Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
This past Monday was my first day of Spanish classes at the Centro de Enseñanza Para Extranjeros (CEPE) at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). I thought I’d mention it because it’s a great option for travelers and new expats trying to learn Spanish – assuming of course, that you’ll be in Mexico City for at least six weeks.
Classes run for three hours each weekday and students have the option of enrolling in two additional three-hour elective classes (Mexican history, Mexican culture, etc.) at no additional cost for a total of 21 hours of class time each week, and all of the classes are taught entirely in Spanish. The cost for six weeks of classes plus the annual registration fee is 5,290 pesos ($423.00).
There are a total of eight levels – four basic, three intermediate and one superior – and each class maxes out at 15 people. Placement testing on the day of registration determines what level you start out in. If you’re already in Mexico City or going to be traveling here soon, you can check out the 2011 Calendar to see if the course dates coincide with your travel plans.
Photo credit: via flickr
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Thank you for being so enthusiastic about my country, city and the options that are available for foreigners. I hope you feel welcome.
Thank you! I’m really enjoying the city!
Laura, are you still taking classes? I’m looking for somewhere to go starting in November… If you could give me more info on what you think of their program, I’d appreciate it
Thanks
Hi Jessica, I just sent you a FB message!
Hi Laura, did you ever have a chance to post your overall impressions of language learning at CEPE? Thumbs up/down? Was it the right type of instruction to supplement the real life Spanish learning that you were getting outside of the class by living in Mexico City? Good job on all the informative diary entries that you’ve made over the past year. Thanks.
Thanks Trixie! The classes were definitely a good supplement to the real life learning aspect of living here. The cost was the main reason that I only took one session — while it’s not expensive, it was still a significant expense for us. Instead, I decided I would try to do the type of textbook and listening exercises that we were doing in class on my own (my partner is Mexican so he’s able to answer questions and help me out).
If you’re just starting out at a very basic level or if you’re trying to learn in a short amount of time and don’t mind spending the money, then I think classes are a great idea. If you’re a little more advanced and can get by, I think you can continue to learn and pick up the language (although maybe not quite as quickly) just by practicing, watching tv, reading, etc. That’s what I’m trying to focus on now. I’ll try to post more often about learning the language because I can see that it’s a topic that lots of people are interested in. Thanks for the comment!
Hey Laura, I was just in Mexico City for 4 days last week. Before going there I had perused your stories, and they really were a great help for getting a handle on the big and little cultural aspects to expect there. I had an excellent trip, and all the people there were great. My Spanish is maybe around a mid to high intermediate, and I was able to communicate in Spanish just about 100% of the time, the main exception being when I acted as a translator for my partner.
So anywho
Oops, I accidently clicked “submit” on my iPad before I was done. Soy algo tonto. Jaja.
So anywho, I have been studying Spanish for about a year here in the Washington DC area, going to a tutor once a week and doing stuff like skype interchanges with folks overseas. In my case I am thinking that an intensive course at CEPE (maybe in their level 5-7 range) coupled with spending 6 weeks in DF would propel my Spanish that much closer to fluency. The thing about a rigorous course is that it will force me to attend every day, whereas right now as a lazy, self learner, I can put off my Spanish studies in favor of reading travel blogs. Jaja.
Anyways, my compliments on all the great stories you’ve posted. And thanks for your detailed perspective on CEPE. If I end up going in Jan 2012, maybe I’ll post an update of my immediate impressions.
Un saludo…
Thanks Juan! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed your visit. If you do end up taking the course at CEPE I’d love to hear what you think of it. Saludos!