I had a great experience at Rayuela this summer, and am continuing to take online classes with them now that I'm back home. The school is located in a beautiful building in San Telmo and it was truly a pleasure to sit in one of their cosy rooms for four hours every day with the sun streaming in studying Spanish. I had a group class and for me it struck a great balance between conversation and grammar – the grammar lessons were in Spanish anyway, so I felt like I was living in Spanish the entire time I was in class. My teacher, Eugenia, was wonderful, and the director of the school, Alejandro, takes the students' happiness very seriously and tries to accommodate any reasonable request. He offered to put me in private lessons at no additional charge when I was concerned that the group I was in wasn't right for my level. The school also helped me plan a trip to Iguazú and gave me advice about activities in the city. I made an offhand remark on day about wanting to see some classical music and the next day Ceci, the school administrator, had prepared a list of all the concerts in the city that weekend. Wow. As for the fun factor, I was there during the slow season and during the swine flu panic, so there weren't many other students at the school at the time and thus not many organized activities outside of class. So I can't comment on that aspect of the school. But for me, I was actually happy that there weren't a ton of planned activities. I loved taking class in the morning and having the rest of the day to explore Buenos Aires on my own – with advice from the Rayuela staff on where to go and what to see. Another note – during class you are provided with as much tea, coffee, or mate as you want, for free. This seems like a minor detail, but I really missed it later in the summer when I attended a school in Ecuador that charged for EVERYTHING, including refreshments and group activities. Also, I became seriously addicted to Rayuela's café con leche. I wish I had one right now.
Adam Bolt
Film Editor, USA

        We would definitely recommend this school, esp. when you live in San Telmo. It's a great school, with very friendly and excellent teachers. From knowing very little Spanish, in 40 hours over 2 weeks, we speak well enough now for living in Buenos Aires and dancing the tango. Our teacher, Eugenia, was very helpful and made the classes fun. The power of the school is the special attention and the familiar atmosphere.
Arie Van der Krogt and Simone Akkerman
Urbanists, Holland

        I was there for 4 weeks learning Spanish from scratch and would recommend Rayuela to anyone. The school is small and incredibly friendly with all staff - from Director Alejandro to the teachers and support staff, Ceci, Raquel & Sophie - working to ensure the students learn, are happy and have fun while learning. My profesora, Eugenia, made sure of the fun part - hangman, cards and battleships plus articles on Argentine history were all part of the lessons. And Ceci even gave us dancing lessons. Great school.
Simon Begle
Policy Advisor, UK

        I had a great time at Rayuela. My teacher and the method she used allowed me to make fast progress in a very short period of time, and Alejandro (the owner) and his staff are always doing their best to assist you in any possible manner.
Boniface Berthelot
Financial Advisor, France

      I've just finished an 8 month stay in Buenos Aires, during which I studied for most of that time at Instituto de Español Rayuela. Rayuela's classes do cost slightly more than other schools you might find in Buenos Aires, but there is an important reason for this. The director of the school, Prof. Michel, hires only legal workers. That is to say, that all of the staff and teachers at Rayuela are fully protected by the Argentine laws designed to protect workers (bonuses, time off, sick leave, etc.). Many other schools in Buenos Aires do not follow this practice, so while the classes may cost less the students are actually supporting a system in which their teachers are, essentially, unprotected by law. As a lawyer I found this distinction to be quite important.
There was a period of time during which I was quite ill and had to take time away from my classes; during this period both Prof. Michel and the other Rayuela staff constantly checked in on me to see if I needed anything.
Learning a foreign language is difficult, especially for adult learners, but I have gone from absolute beginner to a strong intermediate level in less than a year; I believe this speaks to both the strength and quality of the instruction.
Amelia C. Joiner
Lawyer, USA

        I really couldn't give high enough praise to the Instituto de Español Rayuela. I started my two week intensive course with no Spanish and after two weeks felt much more confident using Spanish in day to day situations. We covered a huge amount of vocabulary and grammar but it was all taught in such a fun and conversational setting that never did it feel like work. The use of games to augment learning was great. I wish languages in school were taught in such an effective and inspired way!! This school gets a definite two thumbs up and 5 stars from me. Thank you so much!!
Susan O´Gorman
Doctor, Ireland

        I studied at Rayuela for a month in April 2009 and I found the school to be very professional. What’s more I really liked their individual approach to teaching Spanish which means that the classes were tailed to practice the areas which were of problematic nature for me. I enjoyed having lessons with my teacher which was really important especially because I had intensive studying sessions each day. I must add that my teacher had a unique ability to explain any grammatical problem in a clear and comprehensive way and put the studying in socio-cultural Argentinean context which made it even more interesting and of course effective. My teacher was really persistent to make my past tense sound correct and her “finger tip sound” will probably stay in my head for ever. Apart from teaching at a very high level Rayuela offers an extremely friendly and home like atmosphere which you start to appreciate when you find yourself miles away from home. You don’t get the feeling that you are on your own in the town. The staff at the school always listens to your particular needs and offers help. Finally, the director has always time to have a small chat with you and thus directly controls the progress you make. When I finished my studying at Rayuela I really missed all the people there. At the moment I am thinking going back to Buenos Aires to continue my studying there. If I have a chance to go there again will definitely want to study at Rayuela.
Beata Baliga
English Philology, University of Warsaw, Poland

        Rayuela is a great school, with an awesome staff. The school is located in San Telmo, it is easy to get to (via buses and three blocks from the metro), and is near Plaza Dorrego. Before leaving the States we contacted the school through this website. They were extremely helpful finding us a place to stay (through 4rentargentina.com) near San Telmo, and promptly responded to request for information. The day after our arrival we met with the owner, Alejandro Michel, to review our placement exams, and better assess our skills and needs/desires for the class. We opted for the intensive group course, which was 4 hours a day, 5 days a week, with a one hour lunch. After some discussion, we determined at what level we would be starting. My classmates were at a comparable level with me, and I think my placement with them turned out to be perfect. I had a different teacher for the first two weeks of instruction, then the last two weeks, as my first teacher went on vacation. However, despite being a bit different in approach, they both were quite skilled at teaching, and had been doing it professionally for some time. Also, I think I benefited from having two different teachers. Although there are occasional events that they recommend, Rayuela is not really one of those backpacker-haven-type places. It feels more professional and organized, attracting the more serious kind of students. That being said, while I was there, there was a good variety of backpackers and professionals/expats who live in B.A. now. All in all, a great school, with an excellent staff, and quality experience well worth the tiny bit extra they charge in comparison to other schools in B.A.
Brandon Blanchard
Internet Product Manager, USA

