Spanish Experience Center

Enjoyed facility, teachers, activities and pears! Everything was perfect. Ability to group me with pears that would allow me to learn more every week was very satisfactory. Took 4 consecutive weeks and can now be functional in spanish in one to one discussions. 2 months of babel and about 700 words of vocabulary coming in the school made my experience most valuable.

I am very happy to have had the experience of attending classes in person for two weeks at your school. My teachers, David and Marta were first class and great maestros. I learned a lot from both of them and I had some very special students to share the experience with and made some new friends.
If I get a second chance to return for more learning, I will jump at the opportunity. Everyone associated with the school was warm and welcoming and I enjoyed the school's atmosphere very much. I enjoyed a couple of Patty's delicious lunches too.
The location of the school is perfect as it is in the older part of the city, and I felt very much that I was in Mexico.
'

I liked my class and my teacher very much. The location is great, it is easy to find a easy to get to even on the bus.
Facilities are older and there are stairs to climb but for me it was not an issue. I did not attend any activities outside the classes

Location of the school is close to perfect : near the beach and the Malecon. Nice school, nice classes, nice lunches. The receptionist, Susana, is outstanding : helpful and pleasant.

I had two teachers during my two weeks stay : David, which was perfect :provided well balanced teaching with lots of opportunities to practice. The second, Yovanny, while interesting, tended to take much of the time in class speaking himself. This shortened the time for students to participate, especially since we were seven in the class.

Social activities are very limited compared to other language schools I attended. Only supper on Friday and sometimes, a visit on Saturday.

I did not use the housing provided by the school. I was actually surprised that it existed since I was told that this opportunity did not exist.

I definitely enjoyed my week at the Spanish Experience Center. They placed me in a very appropriate level for learning Spanish grammar. My initial placement in the portion dedicated to conversation wound up being too advanced for my skills, so they worked with me to change instructors, which wound up being a great fit for me. Also, the daily lunch option was a terrific value and am outstanding culinary experience!

From my first moment at the school I felt welcomed. The school administrator welcomed me and showed me around and introduced me to my schedule and teachers. Each day we had a fantastic lunch from Patti. All the staff seem to enjoy working at the school and were very engaging. There was one social dinner night, which I could not join due to a schedule conflict. I'm grateful that there was this opportunity.

The school itself is nice with a number of classrooms. It is in a good neighborhood, not far from the main tourist area of Zona Romantica. It took me about 30 minutes to walk to school, which was perfect as I got to see much of central Puerto Vallarta.

The teachers (I had two) were excellent and incredibly patient as we struggled with their native language. We spoke entirely in Spanish, which is what I requested. It was a bit challenging at times, but again, what I wanted. I especially enjoyed laughing with my teachers. Besides learning a lot, we just had fun!

Finally, my classes. I took private lessons and had two teachers; 5 hours each day. It was an exhausting schedule and I think 5 hours might have been too much, but I decided to stick with my schedule. Along with homework, it was a 7-8 hour day. Again, this met my expectations. I felt like I did learn a lot. Not a giant leap in my knowledge, but slow progress. If I had any concerns, it might be that I was not sure my two teachers were coordinated, and I would have liked more structure to my day. I could have been more directive, but just went with the flow and still felt satisfied.

Overall, a great experience and I have signed up for 10 on-liine private lessons to continue my studies.

School itself is centrally located, airy and light inside with a large central atrium and roof deck for lounging and lunching - and for 100 pesos you can get a fabulous home cooked lunch as well. Classrooms are small but comfortable. Staff is very helpful and friendly. Our teacher, Rojelio, was a true master teacher - bright, funny, deeply knowledgeable, and a real pro at explaining concepts and gently pushing us the whole time. Classes seemed to fly by. In two weeks I made significant progress in both grammar and conversation. Would absolutely come here again.

The teachers were excellent and very well trained. I loved going to class. The location is perfect and very close to many housing options and great food. The facility was very nice and everyone there was helpful and friendly. I will be back for sure!

