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Spanish in Cuenca, Ecuador by Duncan Ansell

"The family I stayed with were great, and the food was very good indeed, although the Ecuadorian insistance that you should eat as much food as possible at meal times was sometimes a little overwhelming! My room was spacious and I had a balcony from which I could peer at the goings-on at the football stadium and listen to the endless barking of the neighbourhood dogs. Edgar and Augusta were very kind to me; they involved me in their family get togethers (Augusta became a grandmother while I was there - many tears of happiness were shed over baby Jorge) and I felt very welcome.

The town of Cuenca was a good place to stay for my 6 weeks: not too big, not too small, and in parts very beautiful and it seemed to me fairly quiet and sleepy. While I was there Miss Universe was on and 'Las Misses' paraded round the town to the biggest crowd of people in the streets I've ever seen. It seemed to be the biggest thing that had ever happened to the town!

The school itself made me feel very welcome. It was my first experience of such a language school and I felt that the staff generally cared about their students and the standard of teaching. The other students ranged in age from 18 to 45, most in their early 20s and, curiously, most of them came from Switzerland. Others were from assorted European countries and some from N.American. I made a lot of friends and drank a lot of beer, which, if you use these two things as an indicator of a good time, show that I really enjoyed my time in Cuenca. As for my Spanish, well, at the time I left the school, I could have a pretty decent conversation and understand most things that were said to me in Spanish, and for my travelling around South America afterwards the course proved if not invaluable, certainly extremely helpful. Unfortunately I'm a little out of practice now (I'm actually living in Germany), but I know that when I return to a Spanish speaking country I'll at least be able to get by."

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Spanish in Morelia, Mexico by Sebastian Koetter
Individual Course (20 lessons per week)

"I thought the school was a highly professional institute with a great atmosphere, excellent student service, perfect teachers and perfect host families (highly recommendable!!!). I stayed with a very nice host family near the city centre. I liked the family atmosphere and the possibility to speak Spanish after school.

Morelia is a very beautiful city with a lot of history and interesting buildings. I recommend everyone to learn something about Mexico's history in advance to get a better understanding of the speciality of this place. What did I enjoy most about my trip? EVERYTHING!"

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Spanish in Alicante Playa, Spain by Ben Paton
General Course (20 lessons per week)

"The school is very nice and the teachers are very friendly. Because it is a smaller school there is a family atmosphere and everyone gets to know everyone else really quickly. The school is right in the centre of the city and pretty much everything you need in Alicante is walking distance.


The thing I've enjoyed most is getting to know all the other students at the school and learning Spanish. When I arrived I was a complete beginner at Spanish and now I can really understand a lot and speak a little bit. Communicating and getting around Spain is no longer a problem."

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Richard Bradford
CELTA in New York, USA

"All the schools we visited in the US demonstrated the same high level of customer service that we encountered elsewhere - in restaurants, shops and in the street. America is a fantastic destination for language learning, and New York still has to be the most vibrant and exciting cities of all.

Although the US has other TEFL qualifications, and many people opt for the MA Education route, the CELTA is still considered the strongest 4-week intensive course, and many Americans are using it to launch a gap year, travelling and teaching around the world. On their return, the combination of CELTA and teaching experience is enough to get them work on the private language school circuit."

                                                                               more course info >>

Feeling hot hot hot...?
7 day Easter Spanish Special in Playa del Carmen only £149! Explore Aztec ruins or hit the beach for some early-summer rays. For more info email Elvira...

New Evening Language Courses for Brighton!
We are pleased to introduce Japanese and Arabic to our Brighton evening classes. If you are interested in learning either of these fascinating languages please phone
0845 130 4775 or email Anna...

 You automatically become a Cactus VIP if you have taken more than one language holiday with us  and/or if you have sent in particularly useful feedback following on from your Cactus holiday.

 Those of you who are already Cactus VIPs now have your own section to log in on the home page of  our website. This gives you access to your unique web pages, offering fun language- and travel-  related information such as world festivals, recipes, mini language guides and a monthly photo  competition - plus, of course, amazing special offers as follows...

 * Cactus VIPs Offers - February*

 Cactus Group Holidays - £25 off holiday price (valid all year). Please quote your Customer Number  & Ref: VIPgroups.
 FREE Arrival Airport Transfer - for bookings made in February 05 for holidays throughout the year.  Please quote your Customer Number and Ref: VIPtransfer.

 For more info on becoming a Cactus VIP please email us.

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