I was only able to be in Quito for 1 week but I had a wonderful time. The SB coordinator was the first to respond and the best of all schools that I had contacted. They arranged a lovely family close to the school for me to stay with and were helpful with extra activities. My teacher was the best and able to work at my level and have fun. I think it was very good value and would totally recommend spending time there.

  Lin Frandsen - Canada
  frandsen10@hotmail.com
  Program: Quito

I enjoyed very much studying Spanish and Simon Bolivar in Quito . Studying with professional and very nice teachers in a comfortable and pleasant atmosphere. The school offered lots of extra activities like dancing or cocktail lessons or different kinds of sight-seeing trips. Overall I would recommend SB to everybody who is interested in studying Spanish while travelling in this wonderful country.

  Benedikt Kestler - Germany
  bebakestler@aol.com
  Program: Quito

A lovely school; lots going on and a well organized course. Enjoyed the cooking and cocktail lessons. Good atmosphere and lots of opportunities to socialize with other students and the teachers. Most importantly my teachers were excellent and lovely.

  Tom Lyttelton - UK
  tilil888@yahoo.co.uk
  Program: Quito

My time at SB was wonderful. My teacher is wonderful and now a special friend!
I learned so much. I know it will take continued study on my part but I really understand. I need to continue to memorize and use the verbs and vocabulary but I am able to communicate with my Latino friends now. I am so grateful for this two month experience.
I would highly recommend the school to anyone.
I especially liked the salsa classes. I love to dance and Eddie was a great instructor.
Everyone was friendly and I enjoyed coming to school each day for my classes.

  Ramona Wilson – USA
  wilsonfirstfruits@yahoo.com
  Program: Quito

Studying at Simon Bolivar has been a wonderful experience. The professors are competent and professional and the staff is always friendly and accommodating. I would recommend Simon Bolivar.

  Bryan Victor - USA
  Program: Quito

All of the professors and staff at Simon Bolivar made the learning experience relevant and fun. They were able to cater my lessons to my strengths and weaknesses, and focus on conversation specific to my profession. I highly recommend SB for students of all interests and ability.

  Becky Straus - USA
  Program: Quito

I arrived in Quito with a desperate need to learn enough Spanish in two weeks to interact effectively as a subcontractor with a multinational organization. I knew no Spanish, and literally within three days my professor had me speaking in complete, albeit simple, sentences. By the end of my nine days at Simon Bolivar, I was capable of conducting simple business in Spanish over the telephone and fully able to interact on a day-to-day basis in stores, restaurants, and with Ecuatorians I encountered in my daily activities. The one-on-one teaching at Simon Bolivar is, quite simply, fantastic. The professors will go at your pace and will push you as much as you want or need. In addition, the school is quite flexible, and some of the professors are willing to provide lessons at alternate times or on different schedules to meet your specific needs.

As a university professor of more than 20 years, I have nothing but praise for the school and its faculty, and the other students were equally thrilled with their experience at Simon Bolivar. Oh, one last thing: The optional weekend excursions and evening events provide a great opportunity to get to know a bit of the city and the country and also to practice your Spanish in new settings. They are incredibly inexpensive and some of them (such as the day-trip to Otavalo) should be on everyone’s “must” list. Studying at Simon Bolivar was a wonderful experience and I hope to continue some classes in the next few weeks if we can arrange them around my busy work schedule.

  Susan Dente Ross – USA
  Program: Quito

I had a great time in the language school of simon bolivar. The organization were very professional and the lessons very interesting and it had a lot of variety. My teachers Evelyn & Alexandra were very motivated and we had a lot of fun together. Thank them so much for their efforts...

  Ariane Müller - Swiss
  arianemueller@bluewin.ch
  Program: Quito

I've been studying Spanish at SB for 6 weeks. During that time I managed to learn enough Spanish to take part on conversations and I feel safe to travel through South America with my Spanish skills. The teachers are super nice and activites apart from studying are interesting.

