I am grateful the school is attempting to improve the lives of the poor families.

This school has provided an in-depth cultural experience that I couldn't have gotten anywhere else.

The accomodations are very simple. You should be aware that you will live as the poor live.

It's not a fun experience to go to live with Norma and her daughters, but it's a time of your life you will never forget. Do not expect a 4* accomodation, but the spanish lessons are excellent contrary to other schools I went to, and with a total immersion in the family of the teacher you can learn so much more than in a classic school where you basically speak more english than spanish. It's a kind of fair vacation as the money goes directly to the teacher, after this time you really have the impression you did something useful for you and for the others that's rare.

I have lived a very great experience in this school, with Norma, who is a great woman, with real human valors . She has experience, lessons are excellent . If you are looking for a place to learn spanish and live great trip and experience, I advice you to go .

Norma is a very very good teacher, very smart and interesting. She knows how to occupie you and knows how you can spent a good stay.

I stayed 6 weeks in Esteli with no previous spanish skills. In my opinion there is no better choice to learn spanish for the following reasons: 1. I went through all the gramatical basis stuff including all 16 indicative, subjonctive and conditional verb tenses in 6 weeks.The only thing that I need additionaly is more practice but I can write, speak and understand spanish very well now! 2. Flexible schedule depending on how many weeks you want to stay. As a beginner, I would recommend a 3 weeks minimum to be able to speak with people in the street, write letters and read newspapers. 3. Esteli is not a busy places with lots of foreigners . So the incentive to speak english as soon as the classes finish doesn't exist here. You will feel like a Nica after few weeks thanks to the openess and nice attitude of local people who are very pleased to speak with you anytime 4. The opportunity to speak and to write a paragraph every day on a different subject which improve your spanish quickly. Very creative lessons especially if you are interested in working and improving your skills 5. A very nice family with lovely kids and many people visiting... so another opportunity to speak a lot 6. Additional activities such as the visit of a Radio, interviews with lawyers, meetings with artisans, visit of market etc etc. This occurs maybe three afternoon per week and the classes are 4h/5 days a week the mornings, in a one-to-one formula (you and your professor). The professors are highly qualified - they are not students or beginners like in other places... 7. The opportunity to visit easily places such as San Juan del Sur, Leon, Granada, Isla de Ometepe etc. If you want to take a longer weekend to stay more in a place, no problem the professor is flexible. Moreover the beautiful north of Nica can be visited thanks to the family . Otherwise it would just be to long by bus to reach those remoted areas... I am answering any questions that you might have fredericpralong@gmail.com BRgds Fred

I have studied for 4 weeks with Profesora Norma and she is by far the best Spanish instructor that I've had. And I've studied in 3 other Latin American countries. She is dynamic, brilliant and my 4 hours a day just fly by, not like my previous experiences and she develops her curriculum for me and my needs.She doesn't try to fit the student to a curriculum, but she produces a curriculum for your learning needs. The homestay has also been the best that I've experienced. This has been a very rich, cultural experience as well, with lots of extra curricular outings included.

I've been staying 3 weeks with Norma and had a limited knowledge of spanish before. When I left, I could understand and speak rather fluently. Since then, I never found a teacher as good as her. If you go there you will live with her and her family, and she will be your guide in the country, just make your program and she will adapt to you. This is one of my best trip ever done.

Its simply the best choice you can make for learning Spanish. I´ve been all around Latin-America, and Estelí is a great place to go for learning the lingo and culture. The best school in Estelí is definitively Sacuanjoche. I had a great time and learned BASTANTE!

Norma is a fantastic teacher! She knows how to teach and is a delightful individual to get to know. I've studied at many language schools and never had a teacher before who was as careful as she was to make sure I had a good experience and did the things I wanted to. She is a bundle of energy! No two days with Norma were the same. Every day she had some excursion planned to show me the local culture. We visited a number of local artisans who demonstrated their craft and allowed me to ask all the questions I wanted. That was really interesting and a lot of fun. Norma put me up in the home of a local family. They were warm and gracious and fed me lots of local foods. Their home was simple (above average by Nicaraguan standards) but beautiful. The lady of the house keeps it very clean and has filled it with plants. My pair of rooms was at the end of the house beyond a private patio. The home was quiet, safe, and conveniently located near an internet cafe. Overall, it was a great experience, and I would highly recommend Norma's school to any serious student.

Norma is a wonderful teacher that adjust her lessons to your personal needs. If you want to learn about nicaraguans and be close to real nicaraguan life this is the place to be. Norma knows how to make lessons and fieldtrips an interesting and lasting experience.

Ich habe die Sprachschule von Norma für ca. 3 Wochen im Februar 2010 besucht. Norma ist eine exellente und sehr engagierte Lehrerin. Der Unterricht war individuell und gut strukturiert. Durch die Integration von regionalem Tourismus als Bestandteil des Sprachunterrichts konnte ich Land und Leute besser kennenlernen, interessante Erfahrungen machen und mein Spanisch in alläglichen Situationen trainieren und verbessern. In Normas Haus und in ihrer Familie wurde ich sehr warmherzig aufgenommen und aufs Beste versorgt. Ihre Tochter Leslie ist nicht nur eine wunderbare Köchin, sondern auch fast eine so gute Spanischlehrerin wie ihre Mutter Norma. Danke für die wunderschöne Zeit.

