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Celebrating 9 years of excellence as La Paz’s Premier Language School, 1999-2008
Our Spanish language school is located in the seaside town of Se Habla...La Paz. |
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| Juli and staff very welcoming, kind, supportive – made me feel very at home. Having Thanksgiving dinner there made me there was “muy padre”. Additional information about the city and activities was a special perk. Cheryl
Juli devoted much of her Friday evening to assist me with a medical issue – above and beyond the call of duty! Thanks to Juli for help with the passport fiasco! Nancy T. |
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(The one thing that would have made your experience better) Staying longer! | |||
I am very impressed with the balance between conversation and filling in gaps and the presentation of grammar structure. Just the right amount of review and good pace of introducing new information so that using what I learned the previous day served as a natural building block. The structure of each class and presentation was extraordinarily effective. Your warmth and friendliness and personal availability underlie the success of your school and set a tone for us estudiantes. This is a really professional offering. Random thought: Your exercise materials are great because they create a visual pattern that I can recall when trying to remember a group of verbs. Not too much on a single page. (As you can tell, I am/was a teacher… you are doing it right.) |
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"I want to thank you so much for the wonderful education and fantastic time I had with you all. I really felt like you were an extension of my own family. Everyday I was with you I looked forward to seeing all of your smiling faces and learning more in my lessons. I received more than I could possibly absorb in one month's time but I am thrilled that I now have a very well-rounded, functional knowledge of the language, not to mention the practical understanding of the Mexican culture and way of life. I strive daily to continue reading, writing and speaking Spanish. Thank you so much for giving me the tools to do so. Con carino, besos y abrazos a todos. Your most grateful missionary... |
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"The impressive thing about this whole program is the amazing detail and carefully thought out approach towards "customer service...you covered every base." (About the curriculum)"...really good! Especially due to the patience and the personal care provided! Very solid background - intelligent - good leaders and facilitators - nice people, too - and fun - excellent!" |
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(About the administration) "Top notch. If there is any room to improve, I didn't see it! (If the school could improve ONE thing) Have a weekend kayaking outing with Spanish/English speaking guides. I know, I have to come back for this." | |||
I was referred by a friend but walked in off the street to a very warm reception. I had attended Spanish night school but found the structure at Se Habla to be more efficient in helping me learn more in a short period of time. The food was incredible; the staff very pleasant (esp. Mini the pup). The atmosphere was very relaxed but remained professional. |
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| Good website. Attractive and helpful about school and La Paz . The program was very well organized. For total beginners, the 1st week was hard but we were very impressed by how functional we became. Julie's enthusiasm and commitment is tremendous. This is the best adult-ed experience I have had. We will definitely be back! | |||
I think that the school is in a class by itself because the class that I was put it was exactly what I needed. Thank you very much. I was very lucky that the school had space when I arrived. (I was not organized before I left home). And am thankful for the variety of payment methods. |
Nice web page compared to the other 2 I looked at. You seemed professional, organized (and established) yet relaxed. The travel information was very clear. I appreciated you being able to accommodate my questions via phone and email without having to come in for a fact to face language eval of my level. | ||
One week is just not enough (I was warned!) But I did get enough to reconstruct what I did know and push me further ... I will be here 2 weeks next time! |
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The tone and promptness of our contact with Juli was professional and personable. Willingness to accommodate our late planning clinched it for us. We are clients for life now! |
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"Because I like this kind of feedback in my business, 'Se Habla...La Paz offers the finest Spanish school experience because of their professionalism, the quality of their teaching staff and their personal attentiveness. I will be back soon. Thanks a million, folks.'" First encountered the webpage, then recommended by Chris C.; we visited and were impressed and then Shasta (another friend) said she was delighted with her program! The time and weeks flew by! | |||