I only attended for one week while I was visiting Mexico. I liked both teachers and the fact that they made learning fun for us. I also enjoyed the opportunity to cook an authentic meal. I wish we had the change to go into the community and practice new words but I did that on my own.

The teacher was excellent, and the staff was remarkable helpful. The building and facilities were outstanding.

I had a very good first impression when I first walked into the school. Everyone was so nice and the building itself was clean and nice. The location of the school was also perfect. I was very glad that they had air conditioning because it’s hot in Vallarta. The school activities were fun and educational.

Terrific experience! I was amazed how much I learned in just two weeks. The threes hours of class per day raced past and by the second week, I didn't even bother to leave the room for breaks With just four students in class, we all had ample opportunity to speak in class. Our teacher, David, always provided lucid explanations, reinforced visually with writing on the white board. I greatly appreciated how he following exercises by stimulating spontaneous conversation to use the forms presented in our own speech. I also liked his homework assignments: we had to find a news article and present it to the class using the two past tense forms appropriately. Class response to oral presentations stimulated discussions of real life situations, with all of us reaching for vocabulary. David readily supplied needed words, and was immensely helpful in distinguishing between lexical items common in Mexico / Latin America as opposed to Spain.

My one sentence responses of the first week gave way to paragraph responses the second and I could follow lengthy explanations in Spanish by David. My confidence level led me to use Spanish in stores and restaurants which demonstrated how quickly I had advance. By the end of the first week I was already determined to sign up for another two weeks. Were it not for a scheduled medical treatment, I would be there now. I will return as soon as I can.

Clean, comfortable environment and the small class size guarantees personal attention. In full disclosure, I was a foreign language teacher until retirement. I highly recommend Spanish Experience Center in Puerto Vallarta without reservation.

I am 13 years old, and took 4 weeks of the teenage program in July 2021. My family came with me so I didn't use the housing facilities.

When I first came to the Spanish Experience Center I was really nervous, but overtime it became really fun to attend, and we did new things each day. I loved my grammar class; I thought that the teacher was really nice to me and was fine if I chose not to participate for whatever reason that day. I was extremely grateful towards her because I felt really special throughout my experience there.

The first week was a bit overwhelming, and although I enjoyed the classes, they left me really tired afterwards. As time progressed, I found myself really liking the school, and I enjoyed my conversation class. I thought it was really interactive, and though I'm normally a shy person, I found myself trying to confidently speak with my teachers, they wouldn't mind if I made mistakes, only correct me so if I had. I had a great time with my teachers, and I loved finding out more about them, and in turn, describing to them my life in Spanish. I shut other people out of my mind, but when I was at the school I found myself interacting with the students, happy that they seemed to be really friendly and as new as I was; I did not had to worry about not fitting in when I discovered everyone else was feeling the same way.

I enjoyed the activities that we did in grammar class; I really like playing the memory games and Jenga; I thought it was a great experience for bonding with the other teachers and students, and through playing games the atmosphere becomes really light and fun to be in. In my opinion the location was as good at the school, only a couple blocks from the beach, and I thought it was great because I could look out the door and almost see it.

Class rooms were comfortable despite the heat. Teacher presented interesting information. I would have preferred to have classes a little earlier in the day but understand scheduling problems. School was clean and, though I didn't eat, the meals looked very appealing and priced well. My housing was close to the school with WiFi and was clean with very good food.

I can highly recommend the program for any beginner or intermediate Spanish student. The instructors are friendly and professional and I wish I could have stayed more than 2 weeks. We signed up for a home stay which didn’t seem satisfactory/comfortable and the school offered a very nice alternative in a B&B type arrangement.

It’s a lovely facility in a very accessible part of town. Easy walking distance from much of the city.

The staff and teachers were absolutely wonderful. I will be taking more classes from them in the near future for certain.

I liked the classes, teachers (very professional) good location, varied activities after class including
a inexpensive delicious lunch if desired. There was also a free drop in class in the afternoon that I enjoyed.
The housing was adequate: close to the school, comfortable room, but interaction was limited: which was a bit disappointing.

