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We spent 3 months in Guanajuato taking private classes twice a week at Escuela Falcon, and highly recommend. Smart, talented and engaging teachers (special shout out to Beto, Celeste, Fernando and Ivonne) with a wide array of levels and courses, which you have the chance to switch up weekly depending on your learning goals. The administrative staff is equally excellent and do their best to accommodate your needs (thanks Tania, Joseph and Melina). They are also an excellent resource on all things Guanajuato. EF also offers different excursions/events each week to put your Spanish skills to use as well as learn more about the history and culture of the area. We enjoyed our time there and learned a lot! …
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Date of experience: February 2020
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I planned four weeks in Guanajuato expressly to improve my Spanish. I chose Guanajuato over San Miguel de allende specifically because of the lack of English spoken in the city vs the huge numbers of US and Canadian expats in SMDA. My goal was to improve my Spanish. There were a few things about Falcon that were disappointing. First, they could’ve been more organized. Second, the teachers were hit or miss. I had some really good ones and some less than average ones. Third, all of the rooms are small empty rooms with horrible acoustics and bad echoes. I have very good hearing and I frequently had problems with auditory comprehension due to the poor acoustics of the rooms. The vast majority of the students at falcon are in their 60s and 70s and Many told me that with their older ears the acoustics made it very difficult for them. Fourth, it was interesting that at age 54, I was among the youngest students there. In the two weeks I was there I believe I only saw four people younger than me. I was an advanced beginner/intermediate Spanish language student and Enjoyed many of my classes there. Others were a waste time and money. My wife, who was a rank beginner, switched from falcon to Adelita, because falcon didn’t seem to be able to accommodate rank beginners. My wife got extremely frustrated and was much happier once she switched to Adelita. I only spent two weeks at the school. I spent the last two weeks on my own, talking to people and shops, in the park, and businesses, etc. and got far more out of that then in the school. That work for me, it might not work for you. All of the schools in town seem to be very flexible and accommodating. If you don’t like one, try another!…
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Date of experience: February 2020
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This review is utterly different to most you see for this school on Trip Adviser. I am happy to say that is because my situation was different: a complete novice and a lot of time booked there to learn. If you are in a similar situation (particularly with regards knowing NO Spanish) then I hope the following is useful: No English is spoken in any classes. No reading material is provided in English. If you don't have an internet connection to translate, you're stuffed. There is no 'plan' for students. Even if you do complete their entrance exam, I didn't get the sense that the school considered it. Different teachers might teach you the same thing within a couple of days. That's not because you need to practice, it's because the teachers don't talk to each other. You might get an entirely different set of teachers from one week to the next and they have no idea what you know or have been taught. You will only notice this if you are there for a period of time. If you are there for a week or your Spanish is better than mine was, I guess the other reviews are more relevant. I am happy to say that some teachers are very good, and the office staff are very helpful. However, I really do not consider Falcon to be a school. It's a number of rooms that places a student in a room with a teacher and has no more responsibilities to the teaching than that. After 6 weeks of this situation, the school acknowledged my criticisms enough to give me a refund. Please read into that what you will. I am writing this after a period of reflection in order to genuinely give some advice to anyone who is in the position I was. I am now at a different school in a different city and the experience is fundamentally different. Good schools for beginners are out there.…
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Date of experience: October 2019
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I have just returned from my third visit to Guanuato and Escuela Falcon. I can't wait to go back.The teachers are patient, supportive, and very capable. They cater to learners of all ages and abilities. I have studied Spanish at schools in Ecuador, Uruguay, and Argentina but I regard EF as superior to any of those. But, EF is more than just classes. It is a community offering many interesting cultural and social activities. I felt completely welcome. Every morning I was greeted by name as I arrived. I took four lessons per day. The 55 minutes passed quickly and I was never bored. The teachers very sensitive to my learning style and created lessons well suited to me.…
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Date of experience: December 2019
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I loved everything about Escuela Falcon. The teachers are patient, kind, clear and knowledgable. I was only there for a week (20 hours at 4 hours a day) but I learnt so much and am so much more confident now. My Spanish is still basic but I can have conversations now and ask important questions as I continue my travels through Mexico. I was taught my Mauricio, Ivonne, Camila and Ricardo. They were all great but very different in their teaching styles. This combination worked really well though for me, as I got a good balance and got to hear lots of different accents. I would highly recommend this school (there are also tons of fun social activities organised that help the community to bond), and hope to visit again in the future!…
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Date of experience: September 2019
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