| Small classes (3) accommodate a lot of flexibility in different levels of aptitude (of the students) and allows for the raising and resolution of any and all questions, whether directly related to the lesson or not. The casual and comfortable - yet competent atmosphere is wonderful - very non-threatening and supportive. I'm sure Antonio and other staff is already 'stretched' but the extra curricular cultural presentations are really special and are a pretty good 'test of the degree to which it’s all coming together'. I realize that not many Mexicans are as articulate as is Antonio, but it is still rewarding to come away from his presentations feeling like I actually understood what he was saying! |
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| Great concept! Great food at 10:30 break. Great secretarial support and administrative availability. Superb friendly and professional atmosphere...access to office and library with all kinds of extras. I heard about your school thru the grapevine...very impressed by the friendly professionalism and relaxed sophistication at 'La Casa Serena'. It's been a wonderful learning experience. Gracias! | |||
| We would like to take the opportunity to thank you and your staff for what turned out to be a wonderful learning experience for us. As you know, we had taken Spanish classes before in Cuernavaca and Chile . Each student has a different way of learning and, I think, the method that works best may, in fact, change as the student's proficiency increases. We have not taken Spanish using four methods, including Berlitz, FIS, private tutors and Se Habla. We found that your methodology was far superior than others we have experienced to date. The curriculum and methodology, professionalism and friendliness of the staff and the ambience of the school made for a great experience. We came back super motivated to continue our studies. | |||
| "The web page is very inviting. What impressed me the most was the immediate responses and follow up. Incredibly personal and it made me feel pretty at ease about coming to La Paz by myself. (In summary) It’s been such an enriching experience, difficult to put in words how incredible it’s been." | |||
| "A professional friend living in La Paz recommended Se Habla...La Paz to me...she knew this would be the place for me...Professionalism and safety demand that my Spanish skills are at a level of fluency where I can adequately translate in the classes [ with local Mexican and Mayan artists in the Yucatan Peninsula ] and outdoor environments....and I find it amazing that there is a school available to accommodate these specific skills...The facility is fabulous and sets the stage for readiness and receptivity for effective learning...Various intimate study areas are located indoors and outdoors throughout the facility and offer private and communal work zones. I settled into a routine of favorite study "nooks" utilizing rooftops, patios, poolside and comfortable living room/den areas. Passion and intent pervade the learning experience at Se Habla... La Paz . This is the atmosphere and level of commitment in which I sought to immerse. The director of education is an astounding individual well-skilled in teaching Spanish and tailoring programs to match individual needs...Everything about the program is geared for practical, positive and successful learning and infuses a desire to learn more...I look forward to continuing studies for myself and my staff at Se Habla... La Paz over the years." | |||
| "My husband Jon and I took about 18-20 hours of Spanish classes at Se Habla and we couldn't be more pleased with our ability to speak, read, write and listen in Spanish. We are cruising our boat for 2 years in Mexico and wanted to learn to speak Spanish correctly. We accomplished this in a few short weeks. The curriculum is first rate. We are retired teachers so this comment is not written lightly. Our professors were knowledgeable, personable, familiar with every aspect of their curriculum and sensitive to our level of understanding on a daily basis. They all seemed totally committed to helping us achieve success as quickly and thoroughly as possible. We also enjoyed the extra amenities: use of the house all day including the library and quiet patios with views. On several occasions, I climbed to the top patio and looked out over the bay while I studied or sketched. The [cultural] lectures and cooking classes were fun and useful. They helped us practice our skills on a controlled basis. Lastly, all of the staff and owners became friends who we want to return to see often." | |||
"Overall, I thought this was a terrific program - very professionally run, well thought out and personable." "I have really enjoyed my time here. It has helped me feel more confident and relaxed about the language. I had a blast." | |||
Antonio is a master teacher. The world is a better place because of his skill, enthusiasm and patience. |
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I am very pleased with the professional manner the school exhibits - while providing a casual setting. Very good balance in all the aspects. The "interactive" quality of the instruction process was very rich with all 4 instructors. "Clone them all!" | |||
