In Quito, at 2,850 m: personal one-to-one lessons and online courses. And if you feel like it, you can add a clinical elective at a hospital or a trip across Ecuador.
The Escuela de Español Atahualpa in Quito was founded in 1994 and is an independent, privately run language school. Teaching is mostly one-to-one, with experienced native-speaker teachers holding an Ecuadorian university degree.
Founder & Director
A degree in Spanish and Literature, specialising in Spanish for international learners. She plans the lessons, prepares the teaching materials and runs the school on site in Quito.
Spanish teacher
Over 18 years of experience teaching Spanish to international learners, with a degree in Spanish-language education. She loves sharing Ecuador's language, culture and traditions.
Administration
Takes care of the organisational side and coordinates internships and volunteering, so everyone feels at home from day one.
You speak from day one and use your Spanish right away: with locals, at the market, on the go. That's how you get a real feel for the country and its people, and a good warm-up for the medical field too.
Comfortably from home. 1–2 hours, 2 days a week, with a fixed teacher.
Take your lessons on the road: learn Spanish and speak it right away as you travel. Through the Andes, the Amazon & the Pacific coast, accompanied by your teacher. Learn more →
At 2,850 m, Quito is one of the highest capitals in the world. Its old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and there are snow-capped volcanoes all around. Our school sits centrally in the La Vicentina Alta district, among markets, cafés and small shops.
Ecuador has it all at once: the Andes, the Amazon, the Pacific coast and the Galápagos. And a lot of it is right on your doorstep: in just 1–2 hours you're at the Cotopaxi volcano, in the hot springs of Papallacta, in the cloud forest of Mindo or at the market of Otavalo. That turns every course into a little adventure.
Your own bedroom, plus kitchen and bathroom. If you like, you can share the apartment with one other person, for example with friends. Breakfast included.
Live with an Ecuadorian family with full board, close to real everyday life. A great way to pick up the language and culture and settle in quickly.
Lessons usually run as one-to-one: we adapt the content, pace and focus to your level and your goals. There's no placement test, we start exactly where you are, from complete beginner to advanced.
First words and sentences, introducing yourself, simple everyday situations.
Familiar topics, shopping, directions, daily routines, simple past.
Tell a connected story, give opinions, get by confidently in daily life.
Speak more fluently, handle complex texts and discussions, also at work.
Confident and nuanced, longer texts, subtleties and idioms.
Near-native, demanding topics with ease.
We teach Spanish in 11 lessons. As a rule you complete one lesson per week; at 20 hours per week you work through the entire Spanish grammar in roughly 8 to 11 weeks. On request we also prepare you specifically for the DELE diploma (Instituto Cervantes).
The lessons are a guide, not a rigid schedule. In one-to-one lessons you set the pace and focus yourself.
In the specialised courses you learn the vocabulary for your field, whether medicine and nursing, business, law, tourism or technology, at the same price as a regular course.
Medical Spanish for the clinical day-to-day is especially popular. If you're planning a clinical elective or placement: the hospitals are in Quito, the placement is free of charge and certified in Spanish, in close cooperation with the bvmd.
A language lives through taking part. That’s why we offer a colourful programme alongside your lessons.
Cook typical Ecuadorian dishes. ceviche, encebollado, llapingachos, locro de papa & empanadas, and enjoy them together.
Move to the music of Latin America and learn salsa with local teachers.
Old town (UNESCO), La Compañía & San Francisco, La Ronda, the Basílica, El Panecillo, Mitad del Mundo and the TelefériQo cable car up the Pichincha.
Otavalo market, Cotopaxi volcano, the Quilotoa crater lake, the Mindo cloud forest and the Papallacta hot springs. Often just 1–2 hours away.
About 2 hours a day we show you Quito: the colonial old town (UNESCO), museums, cafés and local street food. You add the program as you like. Markets, weekend trips and sights we plan together with you.
Tell us your level and preferred dates, and we'll get back to you with a suitable suggestion.