Yelapa English Spanish Institute offers a Spanish study program of classes in Mexico designed for you to learn Spanish and speak 
Spanish quickly. Study near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico in small groups, and at your level of learning. Spanish classes run for 3 hours from Monday to Friday. Focus on learning Spanish in small grammar units, with vocabulary lessons daily to join them. Students study Spanish through various exercises and games to reinforce learning, and through Spanish songs, readings and writing. As a follow-up, materials such as CD-roms, DVDs, books, songs, music are available and a Cine y Cena - Movie and Dinner night arranged so you can learn Spanish naturally. Do more than parrot phrases, after a few short weeks of Spanish study through classes, activities and home stay. The mood of the school is casual, with a relaxing atmosphere on a sunlit patio. Classes are small, typically 2 to 4 people, so you can learn at your pace.
After Spanish classes, maximize your study at a Mexican home stay . Discover the stories of Mexico through native Spanish speakers. Each offers conversation opportunities, a comfortable private room with private bath, and a chance to make new Mexican friends! A few private palapas (palm thatch-roofed houses) are also available. Private accommodation can also be arranged where you can still join a Mexican family for meals.
We offer guides to study Spanish with, who reinforce the Spanish learned in classes. Guided tours or activities with local Mexicans is a very interactive and fun Spanish learning experience. To maximize your Spanish learning experience , a local guide from Mexico can take you whale watching, 
boating or fishing , hiking , horseback riding among other activities . You can practice your Spanish while having fun outdoors. We'll make time for a variety of social activities in the village weekly that are free such as weddings, quincinieras (15th birthdays for girls), a variety of festivals (eg. Revolution Day Nov 20), children's birthday parties (lots of piñatas !), school concerts, the high school dance group performances, etc.
If you have a group of five or more that you'd like to bring, we can customize your studies, block time outside of the posted dates, and/or teach at your accommodations. Please inquire early as special arrangements must be made.
We can also arrange separate Spanish conversational classes by the hour for those wishing to practice with a trained instructor from Mexico. Or simply take the Spanish language intensive and make your own arrangements for accommodation and tours.
i) Intensive Spanish Course Dates 2007 - 2008 *
November 4-11 11-18 18-25 25 -Dec 2
December 2-9 9-16 16-23 23-30
January 30-6 6-13 13-20 20-27 27-Feb 3
February 3-10 10-17 17-24 24-Mar 2
March 2-9 9-16 16-23 23-30
April Mar 30-April 6 6-13 13-20
* Spanish Courses outside indicated dates can be arranged with notice.
ii) Summer Spanish Courses 2008*
July Jun 29-Jul 6 Jul 6 - Jul -13 Jul 13 - July 20 July 20- Jul 27
August Jul 27 -Aug3 Aug 3-10 Aug 10 - 17
* Spanish Courses outside indicated dates can be arranged with notice.
iii) Spanish on the Road 2007 - 2008 (see G below for dates)
Regular and Summer Programs - Summary
A Weekly Spanish Intensives for Adults: - 3 locations to choose from.
Yelapa on the coast ( Regular and Summer )
San Sebastian mountain village near Puerto Vallarta ( Summer, Weekends &Week-Long- see G )
Pátzcuaro in the mountains (Summer& Regular - April 19-26, October 26-Nov 3 see G )
B Spanish for Birders ( Regular and Summer 2 hrs language 1-2 hrs tours)
C Spanish Summer Adventures Program ( Full Day - Summer )
D Family Group Spanish ( 1 hr language, 1 hr language activity ) ( Regular and Summer )
E Children's Group Spanish (1 ½ hrs) ( Regular and Summer)
F Spanish for Teachers (Beginners, Intermediate - Summer only )
G Spanish on the Road - One-Week Tours to 3 locations (Pátzcuaro, San Sebastian and San Blas). Weekend Tours within 2 hrs of Puerto Vallarta.
A Weekly Spanish Intensives for Adults
1 . Yelapa, Jalisco, Mexico (near Puerto Vallarta) ( Regular and Summer 2007/08 )
Winter: Regular Group Spanish classes run from November to end of April, and then by request until summer months (July - August). The climate is ideal for beach life and lots of Activities. Study Spanish classes outdoors in a jungle setting with ocean view just a minute from the village. Groups are small, classes casual and fun with an emphasis on spoken Spanish, but with lots of Spanish structure to hang vocabulary!
