Best School Support Classes Arequipa Near Me

Sukru Ozutok: A course that teaches only spanish to english speaking people, when i went with my wife they said they can teach spanish only to english speaking people, this is really ridiculous, they also say their teachers have 10 years of experience, if they are so professional, i can't understand why they can't teach someone who doesn't speak spanish. I really don't understand this situation.

Christoph Janssen: A beautiful school with awesome and very professional teachers! I learned so much and always felt very comfortable:) thanks a lot for everything you made my stay in South America so much better!

Oriane Petitmengin: I spent 5 weeks in Arequipa and the spanish classes really helped me communicate more fluently in Spanish. The private teachers adapt really well to your level and your interests and the school is very flexible to adapt the class to your timetable.

Sophia Kruz: Casa de Avila is a very special place. I spent 4 months in Arequipa and it was my home away from home. One on one lessons with the fantastic teacher Jeanette were far more than a basic tutorial in Spanish. She taught me local places to eat, shop, dance and hang out. I even came home with a puppy, because Jeanette told me about the pet market... But most importantly, before coming to Peru, I couldn't speak a word of Spanish. By the end of my stay in Arequipa, I was conversational, and my accent was pretty good!Armando the owner is also really wonderful and made me feel welcome from the first day. We went to a few picanterias, my husband played Santa at a local elementary school Armando sponsors, and most importantly, we became friends over the course of my trip. I also loved the cooking class we took when my dad came to visit!If you're thinking of taking Spanish in Peru, I highly recommend you do so at Casa de Avila. The lessons are high quality, one on one, and take place in a beautiful garden. Also, Arequipa doesn't see a lot of tourists compared to Cuzco/Machu Picchu so most people don't speak English. It's a great place to be immersed in the language. Plus, the sun shines most days, and the food is out of this world.

Peter Boggs: I enjoyed my stay and my studies in Arequipa. I found the teachers to be very skilled and professional. I learned a lot, but I still have a lot to learn. The school also helped me find a very comfortable apartment nearby. I strongly recommend the school to any prospective students! Peter Boggs, North Carolina, USA

Angelica Haas: I had a great time learning at the Spanish school in Arequipa. I only took two days of classes but I did learn a lot in the short time I was studying. The teachers are very nice and also challenge you to always be thinking and speaking in Spanish. The classes are within walking distance of the center so it was convenient to get there as well. I would recommend these classes to future visitors to Arequipa.

Mostafa Khorsandi: I took spanish classes for a week. Great experience and excellent teachers. compared to other neighboring countries I visited they provide excellent value for their classes.

Andrew Monroe: Excellent teachers and a cozy learning environment. Recommended.

Petrus Johannes van Soest: Excelent school, I stayed there for 2 weeks doing conversation and gramatics for 4 hours a day, I had 3 marvelous teachers, their professional pride and perseverance made me understand the difficulties in the Spanish language much better, many thanks to Giovanna, Juliana, and Angela.I will recommend this school to everyone that will learn the spanish language.The school is situated inside an hotel area, (Casa de Avila) the hotel can offer you rooms of different standards, in the middle of the area there is a beautiful garden.I will not hesitate to come back here.Petrus.

Wu Jayaliilá (Jayaliila'): Cozy place

Lay San: I wanted a structure in learning, this is one of the things I like about my teachers here (I had two), they set levels on studies, like if I've learned one topic we move on to the next.There is never a blank moment, they know how to ask questions that's relevant to the lesson at hand. They ask you to talk using the grammar and words you are learning/discussing.It's also very helpful that what you study is immediately applicable to travelling or daily lives.Though I felt like we could cover more lessons in four hours, still I believe I've improve rapidly in the three weeks I studied here.I have to say though, that sometimes I have to push them to teach me what I want to learn (past and future tense for example)instead of sticking to their plans which sometimes I don't feel suites me (like, pronouncing words after them) and also sometimes they would ask a question and when it's taking you a bit to formulate your words they would provide you the answers and I have to say no, give me a moment more to answer it myself.It's also good that you get to choose your time schedule and your teachers.What I don't like though is, in their flyer/marketing/advertisement it says they have a garden you can study in, but when I asked my teacher to go in the garden, I was told they were forbidden to hold classes there.

