learn spanish with nicas ele
Nicas ELE is a Spanish School in Granada, Nicaragua. It is owned and operated by Nicaraguans. Our certified instructors are highly qualified, with over 15 years of experience. We offer private Spanish lessons for all levels with programs custom-tailored to suit your needs.
Inspired By Passion
" As long as I can remember, I have been sensitive to my fellow human beings. Their struggles become my struggles, their passions become my passions, and their happiness becomes my happiness. Nicas ELE provides connection: between student and teacher, tourist and local, Granada and the world.”
gERALD OBANDO - FOUNDER & TEACHER
Our mission
Nicas ELE is an online Spanish language school owned and operated by Nicaraguans. Located in Granada, Nicaragua, Nicas ELE was created out of a desire to connect prospective learners to high quality Spanish teachers/lessons and to provide stability and fair wages to Nicaraguans who have experienced significant disruption and hardship in recent years.
Political protests across the country in 2018 weakened Granada’s tourism sector, and the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 left it devastated. As the Nicaraguan economy relies heavily on tourism, many Nicas have seen their source of income disappear. Nicas ELE seeks to benefit teachers and learners alike and find new ways to connect to one another.
Spanish Lessons
For All Levels
Discover the perfect fit for your private Spanish lessons in Nicaragua by selecting your desired level and setting your personal goals. Our dedicated team of friendly teachers will collaborate with you to craft a customized program that suits your unique needs and preferences.
What Our satisfied Students have to say
You simply cannot go wrong learning spanish from any one of the teachers at Nicas ELE. I have studied with each of them over the years. As political unrest and the pandemic devastated Nicaraguas' tourism sector it was exciting to see Gerald start an online spanish language school and, since then, to watch it grow and thrive. No matter your level or goals, whether in person or online, you will find classes tailored to your needs.
Went to school here for a week and we were so happy with our progress. Good teachers, nice atmosphere and you get a little booklet with the most important verbs and such.
A superb week of Spanish lessons with my teacher Maria whom I thank again for her professionalism, her good humor and her patience.The place is super nice, the people are cool and it makes you want to learn thoroughly.Thank you Nicas ELE
We found the Spanish lessons a very nice experience. The lessons are well structured and fun. We stayed with a host family and can definitely recommend it!
I was one of those people who didn't get any further than "si, una cerveza por favor" and would then be unable to respond to any follow-up questions.I didn't really look forward to starting classes, but I did really want to be more able to have simple conversations with locals. Without the need for it to be flawless.We did the 5 days course and the result for me is amazing. At the last day I told my instructor Julio (in Spanish) that I wanted to buy a hammock from the social project across the street. We went together and he let me do all the talking. I probably still sounded like a Nicaraguan toddler, but I could do what I hoped for: Have a simple conversation, express what I was looking for, and respond to follow-up questions. Para mi, that's amazing progress in 5 days. Now we can expand our Spanish by practicing in real life during the rest of the trip.It is an investment in terms of effort, it's not easy. We walked out of the classes like zombies on the first day. But it gets better and it's definitely worth it if you plan to stay in Latin America for some time. We have already used much of what we learned in the time after, even just now when traveling to Ometepe. It opens up a lot of new opportunities for conversation.The teachers are very carm and patient. They speak slowly and in my case endlessly repeat without becoming annoyed. If you are going for it, then go with these people!Y finalmente: Julio, muchas gracias para cincos días muy divertidas. Buena suerte con todo!
Our experience couldn’t have been better! My boyfriend and I wanted to improve our Spanish at the start of our travels through Central America. We both decided to take separate classes with a private teacher because our levels differ a bit. 20 hours of one on one classes in 5 days, plus homework; it was intense, but the only way to really see improvement in my opinion.My teacher Maria is super kind, patient, and has a ton of experience. Classes are a mix of learning grammar rules and just talking. This way, I could put my learnings into practice right away. I also felt Maria corrected me on the most important mistakes, not on every little thing, which is good because I could focus on learning what’s important.My boyfriend was a bit stressed out at first but his teacher Julio quickly put him at ease. He really enjoyed his classes with Julio, who is also very patient, and was able to teach him the most important things to hold a conversation.We both personally clicked with the teachers, making the experience much friendlier and personal. Gerald, the owner, was super fast to respond and is very friendly too. You can really tell that they’re having a good time together and the story of how they started this school is beautiful!I also really liked that classes were given in the common space of a colorful hostel, creating an informal atmosphere.Thank you very much for all your help and patience, we will now put all our learnings into practice during the rest of our time here! Nathalie
Maria is amazing. I have had classes with her in person and on-line and so appreciate her style and consistency. She has also taught my son Spanish and made classes fun and engaging with him !
