Spanish Immersion Program

[Janis]

I'm interested in participating in a Spanish immersion program. I just completed my 3rd semester of Spanish at the local community college and want to find a program where I can stay with a host family and be immersed in SPanish for the week.

Anybody know of a well-respected program in Costa Rica, Mexico or Barcelona?

 

[DaveNV]

I don't know the name of the program, but a friend went to a boarding school kind of thing in Cuernavaca, Mexico, a few years ago. He said it was the best immersion-type course he'd ever had, quite well known, and very professionally run. Sorry I don't have more information, but maybe that will be enough to point you in the right direction. Good luck!

Dave

 

[Passepartout]

I've read some good things about Instituto Choc-Mool in Cuernavaca on another forum. There are sooo many immersion programs that you need to really define what it is that you want to accomplish with Spanish ie: converse with mostly Mexicans where you live, business, preparation for travel or whatever.

I've found Guatamalans speak a clear Latin American Spanish with less colloquialisms than Mexicans, and there are programs in beautiful Antigua with excursions to Guatamala City.

You might not want to consider Barcelona, as what is spoken there is Catalon, and not truly Spanish. If you want to learn European Spanish, Salamanca has many programs.

I have no actual personal experience with any immersion program myself, just an Elderhostel class or two and chatting with folks in the course of my work and travel.

Jim Ricks

 

[pammex]

I belive Autonoma Universidad de Guadalajara has an immersion program where you stay with a host family etc. It is quite intensive and supposedly you definately increase you rspanish. ( Sorry I am not sure on the spelling so maybe you can google spanish immersion in Guadalajara, Jalisco Mexico, or such....)

 

[Janis]

Thanks for the advice. There are just so many of these programs out there and it's difficult to select the right one.

 

[SciTchr]

I have heard that this is a good program, but have not investigated it fully. I have heard that San Miguel Allende is a charming town.

http://warrenhardy.com/school/san-miguel-de-allende.php

Good luck. Sounds like fun.

 

[Passepartout]

Thanks for the advice. There are just so many of these programs out there and it's difficult to select the right one.

Janis, we looked online at a few. A couple of things. I think you'd learn more if staying with a host family alone. If other students are together there's too much temptation to fall back to English.

I'd demand references from any I selected.

There's a fairly active thread in the 'community' area at www.frommers.com about this, lots with links and many suggestions.

Good Luck.

Jim Ricks

 

[silvib]

Janis - if at all possible, I would recommend going to Spain - at least you'll hear real Spanish, even if you don't have the time to absorb it. In many parts of Spain they have their different dialects and like was commented, in Barcelona they speak Catalan, but that's not everyone - only the people originating from the large Catalan area. They all speak Castilian Spanish too. We lived in Mallorca for almost 30 years, where the native Mallorquins speak a dialect of Catalan - but that's amongst themselves - not with others who don't speak or understand it.