Paul Artale: Started with a week's class of private tuition, but added an extra week of grammar because it was worth it.Teaching method is half grammar/half communication and no workbooks are used. This makes learning direct, no frills and more effective than being chained to a book.Grammar was very good as the teacher (Beatriz) knew what she was doing, focusing on creating and completing a permanent and transportable grammar plan. The only drawback was those clases weren't always in Spanish 100% of the time.Communication was okay however could be better with a linkage to the current grammar topics.The location is excellent and fees lower than schools in Lima and Cusco, also Arequipa is a better city for a Spanish student.Overall this school might be the best option in Peru.

Dan Rowe: I moved to Arequipa at the beginning of January 2013, since then I have taken Spanish classes at three different institutes. I always found them to be a chore and a necessity that had to be done. That was until I started having lessons at Cepesma Idiomas in December 2013.Cecilia, through her teaching, has somehow made my Spanish lessons to be one of the highlights of my week and something that I look forward to going to. As a result my Spanish has improved tenfold.At other institutes I was just inundated with sheets of paper that had rules and exercises but with Cecilia, she makes sure that you really understand and always has a different exercise waiting if your attention starts to waiver.I cannot recommend Cepesma Idiomas enough and believe it will be one of the best decisions you make on your trip to Arequipa.Cepesma Idiomas also offer home stays, even though I have not stayed there personally, I have seen the accommodation and it looks very nice and what better way to improve your Spanish than staying with a Peruvian family.If you're thinking of taking Spanish lessons in Peru, head to Cepesma Idiomas!

Danny Courtis: I took one to one Spanish classes with Milagros. She was very patient with me and my level of Spanish improved a lot. She has a passion for teaching and clearly wanted me to succeed. She has a warm and easy going personality. I highly recommend her.

The Chan: I did three weeks of Spanish lessons with Milagros and would highly recommend her Spanish school. She is very patient and was adept at teaching Spanish grammar. Milagros spoke very good English which really helped when I couldn't understand something in Spanish. And great value! Highly recommend!

Lars Koopmans: Me and my girlfriend took 2 weeks of Spanish lessons. Our teacher, Milagros, is a really good teacher. She is patient and is capable of explaining the grammer really well. I really enjoyed the lessons and learned a lot during this two weeks! Furthermore, Milagros is a very nice person and we enjoyed drinking a beer with her after the classes. She was flexible and came to our appartement to give the lessons, something we really appreciated.After the two weeks we feel more confident with our Spanish and are way more capable of of making ourselves understandable, as well as understanding others.

Aedan Bartlett: Really really good Spanish teacher. Milagros is very patient and is excellent at adapting to people's different learning styles. Highly recommend this school

Lars Binder: I had 5 weeks of 1 to 1 Spanish lessons at this school - and learned a lot. 4 hours a day is enough, my head couldn't take any more. From then on I was able to speak with people on my further travel. Milagros has a very good way of teaching and she adjusts it to your wishes. I tried an other Spanish school but ended up here because the teaching was much better.

Bear Brown: When I first came to Arequipa I studied in Arequipa Spanish School. I took 6 weeks of private classes for 4 hours per day. My teacher Milagros was lovely - very enthusiastic and committed to helping me learn. By the time I finished, I was able to learn pretty much all the Spanish grammar which really helped me in my onward travels. Arequipa is a great place to learn Spanish because it's safe and has a very nice climate - warm and dry - highly recommended.

Felice Rivellese: Amazing experience. Arthur was very welcoming, more than just explaining and guiding you through the recipes he shared his love for his country and the Peruvian cousine. This is a true experience, not simply a touristic activity. You get to use a professional kitchen and Arthur shares a few basic techniques for cutting, stir frying etc If you are in Arequipa and you like cooking/eating (no previous experience is needed) this shouldn't be missed!!

Mareike Englich: Toller Kochkurs, leckeres Essen, schöne ErfahrungHat unseren Aufenthalt in Arequipa bereichert ☺️

Katie Killeen: This class was one of the highlights of our trip in Peru! Learned so much about cooking from Arthur. The ceviche and lomo saltado were top quality and we done everything from scratch ourselves. Lots of fun too 😊

Charlotte Kuziek: Wir haben einen Kochkurs mit Arthur gemacht und es war einfach fantastisch. Wir hatten eine tolle Truppe und jede Menge Spaß. Da wir nicht so gerne Fisch essen, konnten wir alternativ zu Ceviche, Causa de Pollo zubereiten. Wir können den Kurs in jedem Fall weiterempfehlen!

