based on 12 reviews
I have taken group classes and 1:1 lessons with Gina and Juan at La Mexicana for more than 6 months, and they are fantastic. I have progressed so much in my speaking, listening, reading and writing. A small example: when I moved to Mexico I would ask someone how much something cost in a shop and then, even though I knew my numbers on paper, struggle to understand their response. Now, I always und... More
I have taken group classes and 1:1 lessons with Gina and Juan at La Mexicana for more than 6 months, and they are fantastic. I have progressed so much in my speaking, listening, reading and writing. A small example: when I moved to Mexico I would ask someone how much something cost in a shop and then, even though I knew my numbers on paper, struggle to understand their response. Now, I always understand those responses. I am able to chat with locals with more ease, and I don't feel left out in group conversations. Of course I still make many mistakes and have lots to learn but it feels very different to understand 80-90% of what is going on around you rather than 10%. Recently I was able to have a long conversation about the upcoming presidential election in Mexico with a new friend and I never could have done that 6 months ago. Juan and Gina have created their own workbooks and even though I have owned many Spanish textbooks over the years, their insightful ways of honing in on issues that cause the most difficulty for English-speaking Spanish learners has been super helpful for me. Many textbooks out there only teach the Spanish of Spain, and here I am learning the many nuances of Spanish in Mexico, from professionals with a ton of knowledge. I also really appreciate that they weave discussions about local slang, culture, and historical context into their lessons. We do all kinds of fun activities like translating song lyrics, reading Mexican authors, writing about our lives, and watching videos of comedians. I would highly recommend the mix of group classes and 1:1 lessons because it is great to have a chance to talk about topics and questions that interest me in my 1:1, but also great to have the camaraderie of learning with others in the group. There is no shame no matter where you are with Spanish, and there is always a smile even if you make the same mistake 10 times in a row. I have made many new friends in my classes and learned so much. The experience here has enriched my life immensely. I am already sad thinking about the day 3 months from now when I will have to say goodbye. It has always been a dream of mine to be bilingual and I feel like I am really on my way. Thank you, thank you! Less
Gina and Juan are doing a great job. The school is super familiar and relaxed. They teach you very well and fast in Spanish so you can make effort pretty quickly. Totally recommended.
Thanks to la Mexicana Spanish School, by the end of my stay in Sayulita I was able to communicate and even engage in conversations with locals. Learning Spanish during my stay was a highlight. The teachers are great and they make the lessons fun. I especially loved how they taught us Mexican slang, and taught us about the local food and culture. I would highly recommend this Spanish school to any... More
Thanks to la Mexicana Spanish School, by the end of my stay in Sayulita I was able to communicate and even engage in conversations with locals. Learning Spanish during my stay was a highlight. The teachers are great and they make the lessons fun. I especially loved how they taught us Mexican slang, and taught us about the local food and culture. I would highly recommend this Spanish school to anyone who wants to deepen their experience of traveling in Mexico and learning the language. Less
I have been taking 1:1 classes with Juan 3 days a week for just over a month now. I can't say enough positive things about this experience... Juan and Gina are both so kind and are wonderful teachers. I think the class structure is the perfect mix of focusing on grammar and building a strong foundation, as well as practicing conversational Spanish to build confidence with speaking. I've seen a lo... More
I have been taking 1:1 classes with Juan 3 days a week for just over a month now. I can't say enough positive things about this experience... Juan and Gina are both so kind and are wonderful teachers. I think the class structure is the perfect mix of focusing on grammar and building a strong foundation, as well as practicing conversational Spanish to build confidence with speaking. I've seen a lot of improvement over the past month- and I will miss having these in person classes- they were truly a highlight of my Sayu experience! La Mexicana is the perfect place to improve your Spanish skills in a relaxed, stress free environment with incredible teachers :). Less
I had 1.5 hour 1:1 lessons this week with Gina (and one lesson with Juan), and enjoyed the experience so much! They're both great teachers - they challenge you but it never feels too overwhelming or intense like sometimes 1:1 lessons can. Everything was explained so well, and as well as learning grammar and vocab I feel my conversational skills improved a lot - and through the lessons I was abl... More
