Learning Spanish in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve

There are several aspects to learning Spanish that are all important. The first, and most vital, is to learn as much as possible, to become as fluent as one can be, to make understanding the magical world of Nicaragua more open and understandable. So many people, especially tourists, come to Nicaragua without understanding much of the language, bumbling their way through the country, dependent upon the translation skills of someone else.

Once a person can manage the most basic of the Spanish language skills necessary to survive as a backpacker, tourist, or worker without the aid of others, doors begin to open. Suddenly, Nicaragua consists of more than Granada, Leon, and a few beach towns. There are places to go, things to do, and increasingly, as one learns to speak the language, people with whom to share. As those who live in Nicaragua for long periods can attest, the best that Nicaragua has to offer is off the beaten path. It is at once the geography, the landscapes, and the people. The key to the most intimate levels of sharing culture is language.

Spanish classes at Apoyo Spanish School are held in the natural setting of Laguna de Apoyo. Photo Jeffrey McCrary.

Languages have many dimensions and interconnections. Thankfully for those who speak very little Spanish, Nicaragua is very open and friendly to visitors with little language capacity, but the "real Nicaragua" is awaiting the people who can communicate effectively. Furthermore, work requirements also demand excellent language skills. Basically, every level of accomplishment in a language opens the door to higher, richer and more complex levels.

Apoyo Spanish School is the oldest of the intensive Spanish schools in Nicaragua. It is the best place to learn, for the person who is serious about learning, regardless of the level. We have special courses for beginners, as well as tailor-made courses for the more advanced students. Advanced students can go deep into literature and technical discourse with teachers who are prepared for the most subtle issues of the language. We even teach the teachers-most of the long-lasting Spanish schools in Nicaragua have benefited from training given to their teachers by us.

The lake is just steps away from us at Apoyo Spanish School, permitting students to combine rigorous courses with relaxing swims, kayaking and scuba diving. Photo Jeffrey McCrary.

Often, people think they will go from "hola!" to giving public speeches and participating in debates in Spanish in merely a couple of weeks. First of all, learning rates differ among people dramatically. Young adults learn language more rapidly than older adults, although our experience has proven that even into the eighth decade of life, people can improve their Spanish school measurably in just a week of study. Secondly, the rates at which students learn may be limited by what the students do outside the class period. Those who insist on staying in Spanish all day, taking only brief breaks to converse or communicate in their native language during the day, learn much more than those who spend their evenings chatting with other non-Spanish speakers.

After classes, time at the lake, in the forest, visiting the nearby towns, or helping out with tasks at Estacion Biologica are all awaiting. Photo Jeffrey McCrary.

Sometimes, Spanish students in an intensive language program such as at Apoyo Spanish School may feel daunted by the concentration on verb conjugations in their Spanish class. It may be difficult for a beginner to appreciate that verbs in Spanish are much more loaded with meaning than in English. Our classes go beyond just pointing and grunting, to provide a solid foundation in the Spanish language so the student can make further progress effectively, after going on beyond a single round of Spanish classes.

Spanish classes with individual instruction may be exhausting, but a huge learning experience, which benefits the student greatly. Photo Jeffrey McCrary.

The objectives for learning a language may vary considerably among people, as well as their learning rates and their levels of management of the Spanish language when entering in classes at Apoyo Spanish School. We offer group classes for absolute beginners, in an economical program that also includes lots of volunteering, which we call the "backpackers' Spanish program". This course, at a considerable discount from the one-on-one classes, incorporates dorm stay and lots of volunteering to make the program more economical for the traveler on a budget.

Why study Spanish in a stuffy room when you can have fresh air and nature around? Photo Jeffrey McCrary.

In contrast, one-on-one classes can be had for Spanish students at any level. Teachers make a study plan with the student after an initial evaluation and consideration of the ability and level of the student. Additionally, homework is assigned to give the student direction in after-hours practice. Furthermore, the activities and informal conversations with the staff and friends reinforce the language skills learned in the day.

Among the greatest attractions in Nicaragua is Laguna de Apoyo. Come, study, and enjoy! Photo Andras Dorgai.

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Learning Spanish and serving the community in Nicaragua

We have been involved in Spanish language instruction for some time. In fact, the Apoyo Spanish School is the oldest of the Nicaragua Spanish schools. That accumulation of experience in Spanish instruction at Gaia-25 years this year-has given us a few lessons.