David Scheppus: Super Kochkurs! Wir haben extrem viel Wissen vermittelt bekommen. Jeder konnte alle Schritte selber machen und dazu seine Messerfertigkeiten ausbessern. Wir haben uns gefühlt wie richtige Kochlehrlinge! Wir haben zwei Gänge gekocht und bekamen noch Getränke dazu. Absolute Empfehlung für alle Koch- und Essensbegeisterte aller Niveaus!

Simon Schneider: This cooking class was great! We learned about cooking techniques, knive skills, perviuan food culture, a bit about food science and the best recipes for ceviche and lomo saltado.Compared to other cooking classes this one does not skip the most interesting steps and you will cook everything from scratch. Arthur can share his cooking knowledge in fluent english (and surprisingly with bits of Dutch, German and other languages).The class was fun and he encouraged the communication between guests. We even finished the afternoon with the other participants in a bar closeby.Two nitpicks: the knives were a bit dull and I would have loved to also learn a classic Arequipan dish.

Denise: Very good experience! Besides the recipes we also learned a lot about cooking techniques. Making the lomo saltado was very spectacular with a LOT of fire. Also it was the best lomo saltado i have eaten in peru!

Peter Pan: Strong recommendation! Arthur has lived in Europe for several years, speaks an excellent English and will explain not only explain some technical details but also how you will be able to make your delicious meals at home when not all ingredients are easily available. Great teacher with much knowledge.

Connor: We absolutely loved our cooking class through Peruvian flavours. Arthur taught us some culinary tricks to improve our cooking at home, took time to describe the dishes and steps ahead of time, and was very helpful during the cooking process. He was very engaging, had fantastic English and even took pictures and videos throughout the class for us! Can't recommend this enough!

Martin Einarsson: Great experience! Arthur is a very pedagogical teacher that explains and shows how things should be done and then you try it yourself. We did the Criollo menu and both the Ceviche and Lomo Saltado de Alpaca turned out great. Highly recommended!

J J: Fabulous cooking class and experience with Arthur, highly recommend!!

Ninja R.: Me and my partner went to do the Criollo cooking class. It was an amazing experience!!! Super tasty welcome cocktail and the chef and owner of the rather fancy restaurant is a great teacher, providing us with tons of new information and knowledge. Super fresh and beautiful ingredients and a great outcome. Amazing value for money, we loved it. If we had more time in Arequipa, we would do the other two menus as well. Thank you so much for the lovely afternoon.

Victor Liu: Cordón Blue style of instruction.. my sister and I cook casually at home but we were able to follow along with Chef Arthur. He explained the subtleties very well. The Chupe de Camarones and Rocoto Relleno rivales the ones made by the Picanterias :). I will definitely be coming back for more classes next week. I've done cooking classes in Napa Valley in California before and this was way better. High value, under marketed. Can't miss!

Brent Bovenzi: Amazing cooking class. Food came out incredible. Instructor was super informative and friendly. Even gave us a ton of tips to enjoy our stay in Arequipa.

Jane Z: The chef and restaurant owner had enormous knowledge with Peruvian cuisine. Trained and worked in the Michelin star restaurant in France in his previous life. The class is delivered very professionally and super organized. The commercial kitchen is THE place to learn cooking. Being a semi professional chef myself highly recommend it.

Clothilde Petitjean: Cooking classes at Arthur's restaurant are an amazing experience ! Arthur's is not reluctant to share his technics and is really a good teacher ! I also recommend going on the market tour with him, he knows his way around ;-)

Joe Mou: Chef Arthur is a great teacher! Dishes were made with great quality in an excellent commercial kitchen.

Xander Macfarlane: Arthur is a true expert. Ceviché was outstanding

Charles CG: Très agréable. Le chef Arthur est passionné et très gentil. Une expérience mémorable 😃

Tanner Hayes: I studied Spanish with Maria for 10 hours over 5 days and loved it. She's a great teacher, with a cool little school, in a splendid neighborhood. Maria definitely helped jog my memory of many of the words and grammatical concepts that I had learned years ago. You should definitely choose Llama Education Spanish School for your lessons while in Arequipa.