| (About Merit, instructor) Merit helped me a great deal - the class passed quickly each day because we worked hard and she had so much to help me with! One thing that would improve her teaching? It could not have been better unless she had a pill she could give me so I could say everything perfectly. Thanks very much... I will be back. | |||
| "With a language evaluation at the beginning and end of the course, I entered at a beginning-intermediate level and finished at an advanced level. I am afraid I cannot express well enough the satisfaction I experienced daily with my language progress. My teacher, Prof. Antonio Reynoso, was terrific in his teaching methods and organization of my studies. He knew all of my strengths and weaknesses as well as my preferred learning style within 1 or 2 days of starting classes and he structured my entire day, both in and out of class, to maximize my ability to learn quickly and hold my interest. | |||
"...(about Prof. Reynoso) Outstanding instructor - it is rare to meet such a talented teacher - he is one of the best that I have come across in my experience." [This student is fluent in 7 languages] (About Merit, instructor) A great attitude. Very organized, moved at an excellent pace for my level of learning, able to adapt easily to my learning needs and offered variety, like going 'to the street' to maintain my attention ... I can't think of one thing to improve the experience. (About Antonio): Needs to clone himself. | |||
(Alejandra) I really enjoyed her teaching. I felt that I learned far more that I thought I would. She continuously tailored her material and pace to match my interests and abilities (or lack thereof). I honestly cannot recommend anything to change or improve. For example, I would have been more "comfortable" if she had spoken in English however, I would not have learned as much. She always made sure that I understood. Dave |
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I enjoyed Merit's instruction and persistence in helping me improve my pronunciation. She uses humor to coach my through the learning process. I enjoyed the use of color in the educational materials - made it easier to understand. I felt welcome by Juli and really felt that she wants to help me learn and enjoy my experience in La Paz - super professional and on target! |
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Miguel) Great! I liked how he explained the words or phrases that "work" differently in Spanish and English. It's easier to learn if you know why something is the way it is, even if there is no reason sometimes. Sandy (Claudia) Claudia was extremely sensitive to the nuances of my particular past experiences with Spanish and how to remediate and help me make progress. She was a wonderful teacher because she really understood that half of teaching is understanding a person's background and learning style. Karen B. |
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"A very fine balance of friendly, professional. Good sense of making new students comfortable and yet making spoken Spanish supported. The emphasis on verbs and conjugation is "right on the money" - verbs are the heart of the language. This gives a framework to improve upon after returning to the states. (About Prof. Reynoso) Excellent teacher! If verbs are the heart of the Spanish language, Professor Antonio is the heart and soul of this program." | |||
FamiliesThe homestay was an excellent match. Gloria has been very accommodating and we were able to share much about our personal lives. Thru her friends, many doors to cultural experiences and other connections were established. She was also very astute in reminding me when I 'crashed' a verb. I really appreciated both the homestay match and the other student in my small group. We were the perfect level for each other; I also appreciate your accommodation to my special requests. Thank you for a wonderful experience. We were fortunate to be placed with an exceptionally warm and open family. They provided excellent meals, advice about activities and a comfortable environment. I would recommend this homestay experience to anyone. We would also like to thank you for organizing our homestay with the Pardo family. We thoroughly enjoyed their company and left La Paz with more friends than when we arrived. The homestay was more upscale that I would have imagined. The cleanliness and friendliness of my family was such a comfort. And the food … I needed the exercise walking to and from school on the Malecon to work off the added pounds! |
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(Antonio)Very kind about correcting basic stuff. For improvement…No se. His stories from life are wonderful, give a lot of reality to the day-to-day functioning of Mexican Law. Antonio is truly an excellent instructor. He knows how to gauge the needs of his students and then effectively deliver. Antonio makes learning fun. He is dynamic and entertaining, yet demanding. He adeptly adds new concepts daily. For improvement…Give him another 1/3 – 1 hour to teach each day. (Antonio)Very amusing. He could have a program on television. |
