OUR Program

We begin with a tour of Madrid, Spain's exciting capital city, which will include visits to Segovia and Toledo. Students will have an introduction to Spanish history and culture and an orientation to practical aspects of living in Spain. The heart and soul of this immersion program - as always - will be the home stay experiences in the Seville area. Each group of students will stay in Dos Hermanas (only 11 minutes by train/metro into the Seville). The school, Los Geranios, is where the students will receive their Spanish language instruction and participate in cultural activities and tours.

Ideally located a few minutes away from the historical center of Seville, Dos Hermanas provides our students with a more intimate, small-town flavor and a vibrant social life, which allows our students to make many Spanish friends.

For over 25 years the Los Geranios Institute has been directing Spanish language instruction for American and European students in this area. For over 15 years, they have worked with Spanish Learning Abroad and Learning Abroad Programs to provide instructional programs tailored to the needs of our students and our academic programs. Upon arrival, our students are tested for placement and grouped by levels of proficiency. Students have 3 hours of classes each weekday, from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm. The Spanish classes are designed to develop students' vocabulary, applied grammatical skills, and knowledge of the history and culture of Spain. The classes also provide students the opportunity to ask questions about phrases they have heard in their conversations with their host family, or other Spanish friends.

Spanish host families are drawn from the language school communities. For almost all our students, the relationships they develop with the people of Spain are what they value the most about this program. At the top of their list are their Spanish host and the other Spanish friends that they make. Los Geranios selects Spanish hosts that are interested in getting to know our students, and incorporating them into their daily life. Many of them have hosted our students in previous years, and are within walking distance of the school. Students should expect to eat all their meals with their hosts; we have found this to be the key to developing a relationship with them. Whether it’s the Spanish hosts, their friends, or the young people they meet the primary goal for students in this program is to get to know the people of Spain.