  Karin Odermatt – Switzerland
  Program: Quito

My overall experience at Simon Bolivar was very good. I have learned so much Spanish, my teachers were very friendly and knowledgeable. The excursions were fun and will organized. It allowed you to meet a lot of other students which added to the whole experience. I found the Academic Director particulary helpful and understanding and very approachable - a good director- and the coordinator couldn't have been more helpful.

  Alexandra Foster - British
  flosterina2@gmail.com
  Program: Quito

I have gone to Simon Bolivar for a month and a half now. I have learned here that all the teachers here are very sweet and helpful, and that they see to your needs, and make the classes to fit you. Everyone I talk to tells me the same thing. My teacher is Cristina and she is wonderful. They also have at the school after hours activities such as salsa classes, cooking classes, and they are great. You learn quickly and a lot at this school, and also you meet friends for life.

  Johanna Ekman-- Swedish
  ecua_162@hotmail.com
  Program: Quito

I have thoroughly enjoyed my week at Simon Bolivar, porque my teacher Maribel is excellent! We have crammed a lot into the week but the price has been ok and appropriate for my needs--I enjoyed our visit to the local market it has been very useful and important to also spend a little time on discussing cultural differences and life in Ecuador/Latin America. I would definitely recommend S.B. to all my friends and fellow teachers.

   Harpreet Kaur-- British
   harpreet_kaur30@hotmail.com
   Program: Quito

I found that from the start the people at Simon Bolivar responded quickly to questions & concerns. E-mails were responded to in a timely manner. My Spanish teacher was excellent, taking care to individualize my lessons to my needs and level. The school was flexible in scheduling my classes & offered many different options [groups, individual, and outings] I recommend Simon Bolivar for anyone trying to learn Spanish

   Taz – Canadian
   Program: Quito

Let me put your doubts to rest: This school is legitimate, it does exist, it is very safe, and it provides professional, certified instruction in Spanish. I found my instruction to be very competent and creative. The school does an excellent job of organizing events on a consistent basis for students, so you never have to worry about getting bored or homesick, and you can be sure to learn a ton about Ecuador.  Disclaimer: If you want o make friends with, and meet more locals, get an internship or volunteer thru the school, otherwise you might find yourself sheltered by other foreigners. Living with a host family is probably the best and easiest way to meet locals and immerse yourself in the language.

   Anthony Scott – American
   anthony.tyrone.scott@gmail.com
   Program: Quito

Overall, I have had a great time at Simon Bolivar. Everyone is so friendly & helpful & the afternoon activities were really good fun & a really good idea for meeting new people. The lessons were flexible and very useful. My teacher was Edith, & I enjoyed every one of my lessons with her. I definitely recommend the school to everyone who is new in the city & the language.

  Harriet Cooper-Wall – English
  Hattycw@hotmail.com.uk

I found my overall experience at Simon Bolivar School to be very interesting, educational and fun. I took programs in different locations which contributed to having a wide range of experiences. All teachers were good at their jobs. All other school staff, particularly the administration staff, were very helpful. The families I stayed with were very good too. Overall, I had a very good experience with Simon Bolivar School. It was very useful to stay with host families to get further immersion into the culture, and was particularly impressed by their friendliness and cooking, especially in Quito.

The program on the Coast was great! We get to experience a part of Ecuador that is very different from Quito. The hotel had all the amenities and was right on the beach. There is nothing like having your Spanish lessons poolside. The staff was great and the food was awesome. I would definitely do it again

  Cynthia Hajek – USA
  chajek@pdx.edu
  Program: Coast

My time with my family and the SB school was highly enjoyable & exactly what I wanted. I learned a lot of Spanish in 1 month & plan on returning in following years. I recommend the school & a homestay.

  Walter Carll – American
  wtcarll@gmail.com
  Program: Quito, Cuenca

I had a very good time here at the Simon Bolivar School. In my opinion my teacher is [and the other teachers seemed too] very professional. So do the people that run the place and guide the trips. I have faith in the activities that are organized and in the people that run it. I learned a lot in the time I was here and it was totally worth all the money. It’s working hard in a laid-back atmosphere. I can recommend this school to others! Thanks for teaching me!

