Decades later, the system for taking irregular verbs on board was no different. Or easier. Recite them, time after time. Memorize, memorize. Go over them, again and again.

The huge and pleasurable difference was that the process of getting them drilled into my grey matter took place not in the confines of a mill-town classroom but in a shady foreign courtyard cascading with exotic blooms. And as for homework, well I usually did that on my way to class every morning. I'd stop in the plaza, pick a bench in the early morning sunshine and try to concentrate on some last-minute conjugating. Invariably as I mouthed, "I this," "You that," "they the other," my eyes could not resist wondering over the unfolding scene.

Businessmen in formal blue suits strolling to the office. Indian women, their babies papoosed to their backs, setting down their wares for sale – colorful bundles of wonderful, intricate textiles, woven in their nearby villages on primitive looms. And the real classroom-bound kids, in crisp starched uniforms, dawdling, flirting, teasing, their way to school. All this activity set to a backdrop of cobbled streets, 460-year-old colonial architecture and the laidback pace of a historic town that is the gem of a once troubled region.

Welcome to academic adventure in Antigua, Guatemala.

The country of eternal spring that for decades was sadly a no-go zone for visitors because of its long civil war is now firmly back on the tourist map. One of the most enjoyable and constructive ways of taking advantage of Guatemala's captivating charms is to sign up with a language school. There are dozens of them in several towns, but most are concentrated in Antigua, the most under-celebrated of the Spanish colonial capitals of Latin America. And a compelling bonus for those who want to really get to grips with the culture and the language is that most of them offer the chance to live with families.

Learning Spanish in picture-postcard Antigua is no hardship – either on the brain cells or the pocket. Top price for five days tuition, seven hours a day, is $175; four hours a day is $125. And seven days accommodation in a private home with your own bathroom with three meals a day is a mere $100. Students of ALL ages, from all parts of the world, pour into the ancient city.

The one-on-one tuition is tailored to individual needs. For absolute beginners like me, the concentration was on mastering simple, everyday language. The "I am," "Where is..?" "What is...?" stuff. Simple, present tense vocabulary, that allows you to move with some semblance of good manners and worthy intent through the world's 21 Spanish-speaking countries.

Many just sign up for a week, either for a very basic introduction to the language or, in the case of those who already have a smattering or more, to brush up their grammar and their conversation. At the other extreme, for those determined or obliged for professional reasons to master Spanish, there are 12-week immersion courses.

Break-time over great Guatemalan coffee made for an eclectic gathering. Among my class, or rather, courtyard-mates, was a US Coast Guard Officer, who needed Spanish because of asylum seekers and drug-runners he picks up at sea; an executive of a US department store chain put in charge of its Central American manufacturing and buying operation; a young German businessman preparing to head his company’s Latin-American office; a newly graduated Boston doctor whose patients are going to be largely Hispanic; a "downsized" French salesman spending his payoff on a Central American odyssey; and an early-retired Swedish couple preparing for the long sojourns they plan in Spain.

Mixed into this crowd were the diplomats, readying for postings to Spanish speaking regions, and the drop-out backpackers, who want to head out on their Central and South America ventures with more Spanish than "uno cerveza, por favor" under their money-belts.

But for me, it was adventure enough just being in a learning program in a country that for years had been off-limits to all but the boldest traveler. And don't get alarmed that the bad times are back when you hear the crackle of explosives as the dawn comes up. It's not leftover guerrillas roaring into town – just the traditional Guatemalan family firecracker way of saying: "Happy Birthday." So obviously you'll hear the fiery celebration every morning. But don't worry, it won't wake you up. That will be taken care of by the crowing of the cocks at a much earlier hour.

I arrived in Antigua – less than an hour's shuttle-bus ride from Guatemala City – full of determination to benefit from the home-stay experience. It was an essential part of my bid to absorb Guatemala and get to infant grips with Spanish. As it turned out, my family experience suited me down to the ground. But had I really been serious about that part of my trip, I would have asked to change, as all students are urged to do if they feel the choice doesn't suit them. In fact I did refuse my first family. I started plucking-up courage to say "no way" as the school pick-up started leaving the town behind. As cobbled streets gave way to a dirt road I knew I couldn't be stuck this far out. My main concern was not, how long it would take me to get into town for the 8 a.m. class-start very morning, but how on earth would I get home from the bar at night? That is if I was able to excuse myself from the welcoming bosom of "mi familia.”

Even before my first Spanish lesson, I made the school driver understand my plight. My panic. With a knowing laugh he spun the pick-up into a dust-tearing u-turn and headed back into town.