I really loved my experience at this school! I initially signed up for one week, but extended to two because I enjoyed it so much. Gerald (owner) is super responsive, helpful and makes sure you have everything you need.Maria, my professor, was great - with one on one teaching she was able to tailor lessons to me (both grammar and conversation) such that even in one week I could see a difference. She really built my confidence in speaking.. and I'm hoping to continue my lessons with her online. I also signed up for the homestay the school offers which pushes you to practice outside of lessons - definitely give it a try!The atmosphere at the school is relaxed and friendly. You have your lessons but also chat with all the teachers and students, which combined with the homestay, improves your spanish much quicker than expected and makes it a lot of fun! All in all.. the teachers, environment and materials were excellent and I would highly recommend you come here to learn spanish.
I had one to one classes with Sergio for 2 weeks. He is a highly knowledgeable teacher and can explain difficult grammatical concepts well and make them easy to understand. The conversations we had were very interesting and I learnt a lot about Nicaraguan culture. I also picked up a lot of vocab. I already spoke reasonably good Spanish, so I don't know what the school is like for beginners, but it was perfect for me.
Very good Spanish school, with a good atmosphere.My teacher Gabriela was clear in her explanations and educational. Our numerous discussions allowed me to learn more about Nicaragua.It is possible to be hosted by a Nicaraguan family for the duration of the courses.
I was able to book my Spanish course with Nicas ELE quite spontaneously and everything was super uncomplicated. Maria was the best teacher ever! Even though we did a lot of grammar (which I asked for) it never felt like school, but more like a conversation with a friend. I liked it so much that I booked a second week and after those two weeks I can definitely say that my Spanish improved and that I learned all the basics that I need to continue learning on my own. Maria and Gerald: Gracias para los colaciones, las recomendaciones para Granada - por todo! Muchos saludos, Vivi! 🌞
We had 5 days of Spanish lessons at Nicas ELE with Maria and we really liked it. She did a great job teaching us and we loved the experience!
Honest review - I had a great experience at this school. It was well-organized with excellent communication, but most importantly the lessons were amazing. Gabriella, my instructor, proved to be an incredible teacher, effortlessly managing the difficulty of teaching Spanish to someone at an intermediate level. The lessons were a perfect balance between structured learning and conversation practice. I found this approach was conducive to learning but also fun. Having had attended Spanish schools across Central America, I can confidently say that Gabriella stands out as the best teacher I've ever encountered!
I found Nicas ELE on line while searching for a place to better my Spanish. Gerald, the owner, got back to me right away and we set up lessons via Zoom before I traveled to Nicaragua. My teacher was Gabriela, she’s great! She is very patient and spoke slowly for me, encouraging me along. While I was in Nicaragua, Gabriela was my teacher every day for four hours. The school is in the Cueva Nica hostel. It’s a brightly painted, colorful, comfortable place to learn. Gabriela really helped me practice my Spanish and become more comfortable speaking. She also took me on two “field trips”: to the huge mercado and then to the Dia de Los Muertos celebration at the cemetery. I felt fortunate to be able to see such a cultural event! I really enjoyed my time there and will continue with Zoom classes since I had to come home! I recommend Gerald and his school. He and his staff are kind and do a wonderful job helping us Spanish learners!
I had a really good experience at the ELE Spanish school! Very good communication from the beginning, cool teachers and a nice atmosphere. I'm very happy that I chose to stay with a homestay family... my hostmum really made me feel like home... can only reccommend!! Gracias!🫶🏽
I just finished 1 week of classes with Julio (20 hours across 5 days) and enjoyed my lessons with him so much I decided to book a second week! Julio is very patientThe classes are challenging but you will be amazed at the end of the first week how much you have learnt/progressed 😊We liaised with Gerald to organise our classes and he is very efficient and easy to communicate with! Both weeks I only let him know the day before I would like to start classes and he got everything organised in time for us to start school
I had an amazing experience at this school! It's truly the best in Grenada. They offer fantastic options for homestays with local families, which added to the authenticity of my experience. Julio, my professor, was outstanding – incredibly knowledgeable and patient. I couldn't have asked for a better learning environment.
It was very good, there were different interactive and fun ways to learn spanish!