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| (Merit) Outstanding – amazingly patient; made learning fun, very professional excellent methodology. For improvement…I have taught for many years, including a foreign language for a number of years, and I cannot think of one area where I would see she needs improvement. Continue what she is doing and build on it. | |||
(Merit) I liked her building bock approach and her cheerful encouragement. For improvement… More verbal drills with actual phrases (Merit) Outstanding!! I finally understand the subjunctive!! | |||
(Curriculum) Very well thought out. The topics were all of interest to me + have practical implication. I especially appreciated the focus on cultural bases for the law and instructors’ willingness to answer individual questions. I had problems keeping up with the pace of instruction, but it was a result of my limited fluency in Spanish, not the curriculum otherwise. As a business lawyer the presentation (night) of Ben Rosen was most useful to me and he was also receptive to business oriented questions during his general presentation (day). Liked the practical aspects as well as the detail. The trip to the jail and court was a real bonus, as was the availability of the judges. The mayors’ appearance was very interesting, too. Having this available to us was remarkable. |
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(Ben) Good job! Articulate candid, knowledge also. Very responsive to questions posed by class. Always interesting to listen to. (Ben)I think everything exceeded my expectations. We got through a great deal of info in a small amount of time. Ben was great, no problems at all. (Ben) His material was pretty far from the day-to-day, but somehow still interesting. He speaks pretty fast, but he’s good at restating things more simply when asked, so he’s very effective. |
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| Monica’s presentation was completely in line with my particular area of interest, and she gave a wonderful and thorough presentation. For improvement…To not let obnoxious students get the better of her; remember, US lawyers can be really obnoxious, arrogant, and confrontational- it’s not pretty, but it’s also not personal (she’ll know what I’m talking about) | |||
(Monica) I really like her combination of abstract formal instruction, and specific case- based examples. A fast talker with, thank God, excellent pronunciation. For improvement…Hard to imagine. She’s a gem. (Monica) Excellent presentation of some though topics. (Monica) Also did a very good job. She spoke fast at times, but was very articulate and knowledgeable. |
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(Antonio / abogado) Again, great at peppering a general presentation with specific case material from his practice. (Antonio / abogado) I liked Antonio’s passion and intensity as a lecturer. Also very articulate and responsive to questions. (Antonio / abogado) Excellent content. His working knowledge of English is excellent. (Antonio / abogado) I liked his receptiveness to question + answer approach throughout his presentation and relation of family issues. |
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Everything was perfect |
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Very well-run program, there were no “snafus” everything went well. There was a nice, happy atmosphere. The attention to so many details is appreciated. |
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Juli- great job! Comfortable setting. Nice registration of classes. i.e., many groups with almost no noise interference. Juli and Sophia and everyone well very helpful and welcoming and nice. Outstanding program- You two are professional + approachable, Angel Azul is wonderful! Beautiful and friendly. I appreciate so much all that was done for all of us. Liked Juli’s proactive follow up by telephone/email regarding class placement. |
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I loved La Paz – the people, the city, the food!! What a great group of people! This course attracts such a diverse bunch in terms of their backgrounds and practices, and they all seem to add to the quality of the experience. The visit to the CERESO (JAIL) and Ministerio Publico were very interesting and added a lot to the program. The visit by the mayor was a nice bonus. The program more than met my expectations. I needed another week for down time. We were kept very busy! Friday afternoon session – kind of mixed feelings – want to go, but want to stroll, relax. Manny was a big help. Too bad about the evening at beach, but we had a good time anyway. Incredible quality of content and talent of teachers. I honestly can’t think of anything I would change! |
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| Wish I could think of something. Other states need to discover this. It is not only excellent CLE, but also a great cultural service about Mexico to people who may deal with Mexicans in their practices….Se Habla should be recognized as a cultural consulate of something! | |||
A little more free time to take advantage of the town / area. I wanted to attend all of the extra afternoon programs + evening events but found I had no time to shop for gifts for my family. Thank you very much. It was not just informative and educational but fun! The program definitely met my expectations. | |||