The first lesson we have learned about Spanish instruction is that Spanish is a dynamic language. It is not easy to learn a language in a classroom in some country where Spanish is not spoken by most people. One can learn more Spanish by getting away from the television, radio, and all the chatter of friends and neighbors, at least when these things are going on in English. We are amazed and dismayed when folks ask us if their Spanish teacher will speak English. We hope not! Our teachers work in Spanish throughout the class period, and afterward, the students get to speak with folks in Spanish, too.

Apoyo Spanish School classes are surrounded by nature and green vegetation. Spanish students learn and give back through service-learning in our environmental volunteer program. Photo Jen Moran.

Most folks feel uncomfortable at first when confronted with a situation in which everything is conducted in Spanish. After all, it is much more comfortable to talk about Spanish than to talk in Spanish. But the latter is really the objective, and talking about Spanish won't ever get you there. Our classes at Apoyo Spanish School help the students learn better and faster by getting them into a total immersion setting. By learning with local teachers, the student also learns the linguistic particularities which abound in Nicaragua. And, there is always the lake inviting one to forget their worries!

Studying Spanish can be a bonding experience. Photo Jen Moran.

We have also learned that learning is best connected to service. The Apoyo Spanish School is a service-learning program. All students are given ample opportunities to give back to their community by participating in environmental activities. our students help with rescue animals, which may mean things as mundane as cleaning cages, changing water, or collecting seeds and fruits for the animals to eat from the wild forest. Our students also participate in reforestation activities. The Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve has several deforested areas, and we work with local landowners to return natural forest cover to those areas, benefiting the wildlife and helping to take care of our precious nature at Laguna de Apoyo.

Learning Spanish is also about serving. Students at Apoyo Spanish School participate in activities such as growing trees for regenerating natural forest in deforested areas in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve. Photo Jen Moran.

Students volunteer part of their time while studying at Apoyo Spanish School in some activities to make Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve a better place for everyone. Every person comes with some special skill or ability, and not everyone can do the same thing. But there is always something to do for everyone.

The tree nursery at Estación Biológica  in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve has flourished during the dry season, thanks to the participation of students of Apoyo Spanish School. Photo Jen Moran. 

The reforestation project at Estación Biológica, the site of Apoyo Spanish School, has been immensely successful, in fact it is among the most successful natural forest restoration projects in the region. We have successfully grown over 8000 trees which now are part of the forest canopy. This has required the planting of many trees, because some die from drought, trampling, or especially from fires. We put a lot of effort into every tree so the survival rate is as high as it can be. Our volunteers through the Eco-Warrior program and Apoyo Spanish School are vital to keeping Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve wild and beautiful. 

A mahogany (Swietenia humilis) tree is ready to find a new home in a reforestation plot. Spanish students learn the language in interactions in volunteer activities as well as in the classroom. Photo Jen Moran. 

Another lesson that we have learned in twenty-five years of Spanish language instruction at Apoyo Spanish School is that learning is a two-way process. Every person who comes to study Spanish with us also brings something for us to learn. The unique contributions of each person that pass our way all leave a mark on us and on the Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve. And, our Spanish students leave with substantially improved Spanish skills and memories of service shared with this lovely country. We appreciate the contributions people make to Nicaragua through their service-learning activities.

Thanks to Apoyo Spanish School student and volunteer Jen Moran at Jen Moran Photography for these wonderful photos. Visit her website and tell her how much you like her photography! Please contact us if you would like to learn or improve your Spanish at Apoyo Spanish School. 

You can help us keep nature wild in Nicaragua, by volunteering your time with us or making a small donation to support our projects in wild nature conservation.

Click on the "escudo" to contact us.

Learning Spanish online via SKYPE

People live closer together today than ever before. We are living an age of communication beyond our dreams of not so long ago. Two people can be connected in real time, in voice and image, regardless of the geographical distance between them.

Learning to communicate in Spanish is a long process. Even the best students grow from one stage of language skills to another. No one just wakes up speaking Spanish. It takes practice, guidance and discipline Not just anyone can go to a country like Nicaragua to study the Spanish language.

On the other hand, those famous CD language sets almost never serve as more than a minor factor in real language acquisition. The very nature of learning a language requires engaging another person for substantial progress.

If you can't just spend a month or two in intensive Spanish training in foreign country, there are still options available. Face-to-face contact in real time via Skype has made our planet smaller than ever. Today, you can have online Spanish classes in the comfort of your home, sharing and learning accompanied by a teacher as far away as Nicaragua.

Of course, there are a lot of advantages to study of Spanish inside a Spanish-speaking country. There, you can accompany your hours of direct contact in the classroom with the "chatter" that keeps your brain operating in the local language. This advantage in particular accelerates the learning process, given of course that the Spanish student not seclude him/her self among other foreigners after class! 

