

• WEEKEND EXCURSIONS (OPTIONAL). The Institute also offers special cultural excursions (daytrips and overnight trips) to a variety of interesting destinations in central Mexico, including daytrips to Dolores Hidalgo and San Miguel de Allende, and overnight trips to Querétaro and the state of Michoacán.The overnight trips are usually taken in the summer. Prices and additional information are posted at the Institute.

• PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMS. The Institute can also plan a special professional program for your group of five or more students. In the past, we have arranged programs for teachers in bilingual classrooms, doctors and other medical service personnel, lawyers, and social service professionals. When possible, we are happy to arrange special field trips and/or site visits, to local schools and/or hospitals, for example. Please contact us for more information about how we can help you plan an effective program of study for your group.



• FOR KIDS.  Just next door is an elementary school, the Colegio Valenciana. If you are traveling with elementary school children and you wish for them to also learn some Spanish, there are possibilities to register them there while you are staying here.



• SPORTS (OPTIONAL). The school offers hiking tours in the nearby mountains and the Sierra. 

Starting Dates/Holidays

• New classes begin every Monday. Please note the exceptions below.
• Individual students (i.e. students who do not attend the Instituto as part of a large organized group) are welcome to register for classes within the following periods only:
  • From the 1^st of June 2007 to the 25^th of November 2007
  • From the 7^th of January 2008 to the 28th of March 2008
  • From the 19^th of May 2008 for the whole summer of 2008
• If you would like to attend the Instituto outside these periods you must come as part of an organized group. If you are interested in organizing such a group, please contact us.

Prices

The following prices are in U.S. dollars and are subject to change. We recommend the homestay option; by staying with a local family you will further immerse yourself in the language and culture of Mexico. Homestay accommodations include a shared room (or private room) and bath and your daily meals . You can read more about the homestay option in the Accommodations section.

We don't charge you a registration fee like many other schools do.

Special Group Rates

Our rates for groups depend on the size of the group and the needs of the students. We can accommodate groups as small as five students and as large as one hundred. Please contact us for additional information about group prices. We'll be happy to work with you to plan an outstanding program for your group.

Right on the money aired a short story about how to spend your money smartly when learning Spanish at the Instituto Miguel de Cervantes.

To see the short story on high speed connection, click here. If you are connected via a 56k connection or less, we recommend that you click here instead. You will need Media Player©. To read the transcript of the story, click here!