        I found this to be a really great Spanish school. My teacher, Stella, was really nice and an excellent teacher. Alejandro was also very helpful and friendly, as were Cecilia and Raquel, who work in the office. The quality of teaching was of a very high standard and I feel like I learnt so much in just 4 weeks of lessons. One thing I thought was really great is that you learn using a lot of different methods, like playing games, looking at picture cards, listening to music, watching Youtube, reading newspaper articles, etc so it keeps it interesting. Also, the staff are very helpful with regards to any medical needs (I fell down the stairs and also got tonsillitis and they were very helpful and arranged for me to see a doctor). Overall, I would definitely recommend this school to friends.
Bec Martin
Student, Australia

        We liked this school as it is a small school with very individual attention. El Professor Alejandro made meaningful replies to our initial requests by email for more information (other Buenos Aires schools we contacted did not show much interest). The classes were interesting and varied; the teachers excellent. A special thanks to the Secretary, Ceci, who taught us to dance and helped us with travel information.
Jeffrey William McDonald
Retired (Airline Pilot), Australia

  

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        Ich habe während zwei Wochen im Spanisch-Institut "Rayuela" einen Halb-Intensivkurs besucht, d.h. jeden Morgen zwei Stunden. Und ich habe mich ganz ehrlich jeden Tag auf diesen Kurs gefreut. Es herrscht ein angenehmes und familiäres Klima, die Räumlichkeiten sind schön und hell und die  Spanischlehrer/innen kompetent. Ausserdem wird der Unterrichtsstoff individuell angepasst, d.h. es wird nicht einfach stur an einem vorgegebenen Lehrprogramm festgehalten, sondern auf Schwierigkeiten oder persönliche Wünsche, welche sich im Verlaufe des Kurses bemerkbar machen, eingegangen. Ich kann dieses Institut nur jedem empfehlen. Und falls die vorgegebenen Unterrichtszeiten jemandem nicht entsprechen sollten: einfach anrufen!!! Dann wird nach einer individuellen Lösung gesucht.
Nathalie Bürdel
Studentin Soziale Arbeit, Schweiz

        This is a great school that I would definitely recommend to anyone who is serious about improving their Spanish. The environment is studious and also fun. My teachers, Paloma and Flor were great. They were enthusiastic about the language and always 100 percent dedicated to the class and personalizing the curriculum to fit my needs. I took individual classes for 4 weeks and at the end felt that my Spanish had gotten much better. The school also helped me find a home stay in Buenos Aires with people I really enjoyed getting to know. I am really glad I decided to go with Rayuela and would definitely study there again if I were to return to Buenos Aires.
Gillian Gibb
Elementary School Teacher, San Franciso, USA

        Jag kan verkligen rekommendera Rayuela till den som vill läsa spanska iBuenos Aires. Det är en liten men proffsig skola med mycket välutbildade lärare. De små grupperna gör att kurserna kan skräddarsys utifrån studenternas kunskaper. Det i sin tur gör att man lär sig språket på djupet och får chansen att jobba extra med det man har svårt för. Dessutom är personalen trevlig och hjälpsam.
Kalle Elmqvist, Malmö, Sverige

        I met many students from other language schools during my three month and after exchanging experiences, it quickly became apparent to me that Rayuela is among the best of the language schools in Buenos Aires. My teacher Paloma was incredibly patient with me, the support staff was very friendly and helpful and Alejandro clearly delivered exactly what he promised: a solid program that accommodates the individual needs of the student. I can’t stress enough how grateful I am for all the effort and care that the staff put into making my educational experience at Rayuela as rich as possible. I highly recommend this school for those who want to make a serious attempt to learn Spanish.
Cari Weishaar
Administrator, The J. David Gladstone Institutes, San Franciso, USA

      I took a four-week course, mainly to prepare me for studies in the University of Buenos Aires. The program and course was made perfectly to fit just the level I was on. The teachers were wonderful, good at giving classes, and I was amazed of the level of knowledge they held. I learned a lot, and I had fun during classes. All of the staff were very helpful, nice and always in a good mood. I had some great 4 weeks at Rayuela, and will highly recommend it.
Hannah Gitmark
Student/Journalist, Norway

        The 'Instituto de Español Rayuela' was recommended to me by a friend and as soon as I went to have a look at the language institute I was friendly and professionally welcomed. I was in need of a course which prepared me for my exchange semester in Buenos Aires. With my Spanish level being very low the director personally took the time to think about possibilities for me to improve my written and oral skills in a short period of time. A schedule was set up for me to fit my personal preferences. The teachers assigned to me were very patient with me and I felt perfectly taken care off. The staff is very friendly and students at Rayuela have a lot more possibilities to integrate in the Argentinean culture by the activities Rayuela offers to its students. I can just say that I strongly recommend the institute to everyone, from beginners to advanced speakers or anyone who is interested in the Spanish language!
Robert Janssen
Student, Germany

        I spent 6 weeks studying at Rayuela and I am very happy with my time there! I learned a lot of Spanish and had a good time. I had a great teacher (Ivana), liked the study methods, and the informal, friendly atmosphere. I highly recommend Rayuela to Spanish students, beginners or others!
Sandra Behdjou
Student, Sweden