Julie and Antonio were both very helpful. Very good class, very good instruction on practical aspects of grammar. We did exactly the conjugation I was ready to work on. (Antonio Reynoso) Best Spanish instructor I’ve had. Excellent rapport with class, he was great at maintaining dialogue at the appropriate level. I thought his discussion of his history the last day was the highlight of our trip. (Miguel) Excellent job especially considering different comprehension levels. (Miguel) Very Good. (Miguel) Miguel did a great job. Great program; enjoyed the side trips very much. I would return anytime. People are very kind. Plenty to do, interesting. Get me more time off from my job to stay here longer; great job, thanks. |
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Medical Program |
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| ...Another aspect of the school that I felt was extraordinary was the ability to work in medical settings in the community...with directed activities from the school, I observed, listened and talked both with the nurses and doctors and with the patients. These wonderful opportunities were true immersion experiences, as the staff spoke no English. Since starting medical school, I have used my Spanish daily with a few classmates and especially with patients. I am proud to say that I am one of the few students in my class who can thoroughly communicate with monolingual Spanish patients...I am very conscious of my heightened sensitivity to cultural beliefs and feel that I address such issues with a clarity based on sound experience...I have great respect for the teachers and staff of Se Habla...La Paz and would not hesitate to recommend their program to student or physician alike." | |||
| (About the clinical setting) As a second year resident, I found observing for 2-4 hours at time very challenging and frustrating. Being used to "doing" instead simply watching/listening, was difficult almost boring during my sessions. Looking back over my 2 weeks, it was incredibly useful to listen to native patients speak then recount the stories the following day. I now am realizing the value of simply listening - more than just the words. It was an experience whose value will grow well beyond the ~20 hours that I spent. | |||
| Awesome! Dr. Castilla is a real good guy and very patient. HE is a good placement for someone with limited language experience because his English is helpful when necessary. He is also a good placement for people with varying degrees of medical education because you can work in the clinic or hospital (slower or faster paced). He made me feel very welcome and seems to enjoy teaching. Good placement. Gracias | |||
| (Dr. Josue Estrada Flores) It was great to see what a clinic visit in Mexico is like. Listening to patient interviews helped my general and medical Spanish immensely. Dr. Josue was always cheerful and willing to help me learn. Elizabeth | |||
| I very much enjoyed the individual classes in the school before embarking upon the clinic time in the afternoons. Antonio and Merit are so well informed about the Mexican mores, cultural ideas and just so much information ... its as if they have studied medicine somewhere in the US as well. I bet they could tell stories of what they have heard from the MD's over the years! Barry | |||
| I just want to thank everyone for such a rich experience - I only had 2 weeks, I wish I had more but those weeks are going to prove invaluable to me and my patients. And the fact that the school was able to untangle my badly stated phrases and turn them into understandable and good Spanish - amazing! William | |||
| All things considered, I am quite happy that this course didn't include the practice of medicine that I have been doing for 8 years. It was enough that I had to work intensively in the language, both medical and general because once I was immersed with the homestay family, the clinic and in the school, I was amazed at what I DIDN'T know! Thanks for a great experience. Sarah | |||
As a healthcare professional, I found Se Habla La Paz to be an incredible resource. They helped me make rapid gains in my language skills while maintaining an entertaining atmosphere. Se Habla allowed me to take a vacation AND return to work better prepared to do my job. Thank you Se Habla... Neil | |||
La Paz |
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Your maps and help about everything that I wanted to see and do were great. And the buses were a good cultural experience and I used my Spanish to get places. The city is clean and friendly and that’s what I was looking forward to. The most marvelous sunsets! And the new statues are such a classy touch on the Malecon. Good food, good prices still, easier to get to than several years ago … prices are going up but that is to be expected with the baby boomers like me coming to buy anything we can get our hands on! Great seafood. Thanks for the restaurant recommendations. A lovely place for 2 women traveling together … very easy to walk around and enjoy the Mexican hospitality. |
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Copyright © 1999-2008 Se Habla...La Paz. All rights reserved. Updated 1st July 2008 From the US and Canada, phone 011-52-612-122-7763 |
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