I just did a preliminary sweep of Nicaragua's ever-changing, still-strong crop of Spanish language schools and gathered what I found in an article for Transitions Abroad:

"The Escuela Scoop: Spanish Language Schools in Nicaragua are Central America’s Best Bargain."

There are many Spanish schools in Nicaragua which I did not list. If I failed to mention a school that belongs on this list—please let me and my coauthor know about it on this Spanish school discussion forum.

Randy and I receive lots of mail about readers' travel plans, an increasing number of which incorporate language study into their trips to Nicaragua. "The plan," writes one reader, "is to study Spanish for at least 2 months at one (or more) of the many schools that seem to dot the region. I might study for all 3 months, I might not. I intend to play it by ear, but probably will try to settle somewhere and move around less rather than more." He's right, there are many excellent schools scattered throughout Nicaragua, a few of which I've highlighted in this Budget Travel article: "Learn Spanish in a Land of Volcanoes: Nicaragua offers full-immersion classes at bargain prices." Just pick a school a go—it's as simple as that. If you have time, like my friend above, you can travel to Nicaragua and scout a few schools out before committing to a multi-week package. Twenty hours of instruction per week plus full-immersion Spanish by living with a Nicaraguan family is not always easy, but it's the best way to learn. Check out the options for learning Spanish in Nicaragua above, then read the corresponding chapters we wrote in Moon Living Abroad in Nicaragua.

Nicaragua has long inspired poets, journalists, novelists, and essayists, so there are always new titles to add to your stack of summer reading—and there are always out-of-print treasures to be dug up. It's hard to keep up sometimes. I realized how far behind I am after stumbling on this reading list, "Nicaragua: Surviving US terrorism," created by Preston C. Enright of Denver. It's 40 titles strong and was compiled "to honor the Nicaraguans, and those who work in solidarity with them." For something a bit more basic (or lighter, anyway) try "So You'd Like to Learn More About Nicaragua," compiled by Ryan, a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer. I found several books I’d never heard of, including a novel by Silvio Sirias which appears on both lists. Bernado and the Virgin is set in Nicaragua just after the 1980 Sandinista revolution. Based on the actual events of tailor and pig farmer Bernardo Martinez’s encounter with the Holy Virgin in his village of Cuapa, the book is also a “stormy epic of Nicaragua through the long Somoza years to the Sandinista revolution."

Many Central America–bound travelers are spending at least part of their time at one of the many Nicaraguan Spanish language schools, and with good reason. $150–200 per week gets you 4-6 hours per day of personal Spanish instruction—plus room and board in a Nicaraguan family's home, as well as field trips to local sites in the afternoons and weekends. Not only is this an incredible deal, but it's the best way to go deep and get the most out of your interaction with Nicaraguans during your stay here.

But which school is right for you? In addition to breaking it down in both our books (both of which contain extensive listings by region of the many Spanish schools throughout the country), Randy and I offer an online "Escuela Scoop" covering many of the country's best programs, including links to each school's website. In addition, there is a constant stream of Spanish school suppliers rising to meet the enormous demand. The newest of these is Spanish School Matagalpa, the first of its kind in Nicaragua's coffee country, and one which has not yet made it to the pages of Moon Handbooks Nicaragua.