I completed a one-week Spanish immersion course in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and it was so much fun! I was in a class with four other students of similar ability. The teacher (Sara) made the class interesting and fun. I’d love to come back and do many more.

loved the location very easy to get to and the facility itself is lovely: very clean and charming. The teachers are consistently patient and very knowledgeable not only about teaching strategies but also about Mexican culture and history, which is an important part of the learning process. you really felt that all the staff cared about your progress and well being.

I really liked my teacher. So much so I have booked her for lessons when I return at Christmas. The location was great and central... easy to get to by bus. The facility was so beautiful with its white plaster walls and stunning plants. So grateful for the air conditioned classrooms. I liked it all.

It was very different for me as I haven’t been in school for forty years or so. The teacher Bertha was great , the location excellent and seemed very safe and nice .The lunch that was available at school was excellent in all regards .I learned a lot and improved my knowledge of how to properly make simple sentences and conjugate correctly many verbs.
I would recommend it to anyone with that kind of budget and would seriously consider doing it again possibly for several weeks.
On a different note I received promotional mail about online studies in particular free online classes for those that sign up before 3/29/19.
Since I signed up during the time frame mentioned I wonder if I qualify for some free online training. Had a great time and please let me know about online studies.
Mucho mucho gracias y buenos Dias.
Look forward to hearing back from y’all.
Sincerely ,
Thomas Monroe

I had an excellent experience in Puerto Vallarta:

1- classes -- excellent! Every day I had 2 hours of advanced conversation with Laura and the class met all my expectations.

2 - The teachers are warm, friendly, helpful, and very well trained.

3 - Location - the "old Puerto Vallarta" is wonderful. The climate was perfect, I could walk in the sun on the Malecon and forget the snow and ice for a little while.

4 - facilities -- the school is very pleasant and superbly located, at the entrance of the Malecon.

5 - activities. There are activities programmed each week for which the students can sign up. Particularly two very interesting day-trips to Tuito and San Sebastian: two lovely Mexican villages in the mountains.

6 - My host family was very well located, close to the school. The senora was an excellent cook!

There is very little that I did not like. Only that, with each year passing, the "New" Puerto Vallarta is growing into something similar to Florida (big hotels, big stores, etc.) Unfortunately, Puerto Vallarta is losing its old charm!

The school is well located and has good physical facilities. Teachers are competent and use good teaching materials, such as books, games, homework. It was possible not only to study Spanish but also to explore the city Puerto Vallarta.

I likes the very small classes and quality of teaching. The building itself with its interior courtyard & fountain very attractive and well-maintained. The housekeeper offered Mexican dinners at noon for only 50 pesos which were very popular. I had hoped for more organized outings which some schools offer, but this was mostly left to the students themselves to organize. Also I was a bit surprised not to receive at least an attendance certificate indicating my level of Spanish, or asked to do an evaluation. On the whole a positive experience.

I was greeted right away and made to feel welcome by Susannah. I was placed in a class with Jovanny, and since I was the only beginner, Jovanny ended up being my private tutor! Jovanny was an excellent teacher, going at my pace, and he also interspersed stories about life in Mexico.

There were two events which I participated in. One was a walk around downtown PV with Enrique, which was fun. The other involved communicating with another school which taught English, so that the students from both schools could practice speaking to each other. Very helpful.

The school building itself was probably a former hacienda style residence, so it had lots of space and classrooms. There was also the opportunity to purchase lunch daily, an added bonus. The students that I met had more Spanish language experience than I did, but they were friendly, and it was great hearing their stories.

I stayed for 6 weeks of classes at the SEC and I would say that the only thing which was a problem was the enrollment through language international . My check did not get cashed in time even though I said frequently that it had to be cashed by a certain date to be valid . My contact , Matthew, tried to help , but he was stymied by the LI bureaucracy . It was much easier once I was in Mexico and just paid by credit card .

The school was physically very pleasant and was in a location that was fairly easy to get to - not in El Centro or in the Romantic Zone , but close enough for students to get back and forth by walking or taking a short bus ride . At first , I was a little nervous about being a 15-20 minutes walk from the center of town , but very soon , I found that there were shops ( including three very good ice cream shops ) a supermarket , a laundry , cafes and restaurants to fulfill all my needs very close by - as well as a beach . . My Casa de Familia was less than 5 minutes away from the school and my hostess was very friendly , took care of everything I needed and always had my chosen breakfast ready for me in the morning .

