“The Dos”Ideally located a few metro stops away from the historical center of Seville, Dos Hermanas, fondly nicknamed “The Dos” by our students, is the geographical heart of this program. Its recent growth has not diminished its small-town flavor and attraction. Full of young people, Dos Hermanas has a vibrant social life, which has allowed our students to make many friends easily.
Los Geranios
Los Geranios is a private language school in the city of Dos Hermanas. Miguel Becerra and Macarena Alonso have directed this school for over 20 years with deep roots in Dos Hermanas. The role of Los Geranios in this community is key to the selection of the host families for this program. As well, its central location in the charming heart of the town makes it an ideal site for the classes. Upon arrival, our students are tested for placement and grouped by levels of proficiency. Students have 3 hours of classes each weekday, from 10:30am to 1:30pm. 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.
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 is their host family and the other Spanish friends that they make. Both in Granada and in Dos Hermanas, we select families that are authentically interested in getting to know our students, and incorporating them into their normal lives. Many of these families have hosted students before, and are within walking distance of the language school. Students will be primarily housed one per family, in some cases in pairs. Students should expect to eat all their meals with their host families; we have found this to be the key to developing a relationship with them. Whether it’s the host family, their friends, or the young people they meet, we strongly encourage our students to spend their free time getting to know the people of Spain. 
Students usually wake up between 9:00 and 9:30, have a light breakfast (juice or coffee, toast or fruit) and go to school. Classes start at 10:30am. There are four, 40-minute classes per day, with a 20-minute break between the second and third classes. Classes end at 1:30pm and students go home for lunch. Lunch is the main meal of the day, usually starting at 2:00 pm. Afternoon siestas are common, and some students become enthusiastic practitioners. Usually there is a programmed afternoon activity that will start at different times, often around 5 or 6 pm. These activities will usually finish by 8 pm. Suppertime varies, often starting when the sun goes down, which is around 10:00 pm. Students will sometimes meet friends after that. PLEASE NOTE: In Andalucia it is common for young people (and families with children) to be out much later than in the U.S. (after midnight). There is also significant variation among families on curfews. In all cases, we expect our students to adapt to the norms of their host family. Our recommended curfews are 11:30pm weeknights, 1:30am weekends
Activities in both Dos Hermanas and Granada take place in the afternoons, and are designed to expose students to a wide variety of typical features of Spanish culture and customs. On some afternoons there will be visits to places of interest in Seville or Granada, or to wonderful sites nearby. We will climb up castle walls for a sentry’s view, walk down into caves to see prehistoric paintings that are 25,000 years old, and stand in the sands of a Roman amphitheatre and imagine what it felt like to stand, sword in hand, ready for gladiatorial combat. In between we will learn to prepare some Spanish tapas (and eat them!), make some flamenco moves, and hang out with our Spanish friends.