Summer: Yelapa is verdant green and lush, hot and humid, with often afternoon and overnight showers and amazing electrical storms to cool things off. In July and August we teach from a few localities to maximize opportunities to dip into cool pools in the rivers, sit in the breezes in the shade, and enjoy the patios and views of our favorite restaurants, while learning Spanish and enjoying the summer life here. We combine the Spanish grammar studies, games, exercises and songs and then apply them in the field in a group activity for under an hour: a visit to a small farm , a nature hike, a tour of the Rosewood factory, or the water factory or tortilla factory, the stores, the medical clinic, etc.
2 . San Sebastian del Oeste, Jalisco, Mexico (1 hr east of P to. Vallarta) (Spanish on the Road - Dec 2 - Dec 9; and Weekends - see G. and Summer Program)
Only 70 kms from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, San Sebastian is an old colonial town, built at the peak of gold and silver mining in the 1600s with lots of Mexican history and myth. Once a rich town of 30,000, today it's a village of only 600 people. The houses are of adobe and clay tile roofs . The Spanish colonial 
architecture with central town square, inner court yards and gardens, tile and cobblestone, stone fences surrounding fruit orchards and fields, make this a scenic treasure. It's surrounded by pine forests, and mountain trails leading to old mines, smaller villages and viewpoints. Hot dry climate with mild evenings , except for the sunny, cool winter months (Dec - Feb).
NEW in 2007/2008 season we'll offer Weekend Classes and Spanish on the Road (see G below) - one week session in the winter (Dec 2 - Dec 9, 2007). 2008 Summer program offers 1 or 2 weeks. Inquire re: Dates.
Activities: We can arrange special activities to tour the region at reasonable group rates including:
road trip up to Real Alto, visit chapel with legendary Virgen del Rosario
Real Alto local raicilla and tequila distillery liquid gold
hike to Bufa, the peak above the village
walking tour of town sights, colonial buildings
birding, wildlife and nature interpretation tours
Course Dates: Dec 2 - Dec 9, 2007; Summer and Weekends (inquire)
3. Pátzcuaro, Michoacán , Mexico (50 kms W of Morelia) ( Summer Program and Spanish on the Road (see G below)
Visit the villages along the shores of Lago de Pátzcuaro, surrounded by pine forests in the 
highlands of central Mexico rich in the traditions of the Purepechan Indians. These native people were the only neighboring kingdom not to be conquered by the Aztec Empire . Today they still speak their language, sing traditional songs, and each village produces unique crafts and arts (masks, woven mats, sombreros, pine furniture, lacquered painted furniture, ceramics, hammered copper pots, etc.). Pátzcuaro is the regional government and market centre located 3 hrs south of Guadalajara, Mexico and a half hour from Morelia. It is internationally famous for its Día de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrations on November 1st (All Saints Eve).
Architecture is maintained in traditional colonial style since the 1500s, with peaceful inner courtyards and gardens . We'll stay in the central village, in a posada near the Basilica in rooms comfortably furnished for double occupancy.
After Spanish classes we can arrange excursions to:
the ruins of the Purepechan pre-hispanic temples at Ihuatzio and Tzintzuzan.
Santa Clara del Cobre hammered copper museum and crafts
Quiroga and Capula regional pottery centres
walking cultural and historic tour of Pátzcuaro and outdoor market (3 sq. blocks!)
visit to Tócuaro, wooden mask carvers, and Jarácuaro, straw hat makers
trip to the volcano Paricutín, last erupted in 1942, guided by one of the survivors
Bird watching in the marshes of Lago de Patzcuaro
Course Dates: See G. Spanish on the Road - below. Summer Courses - Inquire re Dates
B . Spanish for Birders (Regular and Summer)
This is a year-round course, also offered in the summer season with its rewards and challenges in the lush jungle environment. 
We'll learn Spanish on the hillside school of YESI which is one of the best locations in Yelapa for birding. Birds regularly fly through and sit in the treetops and past the class.
We'll learn birding vocabulary, focus on Spanish verbs related to bird behavior in addition to regular grammar study and exercises for two hours daily. Then we'll take a minimum of one hour daily to watch birds, identify them and learning their natural history in various habitats . Non students welcome on birding tours .
At least one trip will be taken in the estuary , one upriver to the waterfalls , one up the road to Chacala to experience the various habitats. Some unique birds we can expect to see: military macaws, elegant trogon, summer tanagers, mot mots, painted and varied buntings, magpie and San Blas jays, and most of the North American herons.
Course Dates : Weekly - Based on Demand
C . Spanish Classes - Summer Adventures Program (Summer 2008)
For those who want a committed Spanish language guide or Spanish classes and follow-up activities, we offer 3 hour classes with 4 hour guided activities . The week's guided schedule is pre-arranged, and you'll have one person dedicated to your instruction and adventure daily from Monday to Friday. Additional activities can be added on the weekends. (Pricing Variable depending on selected activities - See Activities page ).