Chris Brooksbank: We did a 7 days of Spanish school with Maria and Marta. Doing a grammar and conversation lesson each day. Both great teachers.We took lessons having done some basic Spanish via apps so we were close to beginner. The lessons were really well structured, we were encouraged and challenged. As a result our Spanish really improved and were able to have basic conversations by the time we left.The lessons were enjoyable. And Maria was super kind and helpful to us throughout our days there. Many thanks and hope to see you again in the future!

Ville Palonen: Llama Education is a first-class Spanish school and highly recommended!I have experience from other Spanish schools in Mexico, Guatemala and Spain, and I can honestly say that during my 2 weeks (40 hours total) in Llama Education in December 2022 I learned much more than I was hoping for.One-to-one teaching method was extremely flexible and worked really well for me because everything could be customized to my needs. I enjoyed especially the fact that even grammar lessons included lots of conversation, in fact it didn’t feel like grammar studies at all when we were talking about local politics or Xmas traditions.It's possible to study online, too; I had a few Whatsapp classes before my visit to Arequipa, and will have another dozen online classes during 2023.Many thanks to Maria who runs the school – you are super!

Trevor Farris: What a time, what a place, with amazing, welcoming, and helpful people. It has been seven months since I arrived in Arequipa, so I am writing this review with a bit of time and space in between, but it was such a powerful experience it feels like I was there just last week.Firstly, the amount that my Spanish improved from being in Arequipa for only three weeks was unlike anything I experienced in California, and I had been taking Spanish classes for a few prior to going to Peru. I had a pretty good understanding of how the language worked and a decent grasp on the grammar, but I never could have a real conversation in Spanish, whether that was because I never had anyone to practice with as intensely as I did at Llama Education, or whether that was because I was afraid to practice. But taking classes helped me get the practice I wanted and needed to actually feel like I could have conversations in Spanish. The classes are very intimate-- they are one on one, you and the teacher, so you get so much time to speak in Spanish, fail speaking in Spanish, and learn to speak in Spanish. Martha and Jimmy were my teachers and they were very helpful at pushing me to grow my vocabulary and understanding and use of grammar. It was also great having one on one classes because you end up talking about real things, not those silly American Spanish class conversations. My teachers became my good friends while I was in Arequipa. Also through the classes I got to learn a lot about Peru, it's history, it's culture, it's food, etc.Secondly, Maria is amazing and so helpful. When I arrived in Arequipa, Maria came to the airport and picked me up in a taxi, and she showed me around the city and where the school was and how to use the buses. While we were wondering around the city, the family I was originally going to be staying with while I was there called and said they were no longer able to host me, so Maria offered for me to stay with her, which I did, until another family she reached out to was ready to host me. It was very kind of her to host me, and it was nice to be able to talk with her (almost entirely in Spanish) and get to know her. Maria was also so helpful in trying to retrieve my lost baggage from the airlines. I didn't have my luggage for a week, and spent a lot of time trying to locate it and get it to Arequipa, and Maria also helped a lot. She came with me to the airport to try to talk to them there, she called people, etc.Thirdly, I ended up staying in Arequipa with a family that Maria knows, and that was an amazing experience in itself because it is quite a different experience to traveling than one gets if they were to stay in a hotel or hostel. The family I stayed with was also very welcoming, helpful, and kind. They included me in all of their plans. I got to meet and get to know their extended family as well as them. They talked to me and made sure to talk to me, which was good because I was able to get more practice speaking Spanish at the families home after going to Spanish school.And finally, Arequipa is a cool and beautiful city. It's different than Cusco--which is the other city I visited in Peru-- because there seems to be a lot less tourism, which I think is good because in Cusco a lot of people speak English, but in Arequipa it seemed like the amount of English spoken was a lot less, which again is good for practicing Spanish.Llama Education provided a great experience for me and anyone considering participating in the school should definitely do it!

Carlotta Weickmann: Ich habe eine Woche Sprachunterricht bei Maria genommen und auch dort gewohnt. Es war sehr toll. Die Lehrerinnen waren super lieb und aufmerksam und mein spanisch hat sich auf jeden Fall verbessert. Man lernt sehr viel in einer Woche und gewöhnt sich schnell ans sprechen.Ebenfalls habe ich die Freiwilligenarbeit mit den Kinder gemacht. Das war sehr toll, die Kinder sind super lieb und offen. Alles sehr zu empfehlen. Vielen dank Maria

Berber Dotinga: I have spend 4 lovely and intense week at llama education. I loved Raúl and Marta as my professors and learned so much. I went from basic to semi fluent!! Everyone is very welcome and caring. Would love to come back and recommended it 10/10.

