Life At PLQ

Students at PLQ are encouraged to immerse themselves completely in the culture of Guatemala by living with local Guatemalan families while they study. However, homestays are not obligatory and students are free to arrange alternative accommodation.

Your experiences with a Guatemalan family allows you to benefit from total immersion, since you will be practicing your Spanish in conversation at meal times three times a day, and on other occasions during the day and evening. We ask that the families correct the Spanish of the students they host to further encourage language learning.

If you choose a family homestay, the additional cost of 800 Guatemalan Quetzales includes a private homestay room and three meals per day, from Sunday through Friday. Note: families and couples can be housed together if requested.

Library – The PLQ library houses an extensive collection of textbooks and dictionaries as well as over 1000 fiction and non-fiction books in Spanish, English, and other languages about Guatemala, Latin America, human rights, and more. The library also includes a video collection with over 100 films and documentaries in Spanish and English. Students can make use of the library and borrow materials as long as they are an attending student at the school.

Internet Cafe – PLQ has an internet salon that is equipped with desktop computers for student use. These computers have access to the internet. PLQ also has wifi which students can use for free in the school’s cafe area.

In addition to language instruction, PLQ students have the opportunity learn about Guatemalan culture, customs, history and social reality through daily activities which include social, political and cultural conferences, educational films, visits to rural communities and ex-guerrilla encampments, and meetings with local community organizations.

Our extensive contacts with different organizations and individuals allow the school to present conferences on themes such as the role of women in the armed conflict, the process of reincorporation into civil society in Guatemala, the symbolism and history Mayan textiles, the role of trade unions in Guatemala, and much more.

Visits outside the school take place twice a week. One trip might feature Fuentes Georginas, a beautiful set of volcanic hot springs and pools located in a rainforest above Xela; the following visit might feature an educational project or a community radio station outside of Xela. Saturdays offer time for longer journeys, such as climbing the nearby Santa Maria volcano, working with a group of K’iche’ youth, visiting Mayan ruins, or hiking to an ex-guerrilla encampment. The school’s guide for these journeys is a Guatemalteco who spent over 10 years in the mountains fighting as a guerrilla with the URNG. The cost of tuition covers most activity costs, but you will often need to cover transportation, meals, entrance fees, and accommodation for trips outside of Quetzaltenango.

PLQ has years of experience accommodating families and teaching children as young as four. With advance notice and an extra fee, the school will arrange childcare for youngsters who do not study formally. Special information regarding family groups is available through the North American and European reservation offices. References from families who have studied with us in the past are also available upon request.

A Welcome Packet with information on travel, visas, dress, climate, etc. will be sent  upon receipt of your acceptance. Please contact our North American Representative or European Representative with any questions or concerns. They can be reached by email and your queries will normally be answered within a day or two. Furthermore, you are welcome to contact the office in Xela for other queries.

Additional travel information can be found on the FAQ page.