Hi RS community! I'm embarking on a 6 month journey in western Europe next May. Along the way I'd like to plan a few cultural immersion programs, such as a cooking program in Italy or a Spanish language immersion program in Spain. Or maybe other ideas based on your suggestions! A few of these mutli-week, focused programs will not only add a focus to my trip but will also give me a sense of community, which as a solo traveler will be important to me. Does anyone here have recommendations on a Spanish language immersion program? The ideal program would be 2-3 weeks long, give me an opportunity to learn not only the language but also the culture, and share an experience with a community of people. Thanks! Mary
Posted by
Bloomington, IL, USA
9363 posts
I know you are looking for personal recommendations, which I can't offer. But a quick Google search revealed several options. You can also do a search of this site to find previous discussions of this topic by using the search box in the top right corner of the screen. You will find a few suggestions there.
Posted by
Napa, CA
3580 posts
I haven't taken any language courses in Europe, but I did a little research when I was in Spain in 2008. The kind of course you are considering is probably available in any of the larger cities and maybe even some of the smaller ones. If you read up on Spain and choose a city you think you'd like to stay in, then you can look for language courses there. That's what I would do. Madrid is much different than Barcelona, and the other cities all have their own characteristics. Seville or Granada would be interesting places to stay for a couple of weeks.
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
OK, I'll bite, because this post has been up for about 24 hours and nobody else has yet commented on one glaring issue. "I'm embarking on a 6 month journey in western Europe next May." If you haven't already done it, you will need to apply for an extended stay visa. Otherwise, your allowable stay in most of Europe will be limited to 90 days out of any 180 day period. Look up "Schengen Agreement" on Wikipedia for more information.
Posted by
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
8293 posts
Tom, the same person has a post on the Italy board about cooking courses during a 6 month stay in Europe. Schengen was mentioned in a response but has brought no reaction (yet) from the OP.
Posted by
Bloomington, IL, USA
9363 posts
Tom, because it was "off topic", I PMd her about the Schengen limits the first day. No response.
Posted by
jacksonville, FL, USA
16 posts
Hi Mary, I did a week of immersion with a school in Sevilla. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to name it here. What I can say is a few weeks will not do much for really learning Spanish. I've studied on my own for a year then 2 semesters at the University in my city and the week I did was really a refresher for me. My experience was a bit disorganized but I think that was par for the course. The first day we tested and had a tour of the city. Then everyone was placed in our level and scheduled for the next day. I was actually scheduled for a class in the afternoon the first day but soon found out it was wrong, I needed it to be more advanced. I enjoyed my classes and the other students (there were 4 in my first class and 5 in the second one I was in) but felt like I would have needed at least a month to really see some good progress. Kind Regards,
Vickie
Posted by
OP
Portland, OR
21 posts
Hello everyone, thank you for taking the time to send such thoughtful replies. My apologies for the delayed acknowledgement, I have been offline for a few days. I am just starting to plan the trip, so you have all given me a lot to think about! I appreciate all the advice, recommendations, FYI and tips on where to look for this experience! Mary