I spent 4 weeks at Norma's house and school. If you are serious about learning spanish and want a TRUE immersion experience this is the place to go. If you want to go hang out with other gringos, drink every night and possibly learn a little spanish here and there, this is not the right place. But if you want to learn spanish, it is amazing. This was by far the best immersion experience I got out of my 2.5 months in Nicaragua (total of 3 schools). You truly learn about Nicaraguan life and live as the Nicaraguans do. Norma is also a FANTASTIC teacher and will cater the lessons specifically to you. Her daughter Leslie cooks the best food, I still miss it (request her chicken). Norma's boyfriend will come home from a long days work and teach you all the slang you want to know! It is an intense and fulfilling experience and I don't think my trip would have been the same without it, I never would have gotten to know Nicaraguan life on the scale that I did and my spanish would never have reached the same level.

I spent 1 week at the Sacuanjoche Spanish School in Esteli in October 2011. Profesora Norma is a very experienced Spanish teacher. She is very good at assessing your level of Spanish and pinpointing what your weaknesses are and having exercises and lessons ready to address them. My classes included breakfast and lunch, both of which were cooked by Profesora Norma's daughter. The meals were healthy, tasty, and very good value for the money. Both Profesora Norma and her family are welcoming and easy-going. Classes take place in Profesora Norma's home or just outside, which is a very comfortable set-up. She calls in other teachers for students when necessary. We went on field trips to La Casita (a beautiful park/cafe on the outskirts of Esteli), to a very impoverished, newly relocated community in Esteli, and to the home/studio of a local sculptor. Studying in Esteli will give you a sense for reality in Nicaragua (as opposed to what you'll see in a touristy city). Esteli has a slower pace and is not as hot and humid as many other Nicaraguan cities. Profesora Norma is very knowledgable about local history, culture, and social issues, so you can learn Spanish and about Nicaragua. I definitely recommend the Sacuanjoche Spanish School.

Great experience, you get to learn with great rigorosity, great fun and really adapted to your needs. Not only do you learn spanish, but you get to know Nicaragua trough the eyes of its people. If you want to know about men-women relationships, economy, children education, food, geography, demography, etc. its the right place to come. Youll visit puros fabrics, climb a mountain, see local artisans, if you have an idea just ask! Had a very great time with Norma.

Cuando vine por primera vez a Estelí a la Escuela de Norma, yo no hablo nada de español. En solamente 2 semanas, mi español es suficiente para hablar en la calle y para entender mucho. La escuela de Norma es una inmersión completa: todo el día esto hablando español y con el turismo que Norma organiza, se aprende mucho sobre la vida en Estelí y en Nicaragua. Y se tiene la oportunidad de hablar con los artesanos. Norma tiene mucha energía y las clases son dinámicas. Y porque es un particular lección Norma se adapta a tu nivel. Las 4 horas son efectivas: no hay 1/2h de receso y Norma es puntual. La experiencia fue positiva yo recomiendo mucho Norma y su escuela de Español, y también la comida de Norma es muy, muy rica.

Sacuan Joche Spanish School is the best place to learn spanish with a teacher really dynamic, funny and really professional. She is really attentive to your needs. Its like an second family here! And we will have the chance to live and to learn a lot on real nicaragua life and culture and to visit many places so beautiful! Gracias Norma! ;)

My daughter and I just spent 2 weeks at the Sacuanjoche Spanish School with Professor Norma in Esteli. Norma provided much higher quality of Spanish instruction than I received in Guatemala. She is a professor by occupation, and her passion for the language and Nicaragua are evident in every lesson. She was able to accommodate my daughter and I's different Spanish level in our sessions. As we stayed in her home, the experience was much more than the 4 hours of Spanish lessons. We walked away feeling like we had a much better understanding of the language as well as the real life struggles and joys of the Nicaraguanese. My daughter came away feeling like it was a life changing experience. When a teenager says that, you know it was a good trip. Feel free to contact me if you have questions about the Sacuanjoche Spanish school at valallan1@gmail.com.

The teachers at this school [Norma and Alvara] are incredibly dedicated. They genuinely want to assist people in their language development, as well as their insight on the world. I had four hours of class every weekday [spanish], as well as conversation practice with them and other people they know during the rest of the day. Both of them are very active in their neighborhood in Esteli, and know practically everyone. They are leaders of their community, and you will become familiar with their community, too. Their school is in a working class neighborhood in Esteli, and I was warmly greeted by neighbors on the street while walking them by myself [day and night]. On the weekend, we went on an excursion to northern Nicaragua by the Honduras border and learned more about the Sandinista Revolution history that happened there. If you are interested in Nicaraguan history, Norma and Alvara are excellent resources that will tell you all you want to know. They also give insightful travel tips for other parts of Nicaragua. Overall, the people connected to this school are incredibly passionate and dedicated to having an active, postive impact on the world.