LITA: A Unique Approach to Language Immersion in Spain

This program is a perfect summer trip for those who are interested in learning Spanish & Spanish culture while having fun! LITA does a fantastic job of building a sense of community throughout the trip. I remember my first week (as part of the five week Northern trip), I spent time with my group alone in Galicia and really got to know everyone well before we went to our host stay families in Castile y Leon. While a Spanish immersion trip can at times be daunting, these friendships provide crucial support to ensure you enjoy your trip while meeting that immersion challenge. On top of this, LITA provides a unique learning experience by taking students to less traveled areas in Spain. Through these experiences, you get to have one-on-one conversations with a myriad of people to learn local “dichos” (sayings) and the current happenings in Spain. In these moments, I saw the unfiltered honesty and kindness in the Spanish people. On one excursion outside of A Coruña, I remember that I got lost trying to find a church and a lady personally walked me there while talking about her experiences with the Spanish Civil War. Overall, LITA trains its students how to speak Spanish in a practical manner, which is a strong contrast to Spanish teaching methods that stuff students into a classroom and force them to memorize verb conjugations. The one piece of advice that I would have is simply that ideally, you should study up a bit on your Spanish and Spanish history before arriving. Understanding the cultural and historical context behind the places you’ll stay in helps you get the most out of your experience. Thus, if you’re not passionate about learning Spanish, this may not be the trip for you. However, if you’re interested in Spanish, this is a wonderful program to partake in!

After being put on the waitlist in 2022, I'm very grateful that I was able to join this past summer! Initially, I was leaning towards the three-week trip, as being away for five weeks seemed daunting. However, after chatting with people and us all agreeing I should go for longer, I did, and I have absolutely no regrets! The set-up of the program between homestay and traveling with the group was refreshing and allowed me to get comfortable with everyone first. My Lita group was extremely friendly, open, and caring; even though I'm not the biggest talker, I felt comfortable with everyone and more than that, our group leaders. They were always helping us out and rooting for our success in activities, which was endearing and motivating. The trips we all took together were a healthy mix of fun and educational, and we even had some outdoor things mixed in there (those were the best!).
Not only that, but I loved meeting and engaging with so many different types of people. My friends from the group were amazing, and all of the others I met from being around my homestay family were just as awesome. Experiencing daily life in Spain for my family was vastly different from how I spend my days normally, so it was refreshing and helped me to become open to any sort of activities we did. And the delicious food I had every day was like the cherry on top!
For anyone who is looking to go on one of Lita's many adventures, I promise you to do it. I was very hesitant because of nervousness, and my lack of confidence speaking in another language, but this trip essentially eliminated those issues. The development of my speaking abilities alone is enough for me to recommend this trip to anyone considering it. No matter your expectations, the Lita experience will go above and beyond what you're expecting. It's an unforgettable experience!

The five weeks I spent in Southern Spain were some of the most amazing weeks of my life. My group was full of driven, Spanish-loving students like myself and I grew so close to these people. Many of them I still stay in touch with today, and we just had a mini reunion a few weeks ago! The experiences and activities were so hands-on and so involved. Although the idea of the homestay can be scary, it truly did make my Spanish skills so much better and it taught me how to navigate different cultures and the challenges that came with that. I grew close to my homestay sister and my own as well as other homestay families. I never felt isolated as I was oftentimes with another LITA student or two. I fully recommend this program to anyone who is willing to push themselves outside their comfort zone.

I regret absolutely nothing about choosing to go on a 5-week trip to the south of Spain this past summer. I am not lying when I say this summer was the most enjoyable of my life.

I got to know all 15 American kids in my group personally and still stay in touch with over half of the group. The connections I made with the other Americans were incredible; I was shocked to see how well I got to know some of my friends after "just" 5 weeks. I will value these friendships for the rest of my life and look forward to seeing all the friends I made through this incredible experience as soon as possible.

Every activity we engaged in was entertaining and educational, helping us understand more about Spanish traditions and culture while also having a blast. I particularly enjoyed getting to forge iron in the local forge, hiking and experiencing Andalusia's natural beauty, and learning about food via cooking classes and incredible meals. The daily activities are unique, and I am so grateful to have participated in all the amazing things we engaged with and saw, alongside the connections made with locals through these daily experiences.

