Who we are

Something more than Spanish!

Welcome, here at Oaxaca International, a Spanish School in Oaxaca, Mexico, we pride ourselves on being small, flexible and attentive to your needs.
We are equally proud of our understanding of our language and culture, and our goal is to share them with you in the best possible way. To help achieve this, we have developed our own materials for each of the levels of Spanish we offer (basic, intermediate, advanced and superior) and have designed our classroom and cultural activities with great care. A maximum of 4 students per class allows us to give you personal attention and to meet the needs of each individual student. We believe that at Oaxaca International, students of all ages and nationalities will find a staff filled with knowledge, care, professionalism, compassion, motivation, and quality all the necessary tools that will help you fulfill your goals and make your stay here extremely satisfying and rewarding.

The founder and director of the Oaxaca International Spanish Language School , Ileana Jimenez,holds a diploma from La Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM) in the Teaching of Spanish As a Second Language, and also has studied and earned a degree in Tourism Business Administration. She has also worked extensively as a private tutor. Based on her own experiences, she has hand-tailored the workbooks for the school focusing on the various levels of Spanish.

As a descendant of a family of Oaxacan artisans, she is proud of her roots, her language and her culture. She enjoys sharing her rich heritage with her students. The director has also selected the other teachers for their proven ability to help students learn Spanish.

At Oaxaca International, we take our students on cultural excursions twice every week. These are not the common tourist excursions but rather visits to artisans we know personally in surrounding villages or to less well known cultural locations in the city. For example, most weavers will explain the use of cochineal, the insects which produce the intense red dye, but we take you to the cochineal "farm" so you can see and learn about how these insects are raised. In this way, our excursions are designed to help our students "go deeper" into the Oaxacan culture. These excursions are free for students. We often create new excursions based on the interests of our students.

In 2007 Oaxaca International was chosen from a group of Spanish schools here in Oaxaca and in other parts of Mexico to give a Spanish language and Mexican culture course to Japanese students at a prestigious school in Yokohama, Japan. In addition, our school is a member of Command Spanish , Inc., one of the leaders in the teaching of Spanish for Business and Professionals throughout North America. Viewed together, these recognitions are an excellent reflection of the high level of teaching that students can expect to receive from us.

Oaxaca International has a great location in the area of "Siete Principes", The Seven Princes, an old neighborhood in the historic center of the city of Oaxaca. The former Convent of the Church of the Seven Princes is located nearby, which is now La Casa de Cultura de Oaxaca (The House of the Culture of Oaxaca). Our school is located only six blocks from the zócolo, or main square of Oaxaca, which you can walk to in only ten minutes. Other interesting places such as the Textile Museum, the San Pablo Cultural Center, and the Museum of Contemporary Art are even closer.

This new location of Oaxaca International is a larger space which gives us additional room for groups and private classes, and also a television room for the projection of national and international art films and short films. We have also developed a project called the "little store" where independent artists and Oaxacan artisans can promote and sell their art, helping them to improve their quality of life and allowing our students to experience the work of Oaxacan artists and artisans.

Oaxaca International is a member of the Oaxaca Union of Spanish as a Second Language Schools. This Union has various purposes. Most prominent is its drive to create new sources of employment in Oaxaca which will help improve the standard of living for the Oaxacan people. The Union supports artisans in promoting their art nationally and internationally. Ultimately the Union wants the city and state of Oaxaca to be known worldwide as it truly is, an excellent place to learn Spanish.

We hope that you can become part of our Oaxacan family, and that you will come here to enjoy an enriching and satisfying learning experience. If you have any questions,please do not hesitate to call, write, or email us (oaxinternational@gmail.com) so that we can be of further assistance.

Class schedule

From Monday to Friday

Express course: 9:00 am to 11:00 am

Basic course: 9:00 am to 12:10 am

Intensive course: 9:00 am to 1.00 p.m.

Superintensive course: 9:00 am to 1:00 pm or 3:00 pm

Or the last two hours from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.