There was a wide variety of teaching styles among the 6 or so teachers . This meant that some lessons worked better than others . The times that the lesson didn't work for me were when a teacher would teach a grammar point and then not follow up with lots of opportunities to practice or speak to each other . Some teachers would occasionally go on tangents telling anecdotes which improved our listening skills but did not help us in speaking . There was not a lot of difference between the grammar classes and the "conversation" classes . In one instance , I had to remind one teacher that we needed " más" conversación" at the next conversation class . My favorite grammar classes were ones in which we learned something completely new that I had never heard of before , followed up by oral exercises using the new piece of grammar . I also enjoyed the grammar classes with videos and games . My favorite conversation classes were the ones where we played games which required us to think on our feet while we asked questions or made statements.. I also liked when teachers taught us useful idiomatic expressions and explained what was "más comun" in Mexico.
For example , one teacher taught us that " me cuesta trabajo " was a more idiomatic way of saying " it is hard for me " than translating from the English as " es dificil para mí" .

I will admit that when I was put back into the beginners group , I found the very old-fashioned method of conjugating various irregular verbs aloud as a class helpful to me even though other students didn't like it .

The challenge , as I see it , is to give us enough repetition of useful vocabulary , idiomatic expressions and dialogues that without boring everyone , we learn to say certain things automatically without first translating them from English .

For example , having us memorize dialogues we could use with each other in class might be helpful . When I bemoaned the fact that my speaking was not improving as much as I would have liked, the teachers uniformly answered " practica": practice was the only way to become more fluent . For me , it was less practice - since I could say something to someone once and never say that exact same sentence again , than repetition of some things that I was likely to say many times which would make them stick in my brain .


This is because when I had to speak outside of class , I was often flummoxed by an inability to figure out how to convey a new idea in an idiomatic way . Repetition was key to my learning style . For example, every morning , most of our teachers asked us what we had done the night before . This meant that we had to learn the preterite of many irregular verbs and I eventually became better at using them . I still thought in English and did better when I wrote things out first than when I spoke off the cuff . After about the 4th week , I began to be able to "fake it " better i.e. when I did not know how to some something exactly , I would work around it by using the vocabulary I knew and didn't worry if I was using an incorrect verb form.

It was a little confusing the way we were assigned to classes . This was in part due to people coming for short periods and then leaving . At first , I was put into an intermediate class with people who were much more fluent than I , because I did so well on the written test . Then , I was bounced around to advanced beginners classes with some people who were slightly more fluent but mostly with people at my level of fluency or lower . My knowledge of grammar and vocabulary was above theirs. This is not a complaint ; it was just a mystery to me how they decided to put a person in one class one week and another class another week. I am sure it had something to do with both the availability of staff and who was enrolled that particular week who was more or less at my level.

Patti made wonderful lunches for us at 50 pesos a pop! It was too bad that we had to eat it all in 20 minutes if we had afternoon classes . The staff was uniformly kind and helpful, answering all our questions and aiding us when we needed it . Even when I asked to have more classes with a particular teacher who I felt helped me the most with conversation, they were able to do that and I noticed that they were very accommodating to two people who felt that the advanced beginners class was beyond them and for someone who spoke Spanish fluently while making grammatical errors but didn't really want to learn grammar . I heard that the beginners were very happy in their new class and the woman who didn't want to learn grammar opted for private classes which she was thrilled with .

There were supposed to be free one hour "contraste" lessons on a series of topics and one free private lesson a week .
I believe few people took advantage of them because they weren't advertised enough . Several people I spoke to didn't even know about them . I took one private lesson and one contraste lesson. .

There were once weekly evenings out at local restaurants , hikes to the Mirador , occasional cooking classes and weekend guided tours to San Sebastian offered by one of the teachers . Unfortunately , I was unable to attend any of the events except for the tour of the mountain town of San Sebastian. I heard that many of the events were poorly attended . I am not sure if this was because people had busy schedules, not enough advertising or because of the time of year . One cooking class had only one student ( who said it was wonderful , by the way . ) In my case , I had scheduled evening events before I heard about the excursions.