Kevin Ehmke: Ich hatte eine wundervolle Erfahrung während meines einwöchigen Sprachkurses und kann das sehr kompetente und liebenswerte Team der Sprachschule nur weiterempfehlen!

Niklas Bobbe: Was here for 2 day a 6hours crash course. Was really good intensive 12 hours! Very caring & good teachers. Also they were able to speak good English if needed. The Training while walking outside in the city is also very helpful to master everyday interactions.

Etienne: ¡Hola amigo!J'ai étudié à Llama Education en septembre dernier durant 6 semaines, en logeant à l'école.Et bien moi qui ne parlait et ne comprenait pas un mot d'espagnol en arrivant; ma progression à été aussi surprenante que fulgurante !En une semaine, je me suis mis à comprendre et à parler -un peu-. Deux semaines je pouvais faire les basiques solo (aller au supermarché, coiffeur... ), en 3 semaines j'ai pu me débrouiller en tête à tête avec une latina 🤔😁 et ainsi de suite.Au bout de 6 semaines j'étais fin prêt pour voyager sans aucune crainte.Maria est une très belle personne, nous avons eu beaucoup de bonnes conversations et, cerise sur le gâteau, elle cuisine super bien !Le fait de loger à l'école m'a permis de rester en immersion totale et de pratiquer mon espagnol à temps plein.Les différents professeurs sont tous pleins de qualités et vous apporteront beaucoup, merci Martha, Jimmy et Manuel !Aujourd'hui je suis sur le point de rentrer en France après 10 mois d'aventures (pour la plupart au Pérou) et je parle couramment l'espagnol.Un grand merci à Maria et Llama Education, sans qui tout cela n'aurait pas été possible ! 🤗

Hamish Grime: Maria is such a lovely woman - shes great to learn with and very supportive. I particularly like that she provides plenty of information (and homework) and can structure the lessons for you but remains very flexible. She was great with all my questions and i felt i could take the lesson where i wanted. Definately recommend!

Kyle Green: I had been researching Spanish immersion schools all over South America for over a year before choosing Llama Education in Arequipa. What this school offers cannot be found anywhere else- teacher rotation for advanced listening skills/training, a structured curriculum that covers ALL tenses beginning with indicative and finishing with subjunctive, cultural education covering Incan history as well as Peruvian business and politics, sports, cuisine, music, and health and wellness, and the teachers are EXCELLENT. I completed the entire duolingo Spanish language course, the entire pimsleur Spanish audio course, and I had taken private lessons for 10 months before taking classes at the Llama school and I can honestly say that these are the best teachers you are going to find in any immersion program. Also important to note is that if at any time the school starts to reach peak attendance, Maria the owner of the school and head of the program has alternate locations to accommodate student overflow. This is a common complaint that other students have about other schools in other countries. Usually if a school reaches peak attendance, the group sizes just increase or lesser experienced teachers are brought in on a temporary basis and the students end up suffering. This WILL NOT happen at the Llama school. I would recommend the 6 week package and I would also recommend taking the local accommodation option or staying at the school. This guarantees a full immersion and a safe and healthier experience overall for a price that cannot be beat.My wife and I had an unexpectedly bad experience at an airbnb and Maria literally rescued us. Unexpected things happened and we needed help and Maria was there to help deal with our airbnb cancelation (made calls, translated, negotiated, saved us money) and found a last minute accommodation for us at the school. It was incredible. We ate well, toured the city, met and hung out with neighbors and friends, lived life as a local and left with an unforgettable experience.

Mike Cannon: Very good lessons. I learned the basics of Spanish. I highly recommend Christian, Christian is god. His expressions are perfect. Pretty good to imitate though.

Naomi Wong: I’ve had a great experience with Llama Education. All contact with Maria has been easy, friendly and always helpful. She made a customized program for me adapted to my level of Spanish at a schedule that worked best for me. For 5-6 weeks I followed individual classes, face to face (respecting all covid measures). The classes were 50/50 talking and grammar, which was a nice combination. My level increased a lot! Next to the classes, Maria helped me finding voluntary work during my stay in Arequipa and was always available to help or think along with me.Muchas gracias por todo Maria!

