Teach English and practice your Spanish in Guatemala

….Speaking of change… Palin esta cambiando… cambiar tu tambien. Jajajajaja thank you brother… there is a place for you in Wales anytime!!!!

Thank you to the whole family at the school i felt like part of it! Thanks to Franco, Christian, Alejandro, Elbia and Ruben.. keep up the good work everyone you are doing a fantastic job!!!!! I will be back!!!!!

Nicolas

Thank you for the hospitality Raul! You were constantly going out of your way to make sure I had everything I needed and felt welcomed. I hope to return to Palin in the near future! Best wishes!

I have never been a teacher before and got kind of thrown into the deep end. But the students helped me to find my role and it became easier. Teaching was really rewarding, seeing the progress some of the students made in the two months I was there has been amazing. In the end I didn't really see myself as a teacher but mostly as their friend.

One last thing. When I got there I was barely able to speak a word in Spanish. In the end, by the help of the staff and the students, I was able to at least manage my everyday life in Guatemala in Spanish.

Raul is a kind, generous, and funny person. He treated me extremely well. I feel like we made a connection quickly and easily. The townhouse in the gated community has everything one needs and is near the pool, walking path, store, and bus stop. He purchased plenty of food to include the delicious fresh Guatemalan produce I already miss. We did numerous excursions and he gave me topnotch advice for a couple weekend trips to Monterrico and Lago Atitlan. It was perfect to learn about the Guatemalan culture as well as practice my Spanish.

This was my first Workaway experience. I traveled alone. Being with such welcoming people made it easier to be away from my husband and son. We hope to return in the future.

If you have a chance work with Raul, do it!!

First, I must say that Raul went above and beyond in taking care of me. Raul is a very friendly and fun guy. He picked me up from Antigua at the beginning of the week and brought me back at the end of it. He drove me to and from each class session. When I wanted to travel alone, he explained how to safely do so. When I had a sore throat, he brought me cough drops. He told me that if there was any thing I needed, I should let him know. I felt valued and safe.

If you do Workaway with Raul, you will be in an apartment in a safe gated community. The apartment is equipped with a kitchen, two bathrooms, two bedrooms, and a hot shower. I enjoyed watching some movies on the TV as well. It's a quiet community with some restaurants and grocery stores located inside of it, so if you don't feel like getting on a chicken bus to take you a few minutes down the road to Palin, you don't have to! I even had some Chinese food on one of my last days. That was some delicious comfort food for a homesick stomach.

Teaching in the academy was very enjoyable for me. It was my first experience actually teaching English in a classroom setting. Overall, the students are very attentive and eager to learn. They are respectful and grateful for the help you offer them as a native English speaker. As a Spanish speaker myself, I was able to teach in a way that took into account how native Spanish speakers think, and what may trip them up as they learn about English. Applying my own second-language skills was especially enjoyable for me, and the students helped me improve my Spanish as well! I had already been considering spending next year teaching English to Spanish speakers, but this experience solidified my interest and my confidence in my abilities to do so.

Do you enjoy teaching, communicating, and helping others? Are you easy-going, friendly, and looking to immerse yourself in a non-touristy town? Then I highly recommend this Workaway experience.

Thanks for everything, Raul!