The teacher prevented the students from getting bored. She knew immediately when the students did not understand the subject.

It has been five-years since I attended, but it was well worth the money. The surrounding accomodations were a little pricey for the quality.

I've studied at Jabel Tinamit 3 different years and stayed with the same host family all 3 times. I've studied at 3 other schools in Guatemala (1 in Antigua, 2 in Xela) and I think that the instruction here was superior to any of the others. I'm a TESL teacher and I think that all of the teachers (I had 3 different ones) are well prepared, gracious and have good senses of humor. I do feel that activities are a bit limited, but I enjoyed exploring the other towns around the lake.

This is a wonderful school located in one of the most beautiful places in the world. My first visit to Jabel Tinamit (Mayan) was in their old location in a quiet garden just off the main tourist street. Since then, they have a wonderful multi-story facility with a new garden, absolutely fabulous instructors for 1-on-1 instruction. They quickly assess your level then begin an excellent program consisting of a mix of conversation, vocabulary and exercises. I've gone back 5 times over 10 years and love it over any other school I've tried. I'd never go to Antigua after being here. They have weekly outings and learning Spanish is as much fun as you want to make it. Their well trained staff is more than happy to converse about politics, local economics or history. You'll learn a lot more than just Spanish, you will get a taste of the local culture. The homestay I was assigned was located on the bus route, and I was more accustomed to a quiet place near a lake, so I changed to Hospitaje Contemporaneo, a little over a block from Lake Atitlan... my home away from home. Try this place, You'll love it.

My teacher was excellent, and the activities were well worth the money. Owners of the school to out of their way to make sure students have a great experience

I have studied at 5 different Guatemalan schools over the past years and have enjoyed Jabel Tinamit the most. I am an advanced student and they were easily able to provide me with top quality teachers. Also Panajechel is so incredibly beautiful I called it the Hawai of Guatemala.

The school seems to pride itself on being Mayan owned and it seems all the teachers are female Mayans. That's fine but even I realized some of the Spanish grammar they taught was incorrect. For example, when they addressed me directly, instead of saying (in Spanish) for example, "Would you like a glass of water?", they would say to me "Would Jim like a glass of water" (My name is Jim). Or "Would Jim like to take a 10 minute rest now" rather than "Would you like to take a 10 minute rest now" when directly addressing me. Comparing the teaching quality to other schools I've studied in Antigua and Xela, the teaching quality here was a lower quality. They are probably fine for students at the beginning level, but I don't think they had the teaching skills or experience to teach someone at a more advanced Spanish level. The teacher was very kind but simply worked straight through a Spanish grammar book during our classes, page by page, as her teaching style. I didn't really learn very much.

Great people. Good teachers. One on one. Customized to student level. Extra program offerings in the afternoons. Accommodate families. Cooking classes are excellent too. Return studrnts