Julie Ha: It was my first time traveling to Perú– my first time traveling out of the country by myself, and I am so glad that I chose to go to Spanish Llama Education! I learned so much in a short amount of time. María and Martha made me feel at home and taught me so many things that I will keep with me forever.I came here for a few weeks, and Martha was my teacher. She taught me everything entirely in Spanish, and did so in a simple way, yet incorporated in lots of vocabulary. During this time, I had just completed the grammar series at my school, and wanted a way to practice outside of the classroom. At Spanish Llama Education, I learned a lot about the landscape, history, grammar, numbers, culture, cultural specific words/phrases, foods, and so much more of Perú. The experience felt very personal, because along with learning about the country, I learned a lot about myself, since Martha loved to ask me questions, and also loved to tell me stories. I liked that she made conversation feel natural and comfortable, and it was a welcoming space where I felt free to make mistakes, learn from it, and try to use new vocabulary that I’ve learned. Her handwriting was neat, and she used lots of colors, which helped me immensely. The paper worksheets were useful, and I thought they were wonderful resources that allowed me to refresh my knowledge of Spanish, and learn more from it. María was also my teacher on a few occasions, and she is also a wonderful teacher! I was so surprised to learn that there were many more rules for por and para, and other grammar stuff that they taught me, that I normally wouldn’t have been taught in a traditional American Spanish class. The wealth of knowledge that Martha and María had, and the way they taught it was great, and I’ve been so thankful that I’ve learned and benefitted so much from their teachings.Being a solo traveller, I felt lonely sometimes during my trip in Perú, but I loved that María was always there beside me. I ran into different troubles, but María always listened to me and gave me advice. She helped me navigate, and went walking with me around Arequipa. My favorite memories with María were at the dining room table, where she sat and talked with me. She always made me feel welcome in Arequipa, whether it be in her home or outside, and it let me know that I will forever have a friend in Perú. She also helped me book a tour to Colca Canyon, where I had so much fun! I learned a ton about Spanish and Perú, and was able to fully immerse myself in it. Even after finishing my weeks at the school, María still went out of her way to help me with a problem that I had with a phone company, and spent so much time helping me, and I am forever grateful for that. I feel so much love and respect for María, who is so caring and loving to all students that come to her Spanish school. I will always remember her kindness, and we still keep in touch to this day!In Arequipa, I’ve done so many fun things– I went to Plaza de Armas, Colca Canyon, the mall, took dance classes, ate yummy food, took Spanish classes, got my hair dyed, went horseback riding, walked around the city, but most of all what I cherish the most is how much Spanish I’ve learned in such a short amount of time and the wonderful friendships that I had formed with the dance group, María, and Martha. They made my first time in Perú a memorable experience that I keep very dear in my heart.I highly recommend Spanish Llama Education to everyone of all levels! María is very responsive through texts and emails, and can find what you are looking for and cater the material to your Spanish learning needs. I remember not being able to go the first time, but I still kept in touch with María and attended the school a year later. The staff at Spanish Llama Education will help you every step of the way, and you will come out learning a lot!Thank you so much, María and Martha, for everything! 3

Bart Doolaard: Wow, we had such a great time at this fantastic language school! Me and my girlfriend spent two weeks learning Spanish here. Maria, the owner, is very kind, approachable and attentive to the needs of the students. We enjoyed the atmosphere in the school, it is a homely environment which worked great for us.We were taught by teachers Jimmy and Marta and would highly recommend both, both for their expertise and their sense of humour! We practiced conversations with Manuel who was very kind, funny and did more than his best to learn us his language.In two weeks time we went from basic spanish to a very satisfying intermediate level of spanish. We did not expect to be able to understand and speak this much and are very grateful for the entire experience, all we have learned and the great laughs! Therefore we would highly recommend learning Spanish at this school in Arequipa :)

