Nueva Lengua it is an excellent language school in a beautiful part of the world.

Before arriving at Nueva Lengua, with a very limitedknowledge of Spanish, I worried that 6 weeks in Cartagena might be too long.But, once I had been greeted by the brilliant teachers and met some of the many students in the same position as me, I realized that the school was a perfect place to learn the language, meet new people and explore the region around Cartagena.

The group classes, which technically have a maximumnumber of 8 students but were generally far smaller, were excellent. I quickly became accustomed to the 8 am starts in the morning and really enjoyed learning the language with other students at roughly my level. The debates in class, often in fairly broken Spanish in my first few weeks, allowed us to explore interesting themes such as Colombia history and politics. The classes themselves perfectly blended grammar, conversation and written work – and the homework ensured I didn’t forget what you’d learnt but didn’t take over my evenings either. Towards the end of my time at the school I also took private classes which allowed me to move forwards quickly and also focus specifically on the things I struggled with.

The great thing about Nueva Lengua is that it is far more than just a language school. Included in the price of your classes are regular trips and activities. On Tuesdays, for example, there are regular cooking and dancing lessons which allow students to enjoy local cuisine and then embarrass themselves while attempting to move their feet to salsa. Other trips include visits to local museums and historical sights, activities like volleyball and sea kayacking, and longer day trips at the weekend to nearby beaches and islands. I enjoyed every trip I joined, and they were a fantastic opportunity to get to know my fellow students too.

Cartagena is a brilliant base to learn Spanish. It’s a beautiful city, with a fascinating history and plenty going on. The nightlife is great and in general the city is safe enough to walk around alone too. The school is well run, and highly organized and things always seem to go smoothly. The teachers are great and, if you’re having any problems at all in school or in general, will always be there to help out.

I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Nueva Lengua to anyone looking to learn Spanish and have a great time.

This article was originally written in English