“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.
For
almost all our students, the relationships they
develop with the people of the host community are
what they appreciate the most about this program. At the top of their list is usually their host family; for others it has been other Spanish friends that they make. Host families are primarily selected on the basis of their motivation for participating in a program of this nature, in addition to meeting fundamental physical and emotional criteria. We
only work with families that want to get to
know our
students, and are interested in helping them
get to know what Spain is really like. Many of these families have hosted visiting students before, and have easy access to the school. While many choose to be housed alone with a family, some students have found it preferable to share the family with another student. Whether it's with the host family and their friends, or with the young people they meet, we strongly encourage our students to spend their free time with their Spanish family and their Spanish friends. Students eat all their meals
with their host family, and conversations most often
take place during and after mealtimes. We strongly encourage our students to view meals as social
events, where the focus is as much on the conversation
as on the food. 
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