A GAIA Spanish course to improve your language skills can be done without traveling. We can provide Spanish language classes via Skype for you, wherever you are. You can get some high-quality instruction to accelerate your rate of language acquisition, without the cost of travel. Extra hours of learning can complement a trip to Latin America without adding the greater cost of additional days of travel. 

Contact us if you would like to take some Spanish classes via Skype (TM). We would be happy to provide them for you! 

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More from The Mountain School

Matagalpa is still known as a remote area. The drive from Managua to the city of Matagalpa once took four hours over a road with lots of dangerous potholes. Today, a smooth ride lasting two hours over well-paved roads gets you to there. The city is bustling, an overgrown mini-metropolis overfilling a tight valley between ridges. And on all sides, there is coffee.

The Welcome Wagon is awaiting your visit to The Mountain School. 

A visit to The Mountain School can bring the rural areas surrounding Matagalpa to life for a visitor. Here, the landscape remains green year-round, and temperatures are never blasting as in Managua and most of the southern part of Nicaragua. The streams are always running with water, sometimes overflowing. The Mountain School is located about 12 kilometers outside Matagalpa, on the highway to La Dalia.

Happy birthday at The Mountain School.

In this idyllic setting, The Mountain School works with a coffee farm, its workers, and the local community. Groups are welcome to come and visit, tour the farm, and learn with us. Groups are welcome, and we can provide Spanish classes, seminars and volunteer programs for you. You can receive instruction from some of the best Nicaragua Spanish school teachers, while learning about coffee production and rural life in Nicaragua.

The rancho at The Mountain School is a great place to start the day.

We can host groups of up to thirty individuals at The Mountain School, in rustic, ecologically compatible accommodations, constructed from bamboo, wood and adobe, with simple, country meals prepared in the coffee farm kitchen, using coffee husks and bio-gas for fuel. The ecologically integrated structures are used by visitors and long-term employees of the coffee farm.

This group of volunteers decorated space and helped with tending students in the after-school library.

If you would like to bring a group to The Mountain School, we can arrange your stay and include activities as well. Please write us at apoyo@gaianicaragua.org for more information.

Coffee picking!

Any visit to the largest coffee producer in Matagalpa is not complete without an introduction to coffee tasting.

Please contact us and let us know what you think of our blog, or post a comment below! 

You can help us keep nature wild in Nicaragua, by volunteering your time with us or making a small donation to support our projects in wild nature conservation.

Click on the "escudo" to contact us. 

Apoyo Spanish School

Learning Spanish is not always easy. A good teacher is important. An appropriate environment is equally important. We try to emphasize both at Apoyo Spanish School. Ours is the longest operating of the Nicaragua Spanish schools, and our teachers have the most experience of those of any of the schools in Nicaragua. Our teachers have conducted numerous teacher trainings; many of the teachers in other Spanish schools in Nicaragua have learned to teach Spanish with us.

Students of Apoyo Spanish School enjoy private Spanish classes with the most experienced teachers in Nicaragua. Photo Pablo Somarriba.

Learning Spanish in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve means receiving high-quality classes with experienced teachers in the longest-running program in the country. It also means enjoying a natural environment, in which monkeys are overhead, the clear water of Lake Apoyo is a few steps away, and interactions with rural people are the order of the day.

Spanish classes at Apoyo Spanish School are held from 8 am to 12:30 pm, and lots of homework keep the students busy and learning afterward. Photo Pablo Somarriba.

Our teachers at Apoyo Spanish School have developed our own study materials, based on more than twenty years of accumulated experience. Our methods are so successful that many Spanish teachers in other schools use our materials as their instruction guides.

Spanish classes are adapted to the level of the student, from the most basic beginner to advanced students needing academic or business Spanish skills. Photo Pablo Somarriba.

Students at Apoyo Spanish School receive exposure to the local culture during their stay, including Nicaragua foods and cooking, popular culture, history and politics. Nicaragua is a poor country in many ways, but its culture and history are rich beyond comparison.

How do they make that sopa de queso? Spanish lessons may extend into the kitchen. Photo Pablo Somarriba. 

Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve is a great place to see wildlife. Every week, bird experts on our staff take Spanish students, visitors, and volunteers on nature walks. Howler monkeys, oropendolas, trogons and motmots abound in our vicinity, easily seen during the day. Evening walks may uncover owls, snakes, and tarantulas! 

International topics are common among the many nationalities who visit us at Estacion Biologica. The patio is a great spot to relax and share with others. Photo Pablo Somarriba.