D. Family Group Spanish ( Regular and Summer 2008 )
To allow children and their parents time together as a group, we've arranged a 2 hr Spanish course for parents to study with their children. The only requirement is that the children can read and write (approximately 8 years of age). Younger children can accompany us, but the focus will not be directed to them . Please see below for Children's Group Spanish.
We will spend the first hour learning simple grammatical structures, then use pictures for vocabulary building, games and Spanish songs for learning. In the second hour, we will do an activity that allows use of that Spanish vocabulary and structure (eg. farm visit, riding burros , tortilla making on an outdoor stove, a visit to a grocery store , water factory or tortilla factory).
E Children's Group Spanish ( Regular and Summer 2008 )
Spanish Classes for children will be offered Monday to Friday for 1.5 hrs for ages five and up. We'll learn simple grammatical structures and practice them through games, readings, crafts, activities and songs.
F. Summer Spanish Classes for Teachers (Summer 2008 )
A summer one week or two week Spanish class is designed for teachers during the summer holidays. Week 1 is Beginner´s (Present Tense) and Week 2 is Intermediate (Past Tenses). Two hours of grammar and vocabulary through exercises, readings, games and songs. One hour of conversational practice daily with a native speaker. Please inquire for advanced study. Study Spanish in classes near a cool pool, river and ocean-side locations.
Enhance your Spanish learning experience through accommodation arranged with a host family. This includes a private room, comfortably furnished, with private bath. Two meals per day are included in the home stay. We can also arrange private accommodation.
G. Spanish Classes on the Road - One Week Spanish Study Tours
(Daily Spanish Classes and Conversational Spanish on the Road - Limited to 4)
1. Patzcuaro ( One Week and Summer)
The high mountain region of Michoacán is inhabited by the Purepechan natives who still speak their language, sing traditional 
songs and produce arts and crafts unique to their villages. We'll head there through the Sierra Madre range east of Puerto Vallarta, with a tour of the mountain villages, San Sebastian and Mascota, en route. After an overnight here, we'll take a route through northern Michoacan, off the main freeways. We'll make a few stops along the route before we arrive in Pátzcuaro on the second night. Our accommodation will be just a block off the town plaza (zócalo) in an old Posada with inner courtyard across from the main Basilica.
After breakfast at Posada de Rosita, we'll focus on 2 hours of Spanish with as much vocabulary and structure to get you speaking quickly. Then we'll tour one of the many interesting local villages to view arts, crafts and interesting local geography and cultural features (eg. Ancient Ruins (Ihuatzio and Tzintzuntzan), Ceramic crafts (Capula), handmade Sombreros (Jarácuaro), wooden Mask Carvers (Tócuaro), hammed copper crafts (Santa Clara del Cobre), volcano Paricutín (Angahuan), guitar manufacture (Paracho), walking and tramway tour of historic and cultural Patzcuaro, the natural park region of Lago de Zirahuén).
The Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) tour is 9 nights, 10 days to include the celebrations on Saturday/Sunday returning Monday (3rd). * Option #2: Join us in Pátzcuaro and we'll adjust the costs for the period you can join us
One Week: (7 nights -Apr 19-26/08 ) $725 (Single) ; (9 nights Oct 26-Nov 3/08) (Day of the Dead) $850(S) Includes: Transportation, Accommodation, 10 hrs Spanish plus guided conversation -
Summer: Course only - $150/wk; Accommodation: $175/wk
2. Patzcuaro and Monarch Butterflies Winter Sanctuary (One Week)
We'll travel through the mountains from Puerto Vallarta , along south shore of Lake Chapala and arrive at Lago de Patzcuaro region. Here we'll stay for 4 nights and visit the many villages with distinctive arts and crafts in the region. Then we'll drive east for 3 hrs to Anguangueo and El Rosario Butterfly Reserve where the Monarch Butterfly sanctuaries protect them for them delicate wintering stage. We'll visit the Butterfly Research Centre. We'll horseback ride or hike from the trail head a couple hours of moderate degree of difficulty into the forests where they reside. We'll stay one night in Angangueo and tour other sites in the local area . Then we'll head to the Eduaro Ruiz National Park in Uruápan and to the coast through a different route west. Our jouney goes up the coast through Manzanillo and home to Puerto Vallarta .
One Week: 7 nights Feb 23 March 1 st - $750 (Single)
3. San Sebastian del Oeste - Mascota - Talpa de Allende (One Week, Weekends)
Just 70 km east of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico in the pine-clad high mountains, lies San Sebastian del Oeste. Cobble-stones pave the streets, comprise the fences and the houses are of adobe, ancient timbers and red clay roofs. This was once a wealthy mining community, and today with fewer facilities still charm, tranquility and magic of Mexican village life.
