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Here are some comments and stories from people who have studied Spanish
or volunteered at Fox.
 "Working with the children in the Nursery and Teaching in Fox Academy in Sucre, Bolivia was a highlight of my five month honeymoon trip to South America. My husband and I organised to do volunteering work while travelling in Bolivia in April 2010. We stayed with Consuelo and her family who welcomed us into the family home. We enjoyed cooking lessons on typical Bolivinan dishes like ‘humitas’(made from corn) and had first hand insight to Bolivian family life. Over the few weeks we were there, I helped out at a local nursery in the morning and then at the Fox Academy in the afternoons. The students and staff were friendly and welcoming and the Academy itself had a great atmosphere. We played Wally (a bolivian form of volleyball in a squash court!) with the staff and students which was great fun and met lots of fellow travellers from all over the world. Some of them taking Spanish lessons and some of them teaching English.
Fox Academy is a non-profit making institution dedicated to teaching English, Quechua and Spanish it offers a great opportunity for the under priveliged children and mature students of Sucre, Bolivia to learn English. My husband and I felt so lucky to experience Bolivian Culture through the inspirational staff at Fox Academy. Sucre will always be in our hearts."
Laura Davis, Liverpool UK. Oct 2010.
Photos top right: Some of the cheeky faces I helped to look after at the Nursery. Top right: Party time for National Children’s Day in the Nursery, cake and sweets galore. Bottom left: Lots of energy required for these 2- 4 year olds. Bottom right: At the end of an English class after playing charades for ‘guess the profession’. |
 "My wife and I had a great experience at the Fox Language Academy, where we took Spanish classes for three weeks and helped the local teachers with their English classes. Both our Spanish teachers were excellent. They adapted their teaching methods to our level of Spanish and kept our four-hour classes moving and interesting. We also enjoyed the opportunity to help in the English classes that are taught in the evening.
Everyone at the school was very friendly and we enjoyed the extracurricular activities and the time we spent with the teachers and other students there. We would definitely recommend the Fox Language Academy and the city of Sucre for anyone considering taking Spanish classes in Bolivia.
Bill & Linda McCollam, March 2010. |
 "In January of 2009 I had the pleasure of working with Fox Academy. This experience was a highlight of my trip, as it gave me the opportunity to volunteer and teach English to Bolivian university students. In return they gave me support through Spanish lessons and a room for rent. This mutually beneficial experience enabled the growth of good friendships with my adult students, and many memorable moments with the delightful kids in daycare. They made the Spanish lessons fun, growing my fluency significantly, and the room was clean and well maintained.
This charity enabled such an amazing experience by organizing this opportunity for me in a way that made me feel confident in the support I was provided, as well as a knowledge that my efforts were greatly appreciated."
Grant Rutherford, January 2009. |
 "I've been voluteering at Fox Academy-Sucre as an English assistant and teacher. The Fox staff have been really nice and helpful from the very first contact, providing me with all the necessary information. I decided to join their volunteering program because I admire the no-profit status of the Institute, whose commitment is indeed to offer good quality Spanish and Quechua classes to foreigners and to invest the profits to provide low-cost English courses to Bolivian children, teenagers and adults, creating at the same time new job opportunities for local teachers. English speaking volunteers are also welcome to help in the class.
Being interested in volunteering and having a degree in English language and literature, I am still really grateful to Fox for giving me the chance of trying myself as an English teacher, which I found really rewarding. During my time at Fox I was positively impressed by the good organization of the Institute and the professionalism of both Spanish/Quechua and English teachers. Moreover, I found all the staff really supportive and helpful towards each student. Fox also put me in contact with other local institutions for some extra volunteering activities (e.g. nurseries, orphanages...) and helped me in finding good accommodation in town. The experience I had at Fox and in Sucre was definitely positive and I feel I can recommend this school to both students and volunteers."
Silvia Dellapina, 28, March 2009. |
 "Whether you want total fluency or just enough to help you through your travels in South America, Fox Language Academy can help you achieve your goals while lending assistance the local community. Their university-trained professors offer one-to-one Spanish or group classes for all ages and abilities. The institute plays a key role in the education of students from both Bolivia and abroad; enabling them to improve their opportunities and enrich their experiences in life. Fox offers a high quality of language education to all of its students and puts forth a concentrated effort on improving their communication skills and thereby opening up greater work opportunities and life experiences.
Part of the proceeds from the Spanish lessons that they offer go towards funding English classes for local children and adults - subsiding the cost for those who would not otherwise have access to affordable education. In my own experience, Fox provided me with top quality instruction, while making the material easy to understand. The time that I have had at Fox, getting to know the students and the professors will be an experience I will treasure for the rest of my life."
Shaun Hodgson, 26, 2009. |
 “I am writing to enthusiastically recommend the Fox Language Academy in Sucre, Bolivia. In February and March of 2009, I spent six weeks studying Spanish and volunteering as an English teacher. I also lived with a Bolivian family. All of these were very positive experiences!
The Spanish classes I took were one-on-one which was perfect as I worked on just what I needed. My instructor prepared interesting and enjoyable activities, and was receptive to whatever I suggested we do. I also very much enjoyed teaching English to high school students. They were keen to learn English and were very good students. Teaching gave me a chance to get to know them and learn more about Sucre and Bolivia. In addition to classes, Fox offers other activities such as vollleyball games.