There are also some spectacular views in the volcanic landscapes in and around Laguna de Apoyo. The views, for instance, from Coyotepe are expansive, both across Masaya and the Volcano Masaya with its laguna hidden in the caldera, and toward Tisma and Lake Nicaragua. The horrific history of Coyotepe, with invasions of the gringos, and later, imprisonment and torture of the opponents to the dictatorship, can be heard in the echoes throughout the cavernous structure of the fort. 

Lake Masaya and the city of Masaya are below Coyotepe, one of the sites visited by students of Apoyo Spanish School. Photo Pablo Somarriba.

By walking the paths of Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve, one can retrace the steps of Cacique Diriangen and view the landscapes which motivated his people to resistance against the Spanish invasion. His spirit lives on in the resistance of the people of Masaya and Los Pueblos. 

Everything done with a smile! Photo Pablo Somarriba.

Most students of Apoyo Spanish School enjoy the multinational company at Estacion Biologica, but one can make an entirely Nicaraguan experience en espanol easily. Our staff conduct all activities in Spanish. 

Afternoon activities are designed to expose the students of Apoyo Spanish School to the language in new settings. Photo Pablo Somarriba.

Apoyo Spanish School is in a rustic but clean and safe setting, with toucans, monkeys and forests overhead. The lake is best enjoyed by a daily swim or SCUBA dive, but the spectacular views from along the edge of the Apoyo crater are to be appreciated, too.

Granada and Lake Nicaragua are seen in the distance from the Catarina mirador. Photo Pablo Somarriba.

The people who live around Laguna de Apoyo are artisans from centuries past. Leather working, wood carving, weaving natural fibers, and fired ceramics are among the products made in the region. The lifestyle of the Nicaraguan is one of farming, artisanry, and rural values, even when people move to the big cities. Every Nicaraguan has artisan crafts on display at home. 

How to embellish a ceramic object before its firing is the lesson of the day, in San Juan de Oriente, the pottery capital of Nicaragua. Photo Pablo Somarriba.

The teachers of Apoyo Spanish School come from the area, and know the reality of the rural people of our area. In their families vegetables, fruits, and grains are grown, artisan crafts are made, and vendors hawk all kinds of dry goods in the municipal market. Educations have come to the younger generation, thanks to the advances of the Nicaraguan Revolution, but the lifestyles still value the country style life.

Throwing a pot on a wheel is not as easy as it looks, especially when the motor for the wheel is your foot! Photo Pablo Somarriba.

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Laguna de Apoyo is the most beautiful place in Nicaragua

A black iguana (Ctenosaura similis) is sometimes green, requiring characters other than color to distinguish it from the green iguana (Iguana iguana), such as the rings of enlarged scales in the tail, the presence of a single large, smooth scale beneath the eye, and the absence of an enlarged scale beneath the tympano. The black iguana is far more common in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve. Photo by Tessa Janga.

Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve is such a beautiful place precisely because so much nature is still in and surrounding it. We noticed, many years ago, how the forests were teeming with wildlife and a rich diversity in tropical plants, and that the beautiful clear, blue waters of Lake Apoyo depend on the presence of intact forest along the interior slops of this lake. Although many people visit this special place, it can still count as one of the secrets of Nicaragua.

Laguna de Apoyo viewed from Catarina. Photo by Sienna Potts. 

Mankind is the worst enemy of natural areas such as Laguna de Apoyo. Trash dumping, hunting, illegal construction, and deforestation with pesticide use are rampant wherever there are people, and Nicaragua is not different. Just below the Catarina overlook, for instance, a group of "investors" with the blessing of the then-president of Nicaragua built 65 bungalows, a hotel and convention center, all of which add up to a serious ecological disaster, as well as a financial nightmare for the non-Nicaraguans who joined the project as co-investors. But not just like in all countries, many conscious, caring people are found in Nicaragua. For instance, dozens of members of the local community came to Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve to participate in a tree planting activity earlier this year. Thanks to all for volunteering your time!

Young people from Masaya and neighboring towns came to plant trees in a reforestation activity in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve. Photo by Frank Lindt.

The lake is usually very quiet, especiallly at dawn, with trees along much of its shore attracting birds and other wildlife. Weekends, however, attract visitors from Masaya and other communities, and the lake shore can be festive with families enjoying a day out in nature. The lake stretches four kilometers across and is 180 meters deep, with slightly salty water filled with volcanic minerals. Water clarity varies from five to fifteen meters, making the lake ideal for SCUBA divers to enjoy. 