After Spanish classes in the morning, we'll tour the museums, the cultural landmarks and the surrounding environs. We may explore Real Alto, a village of 50 people 3,000 ft higher, where tequila and raicilla is the main home industry. We'll visit Mascota, a spacious agricultural centre, with a unique anthropology museum. An hour above Mascota are the small villages of Navidad, a historic French settlement, and the lake region which we'll explore for wildlife and scenic treasures. An overnight in Mascota, and then an hour's drive to Talpa de Allende. Talpa was founded in 1599 as a Spanish colony with the discovery of minerals in Aranjuéz. Today the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Talpa is a special religious museum, owing to a siting of the Virgen Mary. It's one of the most visited sites in Mexico for religious pilgrimages. There are many cultural features, viewpoints, and natural features such as the waterfalls at Aranjuez, cave paintings and petroglyphs in Sacamecate.
One Week (Dec2 - Dec 9/07) $400 (S) Includes Transport, Accommodation, 10 hrs Spanish plus guided conversation
4. Cultural and Nature Tour - Tepic- Mexcaltitán - San Blas
Come explore the coastal beach region north of Vallarta, then off the gringo path to Tepic, a centre for various indigenous people, 
especially Huichol. They are commonly seen in their traditional dress. We'll visit many museums and regional shops which display their life and art. We'll make a day trip to Laguna Santa Maria del Oro, an idyllic lake in an old deep volcanic crater of clear turquoise waters, and hike its periphery. Then to the ancient small island village of Mexcaltitán, the origin location of the early Aztecs, who found Tenoctitlán in Mexico valley, after a many generations' long pilgrimage from 1116 to 1325. Next we head further up the coast to San Blas, located at a estuary with isolated beaches, a navigable river and jungle edge that hosts a multitude of birds. We'll make some cultural stops in the coastal villages, and a few natural jewels (Lago Santa María near Las Varas) before we set up base in San Blas. The area is rich with wildlife in the river (caimans) and bird life in the wetlands and trees (anhingas, roseate spoonbills, etc.). One river tour included.
One Week - Feb 16- 23, 2008 $400 (S) Includes Transport, Accommodation, River Tour, 10 hrs Spanish plus guided conversation
Spanish Classes On the Road - Weekend Spanish Classes and Study Tours - Inquire re: Available Weekends
1. San Sebastian del Oeste, Mexico
In a weekend, we'll drive the 70 km from Puerto Vallarta up the winding mountain road to San Sebastian del Oeste, a small village, with beautiful Spanish colonial architecture nestled in the green pine and oak hills. We'll spend 1 night and 2 days in the village and environs, with a possible day trip up to Real Alto, 3000 ft higher) or to Mascota, the regional centre one hour away.
Weekend $ 120 (Single ) Includes Transport, 4 hrs Spanish Classes, Accommodation (2 days/1 night)
2. Tuito and Las Juntas Y Los Veranos
Las Juntas y Los Veranos is 30 min south of Puerto Vallarta where the Rivers Orcones and Tomatlán join. Los Veranos Canopy Tours has a riverside restaurant, water slides and their canopy tour on zip lines or cables to which one is harnessed traversing almost 15 kms. We'll visit the restaurant, exotic animal zoo and play in the crystal clear water and deep pools. The canopy tour is optional. Five minutes south is the Botanical Gardens - a marvel of gardens by theme built along easy to hike trails, one of which also leads to river pools for swimming. At both locations, we can do a nature hike and bird watching . We'll overnight in El Tuito , a small commercial centre, another 20 minutes south, and stroll the attractive central zocalo, and explore this distinct Mexican town with unique charms and experiences to be enjoyed.
The annual Guadalupe festival is Saturday, January 12th, with fireworks (un castillo with synchronous wheels of fireworks set off on a 20-30 ft wooden ferris wheel structure), vendors, bands, and a parade. To participate in this feast, we'll reverse the order of this weekend tour.
Weekends 2 days, 1 night $120 p.p .
3. Shopping off the Tourist Trail in Puerto Vallarta Area. Conversational Spanish on the fly!
We'll show you the shopping highlights. We'll hit a few of the must see tourist destinations in old Vallarta , stop at tianguis or flea market for the curious, hit a few unique specialty shops, and visit Pitillal , a traditional shopping area north of Vallarta.
One day - On Demand . $50 p.p Overnight - $100 p.p.
H. Medical Spanish Classes (see more info here)