        After two weeks of intensive Spanish classes (as a beginner), I highly recommend Rayuela language school. On the first day, my professor had myself and the other students speaking in Spanish, which immediately gave me the confidence to try to begin communicating with others outside the school during my daily life in Buenos Aires. Although all the professors are fluent in English, the class was conducted almost exclusively in Spanish, providing a lot of exposure to the sound of language and greatly increasing my ability to understand what was being said. I found all of my professors to be creative, dynamic, and above all patient. I'm sure it can't be very interesting to hear students haltingly describe what they ate for breakfast and did the night before, and how many brothers and sisters they have over and over again, but these conversations are part of the process by which a person learns to speak a language, and my instructors always remained engaged and encouraging. The lessons were structured enough to cover the many fundamentals while also flexible enough to allow the class to pursue a line of conversation that had grabbed our interest. The director, Alejandro, is very professional and thoughtful concerning his students’ needs, and that he appears so well-liked by his staff and former students speaks highly of his genial nature. A top rate school that I've already recommended!.
Bliss Broyard
Writer, USA

        We can’t recommend this school highly enough! Extremely professional in every aspect! All the teachers are motivating, excellent tutors and make learning Spanish a pleasure. We had such a great time and will go back in the future. And Rachel makes you great coffees too!
Jacqueline Cook
Advertiser, Australia

        My boyfriend and I had private lessons here and would really recommend this school to anyone. We really enjoyed the lessons, the teachers were great, they made it fun and worked to our individual levels. 5 stars!
Anika Stokes
School director, UK

        I spent a month searching for a good Spanish school in Argentina. I needed to become conversational in a short period of time. In the process, Rayuela was recommended to me by a friend of friend. After contacting Alejandro (director), he was able to arrange a class for me and another student. In a matter of 3 weeks I went from zero to being able to have basic conversations with people and being able to get my point across in most situations. I had three teachers in a three week span and all of them were absolutely wonderful. The only thing is that if you are looking for a social school where learning Spanish is secondary to going out in groups often and doing activities, there are other schools in Buenos Aires which are better. But, if you want to learn Spanish, I can't recommend Rayuela enough. That said, you can still take Tango classes or get tickets to football games or discounts to tango shows etc through Rayuela. The school is located in a great part of town (San Telmo) with lots of café's and restaurants near by. Spanish is the only language spoken at the school (difficult at the beginning but you get used to it and helps you learn) even though everyone is multi-lingual. Overall, a great experience!
Hami Ebrahimi
Student, Canada

  

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        Rayuela was recommended to me by the hostel that I stayed in and, thus far, I have taken approximately 60 hours of instruction in both group and private settings. Relatively speaking, the school is small, which means that the "group" classes have an excellent student to faculty ratio and the school pays attention to the individual needs of each student. As an example, my first group class only had one other student in it, which made it the near equivalent of private instruction. Of equal importance, the owner of the school, Alejandro, is obviously committed to maintaining a highly professional language program, which is not universally true of the many Spanish schools in Buenos Aires. As a result of his efforts, the faculty is excellent. I have heard good things about the other professors, but I only have direct experience with Virginia, who has been a delightful professor throughout. She is patient, clear, and knowledgeable about the subject matter and, at the same time, has a good sense of humor and is a thoughtful and interesting interlocutor. Given the amount of time that you will spend talking with your professor, the latter qualities are important. My friends have informed me that there are less expensive options in Buenos Aires, but I am not willing to sacrifice the quality that I have found at Rayuela to save a few dollars/pesos per hour.
Zachary Potter
Attorney, USA

        I just completed one week of private Spanish lessons, for three hours a day, at Rayuela and was very happy with my choice. Since I already speak the language fairly well, I was basically looking for a mixture of conversation and grammar instruction. I found that Rayuela did an excellent job giving me the right mix of the two and did a very good job fine tuning my Spanish when I would make small mistakes. My professor did an excellent job both in explaining nuanced grammatical points to me and in facilitating interesting conversation over a variety of topics so that I could practice speaking Spanish on many different subjects. This last point is reflective of my overall impression of Rayuela: the people are very high caliber. Everyone I met seemed very intelligent and well educated and dedicated to teaching. Also, everyone was super friendly, so it was a great place to spend time and I felt right at home. It was really a great time. Also worth noting is that Rayuela put me up with a nice host family a short walk away in a nice neighborhood, which makes a huge difference. Overall, I can definitely recommend Rayuela. You get a lot of individualized attention and value for your money and really can't go wrong.
Scott Carr
Lawyer, San Francisco, California, USA

        We chose Rayuela over many other Spanish schools in Buenos Aires that we contacted because Alejandro gave up a lot of his time arranging "homestay" accommodation for us at short-notice, and also showed us some of the thorough monitoring work he carries out to ensure that high standards of teaching and learning are consistently achieved. Prior to our trip neither of us could speak Spanish. However, 5 months of our holiday will be spent in Spanish-speaking countries. Therefore, we enrolled on the 2 week, 4 hours a day, intensive course. Our teacher, Jorge, took time to get to know us and was a very effective teacher. Material was adapted to meet our interests, homework was relevant and challenging and lessons were well-paced. We sincerely recommend Rayuela.
Dr. R Foxall and Mrs. GL Foxall, UK/Australia

        Rayuela is een fantastische school gelegen in het pitoreske San Telmo. Als je binnenkomt voel je je meteen thuis. De school is namelijk ook gevestigd in een woon huis, met keuken, badkamer.. alles erop en eraan! Iedereen is super vriendelijk en gastvrij en er hangt een gemoedelijke, relaxte sfeer. Ik had les van Ivana, een fantastische lerares met heel veel energie, humor en intelligentie. De combinatie van dit al, maakte deze school voor mij perfect. Zeker een aanrader!
Wilco Alberda
Univesity Student, Hilversum, The Netherlands