If I am able to , I shall come back again to Puerto Vallarta and see if I can improve even more . The people at the SEC are really quite wonderful .

Nice, home fill like services. Teachers are fun and creative. Nice facilities.

Facilities are welcoming and comfortable.
Staff are pleasant, knowledgeable and engaging.
Experience was wonderful although I did not accomplish as much as I anticipated (my issue!).

It was a very well run school. I would go back there again.

My private lesson's teacher, Enrique Jimenez, stated a "firm foundation in the Spanish language" was the primary focus of his teaching. I received that as well as everyday phrasing and familiar usage. We met two hours a day, five days a week, for four weeks!
Enrique was well organized, articulate and passionate about his teaching! Enrique has a charming, pleasing personality! When I ask a question he would stop, went to the chalkboard addressing each until I fully understood!
The Center is located in the town, several blocks away from the Malecon-a gorgeous mile and a half walk along the Bay of Banderas ("4th largest bay in the world").

The Center itself is charmingly Mexican. Well appointed rooms surround an open air atrium several stories plus a roof top deck-3 block from the sea. An added benefit was a daily Mexican luncheon cooked and served on site. Students shared (in Spanish) while enjoying reasonably priced authentic Mexican meals. My teacher even engaged all of us in cooking a meal one afternoon!

Outside activities were offered: to local restaurants, trips to outlying historic villages, a rodeo, and beach trips.

Housing: that was my concern, the far distance from town, transportation, etc. Well I was within walking distance (several blocks) of the School. My "home stay" was with a lovely family, in a four bedroom three bathroom apartment overlooking the sea. Meals were provided by a beautiful young woman who cooked for us six days a week. Mariaches, church bells, and the waves on the rocks put me to sleep each night! Muy bonito!

The month went by too fast and I can't wait to return to The Spanish Experience Center and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
On a personal note; I am 75, went alone and could not have been safer or more cared for!

My experience was wonderful. Sarah was patient and kind and made me feel very comfortable. Her teaching was clear and I learned a lot. My comfort level with speaking Spanish has increased exponentially. The school is situated in a very pleasant Mexican home and was centrally located. I did not use the local home stays nor attend any of the weekly activities so I cannot comment on them. I would definitely go the school again and would recommend it to others.

Excellent instructor, great facility, diverse group of students, and a wonderful learning experience! This was my first Spanish class. I took the standard (3 hours per day). I was concerned about the Spanish immersion method but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The Spanish Experience Center is located a few blocks from the beach in Puerto Vallarta. I traveled alone and had a fabulous time. When I got home, I signed up for a Spanish course. I'm looking forward to my next Spanish course/vacation.

When I retired I decided to keep my mind active and become a Spanish student. There are many reasons to learn Spanish; it is a major world language (especially in America ), knowing Spanish will make trips to Latin countries easier, and most importantly, if you speak Spanish you will be able to learn the customs and cultures of the countries you visit.
I live in a small town in Canada, where I could not receive vocational education, so I searched online until I found the SEC. I'm glad to have found them. I attended classes at the SEC for three years (2009-2011) and I progressed from a beginner to an intermediate student through classes at school. The teachers I had were very professional and most importantly wanted to see their students progress. The facilities were perfect and all the staff were friendly and willing to make my time productive and fun at school.
However, due to the size of the school it is impossible to organize classes that are perfectly suited to the level of all students. It is my opinion that a class can not progress as fast as the slowest student in the class. If a student is not dedicated to the study, or the student is lower than the other students in the class aspirations, then the pace of learning is slower. This was not a problem for me until I became more advanced in my studies. I had specific goals I wanted to achieve when I returned each year to the SEC and as time passed I realized that when the other students in the class were only interested in learning enough Spanish to be able to go to the clubs at night my goals could not be achieved.
So without hesitation, I recommend the SEC for any student at the beginner level, but for a more advanced student classes I think
one-on-one would be more appropriate, which I can not afford because they are expensive .
The SEC gave me the confidence to try to have conversations in Spanish whenever I can and it made me even more dedicated to learning more. I will always be happy that I attended the classes that I've done at the SEC and I hope facility prospers so this service can be offered to new students in the future. Good Luck!

