Instituto de Lenguas Jovel

Experiencia fantástica: El profesor Damian es increible, las clases de ingles son super accesibles y entiendes a la perfección.

Experiencia negativa: I purposely waited six months to write this review. Save your money. There are cheaper and much more effective options. My wife and I have been diligently studying Spanish for about nine months now since moving to Mexico. After exploring several different ways of learning Spanish we finally found a method that makes sense. The problem with "learning" a foreign language is that you never really learn it. I have found that one must ACQUIRE a language which is entirely different. Jovel uses a traditional approach to teaching Spanish. For a few people this method might work but for many of us the foundation for acquiring a language requires an appreciable amount of exposure, or how the experts say receiving "comprehensible input." I wish I knew then what I know now about acquiring language. I would have saved the time and the money I spent in San Cristobal to obtain true progress. The positives that I will share about the school are that they have some pretty amazing and dedicated instructors. Magali and Melina were our two main instructors throughout the two months and they helped us learn a sizable portion of Spanish grammar up to a B2 level. (Again, we learned it but it did not help us acquire Spanish.) The ambience of the school is nice. It is located in the historical center of town and is close to many interesting sites. Now the negative....the school is pricey. Although it is comparable to many language schools in Mexico, it is still expensive for what it offers. My wife and I took the super-intensive program. Halfway thru the program they began adding students who were not at the level that we were....which slowed down the trajectory of our learning goals. This was super frustrating since we had professional reasons for learning the language and the addition of the new students (which was done without our consent or knowledge) held us back for about three weeks....while they helped the other students "catch up."

Experiencia fantástica: Extraordinary school - you won't be disappointed. The communication and professionalism was flawless - many thanks to Reginaldo, the director. Highly recommended.

Experiencia fantástica: I pored over reviews from language schools all over Mexico and Latin America before deciding to do a two week intensive intermediate/advanced Spanish course at Jovel, and I am so happy about my choice! I did 20 hours a week, which translated into 4 hours per day, half with one instructor and half with another. I really enjoyed both of my instructors and their teaching styles (and am hoping to continue working with one of them remotely!). Because the courses were very reasonably priced, I was able to do my lessons individually, and I think that made a very big difference for me and helped accelerate my learning. I wish I had more time to continue at Jovel, but I’m very satisfied with the progress I was able to make. Because the course was individual, it was completely tailored to the grammatical work I needed and we had plenty of time to just chat (and improve my listening and speaking skills along the way, while learning a lot about San Cristobal, Chiapas, and topics of Mexican culture that interest me). I also did a homestay for the two weeks, and I was very happy with that experience as well. My host family was kind, and I had a comfortable room. I had two meals a day, which was great, and they catered perfectly to my dietary restrictions (pescatarian). I was happy to have two healthy meals at home each day, and learn more about Chiapanecan food and culture.

Experiencia fantástica: This is a really reputable organization & respectable school! I can tell a lot of thought has been put into it, from the architecture of the building, to the design of the classes. Take some classes in their beautiful garden if you get a chance!

Experiencia positiva: Limpio, amplio y gran variedad de horarios de clases

Experiencia fantástica: Wow such a wonderful week at instituto hovel! My two teachers were such enthusiastic, funny, and lovely people! I had 4 hours of private conversation a day which flew by. The setting up a beautiful and central. Plus the school set me up with an idyllic Homestay. The best way to integrate in San Cristobal!

Experiencia fantástica: Excelente! Adaptable a tus necesidades, objetivos

Experiencia fantástica: I had a wonderful experience at Instituto Jovel, and would eagerly recommend it to anyone! My teachers (Magaly and Yet) were wonderful-- patient, knowledgeable, friendly, and great at explaining difficult grammatical concepts to a Spanish learner. I feel that I advanced a lot in my time here. The buildings and gardens are extremely well maintained and lovely-- the ambience definitely is special. Additionally, the administrative staff and general vibe is welcoming and kind. I loved it here!

Experiencia fantástica: I really enjoyed my recent experience at Instituto Jovel, and I found that the combination of great teachers, combined with a beautiful garden setting, was very helpful for me to focus on my learning objectives. I found Jovel staff to be very responsive to my questions and concerns, both before I enrolled as a student, and after I arrived and started attending classes. For this reason, I believe that Jovel is the best value as a Spanish-language school in San Cristobal de las Casas, in terms of receiving the best results for your expenditure. Not only is there a dynamic responsiveness, and ability to adapt to the student’s needs, and even to offer customized classes, but there is also a great depth of knowledge and experience in guiding students towards their development to understand and master the language. The school’s physical structure has a series of 16 classrooms cascading around a central garden. It is really a wonderful, creative, light-filled setting that makes it so much easier to pass a few hours each morning with these clases. Overall, highly recommended!