        Hola! I have just completed a 2 week intensive Spanish course with Instituto de Español Rayuela. I chose it based on the reviews on this website. What a brilliant choice I made!! When I read the reviews I must admit I was a bit cynical when so many people mentioned that they could, after 2 weeks, hold conversations with taxi drivers. But seriously, I can!!!! All I had when I arrived was ¨hola¨and ¨Vino tinto por favor¨but now it’s quite incredible to be able to communicate with confidence. (Okay, so verbs aren’t my strong point......!) Alejandro looked after everything; the taxi picking me up from the airport, and the homestay with a local family near the school. He had emailed details about the family and taxi driver so I didn’t feel at all freaked out when I arrived in Argentina after 24 hours on a plane! Our teacher Virginia was absolutely brilliant - her standard of teaching is truly professional. And we laughed a lot! Now I am backpacking my way around South America, and only now can I fully appreciate just what a fantastic teacher she is, and what a great course this school offers. Have fun!!
Ciara McKeown, Ireland

        I am very impressed with Instituto de Espanol Rayuela. The lesson objectives were tailored to meet my needs and the instruction was scaffolded to help me achieve a deep understanding of Spanish grammar, phonics, and comprehension. I had a wonderful experience and learned much from the Spanish classes at Rayuela and will continue to attend classes there the next time I visit Argentina. The office staff and the director of the program are very hospitable and the instruction from my profesora was top notch (she is a true master teacher). I highly recommend this program to anyone interested in learning the Spanish language.
Justin Irish
Masters in Teaching, Seattle, USA

        Rayuela es verdaderamente una escuela muy profesional. Tuve clases durante 5 meses en 2006 y los profesores me ayudaron muchísimo. Antes de ir a Argentina, no podía hablar muy bien, y para entender una conversación… nada. Con 5 meses de estudios intensivos, puedo escribir, y hablar, así. Los grupos son pequeños, el programa es siempre flexible, y los docentes están capacitados para adecuar las clases a tus necesidades y objetivos específicos. Al igual que yo, podrías hacer buenos amigos con la gente que estudia allí y con los profesores. Tengo mucho respeto por esta escuela y la recomiendo especialmente.

        Rayuela je velice dobra skola z profesionalním prístupem k ucený - a to ve celkem dobrém cene. Ja jsem studoval tady pet mesíce v 2006, a vony me pomohli hodne v španelštine. Když jsem prišel k Argentíne, nemoch jsem mluvit, ani rozumit conversace. S pet mesicním kursém intensivny, tedka mužu mluvit jak vidíte nahore. Tridy jsou male, a ucitel je velice flexibelny definovat to co vlastne potrebujes. Jako ja, poznáš si lidy velice príjemny a udeláš si kamarady - a to s ucitelém y studenty. Moc respektuju tady ta škola, y myslim že je jeden z nejlepších co jsem již videl.

        Rayuela is an awesome Spanish school indeed, with its professionalism and special price. I had the pleasure to partake in 5 months of classes in 2006, and the teachers there helped me immensely. When I arrived in Argentina, I could hardly speak anything at all, much less understand conversation. With 5 months of intensive studying under my belt, I can now write, and talk, as you can see above. The classes at this school are small, not predefined, and the professor is flexible in defining exactly what is needed to advance your knowledge. Like I did, you can manage to create friendships at this school, with professors and students alike. I have much respect for what Rayuela is doing, and fully recommend it to all.
Jens Kosman
Cecho-Porteño-American
Manager of IT
Praha 3, Czech Republic

        I was extremely impressed by the level of teaching and the comfortable and relaxed environment at the Rayuela Spanish School. The classes were small and care was taken to match the students. The teachers were extremely patient and proficient and were able to explain things in a way that was centred to the specific needs and abilities of the student. I gained a basis from the school that gave me the confidence to start speaking and really feeling like I belonged in Buenos Aires.
Litza Jans
Pt. Lecturer/Film maker, London, UK

        Je suis très satisfaite de mes lessons. Merci a mercedes pour la qualité de son enseignement et merci a Cécilia pour son accueil tous les jours avec le sourir.
Gwénaëlle Le Cunff
Professeur, Nantes, France

        The Escuela Rayuela is a top-class place for learning Spanish. All levels are easily and professionally accommodated, and given a warm and friendly welcome. Unlike the majority of other Spanish schools in Buenos Aires, the Rayuela is small and personal, so one is guaranteed excellent teaching. Alejandro works tirelessly to produce new, original work and our teacher Mercedes could not have been more attentive, responding to all our queries and difficulties with a fresh approach, and new work in the next lesson. Also, Alejandro and the secretary Cecilia go far beyond the call of duty in ensuring that pupils are comfortable and happy. I highly recommend the Escuela Rayuela to all students of Spanish.
Toby Hopwood
BA University of Bristol, London, UK

        Ich habe am Instituto Rayuela in ueberraschend kurzer Zeit grosse Forschritte gemacht Der Unterricht war auf meinen Kenntnissstand und meine Wuensche zugeschnitten, gut strukturiert, mit ausgezeichneten Lehrmaterialien. Dank des flexiblen Stundenplans konnte ich gleich am naechsten Tag anfangen. Unsere Lehrerin war hochqualifizert und hat es verstanden, uns auch bei komplizierteren Aspekten der Grammatik zu motivieren. Und all das in entspannter Atmosphere, mit dem Ergebnis, dass wir Spass hatten und viel gelernt haben.
Claudia Mack
Geld-und Devisenhaendlerin, London, UK

        Vielen Dank fuer den effektiven Spanischkurs. Nach drei Tagen Intensivkurs konnten wir uns auf unserer Reise sehr gut verstaendigen und das Gelernte direkt umsetzen. Der Unterricht war sehr lebendig, kurzweilig und auf unsere Beduerfnisse abgestimmt. Wir koennen die Sprachschule sehr empfehlen.
Karin Maucher   Peter Zuerker
Nutritionist   Administration Officer
Deutschland

        I just returned to the Boston area after a month of Spanish lessons at Instituto Rayuela de Español in San Telmo. I enjoyed the city and what it offers a lot, not least being able to avoid the New England winter. I had found the Institute on the web, and liked the "gay-friendly" connection, as well as the school's imaginative name. I made all the arrangements in advance via email and Messenger, with the Institute helping me arrange for an airport pickup as well as accommodation with a porteño family for the duration of my stay. The practical details came off without a hitch. It was a comfort to be able to depend on someone I "knew" and who knew the city to help with the logistics before my arrival. Alejandro and Cecilia were both very forthcoming in all regards. As an intermediate student, I did private Spanish lessons with Daniela, who tailored the topics of study to my needs, bringing a great wealth of knowledge, experience, enthusiasm and good cheer into the equation. We covered both serious topics as the subjunctive in all its mystery as well as street slang, both useful on a day-to-day basis. I recommend Buenos Aires and Rayuela to anyone considering learning or improving skills in Spanish.
Jay Roaf
Lufthansa Manager, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

