The Comments
Dean Wheeler
31st Dec 2011
If you're currently looking to take Spanish classes then stop your search and contact ABC Spanish right now, I had the pleasure of taking classes with Diego and Angela for 3 months towards the end of 2011 and I couldn't have been happier.
If you are in Colombia only for a short time or even looking to stay longer, taking classes with them will be one of the best decisions that you make and you will realise this yourself as soon as you begin, they are both dedicated professionals and they take a genuine pride in helping your progression.
Firstly Diego will assess your level of Spanish and tailor the rest of your classes accordingly, he will teach you the rules of grammar and basic conversation and his style of teaching will ensure that you enjoy yourself while learning more than you ever thought possible.
Once you've studied the rules of grammar with Diego, Angela will then take over and this is where all the things that you have learned until that point are put together to enhance your talking, reading, transcribing, listening and writing skills. And just like with Diego, Angela's style of teaching will also ensure that your classes are fun and will keep your learning curve on track.
They are both excellent teachers and their methods complement each other perfectly, you receive regular tests along the way to assess your level and ability to retain the information that you have studied, and you are given homework and samples to help you review the subjects that you have covered in your classes each day, they both have an excellent level of English as well and never fail to find an answer when you have doubts or questions on any subject.
On a personal level you will also find that Diego and Angela are two of the nicest people that you could possibly meet, they both have a fantastic sense of humour and I'm sure that after spending a short time with them, you will count them both as good friends as I do, if you are lucky you may even have the opportunity to attend one of Diego's concerts as well as he is an extremely talented guitar player, you will also notice the artistic talents of Angela whenever you attend the school as her paintings adorn the walls of the classrooms.
Diego and Angela not only surpassed my expectations and taught me more than I thought possible within such a short time, but they also gave me some fantastic memories during my time in Colombia and I can't recommend their school highly enough.
Martin Grob
6th Sep 2011
"I was studying my first 20 hours in another school, which didn't meet my expectations. Then I started to take classes with Diego, no doubt he is my best language teacher ever. During the first class, he was picking up my level and based on that he prepared the lessons. Diego was teaching me for about a month. I feel that I got a good base in grammar, daily conversations and "paisa" expressions, which will help me during my travels. Therefore, don't waste time to find a teacher, go direct to ABC Spanish and use your time to talk to the friendly "paisas".
JOGGIE van der MERWE
8th Aug 2011
After studying Spanish in Medellin for four months somewhere else, I came to hear about Diego and ABC and decided to go to him for my final two weeks in Colombia. Meeting the guy, he was a great ambassador for the Paisas (people from Medellin and surrounding areas) - super friendly and helpful, and this didn't change at all during my two weeks with ABC. (He's a good source of all kind of helpful information too!) He was the perfect teacher to fine tune my Spanish and he helped me correct many mistakes and expressions that I've been using incorrectly for the past 5 months! Of course he also teaches everyday expressions and slang, which is very useful if you're planning on staying in Colombia for a while. I found that he always listened intently as I was speaking in order to correct mistakes as I was going along, so every conversation wasn't only an opportunity to practise, but also to learn. My classes with Diego always started punctually and he made really good use of time - I never felt as if we were waisting time, regardless of what we did in class.
All in all a great experience and definitely highly recommended!
Ivo
24th Jun 2011
When I started in ABC, I have taken already some clases on different places in South America.
Furthermore I was traveling a few month and picked up something (also mistakes). This means my level of Spanish was a bit chaotic and therefore very difficult for a teacher to give me the right education.
But Diego figured out very quick my strenghten and weaknesses and adapted the topics exactly the way I needed. He conducted the lessons interesting and always to my advantage. So it was very efficient and I benefited a huge lot. Of course I had to do my homework and to learn as well.
But without overstating I can say: ""it was far the best spanish education I
received.""
Thank you very much.
Regards Ivo (Switzerland)
James Latham
19th May 2010
Diego Trujillo taught me Spanish for 2 - 4 hours a day for an entire year and I can say with all honesty that he is an amazing teacher, and I have the highest respect for him.
Diego’s style is extremely flexible and he tailors each class to the needs of his students. He took me through a process from beginner to advanced Spanish speaker, by focusing upon and developing my personal weaknesses in the language. Using his experience and knowledge he prepared me for the DELE exam (Instituto Cervantes and Spanish Government official language exam for foreigners), upon which I was awarded the superior level.
Diego is a teacher who really values and understands his student’s learning process. He has a comprehensive understanding of the Spanish language, including idioms, slang, grammar, structure and vocabulary, and more importantly possesses a patient and skilled manner with which he explains the information.
On a personal level Diego is a great person who helped me both in and outside the classroom, and is a great reference point for understanding both Colombian and Latin culture!
Something which really stood out for me was his ability to focus on the student’s interests, whatever I wanted to concentrate on we would spend the class studying. Any doubt you have he will be able to answer with his broad depth of knowledge, and if he can’t do so in the class he will arrive the very next day with a thoroughly researched answer
Diego is a great guy, and a wonderful teacher, and I can assure you that if you want to learn Spanish in a versatile and fun environment, choosing him as your teacher is the best decision you could make.
Natalie Gordon
19th May 2010
My lessons with Diego and Angela were excellent. They tailored each class to suit my needs and were always working out new lesson plans that would help me improve my weaknesses. In addition to being excellent professores they were wonderful friends who made a real effort to help me meet new people in Medellin, and get to know the culture here. They were the BEST CLASSES EVER!
Sarah
19th May 2010
I studied with Diego for 1 month in the summer of 2009. Diego was one of 4 teachers I took classes with during my 2 months in Medellin and he was definitely the best - and that includes teachers at the universities There were three of us in our class and, athough we had quite different learning styles, Diego managed to pitch the classes to meet our different needs. In terms of learning styles, I found his approach a good mixture of grammar, conversation, listening and so on. As well as being a great teacher, Diego and his wife Angela are wonderful people and make a big effort to support and socialise with their students, and talk about the culture and politics of Colombia.
There are not many options for language learning in Medellin, so instead of spending a lot of time searching on the internet or traipsing round trying to find a teacher, I\'d recommend you just go for Diego and Angela\'s school and use the time you save in exploring the city, making friends etc. And make sure you don\'t miss out on one of Diego´s performances on the guitar, or Angela´s paintings.
Philip Hofstetter
14th Jan 2012
I fully agree with all the comments on this page: I cannot think of a
better school or a way to teach and learn Spanish. I went form only
being able to say “Hola” and “Gracias” to 80% fluent, in less than 3
weeks…Over all I studied for roughly 7 weeks with Diego (an a few
lessons with Angela) and since then I am able to have conversations
with almost everyone and about various topics. Here you really learn
how to SPEAK instead of just conjugating verbs, reading and writing.
Furthermore Medellin is a great place to spend some time and I believe
that the Spanish which is spoken in this city is very neutral and
clear.
Therefore my opinion is: If you are looking for a place to learn
Spanish in South America, you don’t have to look further- You found
the best place right here!