Great quality tutoring tailored to meet your specific needs. My teacher Maria is very knowledgeable, experienced, patient and flexible! She has all the qualities an excellent teacher should have.
I had a wonderful time learning spanish with Nicas ELE. Julio was kind and patient and I feel like I’ve learned a lot in 5 days (4hrs private lesson per day). I also chose to stay in with a family. Adriana and her family were so nice and they definitely made me feel very welcome.
You should absolutely take classes with Nicas ELE, in person or on Zoom - I’ve done both. I lived in Granada in 2012-2013, and Gerald was one of my first Spanish teachers. I went from completely lost to conversational while I was living there, and was able to use Spanish professionally in my next job. He was great at matching + adjusting class to my level of ability.We’ve kept in touch over the years, and I have been doing Zoom conversation classes since the beginning of Covid. The topics range from music to politics, from pop culture to comedy, and from the meaning of life to me not knowing how to say basic words and him shaking his head at me - Gerald’s depth and sense of humor are top notch. I’ve referred many friends to him and his colleagues, and they’ve all had positive experiences!
I’ve been taking lessons with Gerald for a few years now and they’ve really helped me improve my Spanish! Gerald is great at tailoring lessons to my own specific learning goals and where I use Spanish the most. Highly recommend to anyone wanting to learn/improve their Spanish skills!
I had such a wonderful experience learning Spanish from Gerald. The materials he used were excellent and well organized. I am planning to continue with him in the fall. I highly recommend this school to anyone who wants to enjoy learning a new language in a positive atmosphere.
My stay was amazing, I gained so much in Spanish thanks to my teacher Sergio. I was staying with a local family and the stay was very nice including the local food. I felt like a real student again going at morning to the beautiful school and in the afternoon going out with my classmates. The only think that I wasn’t happy with was the lack of stracture in the study . There was no costume plan to your level. I just spoke with my teacher and learn random stuff I want to know about. So you have to come with your own questions and know what you want to improve in.
This place is a bit hard to find, it is located in a hostel. I had Spanish courses before a couple of time here and there in Mexico before and I would say this one is the best Spanish course. I took private lessons for 20 hours in 5 days. The course was more focused on speaking and my teacher Julio did not speak English, so I really have to speak in Spanish whenever and whatever it is, which really pushed me into practice. It was a bit intense and everyday after the class, I could feel my brain was tired but Julio always gave me some homework. He did not allow me to have rest lol In the end of the day, my Spanish improved so much just after 5 days of practice. Incredible experience! Thank you Julio for pushing me hard to study!
We studied with Maria for 1 week in Granada and we had the best time! Our Spanish improved immensely and it has been so useful. Our lessons were always fun and engaging. Thank you Maria!
Amazing program! I have been taking online classes with Gerald for only 10 weeks and feel my Spanish has grown immensely!!! He is relatable, a great teacher, and makes every class fun. Could not recommend Nicas ELE more!
I could not recommend this program higher! I have taken online classes with Gerald and I just finished a week of in-person Spanish lessons with Maria. I learn so much each lesson and am inspired to keep working on my Spanish. Maria and Gerald are fantastic teachers who really understand how to help people learn a second language. Thank you both so much for this wonderful experience!
Cannot recommend Nicas ELE more highly. The week we had at Nicas ELE was by far the best week of classes that we’ve had in Central America. Gerald was incredibly warm and responsive making the booking process super easy. Our amazing teacher Gabriella was patient and kind while we bumbled through Spanish, letting us learn at our pace. Finally - our beautiful host family let us into their lives and made us feel like part of the family - thank you Adriana, Salvador & Adriana Elena can’t wait to return!
I loved taking classes at Nicas ELE spanish school and would recommend it to anyone. From just starting to learn spanish to only needing to brush up on your grammar, this school would be great for you! The scheduling was great and easy. They were so flexible and worked hard to make it work for you. The classes were one on one and a combination of grammar, reading, and speaking! All the staff is very kind and care about what they do! Love this place.
I have attended several Spanish language schools in a couple of countries in Central America. And I very, very highly recommend Nicaragua's ELE school in Granada. It is among the very best, and it is very competitively priced. The director Gerald was eager to hear my goals and requirements for 2 weeks of one-on-one instruction. The instructor Maria very quickly identified my weak points and worked tirelessly and patiently to strengthen them. My 2 weeks with Maria were incredibly helpful; my Spanish improved immensely. They were also 2 thoroughly enjoyable weeks. The ELE school in Granada is a very good choice for anyone eager to rapidly improve their Spanish skills.David (from Canada)