Caleb Wright: Not only was Llama Education the best way to improve my Spanish rapidly, it is a invaluable experience that has brought me friendships and memories that I will cherish for the rest of my life.I traveled to Peru in January 2021, the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in the US, during my final semester of remote learning at a university in California. I was very anxious about being abroad during the pandemic, however when I arrived in Arequipa at María's home, I soon realized everything would be okay. María worked all day to ensure that we felt safe by disinfecting the house regularly, following public health guidelines inside and outside the house, and helping us navigate Peru's constantly changing COVID regulations. María also accompanied us to a COVID testing site and cleared up confusion with the testing staff so that we could get the necessary tests for our return flight to the US, which I am not sure we could have done on our own. All this is to say that above the language learning and travel experience, María is dedicated to ensuring the safety and well-being of her guests, even during times of unprecedented crisis and hardship such as the pandemic.Now, onward to the experience itself! I stayed in Arequipa with María and her daughter for 6 weeks, taking 20 hours of total Spanish lessons each week. I had taken 4 years of Spanish classes in high school prior, but had not practiced or used the language regularly since then (about A2 level or maybe a little less because of how rusty I was). After the 6 weeks with María and her fantastic teaching staff, I am now studying to take the DELE exam at level B2, which is a HUGE leap. María tailors the learning experience to each student by alternating between grammar instruction and conversational practice with multiple trained instructors. This approach was perfect, as I was able learn the crucial grammar concepts and then immediately apply them in conversational practice in a way that was impossible during my high school classes and self study.Beyond language instruction, my time in Arequipa was filled with adventure and memories. My friends and I made a pact to only speak Spanish for the duration of the trip (which we succeeded in for the most part) which was difficult at first, but after 10 days or so we were able to converse around the house without major difficulty in communicating. We spent many hours around the table eating María's delicious Peruvian meals (Papa a la huancaína, pollo a la brasa, and anticuchos were some of my favorites!) and learning more and more about each other--something I never had done in second language before. It was like my friends and I had been adopted by María and made part of her loving family! She showed us around Arequipa's historical sites (plaza de armas, monasterio de santa catalina) and even woke up at 3:30am with me to go see the sun rise over Misti and the other volcanoes that tower over Arequipa. María used her network of connections to get us a great deal on a private guided trek through Colca Canyon, the most awe inspiring place I have ever visited. After spending the night in a cabin near the the bottom of the canyon and learning Kechua phrases from our guide and his friends by the river water-filled pools, I knew that this was the most special trip I had ever taken.If the message is not already clear, GO NOW! Start making your plans to stay with María and prepare for a one of kind experience that will drastically improve your language skills, stretch your mind, and fill your heart with love of a new place and the incredible people you will meet. For me, Llama Education was the a major step in a lifelong journey of language learning and the beginning friendships that will extend far beyond my stay in Arequipa.Thank you María, Sonja, Martha, and everyone else who made this trip so special!

Leon Aff: I stayed with Maria at Llama Education for three weeks and did the Misti course. Maria was very accommodating and the lessons were very thorough. I tried 2 language schools in Arequipa and this was by far the best one - highly recommended.

Chris Wu: I had the pleasure of spending a week of Peru exploration in the beautiful Arequipa. I went there for its famed culture and food, and while they turned out be amazing, one of my best experience was with the Llama school and my teachers. I was pretty beatup energy wise after traveling all over on the bus for weeks and I had low expectation going into my 4 hours a day one on one classes. But Maria and Lucero did a great job advancing my understanding of the language. Maria who is also the owner, brought tremendous warmth, knowledge and different ways of teaching every morning, and Lucero brought a lot of energy, patience and determination as we drilled the morning knowledge into the mind during the afternoon. I am not the easiest student of the world by any means as I asked a ton of questions all over the place base on all the cultures and grammars I been exposed to over the years in Latin America, incredibly they answered most of it and by the end of week I had a good grasp of all the advanced grammars which I didn’t think was possible unless I had a month or more. And I can definitely feel the difference with my verbal and reading comprehension during the rest of my trip and even now back home socializing with native Spanish speakers. If you want to improve your Spanish in a comfortable, supportive environment and don’t mind a bit of hard work, I strongly recommend Maria and Lucero and Llama school. Cheers and good luck.

willem martens: I had an amazing experience at Llama spanish school. It’s a cozy school with very friendly people. Maria, the owner, really listened to my wishes regarding the things i wanted to learn and even more. Furthermore, i stayed at a host family that they arranged and it was was lovely. It really took the experience of learning Spanish to another level in combination with the private classes I got. If you consider learning Spanish in Arequipa, i would definitely recommend this school!

Francois Girard: I had an amazing experience studying at Llama Spanish School and staying with a local family. Paola’s food was hands down the best I had in 2 months in Peru, and staying with her family was an amazing authentic experience that I will for ever remember. Maria was extremely welcoming at the school and the teaching was highly professional. I already had an advanced level of spanish and still managed to significantly improve in 1 week. I strongly recommend this school in every way.Francois