I will keep in touch with my host family for the rest of my life---they were incredible. My host parents treated me as if I were their real son, and I spent time with my host brothers as if they were my own. Whenever I was unsure about something, I could rely on the helpful advice of my host parents. They had fascinating stories to share, and I will never forget their generosity in opening their home to me. Even though I only have known him for a few months, my friendship with my host brother is the most incredible and unique one I have. Becoming very close with somebody in Spanish significantly increased my confidence. Through this friendship, I have learned all about Spanish slang and everyday language alongside daily life as a teenager in Spain. Being able to compare and contrast the differences was fascinating. My two older host brothers were the older brothers I never had. After living my entire life with two younger brothers, being able to experience family life as the youngest child was just another of the many eye-opening experiences I had with LITA. My favorite memories of the experience were late-night conversations with my host family, spending time with my host brother and his friends, and getting to meet their family friends, and extended family. I'm seeing them in a few short months and can't wait! Through LITA's incredible homestay experience, I learned to slow down and appreciate the little moments above all else.

My Spanish improved significantly to the point where I can confidently say, and native speakers can surely agree that I am fluent. I can express almost all of my thoughts and opinions in Spanish. I also can access literature and TV in their original language. LITA's hands-on "classes" were highly beneficial. I will forever appreciate talking to locals, going to the market on a Friday, and learning about Spain's rich traditions and culture by fully immersing myself in it.

What's incredible about LITA is that I haven't even covered everything. You have to experience the magic yourself to grasp how unique this program is. If you are even thinking about thinking about going to Spain with LITA, you most definitely should. LITA has a space for you, no matter who you are. I will forever cherish the memories and bonds I made during this unbelievable summer.

LITA is a unique and intense language immersion program that helped me grow my spanish and showed me what its really like to live in an small town in Spain. During my time on LITA, I made so many long lasting relationships with the other kids in my group, and the people in my homestay community, like my host sister Sofia. Whats really special about this program is that it attracts the type of student that is motivated and excited to be in spanish the whole time. I barley spoke a word of english during my time on LITA, and it really paid off in the end. LITA provided me with a very intense and eye opening experience, as well as a fun and social one.

This was such an amazing and interesting summer! I learned so much about Spanish traditions, their lifestyle, and its beautiful culture. I explored and traveled into small towns that are off the radar of the "normal" tourist attractions so I was able to fully immerse myself in the culture, language, and what was around me. I bonded with my host family and throughout the 5 week program, I grew academically and socially. It was an experience I will never forget, and I will remember the lessons and memories forever.

I have never experienced such deep cultural and language immersion anywhere in my life. You truly are sent with a support system to help you create a family of Spanish citizens and other Americans. The incredible views you see, stories you hear, and activities you partake in is incredible and unique to the LITA program. In the first week, my group and I lived in a town of around 300 people where generations of families live—we heard incredible life stories that I could have only ever dreamed about.

LITA was by far my best and most special summer. In the months before the summer, I was honestly really nervous. I wasn't sure if my Spanish skills were strong enough. During these months, Jordan did a great job ensuring that I would have the best experience possible through multiple individual video calls. By the time June came around, I knew I was in for a good time.

My experience in Spain was everything I imagined and more. Everyday, we had interesting activities to do. We met incredible people who spread their unique knowledge to us students. Additionally, the food was so good. I got great experiences from going outside my comfort zone and trying new foods.

The relationships I created with LITA students and my host family exceeded my expectations. Today, I'm still in constant contact with many students and my homestay family, and I expect for that to continue for a long time. I went into my trip solo, so I was a little nervous about connecting with other students. However, LITA does a great job selecting the right people with amazing personalities. Everyone in my group was supportive, caring, and friendly at all times. We easily meshed together, which significantly enhanced our experience. LITA also selects the best host families. They gave everything they had to support me and teach me the most about Spain. We went on weekend vacations to explore and out to dinner with their extended family multiple times. They were always willing to slow down and repeat what they were saying as many times as I needed to make sure I was understanding and learning.

Being a Spanish immersion program, my skills improved dramatically. For the whole summer, the group and I stayed committed to the language. We spoke with each other and many others throughout various communities to help our growth. It can be difficult at times, but it's extremely rewarding in the end. The five weeks I spent in Spain most definitely helped improve my skills more than any in school experience.

I couldn't have asked for a better experience in Spain, and I highly recommend LITA to all.