  Doekes – Dutch
  Program: Quito, Jungle

I was very happy with Simon Bolivar I had a great teacher and an excellent homestay. The salsa classes were great and I overall really enjoyed my time here. The staff was really helpful and worked with me and my needs. I have also taken Spanish classes in Guatemala at 2 different schools and I feel the instruction I received at Simon Bolivar, although more expensive, was a better quality education.

I had a great experience at the school. This was a great way to become immersed in Ecuadorian culture, both thru conversations with my host family and with my Spanish teacher. After four weeks of practicing, I feel much more comfortable speaking in Spanish. Quito was the perfect place to practice Spanish – wonderful museums and cultural performances, a beautiful historic center, and lots of friendly people!)

  Santhi Hariprasad – USA
  Santhi.hariprasad@gmail.com
  Program: Quito

I have had a wonderful time at Simon Bolivar. My teachers were excellent and all the activities provided by the school have been fabulous. I spent a week in the jungle with the school and I would recommend it to anyone – it was phenomenal! All in all, Simon Bolivar has been a great home base for exploring and learning about Ecuador.

  Tamara Shantz – Canadian
  tamarashantz@gmail.com
  Program: Quito, Jungle

I had a great time here. The teacher was very creative and patient; the location of the school is very convenient since it´s right near many restaurants and internet cafés; and the night time activities were so much fun. Also the cost was very reasonable, including the family stay. I had a wonderful, unforgettable 2 weeks.

  Lindsay Abcunas – USA
  Lma320@gmail.com
  Program: Quito

I had a great time, our teacher was fantastic and I learned a lot in my short time at the school, I would highly recommend it.

  Josh Newton – Australian
  Josh_newton@westnet.com.au
  Program: Quito

We liked our teacher and all the help we got from all of you! I would definitely recommend the school.

  Ainius Lasas & Jurate Larriene – Lithuanian
  Labasjurate@gmail.com
  Program: Quito

Simon Bolivar Escuela has been a fun, and informative experience! Carlos Paredes was our teacher and he adapted his teaching methods to us perfectly. Every day was so much fun, I loved learning Español! The extra activities were great and the whole staff are really nice & helpful! I´d recommend Simon Bolivar to anyone interested in studying Español. Gracias por todo!!!

  ysae – Australian
  jysae@westnet.com.au
  Program: Quito

I thought it was a very good program with friendly and helpful staff. I would recommend it to friends.

  Jerome McKenzie – British
  Mckjer01@gmail.com
  Program: Quito

I liked the school. Everyone was professional and prepared. I learned a lot of Spanish.

  Erik Larson – USA
  Program: Quito

It has been a great experience to refresh my Spanish. As I have to work in Ecuador it was most important to me to practice my understanding of spoken Spanish. My teacher was willing and able to adjust my lessons accordingly.

  Bram Langen – Dutch
  bramnienws@yahoo.com
  Program: Quito

The lessons were very useful, entertaining and informative.  I really appreciated the personal attention of la profesora. The city is wonderful to explore and our host family is the best.

  Glenn Nolan – Canadian
  Program: Quito

I had a wonderful experience. My professor is extremely helpful, and very good at teaching in a way I understand. Having the one on one lessons are great! Loved it!

  Kisani Frechette – Canadian
  Kiss_186@hotmail.com
  Program: Quito

I had a great experience at SB – from the teachers to the staff. I got what I came here for, to improve my Spanish to a much greater level. Ecuador is a wonderful place & I hope to visit the country and school again.

  Ed B. – USA
  Program: Quito

We have been very pleased with the whole experience of studying with Simon Bolivar. Everything was organized and managed extremely efficiently from the very first e-mail contact to our last day at school. The staff are very friendly and supportive and provide a very enjoyable learning environment. Many thanks for all your help.

  Bez & Diane Azoor – British  
  Program: Quito