After living here approximately 1 month, and experiencing trying to order in restaurants, bars and even buying groceries at the local Maxi Pali and Automercado – I knew it was imperative that I try and improve the high school Spanish I learnt many moons ago. My husband and I from our different areas of work considered ourselves to know kitchen Spanish, but knew it was time to take the next step.
Highly recommended from a popular Guanacaste women’s group on Facebook, I reached out to Spanish by Belen. She is located in Tamarindo in her own space, she offers both online or in person Spanish groups at different levels. I entered into an in-person group to not only make some friendships but felt this would be best way for me to learn. I ended up studying with Belen for over four months and only gave up my classes due to becoming too busy at work and with my Spanish classes increasing to three a week (by choice as I was doing a book club 1 day a week and the Spanish class twice a week) it was just unfortunately coming too much for me.
Belen was incredible, she teaches the absolute basics from my name is, I live here, I am from here to how to order food to the dreaded reflexive verbs.
Her positive happy manner and the way she teaches makes you feel like a pro even if you then happen to get the answer wrong! So highly recommended and when life calms down a bit for me again, I will definitely be signing up for more classes. To get in touch with Belen to join her classes, she is contactable via her Facebook page or on the following number: +506 6217-3566.
In the meantime though, if you are looking for that cheat sheet, I would highly recommend learning these answers/questions/phrases/:
Hola! ¿Cómo estas? – Hello, how are you?
Todo bien, gracias! – All good, thank you!
Lunes, martes, miercoles, jueves, viernes, sabado y domingo – Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday
¿A qué hora? – What time?
¿Que dias? – What day?
Me trae la cuenta, por favor – Bring me the check, please
Regaleme / Me regala… – Bring me
Hola, me da un… por favor? – Hello, can you give me…please?
Pura Vida – pura vida