        Located in wonderful San Telmo, Instituto de Espanol Rayuela is a wonderful environment to study Spanish in Buenos Aires. Everything is about quality, and of course, charm. The staff is extremely helpful and caring and the instruction is serious but fun. Director Alejandro Michel accommodated my short stay in Buenos Aires by providing me with an assessment of my existing Spanish skills and a plan of action for the remainder of my stay. I would definitely return to Rayuela for future instruction and highly recommend this school.
Jerri Carmo
Chief Operating Officer
San Jose State University Research Foundation, USA

        Many thanks for fitting Stef and I in at such short notice and giving us a product that far exceeded expectations. Inés was a fantastic teacher, the material was comprehensive and we are now confident speaking Spanish in just 2 weeks. Cecilia was fantastic in arranging tango lessons at such short notice as well. Naturally we would highly recommend Rayuela!
Daniel Allingham
Scientific Degree, UK

        My husband and I attended this Spanish school in March 2007 in order to brush up our very rusty beginners’ Spanish for travelling independently in South America. We could not have chosen a better place to start. We were extremely impressed with the helpfulness, professionalism and thorough competence of the staff. Our teachers were patient and the pace was tailored to our specific needs. The course is oriented to help students find a conversational competence in Spanish which is exactly what we were looking for. They were also very helpful in getting us settled in, first into a hotel and then an apartment, and went beyond the call of duty in helping us sort out our banking issues as well. The school administrator is a tango teacher and she organized an outing to a milonga club that gave us a glimpse of the wonderful tango scene in Buenos Aires far from the touristy shows. She also took pains to organize an outing to see Boca Juniors, one of the best soccer teams in the world, play a home match. We loved the location of this Spanish school in the safe, bohemian, and eclectic neighbourhood of San Telmo that never seems to sleep. We are already planning on returning next year. Alejandro, Cecilia, Ivana, thanks again for all your help, and for a wonderful time.
Susan Jonvik
Scientist, Vancouver, BC, Canada

        One of the main purposes of my trip to Buenos Aires was to learn and better my Spanish, so choosing the right Spanish school was very important to me. From the very beginning at the assessment interview to the last minute I was at the school, the kind of personalized attention that Rayuela offered was truly beyond my expectations. They are not only thorough and thoughtful with their work and services, they actually care about their students, making sure they are learning and are having fun learning at the same time. Everyone there are awesome, it really feels like one big family.
        In the classroom, my teacher, Ivana, was just amazing! She has so much patience with us, explaining again and again when we kept making the same mistakes. The best thing was that she would not give in explaining in English, even though she is fluent, until it was absolutely necessary and that really pushed us to learn and to think in Spanish and not the translation.
Since the classes there are very small, we got a lot of chances to practice, speak and ask questions. The materials were tailored to what the students of each class needed so we moved along smoothly with new materials everyday but with great flexibility as well.
        Other than learning Spanish for around 4 weeks there, I also made many great friends at the school. I'd recommend this Spanish school to anyone anytime. If I ever go back to BA, which is pretty much in my agenda, I'd definitely go back to Rayuela to brush up my Spanish. Since they also situate in my favorite barrio in BA, San Telmo, which just makes it all the better! All in all, if you don't go for this school, it's totally your loss.
Ingrid So
Marketing Manager, Toronto, Canada

        Rayuela ist eine sehr gute Schule. Flexibel, ausgezeichnete Schulunterlagen und sehr freundliche und hilfsbereite Lehrer/Mitarbeiter. Die Schule sowie die Klassen sind klein und deshalb war es fúr mich der optimale Ort um schnell Spanisch zu lernen. 100% Empfehlenswert.
Thomas Willi
University Graduate, Zurich, Switzerland

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        Bien chers tous, je m'appelle Marion, ai 22 ans et ai suivi cet été un cours semi-intensif d'espagnol pendant 6 semaines. Si j'avais étudié cette langue jusqu'en terminal, après quatre ans de non pratique, mes connaissances étaient pour le moins très limitées! L'institut Rayuela m'a permis en très peu de temps de retrouver mon niveau perdu puis de le dépasser allègrement! Le fait d'être en petits groupes (5 élèves dans mon cas) de niveau généralement homogène permet à la professeur d'aider chacun individuellement tout en faisant progresser les autres sur des points qu' ils n'avaient pas nécessairement compris. Le contenu du cours est évolutif, dépendant des difficultés rencontrées par les élèves et que la professeur relève! Ainsi le suivi est bien adapté aux besoins de chacun! Problèmes de conjugaisons, emploi des temps, grammaire en général mais également questions de vocabulaire.... tout peut être revu et approfondi au moyen de méthodes ludiques favorisant la participation orale. De cette façon et avec la pratique quotidienne de la langue, je vous promets de progrès fulgurants!!!! Bon courage dans votre quête d' un très bon niveau d'espagnol..
Marion Fabiani
Law Student, Paris, France

        I would definitely recommend Rayuela to anyone wishing to learn Spanish. The San Telmo location is convenient and the teachers are very well trained (they all hold advanced degrees!). My boyfriend and I signed up for a shared-individual Spanish class and were pleasantly surprised by the level of personalized attention we received. In addition to individualized lesson plans, Rayuela offers specialized lessons on tango vocabulary or any other subject the student requests. (In fact, the school is right across from a society that hosts weekly tango lessons.) Rayuela also organizes cultural outings to milongas and soccer matches and even provides a free cup of coffee or tea at the beginning of every class. Perhaps the best part about Rayuela, however, is the warmth of the instructors and administrators. Our teacher, Mercedes, greeted us every morning with cheerful conversation, clever language games, and clear, structured lessons. Although she was fluent in English, she rarely strayed from Spanish and was able to give amazingly clear and concise explanations using our limited vocabulary. The school director, Alejandro, checked in on us regularly to be sure we were satisfied, and the administrative director Cecilia became my tango buddy and even bought me an empanada at a local milonga. These experiences really added to our time in Buenos Aires. Plus, by the end of two months we had gone from knowing nothing to conjugating the imperfect past tense and chatting with taxi drivers.
Virginia Nicholson
History Student, USA

