Frequently Asked Questions
Classes start every Monday, every week of the year.
There's about 17 public holidays in Colombia every year. Where Monday is a public holiday your classes will start on Tuesday. If you booked 20 hours of Group Classes they will be spread over 4 days instead of 5. For example classes that would normally run from 9am to 1pm will be increased to 830am to 130pm.
Our curriculum facilitates classes at all levels from total beginner to upper intermediate.
If you're a total beginner you'll start in the beginners classes. Otherwise if you have studied some Spanish before then you need to complete a level placement test, we'll send you the link to complete it during the booking process.
It's really a personal choice. Some people prefer the social aspect of a group class whilst others prefer to learn at their own pace with more personal attention in a private class. Many students start with group classes and then change to private classes. If you're not sure we recommend you start with group classes, you can always change later on, after the completion of any week. Please note that if you decide to change from group to private classes you will forfeit any discount given for group classes.
Group Classes go ahead with 3 students or more.
If you booked group classes and are the only student that week you will be offered private classes at half the number of hours, ie 10 hours instead of 20. If there are two students you'll be offered a private closed group of 15 hours. In all options you will still cover the same course content. Usually the substitute private classes are higher value than the group classes but you won't be charged any extra.
The last thing you need is a heavy Spanish grammar book to carry in your luggage. That's why we've developed our own Toucan Spanish curriculum and you'll also be given handouts in the class. On your first day you'll receive a welcome kit which includes a notebook and pen.
We organise regular activities which may include tours, salsa classes, fruit tastings and volunteering. The schedule varies from week to week.
Of course there is free wifi. We also have a couple of computers for student use, please ask at reception.
You can conveniently pay online prior to arriving at the school. We recommend students pay in advance to faciliate the preparation of the weekly schedule and to avoid delays on your first day. Payment secures your classes.
Yes you can however remember there might be discounts when booking more than 1 week of classes.
We generally only give discounts as shown on this website.
We use reputable payment processing companies to accept online payments. We recommend you phone your bank and tell them that you are paying for services in Colombia so that they don't block the transaction.
We don't at this stage however it's something that we're looking into. If you want to stay in Medellin for more than six months we recommend you review example 3 on this article about Colombian Tourist Visas.
There are many options, just ask us when booking.
From the airport to central Medellin it is a scenic 45 minute drive. At the airport are plenty of taxis and the fee to El Poblado is a set rate of 80,000COP, we recommend you check the rate before entering the taxi. Airport taxis are regulated and so it's very safe to take a taxi from the airport, although they do tend to drive pretty fast.
With the peace process in place the violent history of conflict in Colombia has been removed and Colombian is now one of the most exciting new destinations for tourism in South America.
Students from over 70 countries have joined at Toucan Spanish School.