Teaching Approach & Methodology
The core aim of our program is Total Immersion, enabling you to speak Spanish from the very first minute. To ensure the highest educational quality, all our instructors are native Guatemalans with formal academic degrees and specialized training in teaching Spanish as a second language.
Students work one-on-one with an instructor who will adapt to your learning pace. We offer morning and afternoon sessions, and classes can begin any day of the week by special arrangement.
Personalized Curriculum
Everyone is unique, with specific requirements and learning strategies. We begin your process with an oral and written test to assess your fluency. From there, your teacher will adjust the curriculum to match your level and professional needs. We can teach specialized vocabulary for fields such as healthcare, law enforcement, social work, and education.
Throughout your studies, you will take weekly oral and written exams—modeled after the Foreign Services Institute (FSI) style—to determine your competency and evaluate your rapid progress.
Our Course Materials
We have developed and refined our own course materials for a structured, week-by-week approach. Our methodology includes audiolingual, audiovisual, and communication systems, heavily utilizing a cognate approach to expand your vocabulary quickly while making fundamental grammar engaging and accessible.
Kie Balam offers you the unique opportunity to experience the warmth and hospitality of living with a local Guatemalan family during your studies. The host families we work with have years of experience welcoming international students to Quetzaltenango.
Our carefully selected families can accommodate a wide range of student needs. They are incredibly welcoming and will provide healthy, hearty meals every day. Often, families invite their students to join them for holidays and special occasions, giving you a unique, insider’s view of Guatemalan culture.
Please keep in mind that living with a host family means encountering cultural differences. Their lifestyle, daily routines, and living environment may be quite different from what you are used to. However, we encourage you to embrace these differences with a positive mindset, as they are an essential part of learning about a new culture.
If you are vegetarian, vegan, or have food allergies or special dietary restrictions, simply let us know. It is not a problem at all; we will gladly match you with the perfect family to accommodate your needs.
Ultimately, living with a host family is an invaluable step toward truly immersing yourself in Guatemalan culture and practicing your Spanish outside the classroom.
Live Like a Local: The Homestay Experience
Volunteer Programs
Our school was founded with the goal of improving the quality of life for those most in need. We remain committed to this purpose of helping and educating, which is why Kie Balam students have the opportunity to engage in meaningful volunteer work.
We will help you find the perfect placement in healthcare, education, or social work in Quetzaltenango and its surrounding areas. We match you with the social project best suited to your skills and interests at no additional cost. For the majority of our volunteers, this experience becomes a truly profound immersion into Guatemalan reality alongside their Spanish studies.
Experience it for yourself!
Available Volunteer Opportunities:
Healthcare & Special Needs
-
Fundabiem: Work with individuals with physical or mental disabilities, assisting in physical and occupational therapies and supporting special education programs.
-
Fundal: Work with individuals who are deafblind, facilitating learning activities that rely on touch and other senses to create communication tools, helping them reach their maximum potential and independence.
-
Clínica Jóvenes de María: Work in a pastoral hospital to promote, facilitate, and provide healthcare services with a focus on equity and culturally appropriate, humane treatment.
-
Centro de Salud: Work in a public health center serving low-income families, assisting with consultations, medical check-ups, vaccinations, and treatment for minor injuries.
Social Support & Education
-
Fundación Remar: Work with children, teenagers, and families facing psychological or physical challenges. Many of the children are orphans; the foundation helps feed, clothe, and educate them while providing the care they need. They also hold life-skills workshops to promote independence.
-
Nuevos Horizontes: Provide childcare to support women who are survivors of domestic violence.
-
Teaching English: Public schools in Guatemala rarely offer English classes before higher education. Volunteers can step in to teach basic English to children in local public schools.
Environment, Agriculture & Animal Rescue
-
Asociación Chico Méndez: Participate in a vital reforestation and tree-planting program in the mountains surrounding Xela, specifically in the municipality of Cantel.
-
Animal Rescue: Help local animal welfare organizations with fundraising activities, as well as bathing, playing with, and walking rescued dogs.
-
Finca la Florida: This community farm is located in an area known for its rich natural resources and optimal climate for agriculture, yet it remains a deeply impoverished region. During the civil war, community members fought for fair labor rights and ultimately won the right to own their community: La Florida. The farm operates as a cooperative: members work for the cooperative in the mornings and tend their own crops in the afternoons. Volunteers help cultivate organic coffee, bananas, and macadamia nuts—a great opportunity to gain hands-on agricultural knowledge. Visitors can stay in the "casa grande" (the property's original estate house) and share meals with different families during their stay.