Dawn on Lake Apoyo can be serene. Photo by Christine Bruxer. 

Lake Apoyo is known for its water, but more is going on than may meet the eye. This lake is located inside a volcanic crater which exploded 23,000 years ago, leaving a gaping hole hundreds of meters deep in the earth. Hot spots still abound around and inside the lake, too. SCUBA divers can easily find volcanic vents in the lake, and a few are also found on the lake edge. Many water wells are useless, because the water they produce is hot, salty and corrosive.

Most people think of the water in the lake when they think of Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve, because it is simply spectacular. Our team of wildlife specialist and volunteers, however, have taken the opportunity to learn many of the secrets of the jungle around the lake, inside the volcanic crater. Over four hundred species of plants are found in this forest, along with dozens of species of mammals, reptiles, and hundreds of birds.

This photo makes the first documented gray four-eyed opossum (Philander opossum) in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve. Many secrets of nature await the intrepid observer. Photo by Lucas Betthauser.

Professional wildlife guides can arrange guided tours of the nature in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve. A typical birdwatching walk of only one hour at dawn, for instance, yields around 25 species.

The simple checkerspot, Chlosyne hippodrome, is one of more than two hundred butterfly species one can appreciate in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve. Photo by Helen Croll.

Estacion Biologica provides lodging, meals, and services such as birdwatching SCUBA diving, and kayaking the lake. We also provide courses in Spanish and in natural resources management. Our site is operated by FUNDECI/GAIA. Visitors and tourists are always welcome.

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Apoyo Spanish School, Nicaragua

Studying Spanish at Apoyo Spanish School is not just about studying Spanish. There are lots of fun moments with new experiences as well as the grammar, verb conjugation, and vocabulary of Spanish language instruction. Here are a a few scenes which demonstrate the unique aspects in which you learn while you enjoy.

Students of Apoyo Spanish School visit the Catarina overlook, with Lake Apoyo below. Photo by Heidi Burgwardt.

Each week, students of Apoyo Spanish School visit the Pueblos Blancos, which include Catarina and other nearby small towns near Laguna de Apoyo. These authentic villages are full of precolombian and colonial heritage, with indigenous ethnicities predominant and artisan traditions which pre-date the Spanish arrival. From this view, it is easy to see why Cacique Diriangen loved Laguna de Apoyo.

Simba loves to join swimmers for a dip in Lake Apoyo. Heidi is his best friend! Photo by Heidi Burgwardt.

Lake Apoyo is a water-filled volcanic caldera, and  Apoyo Spanish School is located along the shore of the lake in the Apoyo volcanic caldera, between Granada and Masaya in Nicaragua. There is ample time for swimming in its clear waters and relaxing along the shore. Lake Apoyo is slightly salty, clear, the best swimming hole in all of Nicaragua. The lake is warm and inviting for a swim both day and night.

Trolls learned Spanish here, and returned for a visit a year later. 

Students at Apoyo Spanish School often return for visits to Laguna de Apoyo, and we are always happy to see them!

Students at Apoyo Spanish School also serve as bird perches.

Our staff at Estacion Biologica is always involved in some conservation or research project. Students at Apoyo Spanish School can participate as volunteers in many of these projects, including reforestation, animal rescue, wildlife monitoring, and others.

Bela gives a friendly greeting to all visitors at Estacion Biologica in Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve. 

The modest infrastructure of Estacion Biologica is simple and rustic, but comfortable. Hammocks are available for relaxing at any time, and Bela, our youngest dog, will visit to say hello. You can stay with us as just a visitor, take Spanish classes, or participate in our volunteer program. We serve homestyle meals, with healthy ingredients, thoughtfully prepared. We emphasize using locally grown products and minimize the use of processed foods. We can accommodate special food needs such as vegetarian, vegan, kosher, and other restrictions with advance notice.

Birdwatching before classes at Apoyo Spanish School. Dawn is the best time to see birds, and a watching them an hour is great way to start the day.

The staff at Estacion Biologica includes several professional bird diversity specialists. Each week, students of Apoyo Spanish School go on birdwatching and nature interpretation walks in the forest of Laguna de Apoyo Nature Reserve. Birdwatchers typically see about twenty-five bird species in a one-hour birdwatching activity before breakfast. Bring your binoculars and a field guide!

If you would like to learn Spanish or improve your Spanish language ability, we would like to help you. Apoyo Spanish School is the oldest intensive Spanish language school in Nicaragua and the only school officially operated by a Nicaraguan not-for-profit foundation. Please contact us if you have any questions or would like to register for a Spanish course.

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