        I took over 4 weeks of intensive Spanish lessons, and as a teacher in the UK, perhaps had higher expectations than most. Mercedes, our teacher, was consistently enthusiastic, encouraging, knowledgeable and well-prepared. What particularly impressed me was whenever any member of our class had a specific question or gap in their knowledge that they wanted to fill, it would be addressed in the following lesson without fail. Everybody who works at Rayuela is friendly, welcoming and polite. I would have no hesitation in recommending this Spanish school to anyone.
Richard Penwarden
Teacher, Devon, UK

        I have greatly enjoyed the four hours everyday for 6 weeks learning Spanish. With this Spanish program I have since found it easy and enjoyable to travel around Latin America. Highly recommended.
Kai Hendry
University Student, UK

        I strongly recommend the Instituto de Español Rayuela. I loved their location in San Telmo and the small classes and all the teachers and staff. They not only were great teachers, but also were willing to help in any adjustment problems that arose. I also really appreciated their special events, such as lunches in local cafes and other outings. It was a great, intimate way to learn Spanish in Buenos Aires.
Thomas W. Rigsby
Attorney, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

        Ho frequentato l'Instituto de Español Rayuela per due mesi. Il gruppo era piccolo e questo mi è piaciuto molto, potevo ascoltare, ripetere gli esercizi , cominciare a "comporre" piccole frasi... "chiaccherare". Le ore delle lezioni sono volate. Qualche volta abbiamo pranzato insieme con la professoressa con l'"obbligo" di parlare tra di noi sempre in spagnolo. L'esperienza nella scuola è stata bella e sono consapèvole che, se ora, pur commettento ancora errori, posso comunicare con le persone è grazie al corso che ho frequentato.
Aurora Campanella
Infermiera, Bolzano, Italia

        The Spanish classes I received at Rayuela consistently surpassed my expectations. The curriculum design is thorough and personalized - moving you quickly through the important grammar rules most relevant to conversational Spanish. Our instructor was wonderful in her moments of improvisation, addressing my weaknesses in an interesting and dynamic way. Alejandro Michel, the Director, holds the school to high standard and will give his attention to any matter. If I would have had more time in Buenos Aires, I would have continued my enrollment.
Joshua Nordin
Math Teacher, USA

       Lær spansk på spansk Hvordan klarer vi oss uten språk? De fleste av oss kan såpass greit engelsk at vi klarer oss godt nok i kontakt med folk i andre land. Eller gjør vi det?
Familien til min kone er spansk språklig, selv om vi klarer oss greit i daglig tale er det for mye jeg ikke får med i samtale og samvær.
For meg er Rayuela løsningen. Her får jeg en lærer som begynner der jeg er, som vinkler læringen slik at jeg opplever at jeg lærer. Etter hvert som timene har godt ser jeg at det ligger en klar struktur bak språkkurset.
Min målsetting er å forstå hovedpoengene i samtalene mellom spansk språklige, og at jeg skal kunne uttrykke meg på en grei måte. Dette målet når jeg med Rayuela.
Rune Tdvet
Political Scientist, Stavanger, Norway

        When I came to Buenos Aires, I decided to give myself eight days for an intensive Spanish course. I chose the Instituto de Español Rayuela. I wanted a solid grammatical base, in order to begin to understand how to construct the language, as well as practice at speaking. In addition to these, the excellent teacher Mercedes Sanrame gave me and my fellow student Chloe a varied, interesting and tailor-made course. Although we were studying for many hours each day, she managed to make everything absorbing, with a mixture of entertaining listening, writing, and speaking exercises. It was an absolute pleasure to learn with her, and at such a serious-minded, thoughtful and friendly Spanish school. In just over a week, my Spanish has improved incredibly - which will be a great help to me in my journalistic endeavours..
Senay Boztas
Freelance Journalist, ex Sunday Times, and (Glasgow) Sunday Herald
London, England

        The Instituto de Español Rayuela is staffed by wonderful teachers that do an excellent job of tailoring classes so that you get exactly what you need. The classes flow at a natural progression, so that if you are in the mood to practice listening and speaking, the conversation just arises naturally, but if you would rather focus on the mechanics of the Spanish language they are always prepared with activities. The private lessons are intensive but fun, and because you can design your own schedule, the day is exactly as demanding as you'd like. This allows you to move through the levels at a pace that is comfortable for you. The school is right in the heart of San Telmo, so living close by is a real treat! Plus, the staff is friendly and helpful, pleasantly stopping into class to make sure you have enough coffee of tea and "medialunas". In all, the school is just a wonderful and productive place to learn Spanish, and its location in Buenos Aires guarantees that you will never be bored in all the time you have outside class..
David McKean
Law Student, Washington, DC, USA

        I took a very intensive 40-hour Spanish course at the Rayuela Institute and was delighted. The school has well-trained teachers who are attentive to the needs of the students. I was lucky to take my language course in a very small group setting, as there was only one other student in the class! The staff are very friendly and professional. Also, the written material distributed in class proved to be invaluable during my travels in South America. Buenos Aires is a fantastic city and a great place to stay put for a while and learn Spanish. I would recommend the school to anyone.
Chloé Baudry
University Student, Montreal, Canada

        With wonderful teachers and an intimate, friendly environment, Rayuela is a great place to learn Spanish in Buenos Aires as well as find one's footing upon arriving in the city. Though the school feels quite small and informal, the courses are very well thought and the material top-notch. Small class sizes kept to even skill levels make for a cohesive and easily customizable learning experience. Though above all, the quality of the teaching staff stands out as the greatest strength of this Spanish school.
Patrick Williams
Industrial Designer, Ottawa, Canada
February 13, 2006