Experiencia fantástica: My wife and kids have had great teachers. Very grateful for the attentive and caring 1-1 dedicated attention. The director’s approach with helping quitar el miedo and desarrollar la confianza has been incredible.

Experiencia fantástica: Good classes, lovely and absolutely gorgeous place, friendly and knowledgeable teachers.

Experiencia fantástica: Chido

Experiencia positiva: The campus is beautiful, and the instructors are all very nice. I came in with an intermediate level of Spanish, wanting to increase my vocabulary and fluency, while practicing more complex grammatical concepts, all with the goal of preparing for the B2 Spanish Exam. While the classes were enjoyable, from a conversational perspective, I didn't really feel that I had learned as much as I had wanted in order to justify the price (as this school is a bit more expensive than others in the area). The instructors seemed to be making up the lesson as we went along, and turned into simply conversations, which while interesting, weren't very challenging. If you are looking for friendly people and basic Spanish lessons, and a nice campus, this school will work fine. If you have are more intermediate/advanced, I would look elsewhere, if nothing else, but to save you money on conversation classes.

Experiencia fantástica: A great place to learn English!!!!

Experiencia fantástica: I am studying there for learning how to teach spanish, well , after trying for one week with the director Reginaldo, I decided to definitely return, I didn't care to travel 15 hours from Querétaro... I think that says everything... and I would do it again. The lovely views are just another factor, but mainly the passion and patience of the teachers plus their vast experience makes me recommending this school a lot!

Experiencia fantástica: Love my experience here. There is a variety of teachers throughout the day and the lessons are balanced so that it is mostly conversation with vocabulary and grammar punctuating the conversation in a fluid manner. Already I have learned so much. I communicated with the owner for months prior to my arrival here and he made everything go so smoothly. I have a host family and the commute is easy. Even if you choose to stay in a posada or hotel, there are many nearby. Life in San Cristóbal is easy. It is easy to get around, to buy things and to get to know the city. I recommend wholeheartedly.

Experiencia fantástica: I had the pleasure of attending Instituto de Linguas Jovel 4 hours a day for two weeks. Three hours of grammar and one hour of conversation. All classes were one on one. This was the best present I have ever given myself. My instructors - Maricarmen, Luis and Anais were all degreed in language and adapted their training to exactly match my needs. I thank them for their patience and understanding as well as their charming personalities. The school itself has around 12 small classrooms surrounding a park-like garden setting. I can't imagine a more tranquil place to study and build friendships. GIve yourself a present. Sign up for courses at Instituto Jovel and expand your appreciation for the language and people of Mexico. You won't regret it.

Experiencia fantástica: Hola a todos espero se encuentren con nuevas personas pero yo benia a saber como son estas claces de idiomas que la berdad yo quiero aprender lenguas pero no si si tenga algo en costo espero que no??

Experiencia negativa: Pésimo servicio

Experiencia negativa: The quality of the teaching really depends on the teacher. We were 2 in the class (the first level - one week course) and we had 3 different teachers. Every one had a different teaching style, from structural learning grammar and exercising, to just having a conversation with us through the whole lesson. I didn’t felt a meaningful difference in my Spanish level in the end of the week.

Experiencia fantástica: Professional teachers, challenging classes, excellent location. You can totally see their effort. Just make sure to buy the classes in person, otherwise you pay 4 times the amount.

Experiencia fantástica: exelente escuela

Experiencia fantástica: Beautiful and peaceful place because it has nature. Teachers are and friendly. Best Language School so far.

Experiencia fantástica: I took 2 weeks of intensive spanish classes here and would highly reccomend it! Physically, the school is in a great location and it is a really beautiful place to learn, with lots of sunshine and greenery. The classes had just the right amount of structure and the teachers went beyond my expectations. I was a total beginner and they made learning spanish challenging yet comfortable. They also tailored my lessons to the types of vocabulary/subjects that would be most useful for me (ecology/biology) and I also learned a lot about the history and peoples of Chiapas. Overall, a great place and well worth the money invested!

Experiencia positiva: Para aprender inglés

Experiencia fantástica: Amazing school! The teachers are incredibly friendly and knowledgeable and the school itself has a tranquil environment for learning.

Experiencia fantástica: Buenas traducciones y clases