Avis sur ABC Spanish Tuition

I took 30 hours of Spanish classes with ABC Spanish Tuition in Bolivia’s capital city of La Paz and simultaneously living with the teacher, William, and his family in the quiet neighborhood of Miraflores.  Of course, I have always known that I don’t like small children, but it has been particularly difficult to have class inside the home and try to get any kind of research-related work done when their children (ages 3 and 10 with another 5 year old family member) seem to always been running around, making noise, crying or fighting (and subsequently needing to be scolded).  It’s difficult to concentrate and peace and quiet is nearly impossible to come by.  I guess it started the first night when I tried to call the teacher to meet me at the bus stand when I was nervous about arriving in La Paz after dark.  When he didn’t pick up his phone and I had to send an SMS, leave a voicemail, and send an email, I should have suspected that perhaps this wouldn’t be the best living arrangement, as I ended up spending the first night in an overpriced hotel.  And two weeks later, it really hasn’t gotten any better.  In Coroico, I found a mouse running around my room and even in my backpack, and I couldn’t sleep a wink last night because of a leak in the roof which translated to a deluge in my bed.  Furthermore, other people have told me that I am being overcharged for classes, room, and only partial board and I hate quibbling over money and meals, which has happened on multiple occasions. He even said, “and I could be charging you for tea”, which I had three cups of in two weeks and when I accidently broke a light bulb, instead of asking if I had cut myself with the broken glass, he responded, “that’s 20 Bolivianos!” and proceeded to ask me again the next day to pay for it.  When I accidentally clogged the toilet, I had to help pay for the plunger. In addition to the awkwardness of arguing about money, the teaching itself is very unprofessional. He does it in his home, which is fine except for when the children are running around. The packet of handouts he gives are poorly photocopied (i.e. you can't read some of the words) and he gives them out in a haphazard way. The classes themselves are unstructured and the relative disorganization makes me a little crazy - go in with clear expectations and communciate them to William otherwise you may come away feeling disappointed. I had a very negative experience with ABC Spanish Tuition and unfortunately, would not recommend it.

If you're considering learning Spanish in La Paz, you should definitely consider learning Spanish with ABC Spanish Tuition. My teacher’s knowledge and skill are only matched by his great patience with beginners. Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced student one could not wish for a more friendly and positive learning environment.

My home stay in La Paz was also wonderful. The family I stayed with was very friendly, helpful, and generous with their home. Nearly every morning at breakfast my host would engage me with conversation in Spanish. This was great practice and it got my mind working for my sessions with My teacher.

Learning Spanish in the context of La Paz is inspiring; La Paz is a beautiful highland city with a rich history. There are some great sights to see in La Paz and the people are fantastic, very friendly.

Again, I highly recommend ABC Spanish, great experience, great teacher, and great city!

Mr. Ortiz from ABC Spanish Tuition is a gifted teacher. He knows Spanish grammar and usage inside-out and is always able and willing to adjust lessons to his students'specific needs. I teach English in the U.S, and I only hope that I teach it as well as he teaches Spanish.

The ABC School's homestay was as important as Mr. Ortiz's lessons. Staying with a bolivian family allowed us to practice what we learned in class, and to learn a lot more about the language and the culture than we would if we had stayed in a hotel.