        I was very satisfied with my experience at Rayuela. I took 2 weeks of intensive (4hrs/day) Spanish courses and 2 weeks of semi-intensive (2 hrs/day) courses. The school is small and friendly, but very professionally run. Contacting the school from Canada, I received replies to my questions within a day, and the Director was very helpful in catering the program specifically to our needs. The teaching quality was superb as the teachers are highly well-trained and the classes small (3 students in mine). As a result, I felt that I rapidly acquired basic Spanish and it made my life a lot easier while traveling around afterwards. Another great thing about the school being small is that it organized lunches at nearby restaurants, so we got to know other students and teachers as well as the lovely neighborhood. The school has a relaxed atmosphere, a very friendly staff, and is an excellent learning opportunity!.
Bryarly McEachern
Environmental Scientist, Ottawa, Canada
February 13, 2006

        Wir waren begeistert von dem von Rayuela angebotenen Intensivunterricht, der absolut auf unsere Vorkenntnisse abgestimmt war. Nicht stures Grammatikpauken war angesagt, sondern vor allem das Anwenden des Erlernten in der gesprochenen Sprache, so dass wir in kürzester Zeit Fortschritte in Konversation merken konnten. Zudem bekamen wir einen Eindruck von der argentinischen Gastfreundschaft und Herzlichkeit und viele Informationen über das Land selbst vermittelt.
Karola Grau
Flugbegleiterin bei Lufthansa
Nürnberg, Deutschland Johannes Grau
Lokführer bei Deutsche Bahn AG
Nürnberg, Deutschland

        Rayuela provided us with a very professional setting to learn Spanish. Our classes were well organized and enjoyable. Our teacher was extremely knowledgeable. The Rayuela staff were fantastic and fun to work with.
Simon and Parisa Saeedi-Mepham
Teacher, Naturopathic Doctor
Seattle, WA, U.S.A

        The Instituto de Español Rayuela is an excellent school to learn Spanish. My teacher was very professional and all the staff are really friendly. I came to Buenos Aires on business and, as a result of this, my schedule was sometimes very tight, but the school was understanding and flexible, and always tried to work it out. The Director met with my teacher daily and with me once a week, to assess my progress and receive my feedback. My suggestions and needs were always welcome. I had a great experience at this school, thanks to which I can now communicate in Spanish.
Waleed Alshammari
TEI&C
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

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        The teaching at the Instituto de Español Rayuela is of an extremely high standard; the approach is professional, the classes are enjoyable. I personally worked towards sitting the Spanish Proficiency Test of Argentina (CELU) which, having been prepared by Rayuela, I passed with flying colours. Highly recommended.
Nicholas Hirst
Language student, Oxford University, England

        Im Einzelunterricht wird man genau da abgeholt, wo man steht. Es geht auch nicht nur um Lernen grammatischer Strukturen, sondern auch um die Vermittlung von wertvollen Informationen über Land und Kultur. Ich habe den Unterricht sehr genossen.
Dr. Beate Becker
DAAD-Lektorin
Deutsches Informations-und Studienzentrum
Universität Aleppo, Syrien

        Over the years I have taken several Spanish courses, from traditional community college to world famous programs, all with little success. While in Buenos Aires I found a unique Spanish school, Rayuela, and chose them after trying two other schools in comparison. I chose Rayuela because I was impressed by the intelligence of their approach and the dedication of their Director and instructors. After 3 weeks with Rayuela, for the first time, following all of the courses of Spanish I have taken previously, I feel I have actually learned something. The classes were enjoyable and followed a logical order based on my specific requirements. I highly recommend Rayuela for anyone wishing to learn Spanish as a second language and hope to return to the school on a future visit.
Chris Wachholz
Vice President, International Department, Divers Alert Network
Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC U.S.A.

        I can't recommend Rayuela highly enough. I had really good fun laughing and learning Spanish. The teacher I had really enjoys teaching and it showed in his classes. He actually managed to make grammar fun! I did a 5 week course and the time flew by, it's a very friendly atmosphere and I was made to feel very welcome by the staff.
Heiko Remle
Student der Betriebswirtschaftslehre, Mannheim, Deutschland

        Ich habe in dieser Sprachschule in nur kurzer Zeit unheimlich viel gelernt! Mir gefiel besonders gut, wie die Unterrichtseinheiten aufeinander aufgebaut waren und der Stoff praesentiert wurde. Viel Lob an den didaktisch ausgezeichneten Lehrer, der seine Sprache nicht nur beherrschte, sondern mir ebenso half, Unsicherheiten bei ganz individuellen Grammatikproblemen systematisch auszuraeumen.
Katja Schmidt
German teacher, Leipzig, Germany

        I still can't believe my luck in discovering this Spanish school shortly after relocating to Buenos Aires. Although I knew some simple phrases that could get me by, my immersion experience in the Rayuela Instituto has helped me to absorb not only grammar & vocabulary but subtle aspects of the culture of the "porteños" as well....all in a very short time. Today, I simply can't say enough about the value and quality of the learning experience anyone aspiring to be an effective "hispanohablante" (Spanish-speaker) will enjoy in their studies with Rayuela.
Laurie A Fitzgerald
Management Consultant
(Formerly of Denver, Colorado USA)
San Telmo, Buenos Aires

        Gut gegliederter, wohldurchdachter Unterricht auf professionellem Niveau und in angenehm-entspannter Atmosphâre. Das Lehrmaterial war sehr hilfreich. Sehr empfehlenswert!
Dr. Wolfram Engelhardt
Arzt, Frankfurt am Main, Deutschland

        Effektiv læring av det du treng og seriøst opplegg.
Espen Lothe
Teacher, Floroe, Norway

        Thank you Rayuela for giving me the confidence to practice my Spanish with the Argentine locals! My tutor was excellent and very well-qualified, and class handouts and homework were extremely helpful. I have already recommended friends to attend Rayuela!.
Nick Ryder
Law Lecturer, Auckland, New Zealand

