My experience with ILPE was very positive. Brian, the school director and founder, was very…read moreaccommodating with my specific needs concerning scheduling and promptly responded when my travel itinerary changed due to delays. I chose taking a 2 hour class each of the 5 days I was in Puerto Escondido. As a beginner, I found that the 2 hour block was perfect. Also, I found that taking the class early in the morning was helpful because it provided me with helpful vocabulary/grammer/basic expressions which facilitated my subsequent interactions within the community of Puerto Escondido that day. The classes were very fun and engaging. My instructors led the classes in a very immersive context, limiting the amount of English spoken, even in a beginner class. Although I expected I would most likely be assigned private lessons since I was traveling solo, and my level is rudimentary, I was able to experience many group lessons since a fellow beginner happened to be interested in similar class times/dates, yet another testament to the school's ability to coordinate scheduling on short notice. Along with the immersive quality of the class, the instructors consistently used an interactive approach, and completed each lesson segment with practical application.
I also participated in a homestay, which further enhanced my exposure to the language and increased my opportunity for engagement, an invaluable tool when trying to grasp a language, especially as a beginner. I immensely enjoyed my time with the host family. Everyone in the household was gracious and inviting. Despite very little grasp of Spanish, I was able to communicate with those in the household with the help of reference tools, of course.
In addition, I took 3 surf lessons; one of which, the "land lesson", very thoroughly covered many important surfing topics ranging from the origin/formation of waves to how to respond to specific conditions/circumstances encountered in the surf. This didactic layout, which also included detailed kinesthetic drills to aid in the understanding of basic techniques, such as paddling, standing, etc, was extremely informative, especially to someone new to the sport.
Overall, a fantastic experience with all of the classes- high quality instruction, and extremely friendly staff. Highly recommended!