I had 1.5 hour 1:1 lessons this week with Gina (and one lesson with Juan), and enjoyed the experience so much! They're both great teachers - they challenge you but it never feels too overwhelming or intense like sometimes 1:1 lessons can. Everything was explained so well, and as well as learning grammar and vocab I feel my conversational skills improved a lot - and through the lessons I was able to learn more about Mexican culture, Sayulita etc. One thing to flag was that in the planning stages before I arrived I found getting in touch a little bit challenging, but naturally when you arrive in a chilled place like Sayulita everything falls into place :) I hope to come back one day! Less
Did not speak Spanisch before coming to Mexico. Took 3 weeks with Juan. Just had a 40 min taxi ride to the airport and was able to have a decent conversation with the driver about my trip, the regions of Mexico I liked, why I liked them, where I am going next and was able to answer all his questions - that felt really great and like an actual conversation! :) Experiencing a country when you can a... More
Did not speak Spanisch before coming to Mexico. Took 3 weeks with Juan. Just had a 40 min taxi ride to the airport and was able to have a decent conversation with the driver about my trip, the regions of Mexico I liked, why I liked them, where I am going next and was able to answer all his questions - that felt really great and like an actual conversation! :) Experiencing a country when you can actually speak to the locals makes all the difference, so I am really happy I have "kickstarted" my Spanisch learning journey with Juan. So the progress speaks for itself. The process is also very fun - Juan is just a super cool dude, highly intelligent, very reflected, honestly interested in the conversations we were having. I enjoyed every minute and never felt bored or that the lessons are "labor". No matter if you have a few days or weeks, I recommend taking classes with Juan! Less
I took 2-hour lessons here for the past 3 weeks with Juan and had an amazing experience and learning curve. Lectures are a good mix between grammar, vocabulary and conversation. Can highly recommend to go here if you want to learn or improve your Spanish
Gina and Juan are both wonderful teachers! They make learning fun and in a comfortable setting. They were very flexible and accommodating. Can’t wait to be back and take more lessons if I get a chance!
Juan did an excellent job in focusing in on what I needed to work on most... my speaking and listening skills! We chatted for many hours over two weeks, improving my Spanish skills and vocab, as well as my knowledge of local history, customs and slang words. Chido! ;) Juan was very flexible and would always make time when was convenient for me. A very kind person, and a very patient teacher, I w... More
Juan did an excellent job in focusing in on what I needed to work on most... my speaking and listening skills! We chatted for many hours over two weeks, improving my Spanish skills and vocab, as well as my knowledge of local history, customs and slang words. Chido! ;) Juan was very flexible and would always make time when was convenient for me. A very kind person, and a very patient teacher, I will cherish my time at Spanglish and getting to know Juan and Sayulita better. Muchisimas gracias! Less
My wife and I had such an amazing experience with Gina and Juan learning Spanish during our time in Sayulita. Both Gina and Juan are exemplary teachers and wonderful people as well. The location is lovely. Class always felt fun while still challenging. Bonnie and I were at different levels of understanding and speaking when we first started Spanglish and they catered to our differences by creatin... More
My wife and I had such an amazing experience with Gina and Juan learning Spanish during our time in Sayulita. Both Gina and Juan are exemplary teachers and wonderful people as well. The location is lovely. Class always felt fun while still challenging. Bonnie and I were at different levels of understanding and speaking when we first started Spanglish and they catered to our differences by creating a curriculum that worked for both of us. I would highly recommend Spanglish Spanish School to anyone and everyone. Less
I have been taking private classes with Juan. Juan and Gina are very flexible and adapt to your needs and schedule. Juan was able to create a very encouraging environment to talk Spanish but at the same time he was still accurate in correcting me. Juan and Gina are dedicated to teaching and their students, they even created their own workbooks. I has been a true pleasure and never a boring moment... More
I have been taking private classes with Juan. Juan and Gina are very flexible and adapt to your needs and schedule. Juan was able to create a very encouraging environment to talk Spanish but at the same time he was still accurate in correcting me. Juan and Gina are dedicated to teaching and their students, they even created their own workbooks. I has been a true pleasure and never a boring moment! Less
I took 10 lessons with Juan and Gina over the course of a month, and learned so much! I especially appreciate Juan's infectious love of Mexican history and culture. Beyond just learning grammar, we read poetry and he even gave me a copy of short stories he'd written! It also doesn't hurt that the classroom is a beautiful rooftop overlooking the beach.