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        De lessen aan het instituut Rayuela, Buenos Aires, waren voor mij een goede manier om in korte tijd Spaans te leren en de stad te leren kennen. De docenten zijn vriendelijk en toegewijd en de lessen hebben een goed niveau. Het kleine instituut ligt in de wijk San Telmo, een gezellige wijk in koloniale stijl. De mensen die Rayuela runnen, zorgen er niet alleen voor dat het lesprogramma goed is, maar ook dat je, als je dat wilt, in contact komt met mensen die bijvoorbeeld tangolessen kunnen geven of appartementen of fietsen verhuren .
M. Rogaar
Student - Amsterdam, Holland

        Ich war absoluter Anfänger, aber mit der professionellen Art und der grossen Erfahrung als Sprachlehrer konnte jederzeit auf unsere Bedürfnisse eingegangen werden. Ich machte grosse Fortschritte und es hat sehr Spass gemacht. Das Institut ist wirklich zu empfehlen!
Guido Foehn
IT-Techniker - Bern, Schweiz

       Professionellt, pedagogiskt och personligt. Helt klart ett ställe vi rekommenderar!
Emma Westlin & Björn Viggeborn
Students - Stockholm, Sweden

        In einem 2-wöchigen Beginnerkurs haben wir durch hervorragende Strukturierung des Unterrichtes und der für uns persönlich zusammengestellten Unterlagen viel gelernt. Bereits nach wenigen Tagen viel es uns leichter, die Leute zu verstehen.
Kerstin Brümann & Thorsten Lenck
Students - Berlin, Germany

        I already had a pretty good command of basic grammar and what I needed was help in learning to express myself more fluently. My teacher came through on a regular basis with exercises and activities that helped me do just that.
Dan Krishock
Managing Editor - The Buenos Aires Herald

        Non seulement j'ai pu améliorer mon niveau d'espagnol de manière rapide et ludique mais j'ai aussi appris énormement sur la culture, la literature et l'histoire latinoaméricaine et argentine.
Veronique Masingue
Student - Paris, France

        Every class had a clear lesson plan and the system was easy to understand and I knew exactly what I was learning and what I needed to study.
Chris Emme
Analyst - The US Embassy, Foreign Commercial Service

        Der Unterricht ist strukturiert und anspruchsvoll. Das Institut vermittelt auch viel Wissen über Land und Leute, so dass man neben der Sprache auch Allgemeinwissen vermittelt wird.
Karsten Rauner
Sales Manager - Lufthansa Systems

        I took private Spanish lessons six days a week for three hours each morning. These sessions never seemed too early or too long, such was my teacher's ability to pitch the lesson so that I remained focused.
Steven Haygarth
Student - Southampton, UK

        The teaching was extremely well structured, covering everything from a concise grammatical overview to useful vocabulary and phrases, as well as ample cultural information about Argentina.
Jürgen M. Kopp
Investment Management - G. D. De Luxembourg

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        Fuer jemanden, der schnell und fundiert Spanisch lernen moechte ist das Institut Rayuela eine sehr gute Wahl und absolut empfehlenswert!.
Arlene Buehler
Referentin Prozessmanagement-Siemens AG, Transportation Systems
Berlin

        Die Spanischstunden haben grossen Spass gemacht. Es wird aber auch ein fundiertes Wissen der spanischen Sprache, theoretischer als auch praktischer Natur vermittelt.
Henning M. Richter
Student - Koeln, Deutschland

        I was especially impressed by the teaching materials, which are very clear, thorough and explain particular concepts very well.
Dr Kirsty Pakes
Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England

        I found the approach to be the ideal combination of professionalism and enthusiasm and I was very pleased with the progress I made in the short amount of time I had available.
Ben Page
Internet Application Developer - England

        The teachers are experts at teaching Spanish as a foreign language and understand how to adapt to the varied needs of their students.
Patience Humphrey
Cleveland, Ohio, USA

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        The emphasis placed on the practical aspects of the Spanish language was invaluable in my everyday survival in Buenos Aires.
Spencer Hahne
Student - USA

        I did not anticipate that I would have made such progress in so short a time. Additionally, the time spent with my teachers in lessons was very enjoyable.
Andrew Lingard
Engineer - Bristol, England

        I have benefited greatly from the Spanish lessons I received. The teaching method used was impeccable and far superior to most of the educational experiences I have encountered.
Scott Adamson
Sound Engineer - Semaphore Studios - Chicago, USA

        I am pleased with my progress thus far, and my co-workers certainly recognize and are grateful for the improvement..
Stephen Lanier
Analyst - Merrill Lynch

        Vous avez su mettre en place un programme pédagogique adapté à mon objectif qui était de pouvoir communiquer en espagnol au quotidien.
Isabelle Pupier Stefanesco
Sales Manager - Quest International

        I have tried many other Spanish schools in the past and they were all about the same. I can now honestly say some methods are much better than others! I will truly miss my classes.
Teresa Hohl
Sales Manager - Ayling Marsh

        I particularly appreciated your customizing my Spanish lessons to my immediate work and social needs. I am able to converse in meetings, as well as read and understand my e-mail in Spanish.
Michael A. Heater
CPA - ExxonMobil

        Your teaching method is really worthwhile recommending to all those that want to learn Spanish in Buenos Aires in a fast and efficient way and at the same time take pleasure from it.
Hiroki Ishibashi
Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. - Buenos Aires Representative

        We have progressed extremely well over the past 7 months and the ability to speak and understand the Spanish language has opened our world immensely.
David M. Kudlak
P.E - Exxon Research and Engineering Company

        I was a true beginner when I first came here and now I am able to successfully participate in meetings at which only Spanish is spoken.
Ulrich Penzkofer
Siemens Nixdorf Informationssysteme AG
Corporate Strategy and Business Development

        I highly recommend the Rayuela Spanish Institute as a preferred choice for any company looking for Spanish teachers for professionals.
Yves Arrouet
General Electric International, Inc.
Vice President, Business Development South America