Oxford Language Center (OLC) About Us

Originally founded in February 2005 in Guatemala City, Centro de Idiomas Guatemala has recently expanded to Cobán, located in the country's culturally rich interior. Well off the well beaten 'gringo trail', Cobán offers an ideal Spanish immersion environment for students looking for a unique and culturally relevant experience. We are seeking to offer a higher standard of quality in education for both the local people as well as our international students. Our clients include the British Embassy and Mercy Corps, as well as staff and students from local universities. In addition to Spanish, we offer instruction in a host of languages, including Italian, German, French, and indigenous Q'eqchi.

Our facilities & Staff

Centro de Idiomas Guatemala Cobán is located in a beautiful colonial-style building with over a hundred years of local history. Our classrooms face the tranquil garden setting garden setting of our interior courtyard. Rising from the garden is the tower building where you can surf the web at our Internet café or enjoy lunch in the coffee shop upstairs. We also provide space for local indigenous artisans to sell handmade rugs, jewelry and other crafts. The Peace Corps regional office is also located on the grounds.

Our Spanish Program is led by Leslie Aitkenhead, a nationally certified native-speaker with over five years intensive classroom experience with both adults and children. Born and raised in Cobán, Leslie infuses her lesson plans with bits of local history and a wonderful sense of humor.
In order to handle the broad range of languages taught at OLC Cobán, we have put together a team of language instructors from all over the world: hailing from Germany, Italy, the United States, Guatemala, South Africa and England, our teachers bring a range of international experience to our classrooms. We only accept trained native-speakers with university credentials and classroom experience as candidates for our staff.

Our Teaching Philosophy

A language requires practice and application in an interactive setting, guided by an instructor trained in universally recognized techniques. We believe a small-group context is essential for proper modeling and acquisition. After a written and oral placement exam, groups of 3-4 students are formed according to existing skill level. In conjunction with our textbook*, our program utilizes elicitation techniques like TPR (Total Physical Response) as well as classic drilling techniques and games designed to encourage speaking and reinforce concepts. Spanish is the only language used in the classroom.
We encourage prospective students to take a free demonstration class. It's the best way to see these tools and techniques at work for our students!

Homestay Opportunities & Excursions

Centro de Idiomas Guatemala extends the immersion experience beyond the classroom. Students are lodged with local Guatemalan families allowing for both cultural exposure and the practice of newly acquired Spanish skills. All of OLC's home-stay families are within walking distance of the school and have experience lodging foreign students. They provide a private room, a place to study, hot water and three meals a day Monday through Sunday.

With plans to expand our international program, and for new branches in Nicaragua and other parts of Central America, Centro de Idiomas Guatemala looks forward to an exciting next few years. We look forward to working with clients from all over the region.