International House Riviera Maya

IH Riviera Maya was opened in 2004, as a joint project between IH Barcelona and IH Mexico City. The school has become an important centre for language teaching, teacher training, study tours and related activities in Mexico.

There are four main areas of activity in the school:

Teaching Spanish to students from all over the world
Teaching other languages (mainly English) to the local population
Training teachers of Spanish and English
Sending students from Mexico to study languages abroad
IH Riviera Maya has a number of local people studying English in the school, so there is plenty of opportunity for our students of Spanish to meet native Spanish speakers, make friends and improve their fluency outside the classroom, in the bar, at social events, etc.

We also have an out-going programme, sending students to study language courses in different countries. This helps us to see things from the learner's point of view. In other words, we know from our own experience what sort of issues tend to concern students most, and this helps us to ensure that the students who come to study Spanish with us are given the necessary help, care and attention.

IH Riviera Maya is also an official centre for Cambridge English and IELTS exams.

¿WHY IH RIVIERA MAYA?

Teacher training

International House was a pioneer in the development of practical training courses for teachers of Spanish and has continued to innovate in this field. The language teachers that we train are acknowledged as amongst the most able, creative and authoritative within their profession. The fact that our teacher training programmes have been recognized by UB Barcelona, one of Spain's most prestigious universities, is itself a good indication of their excellence.

Teaching and training materials

A significant number of IH teachers, past and present, have been involved in the writing of best-selling Spanish language teaching books and materials - and have also contributed to a wide range of publications in the field of language teaching.

Why do publishers look for authors from IH? Because they know that our schools are centres of teaching excellence.

Code of practice

IH Riviera Maya adheres to a code of practice, outlined by the IH World Organisation (IHWO), that ensures high standards in our all activities, both commercial and pedagogical. These high standards are corroborated by regular inspection visits from within and outside IHWO.

The perfect atmosphere for learning

IH Riviera Maya is full of people actively engaged in either learning how to speak a language or learning how to teach one - people of different ages, from different nationalities and backgrounds, people who stay for a few weeks, others who stay for months or even years. There is always an incredible amount of interaction going on between all these people, at many different levels, but the focus is always the same - achieving a pedagogical goal.

A wonderful location

Unless you've experienced it for yourself, it's difficult to appreciate just how special this corner of the world is. Humming birds feed from the exotic trees and plants in the school's garden. A white sand beach is less than 5 minutes walk away and the colour of the warm sea is simply breathtaking. And then there's the rest of the Riviera Maya to explore.