Note: you will see that I have entered dates that are impossible! This is because they do not apply to my review.

I enjoyed my experience at this school. I have studied here the past 5 years during the holidays. Sarai, my teacher, is excellent. She is dedicated to her profession, something that is constantly on display in the room. Her approach to teaching Spanish is holistic. She introduces grammar in a cultural context. The team is also dedicated to students. There are food shops and tours of the city.

I recommend this school to anyone wishing to study Spanish while on vacation in a place of support and relaxing as Puerto Vallarta.

I loved my teachers and the reasonable rates at SEC. I hope to come back! I attended at the end of 2006 (Dec.) or the beginning of 2007 (Jan). I did mostly the morning classes and one-on-one for a couple of hours in the afternoon. I really enjoyed the socials that they had at a local restaurant, at no extra cost; that was a great experience, too. Say hi to my teachers if they are still there.

The classes, teachers, workers at facilities, location, even the pickup at the airport was great. I wish I could do it all again. I made a friend from a classmate, and even got the help of a teacher to accompany me to a grocery store to buy a washcloth (small towel for washing face). I enjoyed staying for lunch with the school facility and everyone was friendly, open, and trustworthy.
The only trouble I had was that I was living so far away from the school and downtown area. I couldn't communicate with my host family, and trying to get on the correct bus to get to school, I found myself lost somewhere within the city residential area. It was a difficult situation on the first morning of classes, showing up almost 2 hours late. Looking back at the situation now, I find myself thankful to God for the experience to get lost in a foreign city, keep my thoughts positive, and find friendly, compassionate strangers to lead me back to the downtown area.

The host family had a younger son living downstairs that spoke a little English, which allowed me to feel welcome. The home was nice, the people friendly and trusting, I just felt too far away from the school.

It was a very funny time in Mexico. I couldn't speak any Spanish but I could improve a lot in only one month. Also we went out and met some local people from Vallarta. It is very important that you meet local people to learn how to communicate in another country - "learning by doing."
What I learned in this school I could use until now.
To learn a language easier I think it is very important to play some games. It is more fun.

The school is perfect for the student learning basic and intermediate Spanish. PV is a great city in which to study and the school's facilities are very good for Mexico. I would appreciate a more formal approach for the more advanced classes. The use of standard books for the B2, C1 and C2 levels would be of great interest to me. I am currently in Málaga, Spain in a school with the standard European level textbooks. Thanks!

I liked the combination of learning Spanish and experiencing the Mexican culture very much. The teachers care a lot for their students and their personal needs concerning their Spanish Level. The nice and friendly atmosphere in the school is a perfect surrounding for learning the language. I´d like to thank the whole team for the good time I had!

I was very happy to find a Spanish school near my apartment. Sarai was my teacher and she was very competent. I was happy to learn the Spanish language.

I studied for four weeks and strongly recommend the Spanish Experience Center. The teachers are highly skilled, and the entire staff strives to meet the individual needs of students. The school offers a friendly, warm atmosphere, and provides cultural activities outside of class as well as countless opportunities to practice your Spanish language skills.

I took the Executive Program and studied for 8 hours a day. I could not have been more pleased with the quality of instruction and dedication that my teachers provided. The skills I acquired at the Spanish Experience Center have benefited me both personally and professionally.

If you want to learn Spanish and have a lot of fun while doing it, you need to study at the Spanish Experience Center!

As I had very small classes, I could benefit greatly. The teachers are very open, friendly, and helpful.

The school location is ideal. Very close to the city center, and just minutes from the beach. What more could you ever want? The school has good infrastructure. You always have an open ear. In addition, the private residence with a host family is excellent. Since few students were present during my stay, there was not much in our activities.

What I do not like: The fact that I had to go home after 3 weeks. :(