I ended up with three, all American, "mature" students in the comfortable home of Donna Dora. Even so I copped-out in the end. Had I stuck to the beneficial image of living with a family I had conjured up, I would have asked for yet another change. Where were the children I was going to practice my kindergarten phrases on? Where was granny who would patiently help me find the right word? Apart from Donna Dora and a maid there was no one. And the domestic chores I fully expected to take part in? They good naturedly laughed at my attempts to communicate as I stood at the sink, up to my elbows in washing-up bubbles. I was holding up the cleaning-up. I was shooed out of the kitchen.

As it was, I took the situation presented to me and took full advantage. I certainly had breakfast every day. But everyone was in such a rush to get to class there was little time for talk – in any language. I did return for lunch. As a morning-class person only, I needed to go home to dump my books before embarking on the afternoon's escapade. And the one phrase I mastered well was, "I will not be having dinner tonight." The excuse I made to myself was that 6 p.m. was too early to eat. That was the time to meet new friends for a drink before venturing out to explore Antigua's culinary delights – and invariably ending up for a nightcap at Los Latinos. It’s the perfect place to end a hard day of trying to master the linguistic trick of rolling rr’s and desperately struggling to remember gender rules. Most of all of us in the bar were having the same problem, and the owner knew it. To help ease the conscience, for enjoying a rather noisy beer instead of being holed-up back with "the family" pouring over the required vocabulary, he provides a special service. Knowing the risk his customers were taking by neglecting their homework, he made a point of chatting to foreigners in Spanish that suited their level.

As my non-family worked well for me, so did my teacher. Evelyn was always keen to cut the formal one-on-one class so we could go on an errand around town. We spent a lot of time in many of Antigua’s engaging coffee houses – where the waitresses would kindly hide their giggles as Evelyn made me go through my ordering paces.

All day tuition is on offer, but only the really serious take that option. For the tourist students, the afternoons are a time to discover the antique charms of Antigua and its environs. You can catch a bus, either local or tourist, to nearby Indian villages to watch Guatemalans weave the fabulous fabrics – on sale on every Antiguan corner.

Then there are the guided walks that are a must. Led by American-born Elizabeth Bell, her enthusiasm for the history, culture and architecture of her adopted city, is infectious. Her number one tip for solo exploration is sound and richly rewarding. "Get behind the walls of Antigua," she's fond of extolling. "If there's an open door go through it."

Even without doing anything special, Antigua afternoons can be wonderfully passed, just browsing through the fancy craft shops, then trying to find the same wares – ceramics, textiles, silver – in the bazaar-type market on the edge of town. And there's nothing wrong with doing nothing. My home-stay house had a splendid flat-roof patio. I'd do my washing, hang it up on the rooftop line then settle down with my book. With the three volcanoes that ring the city in full view, I passed siesta time reading "The Long Night of the White Chicken" by Guatemalan-American Francisco Goldman. This highly readable novel provides a grim insight into the awful social and murderous chaos that plagued Guatemala through the '80s into the early ‘90s. Of course, the next morning Evelyn always wanted to know why I hadn't struggled through the local paper instead.

In retrospect I realize I could have cut back on the fun and done a better job at mastering basic Spanish. Darn it, I'm just going to have to go back and have another go....

If You Go:

Flights
Spirit Air is the cheapest. Flying from Reagan-National to Guatemala City (via Fort Lauderdale) can be as low as $303, but most major airlines have service. Check all on www.kayak.com.

Schools
Many are listed on www.studyspanish.com/schools/guatemala. I went to Francisco Marroquin, which has been in business since 1969. Its reputation is of the highest; it’s a nonprofit with all proceeds helping to keep the Mayan language alive; and yes, you can study Mayan www.plfm-antigua.org.

Tours
Elizabeth Bell’s company, www.antiguatours.net, covers all needs, with walks around the city and trips to the fabled wonders of Guatemala, such as the magnificent Mayan city ruins of Tikal and Iximche; Lake Atitlan and the old hippy village of Panajachel; the most colorful of native markets in Chichicastenango; and the volcanic black-beach of Monterrico.

Hotels
If you arrive early for school or want to stay on after your home-stay, there’s a terrific accommodation, for all pockets. I stayed at La Tatuana, $50 a night. No website but put name into any search engine to find. Apart from being quite the most charming small hotel I’ve ever experienced, it’s just a few steps off the plaza – the center of all life in Antigua – and is practically opposite the Rainbow Reading Room, which as well as offering books in English to swap and buy, has early morning breakfasts in a courtyard café and a late-night bar. Way down the budget scale are some great hostels, many with private en-suite rooms for $10 per person www.hostels.com. Of course you can always “slum it” and stay at the $150 plus a night Casa Santo Domingo, a converted 17th-century monastery: www.casasantodomingo.com

General Information
www.aroundantigua.com