LANGUAGE SCHOOL
The Chico Mendes Language School is a multilingual school located in the rural village of Pachaj. Since 2006, we have offered Spanish courses at basic, intermediate, and advanced levels, as well as classes in K'iche'. The school employs local teachers and 100% of profits support Chico Mendes reforestation efforts.
hover over each image for slideshow
To best facilitate language learning, we only offer private lessons – just you and a talented language teacher from Pachaj! All fifteen of our teachers have received 180 hours of training in Spanish grammar and an additional 180 hours of training in K'iche',
as well as 16 different courses on topics ranging from Guatemalan history to climate change to Mayan cosmovision. Teachers design dynamic lessons that meet the needs and interests of each individual student, and set up class in the Chico Mendes cabanas in a nearby forest on sunny days. They also readily organize experiential learning activities, from
museum visits in Xela and interviews with veterans of the Guatemalan Civil War, to Guatemalan cooking classes and market explorations in Salcajá. As a language student, we also invite and encourage you to volunteer with Chico Mendes in the afternoons.
During your stay in Pachaj, you will live with a local family, providing full language immersion and a unique cultural exchange experience. Learn more about homestays.
​
To get the most out of your course, we ask that you commit to a minimum of five days of language lessons (although many students study for longer!). Unlike most schools in Xela, we offer language lessons every week and weekend day, Mon-Sun, so you can shape your schedule according to what works best for you.
​
What if you decide to take a break from language classes on the weekends, join us for a trek, or just spend some more time volunteering on either end of your course? That's perfectly fine! On the days you do not take lessons, you will just be charged for the trek or homestay, instead of language school tuition.
Language school tuition includes:
​
4 hours of private language lessons per day and homestay (3 meals/day and private bedroom in the home of a local Pachaj family)
​
Please contact us for information about language school prices!
What should I bring with me? Are vegetarian options available?
Check out our FAQs page for answers to all your questions!
​
Interested in the Chico Mendes Language School? Questions?
Ready to make it happen? Contact us.