ITPE is a brand new university which has recently opened in Mérida, in Col. Montes de Amé, close to Gran Plaza mall.
It’s a new 4 floor building, fully air-conditioned, and while the main focus of the university is engineering, they will also be offering Spanish classes, and for anyone in the north of the city or the beach towns, the location is so much more convenient than the language schools in centro.
The Spanish course will begin on October 3, and will run for 4 months. The course is intended to equip participants to deal with everyday situations with emphasis on conversation and practical usage, and will be run by a qualified Mexican teacher who holds a degree in teaching of Spanish.
Unlike other schools which tend to offer formal grammar and vocabulary list type of classes, with a strict lesson plan, ITPE’s courses will be less formal, focusing on the type of Spanish needed to handle day to day life in Mexico.
If sufficient interest is shown during the scheduled 4 month course, a second level may be offered next year. There will be three classes per week; two classroom sessions on Monday and Wednesday at 9am (which will each last for 90 minutes) and a 2 hour class mainly on location out of the school, offering “real life” situations such as supermarkets, banks, etc. The location sessions will generally take place in the morning, but may be held at other times according to the activity, and will be arranged in accordance with the participants’ availability.
The cost is very reasonable, at $2,000 pesos per month (for 20 hours of instruction); on a per hour basis, this works out at $100 pesos an hour; extremely competitive when compared with hourly rates in other places. The fee includes a course book, based on conversation material. There is no inscription cost or any extra fees. Of course during the location classes, if you choose to purchase something (at a shop, market, etc.) it would be at your own expense.
The location in Col. Montes de Amé, next to Gran Plaza means it’s easy to get there from just about anywhere in Mérida and if you’re coming from Progreso and the beach towns, you can get there without needing to travel into centro.
For more information or to sign up, you can contact Nicolas Crosaz, the language school coordinator by email at [email protected] – he speaks fluent English.
By Stewart Mandy for TYT
Stewart Mandy