I was very glad that I lived with a family while at Fox. They were extremely generous and made me feel comfortable and welcome. Meal times were good opportunities to practice Spanish. The family patiently answered all my questions and helped to correct my Spanish. Sucre is a beautiful city with lots of good restaurants, interesting sites, and is very safe and easy to get around. For all these reasons, I am sure that anyone who chooses Fox will be quite happy.
Debbie Mattina, Somerville, MA USA. Feb-Mar 2009. |
 “Feliz Navidad y Un Propspero Ano Nuevo son los deseos para nuestros amigos a Fox Institute.El mes que hemos pasado en Sucre ha sido una experiencia maravillosa y inolvidabile.Gracias a Jorge y Lumen para la hospitalidad a Marisol para su gentileza a Delia para su paciencia y a todos para l'amistad.Enviamos una foto de nosotros en la zona de Tupizza.
Aqui en Italia hace muy frio y hay mucha nieve - 25 centimetros durante las ultimas 24 horas.Falta el calor de Sucre y de la Bolivia. Un abrazo y un beso"
Sarah Monico & Federico Taromy, Italy. |
"I spent four weeks studying
at the Fox Academy. I wanted a tough teacher who would put me through
my paces and boy did I get what I asked for! She came in the miniscule
form of Delia, who was not only strict and tiny, but was also extremely
dedicated, setting me tasks and homework every day. I know she did
a lot of the preparation for my tasks and classes in her own time
which really impressed me. Delia was not only a 'tough but fair'
first rate teacher but was also a real sweetheart when she needed
to be, which was just what I needed. My Spanish improved immensely
under her guidance.
There were a few social activities which stick out during my time
at Fox, namely the karaoke, which Tatiana (another of the teachers)
seemed to excel at, plus the Bolivian version of volleyball, called
bizarrely, ‘Walleyball.’ I had a great time playing
Walleyball on Saturday afternoons, although it was a tad painful
if you'd had a big karaoke night on the Friday.
I've studied Spanish in a few Latin American countries and was really
impressed with the teaching standard and the overall experience
I received in Bolivia with Fox. If you’re looking to improve
your language skills in an interesting and sometimes hilarious and
bizarre country and you don't want to break the bank, I would certainly
recommend Bolivia and would without doubt recommend Fox. I mean
they even arranged our accommodation with a fantastic local family
of about 15 people - every one of them called Vicky, which made
introductions and remembering names a piece of cake!"
Glenn Street, 39, London UK. Studied Spanish, May 2005. |
“Being a language teacher myself, I was very particular about
what skills my Spanish instructor should have. The people at Fox
quickly assured my that my instructor would be very experienced
and educated in the field of teaching Spanish as a second language.
I have not been disappointed. Since my first lesson six months ago
I have not once considered going to another school. The Fox Academy
has a variety of experienced teachers, one that is sure to fit your
learning style. I was lucky to find a match right away. I have been
to language schools all over Central and South America, and I can
honestly say that I have never had better and more knowledgeable
instructors.
The atmosphere at Fox is very laid back and comfortable. They
offer cultural activities and suggestions on where and what you
can do on your own. Their prices are very reasonable and it is
nice to know that your money goes not only to your teachers, but
also to the Fox English School which offers reasonably priced
(and sometimes free) English courses for local students."
Rebecca Biles, 29, Nebraska USA. Studying Spanish July 2005
- 2006. |
“Fox put me in
touch with the Guadalope Girls Orphanage, where I worked for a month
- a truly unique experience. We taught the girls some English, helped
them with their homework and daily chores. I bought an inflatable
globe and taught them some Geography which was really fun. It was
really good to get to know all the girls’ characters and it
was very sad to leave them. During these weeks I also took Spanish
classes for two hours every day at Fox, which helped me to communicate
with the family that I was staying with and the kids. My Spanish
teacher Lenny was amazing. In the beginning I didn't know a word
of Spanish, only Hola and Gracias but by the end I could communicate
with the family and locals at the market. She was really patient
with me and I learnt a lot about Bolivian culture as well. We also
got invited to dance in the Virgin Guadalope Fiesta which was so
much fun - especially dressing up in traditional costume and dancing
in the streets with the locals. If anyone is thinking of volunteering
in Bolivia and learning Spanish, I recommend visiting Fox.”
Pam Leung, 25, London UK. Volunteered September 2005. |
“I had great fun in Sucre. There are so many nice places to
eat and drink and there's a great backpacker vibe, with a lot of
people learning Spanish or volunteering there. It’s easily
the best place in Bolivia to rest your backpack and has a lovely
sunny climate. I spent just over a month there, working with Fox.
On weekday I learnt Spanish with Zulma - a very witty, brilliant
teacher, who encouraged me to speak up (I was starting pretty much
from scratch). The lessons were fun and cheap compared to other
schools in Sucre. Plus there's the fact that a chunk of the fee
goes towards giving the locals a better education.
The afternoons I had free to do all the usual museum / markets /
sightseeing things, then in the evenings I volunteered in two classes,
working alongside qualified teachers. The Bolivian students really
wanted to learn and I loved the experience, even though I had never
taught English before. The ages of the people in my classes ranged
from early teens to late 20s. They loved having a gringo teach them
and one class even threw a surprise party for our last lesson together
(pizza and coca cola all round!).
All the teachers were fun and on Saturday nights I'd get together
with them and other volunteers to chat about random stuff and try
different food and drink, such as carrot tea - a Bolivian delicacy!
It was great fun and I made so many friends in Bolivia that I’ll
definitely return one day."
Jody Smith, 27, Suffolk UK. Volunteered and studied Spanish,
May - June, 2005. |
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